Top 10+ Alternatives for Chocolatey in 2025
Let’s be honest, for years, Chocolatey has been the go-to package manager for many of us on Windows. It’s powerful, reliable, and has a massive repository of software. It brought a taste of that sweet, automated, Linux-like package management to an ecosystem that desperately needed it. But as the Windows landscape evolves, so do our needs and our options. Maybe you’re looking for something simpler, more developer-focused, or a tool that’s built right into the OS. Whatever your reason, if you’re peeking over the fence, you’re in luck. The world of Windows package management is more vibrant than ever.
So, let’s unwrap some of the best Chocolatey alternatives you can sink your teeth into in 2025. We’re covering everything from official command-line tools to simple GUI installers, each offering a different flavor of software management.
Winget (Windows Package Manager)
If there’s an official contender to the throne, it’s Winget. Developed and backed by Microsoft itself, Winget is now built directly into modern versions of Windows. It’s fast, secure, and its repository is growing at an incredible pace, with many major software vendors publishing their manifests directly. For anyone who wants a solution that feels native to the OS and is guaranteed to have long-term support, Winget is becoming the default choice.
- Built by Microsoft and integrated into Windows.
- Massive and rapidly growing repository of trusted applications.
- Supports installation from the Microsoft Store and traditional installers (.msi, .exe).
- Clean, straightforward command-line syntax.
Scoop
For the developers in the room, Scoop is a dream come true. Its core philosophy is centered around portability and a clean, self-contained environment. Scoop installs programs to your home directory by default, meaning you don’t need administrator permissions for most installations. This keeps your system path tidy and avoids the UAC pop-up fatigue. It excels at managing command-line tools and developer utilities, making it one of the most beloved Chocolatey alternatives in the dev community.
- Focuses on portable, self-contained applications.
- Avoids UAC prompts for most installations.
- Keeps your system clean by not polluting the system-wide path.
- Great for managing different versions of programming languages and tools.
Ninite
Ninite is the champion of simplicity. It’s not a command-line tool or a complex package manager; it’s a brilliant one-stop installer. You visit the website, check the boxes for the apps you want (like Chrome, Zoom, VLC, etc.), and download a single, custom installer. Run it, and Ninite will install all the selected apps in the background, automatically declining any bundled toolbars or adware. It’s the perfect tool for setting up a new PC or for helping a less-technical friend or family member get all the essentials installed safely.
- Incredibly simple web-based interface.
- Installs multiple applications with a single click.
- Automatically says “no” to toolbars and extra junk.
- Can also be used to update all your selected apps by just re-running the installer.
Patch My PC
While many package managers focus on installation, Patch My PC excels at updates and security. Its primary mission is to scan your computer for outdated software and provide a simple way to update everything, patching potential security vulnerabilities in the process. It’s a fantastic tool for the security-conscious user who wants to ensure their third-party applications are always up-to-date. Their enterprise solution is also a heavyweight in the IT world.
- Specializes in detecting and updating outdated software.
- Focuses on security patching for over 300 common applications.
- Simple, color-coded user interface shows what’s up-to-date and what’s not.
- Can automate and schedule updates.
Visit Patch My PC Official Site
Homebrew
“But wait,” you say, “Homebrew is for Mac!” While that’s where it started, the “missing package manager for macOS” now works beautifully on Windows through the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). For developers who work across different operating systems or rely heavily on a Linux-style environment, using Homebrew on WSL provides a consistent, powerful workflow. You can manage your Windows tools with Winget or Scoop, and all your Linux-environment tools with the familiar `brew install` command.
- The industry standard package manager for macOS, available on Windows via WSL.
- Massive repository (or “formulae”) of developer tools and libraries.
- Provides a consistent package management experience for cross-platform developers.
- Excellent community support and documentation.
PDQ Deploy
Moving into the realm of IT professionals, PDQ Deploy is a beast. This is not for managing software on your personal machine; it’s for system administrators who need to push software and updates to hundreds or thousands of computers across a network. It features a rich graphical interface, a library of pre-built packages for common applications, and powerful scheduling and targeting capabilities. If you manage more than a handful of Windows machines, PDQ Deploy is a serious Chocolatey alternative.
- Designed for system administrators to manage multiple machines.
- Push installations and updates silently over a network.
- Large library of pre-packaged, ready-to-deploy applications.
- Powerful scheduling, targeting, and post-deployment actions.
Visit PDQ Deploy Official Site
Npackd
Npackd (pronounced “unpacked”) is a solid, open-source alternative that offers the best of both worlds: a graphical user interface and a command-line tool. It functions much like a traditional software store, allowing you to browse, search, install, and uninstall applications with ease. It’s a great choice for those who appreciate the power of package management but prefer a visual interface for day-to-day tasks.
- Offers both a GUI and a command-line interface.
- Finds and installs dependencies automatically.
- Helps you find and remove unwanted software that may have been bundled with other installations.
- Completely open-source and community-driven.
RuckZuck
The name “RuckZuck” is German for “very quickly,” and it lives up to its name. RuckZuck is a lightweight and speedy software package manager that focuses on simplicity and ease of use. It provides a simple GUI to search for and install a wide range of free and open-source software. One of its standout features is its integration with enterprise deployment solutions like Microsoft’s SCCM, making it a handy tool for both individual users and IT pros.
- Lightweight and fast.
- Provides a repository of packaged software with easy one-click installation.
- Can generate installation scripts for various deployment tools.
- Focuses on keeping software up-to-date with minimal fuss.
PowerShell App Deployment Toolkit (PSADT)
PSADT isn’t a package manager in itself but rather a powerful framework for creating them. This is the ultimate “do it yourself” alternative for scripters and system administrators who crave absolute control. It provides a set of standardized templates and functions in PowerShell to wrap complex installations. With PSADT, you can build deployments that handle user interaction, close running applications, perform custom actions, and provide standardized logging. It’s the engine you use to build your own perfect deployment machine.
- A robust PowerShell framework for building standardized application packages.
- Provides a consistent user experience for all your deployments.
- Handles complex scenarios like interacting with logged-on users and managing running processes.
- The de-facto standard for scripting application deployments in enterprise environments.
Turbo.net
Here’s an alternative that thinks differently. Turbo.net (formerly Spoon) is an application virtualization platform. Instead of installing software directly onto your system, it runs applications in lightweight, isolated containers. This means you can run different versions of the same app without conflicts, test software without impacting your system, and run legacy apps on modern operating systems. It manages software by streaming it on-demand, offering a unique alternative to traditional installation.
- Runs applications in isolated containers, avoiding system conflicts.
- Allows you to run multiple versions of an app side-by-side.
- No installation required; apps run on-demand.
- Great for testing, legacy application support, and maintaining a pristine base OS.
Action1
For businesses and managed service providers (MSPs), Action1 offers a cloud-native platform that goes far beyond simple package installation. It’s a full-blown Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) tool that includes automated patch management, software deployment, endpoint security, and remote access. If you’re looking for a Chocolatey alternative in a corporate context that handles everything from a central cloud console, Action1 is a powerful, scalable option.
- Cloud-native platform for managing distributed endpoints.
- Automated patch management for Windows and third-party applications.
- Deploy software and run scripts across your entire organization.
- Includes a suite of IT management tools beyond package management.
The best package manager is the one that fits your workflow. Whether you’re a developer who values portability (Scoop), a sysadmin managing an entire network (PDQ Deploy), or a home user who just wants a simple, safe way to install apps (Ninite), there’s a fantastic Chocolatey alternative waiting for you in 2025. Happy installing!