Zero Install is a decentralized cross-platform software installation system available under the LGPL. It allows software developers to publish programs directly from their own web-sites, while supporting features familiar from centralised distribution repositories such as shared libraries, automatic updates and digital signatures. It is intended to complement, rather than replace, the operating system's package management.
Publisher’s description
What is Zero Install?
Zero Install by 0install.net is open-source Windows software in the package managers & updaters category. It ranks 18th by popularity among package managers & updaters in this catalogue. It is written in C#.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides Portable installers for 32-bit Windows. It runs without installation (portable).
Updates and version history
The current version is 2.29.3, released on May 18, 2026. The version history goes back to February 3, 2023: 25 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 7.6 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 26,586 times. The source code on GitHub (0install/0install-win) has 198 stars. Similar programs include Chocolatey, NuGet and uv.
Project description on GitHub: “Windows version of Zero Install”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Portable: runs without installation
- Frequent updates (about 7.6 a year)
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- 32-bit only
In short: Zero Install is an open-source package managers & updater tool for 32-bit PCs. It is actively maintained.
Is Zero Install 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:
D54AB922C4B186C66DD94C687F5060E25DF7077DE45308CB5DFDC4D1C736C5ED· 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 25 versions ›25 versions over 3 years · about 7.6 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.29.3Latest | May 18, 2026 | — | 32-bit Portable32-bit Portable |
| 2.29.2 | May 18, 2026 | — | 32-bit Portable32-bit Portable |
| 2.29.0 | May 18, 2026 | — | 32-bit Portable32-bit Portable |
| 2.28.7 | May 6, 2026 | — | 32-bit Portable32-bit Portable |
| 2.28.4 | February 16, 2026 | — | 32-bit Portable32-bit Portable |
| 2.28.3 | February 1, 2026 | — | 32-bit Portable32-bit Portable |
| 2.28.2 | January 24, 2026 | — | 32-bit Portable32-bit Portable |
| 2.28.1 | December 2, 2025 | — | 32-bit Portable32-bit Portable |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id ZeroInstall.ZeroInstall -echoco install 0install -yProgram files (.exe): 0install.exe
Related guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install zero-installInformation
- Publisher
- 0install.net
- Category
- Package managers & updaters
- Licence
- LGPL-3.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/0install/0install-win
- Written in
- C#
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 32-bit
- Installer
- Portable
- Version
- 2.29.3
- Released
- May 18, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- February 3, 2023
- Versions listed
- 25
- Updates / year
- 7.6
- Chocolatey downloads
- 26,586
- GitHub stars
- 198
- GitHub forks
- 30
- Website
- 0install.net
- winget ID
- ZeroInstall.ZeroInstall
- Chocolatey package
- 0install
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to Zero Install
See all ›-
Chocolatey2.7.4.0Chocolatey is The Package Manager for Windows. It was designed to be a decentralized framework for quickly installing applications and tools that you need. It is built on the NuGet infrastructure and uses PowerShell as its focus for delivering packages.Open source386.2M ↓ -
Open source2.6M ↓ -
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Conan Package Manager2.33.0An open source, decentralized C/C++ package manager, to automate building and sharing of packages.Open source257.3K ↓ -
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Open source15K ↓
Frequently asked questions
Is Zero Install free?
Yes. Zero Install is open-source software under the LGPL-3.0 licence.
Is Zero Install 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 Zero Install 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 Zero Install run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 32-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of Zero Install?
The versions page lists all 25 versions with links to their official installer files, back to February 3, 2023.
Can I use Zero Install without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.
What are alternatives to Zero Install?
Chocolatey, NuGet, uv, Conan Package Manager and UniGetUI (formerly WingetUI) - Pre-Release. The alternatives page compares them.
