Watches files and records, or triggers actions, when they change.
Publisher’s description
What is watchman?
watchman is an open-source program for Windows from watchman. It is written in C++.
Installation and requirements
Official installers exist for Any CPU as Portable. It runs without installation (portable).
Updates and version history
The current version is 2025.02.24.00, released on February 24, 2025. 3 versions are listed since December 6, 2024, each with links to its own installer files. The last update is more than a year old.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 66,150 times. The source code on GitHub (facebook/watchman) has 13,746 stars.
Project description on GitHub: “Watches files and records, or triggers actions, when they change. ”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Portable: runs without installation
- Large user base
Cons
- No update for more than a year
In short: watchman is an open-source Windows tool for Any CPU PCs. Updates have slowed down.
Is watchman 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:
8550B79B3620F6EABC81544AB767CC94883750EFBB3A4127423F52FC420BFBED· 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 facebook/watchman repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- Actively maintained10
- No dangerous workflows10
- No binaries in the repository10
- Fuzzing10
- Licence declared10
- Security policy9
- Code review6
- Branch protection3
- Static code analysis0
- Restricted token permissions0
- Pinned dependencies0
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 3 versions ›| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025.02.24.00Latest | February 24, 2025 | — | Any CPU ZIP |
| 2025.2.10.0 | February 10, 2025 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 2024.12.02.00 | December 6, 2024 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id facebook.watchman -echoco install watchman -yRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- watchman
- Licence
- MIT
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/facebook/watchman
- Written in
- C++
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- Any CPU
- Installer
- Portable
- Version
- 2025.02.24.00
- Released
- February 24, 2025
- Added to the catalogue
- December 6, 2024
- Versions listed
- 3
- Chocolatey downloads
- 66,150
- GitHub stars
- 13,746
- GitHub forks
- 1,071
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- facebook.watchman
- Chocolatey package
- watchman
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Frequently asked questions
Is watchman free?
Yes. watchman is open-source software under the MIT licence.
Is watchman 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 watchman 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 watchman run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
The installer is architecture-neutral.
Where can I download an older version of watchman?
The versions page lists all 3 versions with links to their official installer files, back to December 6, 2024.
Can I use watchman without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.