# velopack/velopack

Installer and automatic update framework for cross-platform desktop applications

Repository: https://github.com/velopack/velopack
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/velopack
Homepage: https://velopack.io
Language: C#
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Topics: automatic-updates, autoupdate, desktop, dotnet, installer, macos, osx, squirrel, updater, windows, velopack, clickonce, linux
Last push: 2026-08-21T16:03:48+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 88/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 98, release rhythm 87, longevity 69
- inputs: {"age_days": 976, "days_push": 12, "days_rel": 91, "gap_med": 5.0, "n_releases_24m": 15}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 2292, forks 148 (observed 2026-08-28T04:06:34.975564+00:00)

## What it is
Velopack is an installation and automatic update framework for cross-platform desktop applications, with client SDKs for C#, Rust, C/C++, JavaScript, and Python plus a 'vpk' CLI for packaging. It generates installers, delta update packages, and self-updating portable builds from compiler output with zero configuration, supporting Windows, macOS, and Linux.

## Use cases
- add automatic updates to a desktop app
- create an installer for my application
- migrate from Squirrel.Windows to a maintained updater
- ship delta updates so users download only changes
- distribute a cross-platform app on Windows, macOS, and Linux
- self-update a portable application
- sign and notarize app packages during builds
- host app updates on GitHub Releases or static files

## When to choose
- you need installers and auto-updates for desktop apps across Windows, macOS, and Linux from one tool
- you want zero-config packaging with delta updates and background updates
- you're migrating from Squirrel.Windows or ClickOnce
- your app is written in C#, Rust, C/C++, JS, or Python

## When to avoid
- you need highly customized installer UIs or complex installation logic
- you only target mobile or web platforms
- your language (Go, Java, Swift) has no ready SDK yet
- you need MSI or enterprise deployment tooling

## Facets
- artifact type: framework
- maturity: active
- function: deployment, developer-tools, cli, sdk
- domain: desktop-applications, cross-platform, developer-tools
- platform: windows, cross-platform, dotnet, rust, python, cli
- tags: auto-update, installer, delta-updates, code-signing, squirrel-successor, clickonce, electron-updater, software-distribution, automation, macos, linux

## Member repositories
- velopack/velopack (main) score 88

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:34.975564+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T02:40:40.186423+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/velopack/velopack (fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:34.975564+00:00, sha d16cb5050696)
  - homepage: https://velopack.io (fetched 2026-08-29T10:20:57.976281+00:00, sha 0b10b1a97fbb)
  - site_page: https://docs.velopack.io (fetched 2026-08-29T10:20:57.979981+00:00, sha 0f1e33152bd8)
  - site_page: https://docs.velopack.io/getting-started/cpp (fetched 2026-08-29T10:20:57.982339+00:00, sha 4034d414cc28)
  - site_page: https://docs.velopack.io/getting-started/csharp (fetched 2026-08-29T10:20:57.984351+00:00, sha 48414e8b24a5)
  - site_page: https://docs.velopack.io/getting-started/rust (fetched 2026-08-29T10:20:57.987808+00:00, sha 6b1835f1910c)
  - site_page: https://docs.velopack.io/category/integrating (fetched 2026-08-29T10:20:57.990171+00:00, sha a1a829317079)
  - site_page: https://docs.velopack.io/category/packaging (fetched 2026-08-29T10:20:57.992303+00:00, sha edda1ffd1771)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.