Microsoft releases Windows Package Manager at Build 2021

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After a year of preview testing, Windows Package Manager is now generally available.

Windows Package Manager
Windows Package Manager (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Windows Package Manager is now available in version 1.0.
  • The tool makes it easy to install and uninstall apps and packages on Windows 10.
  • Microsoft has tested Windows Package Manager in preview since May 2020.

At Microsoft Build 2021, the company released Windows Package Manager 1.0. First announced in preview at Build 2020, Windows Package Manager makes it easy to install software onto Windows 10. The tool is especially handy for IT admins that manage multiple PCs but can also be useful for individual users.

Windows Package Manager is a winget client that facilitates streamlines installations using the command line. There are third-party package managers, such as Chocolatey, that were already available for Windows, but it's nice to have another option from Microsoft.

Windows Insiders and people that have signed up for the Windows Package Manager Insider group may already have the tool. If you don't have it already, you can grab it from the Windows Package Manager GitHub page. Microsoft also has a direct link to install it in the devblog post announcing its availability.

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Soon, Windows Package Manager 1.0 will ship as an automatic update through the Microsoft Store for PCs running Windows 10 version 1809 or later.

Over 1,400 unique packages have been contributed to the Microsoft Community repository already. That number should only go up now that Windows Package Manager is generally available.

Microsoft also announced a new tool in preview to help submit packages to the Microsoft Community repository. The tool is called Windows Package Manager Manifest Creator.

If you've never used the tool before, or just need a refresher, we have a complete guide on how to use Windows Package Manager to install apps and programs.

Sean Endicott
Sean Endicott
News Writer

Sean Endicott is a News Writer at Windows Central, where he covers Windows 11, Surface hardware, Microsoft 365, AI, apps, and the broader PC ecosystem. Since joining the site in 2017, he has written well over a thousand articles across the Microsoft landscape, covering breaking news, analysis, and feature reporting.

He writes Windows Wrap, a weekly column covering the biggest stories in Windows and the PC industry, and what they mean for the platform going forward.

Before joining Windows Central full-time, Sean worked in journalism and media production after earning a First Class degree in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University. Outside of tech, he is an award-winning American football coach based in Nottingham, England, and was named BAFCA Youth Coach of the Year in 2024.