yq is a lightweight and portable command-line YAML, JSON and XML processor.
yq uses jq like syntax but works with yaml files as well as json, xml, properties, csv and tsv.
Publisher’s description
What is yq?
yq by Mike Farah is open-source Windows software in the terminals & cli tools category. It ranks 8th by popularity among terminals & cli tools in this catalogue. It is written in Go.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides Portable installers for 64-bit, ARM64 and 32-bit Windows. It runs without installation (portable).
Updates and version history
The current version is 4.54.1, released on September 29, 2026. The version history goes back to July 15, 2022: 35 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 8.3 releases a year. The last update is less than a month old.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 1,483,896 times. The source code on GitHub (mikefarah/yq) has 16,165 stars. Similar programs include PowerShell, Oh My Posh and QPDF.
Project description on GitHub: “yq is a portable command-line YAML, JSON, XML, CSV, TOML, HCL and properties processor”
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 8.3 a year)
- Large user base
In short: yq is an open-source terminals & cli tool tool for 64-bit, ARM64 and 32-bit PCs. It is actively maintained.
Is yq 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:
B645F47EBB3A0D2FBAB52998550BBD0A1706F23B5CA5F5B48E638C580BB70928· 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 mikefarah/yq repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 20, 2026.
- Actively maintained10
- Dependency update tool10
- Security policy10
- Restricted token permissions10
- No binaries in the repository10
- No dangerous workflows10
- Static code analysis10
- Published packages10
- Licence declared10
- Tests in CI10
- Contributors from several organisations10
- Pinned dependencies9
- Code review5
- No known vulnerabilities5
- Branch protection3
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- Fuzzing0
- Signed releases0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 35 versions ›35 versions over 4 years · about 8.3 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.54.1Latest | September 29, 2026 | — | 64-bit PortableARM64 Portable32-bit Portable |
| 4.53.6 | August 20, 2026 | — | 64-bit Portable32-bit PortableARM64 Portable |
| 4.53.4 | August 19, 2026 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| 4.53.3 | June 6, 2026 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| 4.53.2 | April 17, 2026 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| 4.52.5 | March 25, 2026 | — | 64-bit Portable |
| 4.52.4 | February 14, 2026 | — | 64-bit Portable32-bit Portable |
| 4.52.2 | January 31, 2026 | — | 64-bit Portable32-bit Portable |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id MikeFarah.yq -echoco install yq -yProgram files (.exe): yq.exe
Related guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install yqInformation
- Publisher
- Mike Farah
- Category
- Terminals & CLI tools
- Licence
- MIT
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/mikefarah/yq
- Written in
- Go
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, ARM64, 32-bit
- Installer
- Portable
- Version
- 4.54.1
- Released
- September 29, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- August 26, 2022
- Versions listed
- 35
- Updates / year
- 8.3
- Chocolatey downloads
- 1,483,896
- GitHub stars
- 16,165
- GitHub forks
- 3,474
- Website
- mikefarah.gitbook.io
- winget ID
- MikeFarah.yq
- Chocolatey package
- yq
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to yq
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Frequently asked questions
Is yq free?
Yes. yq is open-source software under the MIT licence.
Is yq 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 yq 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 yq run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
Yes, there is a native ARM64 installer.
Where can I download an older version of yq?
The versions page lists all 35 versions with links to their official installer files, back to July 15, 2022.
Can I use yq without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.
What are alternatives to yq?
PowerShell, Oh My Posh, QPDF, fzf and Alacritty. The alternatives page compares them.
