I have been asked a few times now about the differences between Chocolatey and Winget. So, I thought I would lay out a few things that hopefully answer that question.

Firstly, Chocolatey and Winget are both package managers for Windows that can be used to install and manage software applications. Chocolatey and Winget use the command line to install and manage packages, and both allow users to install multiple apps at once using a list of package names.

Now, to talk about the differences between Chocolatey and Winget. Chocolatey has been around for since 2011 and has a large community and ecosystem of packages and tools, so it has more packages available and more features and capabilities. Winget was released into preview in mid-2020 and had a 1.0 release in May, 2021. It is designed to be more integrated with the Windows operating system and to provide a more user-friendly experience.

Both Chocolatey and Winget are open source:

• chocolatey/choco: Chocolatey – the package manager for Windows (github.com)
• microsoft/winget-cli: Windows Package Manager CLI (aka winget) (github.com)

In terms of performance and reliability, both Chocolatey and Winget are generally considered to be stable and reliable package managers. However, since Chocolatey has been around for longer and has a larger community, it may have more up-to-date packages and more support for troubleshooting issues.

Overall, the choice between Chocolatey and Winget will depend on your specific needs and preferences. If you prefer a more established and community-driven package manager with a larger ecosystem of tools and packages, then Chocolatey may be the better option for you. On the other hand, if you want a more integrated and user-friendly experience, then Winget may be a better choice.

What are the benefits of using a package manager?

• Installing multiple applications at once: allows users to install multiple applications at once using a list of package names, making it easy to set up a new computer or to quickly install a group of applications that are commonly used together
• Automating the installation of applications: can be used in scripts and automation tools, allowing users to automate the installation of applications on multiple computers. This can be useful for deploying applications in a large organization or for standardizing the software environment on a group of computers
• Centralizing the management of applications: allows users to manage all of the installed applications from a central location, making it easy to keep track of which applications are installed on a computer and to update them when needed

Overall, package managers for Windows like Chocolatey and Winget can be a useful tool for managing and installing software applications, and it can be particularly useful for automating the installation of applications.