Varia is a simple download manager. It uses the amazing aria2 to handle the downloads.
It supports basic functionality like continuing incomplete downloads from the previous session upon startup, pausing/cancelling all downloads at once, setting a speed limit, authentication with a username/password, setting the simultaneous download amount and setting the download directory.
Publisher’s description
What is Varia?
Varia is an open-source download manager program for Windows from Giant Pink Robots!. It is written in Python. Besides Windows, it is available for Linux.
Installation and requirements
Official installers exist for 64-bit as EXE (Inno Setup). Installation asks for administrator rights. The installer supports unattended (silent) installation.
Updates and version history
The current version is 2026.8.5, released on August 5, 2026. 13 versions are listed since March 4, 2024, each with links to its own installer files. That is about 5.3 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (giantpinkrobots/varia) has 1,889 stars. Similar programs include youtube-dl, yt-dlp and Transmission.
Project description on GitHub: “Download manager that supports regular downloads, torrents and videos”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Also runs on Linux
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: Varia is an open-source download manager tool for 64-bit PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Key features
- Download anything you want quickly - potentially faster than your browser, continue incomplete downloads even after reboots
- Download video and audio (as well as whole playlists) from thousands of websites (anything supported by yt-dlp) including YouTube, TikTok, Twitter etc
- Integrate with Firefox and Chrome (or any Chromium based browser like Brave or Opera) to redirect downloads
- Schedule downloads with a powerful scheduler function allowing for custom timespans for each day of the week
- Download from protected areas with basic auth and cookies.txt import support, as well as an option to automatically transfer your browser cookies through the extension
- Control a remote aria2 instance running on any server through Remote Mode
AppStream · Flathub
Is Varia 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:
E1852CAA003F302493A683A53C7F4EC122DE105C59DD9EEE3E73B5FBC89C553B· 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 13 versions ›13 versions over 2 years · about 5.3 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026.8.5Latest | August 5, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 2026.8.5-1 | August 23, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 2026.3.27 | March 27, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 2026.1.5 | January 8, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 2026.1.5-3 | January 29, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 2025.10.14 | October 14, 2025 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 2025.10.14-1 | November 11, 2025 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 2025.7.19 | July 19, 2025 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id GiantPinkRobots.Varia -escoop install extras/variavaria-windows-setup-amd64.exe /VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /NORESTART /SP-Related guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
flatpak install flathub io.github.giantpinkrobots.variaInformation
- Publisher
- Giant Pink Robots!
- Category
- Download managers
- Licence
- MPL-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/giantpinkrobots/varia
- Written in
- Python
- Content rating
- All ages
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- EXE (Inno Setup)
- Other platforms
- Linux
- Version
- 2026.8.5
- Released
- August 5, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- March 4, 2024
- Versions listed
- 13
- Updates / year
- 5.3
- GitHub stars
- 1,889
- GitHub forks
- 102
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- GiantPinkRobots.Varia
- Scoop package
- extras/varia
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to Varia
See all ›-
Open source1M ↓ -
Open source533K ↓ -
Open source92.6K ↓ -
Open source741.6K ↓ -
Open source19.3K ↓ -
Motrix1.8.19Motrix is a full-featured download manager that supports downloading HTTP, FTP, BitTorrent, Magnet, etc.Open source15.6K ↓ -
ZeroNet0.7.1ZeroNet - Open, free and uncensorable websites, using Bitcoin cryptography and BitTorrent network.Open source5.6K ↓ -
Open source74.1K ↓
Frequently asked questions
Is Varia free?
Yes. Varia is open-source software under the MPL-2.0 licence.
Is Varia 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 Varia 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.
Can Varia be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does Varia 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 Varia?
The versions page lists all 13 versions with links to their official installer files, back to March 4, 2024.
What are alternatives to Varia?
youtube-dl, yt-dlp, Transmission, Jackett and Tribler. The alternatives page compares them.
