An open-source system-wide ad-blocker and privacy guard.
Publisher’s description
What is Zen?
Zen by Zen is open-source Windows software in the firewall & privacy category. It ranks 49th by popularity among firewall & privacy in this catalogue. It is written in Go.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (NSIS) installers for 64-bit and ARM64 Windows. Installation asks for administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is 0.28.0, released on October 22, 2026. The version history goes back to May 26, 2025: 23 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 16 releases a year. The last update is less than a month old.
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (irbis-sh/zen-desktop) has 4,285 stars. Similar programs include OnionShare, Portmaster and dnscrypt-proxy.
Project description on GitHub: “System-wide ad-blocker and privacy guard for Windows, macOS and Linux.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Native ARM64 build for Windows on Arm
- Documented silent install
- Frequent updates (about 16 a year)
Cons
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: Zen is an open-source firewall & privacy tool for 64-bit and ARM64 PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is Zen 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:
50607433AC727626F64F95711B14E3E2CE40010800F859022AFFFBBFE819BFF3· 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 irbis-sh/zen-desktop repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 23, 2026.
- Security policy10
- Actively maintained10
- No dangerous workflows10
- No binaries in the repository10
- Pinned dependencies10
- Licence declared10
- Dependency update tool10
- Restricted token permissions9
- Static code analysis9
- Tests in CI9
- Branch protection3
- Contributors from several organisations3
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge2
- Code review0
- Fuzzing0
- Signed releases0
- No known vulnerabilities0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 23 versions ›23 versions over 1 year · about 16 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.28.0Latest | October 22, 2026 | — | ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 0.27.1 | October 12, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS) |
| 0.27.0 | October 11, 2026 | — | ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 0.26.0 | October 7, 2026 | — | ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 0.25.1 | August 13, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS) |
| 0.25.0 | August 9, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS) |
| 0.24.1 | July 22, 2026 | — | ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 0.24.0 | June 27, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id ZenPrivacy.ZenDesktop -eZen-amd64-installer.exe /SRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- Zen
- Category
- Firewall & privacy
- Licence
- MIT
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/irbis-sh/zen-desktop
- Written in
- Go
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, ARM64
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS)
- Version
- 0.28.0
- Released
- October 22, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- August 26, 2025
- Versions listed
- 23
- Updates / year
- 16.3
- GitHub stars
- 4,285
- GitHub forks
- 142
- Website
- irbis.sh
- winget ID
- ZenPrivacy.ZenDesktop
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Zen free?
Yes. Zen is open-source software under the MIT licence.
Is Zen 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 Zen 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 Zen be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does Zen run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
Yes, there is a native ARM64 installer.
Where can I download an older version of Zen?
The versions page lists all 23 versions with links to their official installer files, back to May 26, 2025.
What are alternatives to Zen?
OnionShare, Portmaster, dnscrypt-proxy, WindowsSpyBlocker and DingTalk Workspace CLI. The alternatives page compares them.
