step-ca is an online certificate authority for secure, automated certificate management. It issues X.509 and SSH certificates using protocols like ACME, OIDC, and SCEP.
Publisher’s description
What is step-ca?
step-ca by Smallstep is open-source Windows software in the languages & sdks category. It is written in Go.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides Portable installers for 64-bit Windows. It runs without installation (portable).
Updates and version history
The current version is 0.30.2, released on March 23, 2026. The version history goes back to January 14, 2023: 19 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 6 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (smallstep/certificates) has 8,978 stars. Similar programs include Go Programming Language, LLVM and Deno.
Project description on GitHub: “🛡️ A private certificate authority (X.509 & SSH) & ACME server for secure automated certificate management, so you can use TLS everywhere & SSO for SSH.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Portable: runs without installation
- Large user base
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
In short: step-ca is an open-source languages & sdk tool for 64-bit PCs. It is actively maintained.
Is step-ca safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
89912B33A2100E21DAB58ED2F8740E6B61556EDF5CF135B860F713506F1CCB71· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Security practices (OpenSSF Scorecard)
Automated checks of the smallstep/certificates repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- Code review10
- Actively maintained10
- No dangerous workflows10
- Security policy10
- No binaries in the repository10
- Licence declared10
- Static code analysis10
- Restricted token permissions8
- Signed releases8
- Branch protection6
- Pinned dependencies1
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- Fuzzing0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 19 versions ›19 versions over 3 years · about 6 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.30.2Latest | March 23, 2026 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 0.30.1 | March 19, 2026 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 0.28.4 | July 14, 2025 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 0.28.3 | March 18, 2025 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 0.28.2 | February 21, 2025 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 0.28.1 | November 20, 2024 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 0.28.0 | October 30, 2024 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 0.27.5 | October 17, 2024 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Smallstep.step-ca -eRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- Smallstep
- Category
- Languages & SDKs
- Licence
- Apache-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/smallstep/certificates
- Written in
- Go
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- Portable
- Version
- 0.30.2
- Released
- March 23, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- February 22, 2023
- Versions listed
- 19
- Updates / year
- 6
- GitHub stars
- 8,978
- GitHub forks
- 609
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- Smallstep.step-ca
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to step-ca
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Frequently asked questions
Is step-ca free?
Yes. step-ca is open-source software under the Apache-2.0 licence.
Is step-ca safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install step-ca with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Does step-ca run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of step-ca?
The versions page lists all 19 versions with links to their official installer files, back to January 14, 2023.
Can I use step-ca without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.
What are alternatives to step-ca?
Go Programming Language, LLVM, Deno, CMake and Yarn. The alternatives page compares them.
