The Simplified Wrapper and Interface Generator (SWIG) is an open-source software tool used to connect computer programs or libraries written in C or C++ with scripting languages such as Lua, Perl, PHP, Python, R, Ruby, Tcl, and other language implementations like C#, Java, JavaScript, Go, D, OCaml, Octave, Scilab and Scheme. Output can also be in the form of XML.
The aim is to allow the calling of native functions (that were written in C or C++) by other programming languages, passing complex data types to those functions, keeping memory from being inappropriately freed, inheriting object classes across languages, etc. The programmer writes an interface file containing a list of C/C++ functions to be made visible to an interpreter. SWIG will compile the interface file and generate code in regular C/C++ and the target programming language. SWIG will generate conversion code for functions with simple arguments; conversion code for complex types of arguments must be written by the programmer. The SWIG tool creates source code that provides the glue between C/C++ and the target language. Depending on the language, this glue comes in three forms:
What is SWIG?
SWIG by SWIG (developed by William S Fulton) is open-source Windows software. It is written in C and C++. Besides Windows, it is available for Linux, Berkeley Software Distribution and Unix-like operating system.
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 4.5.1, released on September 4, 2026. The version history goes back to February 24, 2024: 7 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 2.8 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
Wikipedia has an article about it in 12 of our languages.
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Portable: runs without installation
- Updated in the last two months
- Also runs on Linux, Berkeley Software Distribution and Unix-like operating system
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
In short: SWIG is an open-source Windows tool for 64-bit PCs.
Is SWIG safe to download?
- The file is served by prdownloads.sourceforge.net; check that it is the publisher’s official mirror
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
6A8662C063BA4D1E72BEAECEF24DA4AF3D631D73FFDDE958FB42AA50FDEFB962· 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
Recent versions
All 7 versions ›7 versions over 3 years · about 2.8 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.5.1Latest | September 4, 2026 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 4.5.0 | August 5, 2026 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 4.4.1 | December 7, 2025 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 4.4.0 | October 20, 2025 | — | Any CPU ZIP |
| 4.3.1 | April 15, 2025 | — | Any CPU ZIP |
| 4.3.0 | October 20, 2024 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 4.2.1 | February 24, 2024 | — | 32-bit ZIP |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id SWIG.SWIG -escoop install main/swigRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install swigInformation
- Publisher
- SWIG
- Developer
- William S Fulton and Shengqiu Li
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Price
- Free
- Written in
- C and C++
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- Portable
- Other platforms
- Linux, Berkeley Software Distribution, Unix-like operating system
- Version
- 4.5.1
- Released
- September 4, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- July 10, 2024
- Versions listed
- 7
- Updates / year
- 2.8
- Website
- swig.org
- winget ID
- SWIG.SWIG
- Scoop package
- main/swig
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Frequently asked questions
Is SWIG free?
Yes. SWIG is open-source software under the GPL-3.0 licence.
Is SWIG safe to download?
The download comes from prdownloads.sourceforge.net; 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 SWIG 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 SWIG 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 SWIG?
The versions page lists all 7 versions with links to their official installer files, back to February 24, 2024.
Can I use SWIG without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.