step-cli lets you build, operate, and automate Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
systems and workflows. It's a swiss army knife for authenticated encryption
(X.509, TLS), single sign-on (OAuth OIDC, SAML), multi-factor authentication
(OATH OTP, FIDO U2F), encryption mechanisms (JSON Web Encryption, NaCl),
and verifiable claims (JWT, SAML assertions).
Publisher’s description
What is step?
step is an open-source encryption program for Windows from Smallstep. It ranks 32nd by popularity among encryption in this catalogue. It is written in Go.
Installation and requirements
Official installers exist for 64-bit and ARM64 as Portable. It runs without installation (portable).
Updates and version history
The current version is 0.31.0, released on September 25, 2026. 25 versions are listed since January 14, 2023, each with links to its own installer files. That is about 6.8 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (smallstep/cli) has 4,355 stars. Similar programs include Cryptomator, GNU Privacy Guard and Keybase.
Project description on GitHub: “🧰 A zero trust swiss army knife for working with X509, OAuth, JWT, OATH OTP, etc.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Native ARM64 build for Windows on Arm
- Portable: runs without installation
- Frequent updates (about 6.8 a year)
In short: step is an open-source encryption tool for 64-bit and ARM64 PCs. It is actively maintained.
Is step 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:
3B8DC1245FB1DFFE3B57BF10CAC9B3DA9808ED42F7274F869085E1086214D0F4· 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/cli repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- Security policy10
- Actively maintained10
- Code review10
- No dangerous workflows10
- No binaries in the repository10
- Licence declared10
- Static code analysis10
- Restricted token permissions8
- Signed releases8
- Branch protection6
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge2
- Pinned dependencies2
- Fuzzing0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 25 versions ›25 versions over 4 years · about 6.8 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.31.0Latest | September 25, 2026 | — | ARM64 ZIP64-bit ZIP |
| 0.30.6 | June 10, 2026 | — | 64-bit ZIPARM64 ZIP |
| 0.30.5 | June 10, 2026 | — | ARM64 ZIP64-bit ZIP |
| 0.30.4 | June 10, 2026 | — | ARM64 ZIP64-bit ZIP |
| 0.30.2 | March 22, 2026 | — | ARM64 ZIP64-bit ZIP |
| 0.30.1 | March 19, 2026 | — | ARM64 ZIP64-bit ZIP |
| 0.30.0 | March 18, 2026 | — | 64-bit ZIPARM64 ZIP |
| 0.28.7 | July 14, 2025 | — | ARM64 ZIP64-bit ZIP |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Smallstep.step -eRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install stepInformation
- Publisher
- Smallstep
- Category
- Encryption
- Licence
- Apache-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/smallstep/cli
- Written in
- Go
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, ARM64
- Installer
- Portable
- Version
- 0.31.0
- Released
- September 25, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- January 31, 2023
- Versions listed
- 25
- Updates / year
- 6.8
- GitHub stars
- 4,355
- GitHub forks
- 325
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- Smallstep.step
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to step
See all ›-
Open source166.2K ↓ -
GNU Privacy Guard2.5.24GNU Privacy Guard (GnuPG or GPG) is a free-software replacement for Symantec's PGP cryptographic software suite.Open source186.1K ↓ -
Keybase6.6.3.3End-to-end encryption for things that matter. Keybase is secure messaging and file-sharing.Open source36.6K ↓ -
Open source78.8K ↓ -
KopiaUI0.23.1Cross-platform backup tool for Windows, macOS & Linux with fast, incremental backups, client-side end-to-end encryption, compression and data deduplication. CLI and GUI included.Open source31.8K ↓ -
Open source19.2K ↓ -
age1.3.2A simple, modern and secure encryption tool (and Go library) with small explicit keys, no config options, and UNIX-style composability.Open source15.6K ↓ -
Open source960 ↓
Frequently asked questions
Is step free?
Yes. step is open-source software under the Apache-2.0 licence.
Is step 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 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 run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
Yes, there is a native ARM64 installer.
Where can I download an older version of step?
The versions page lists all 25 versions with links to their official installer files, back to January 14, 2023.
Can I use step without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.
What are alternatives to step?
Cryptomator, GNU Privacy Guard, Keybase, i2pd and KopiaUI. The alternatives page compares them.
