Vcpkg

vcpkg is a cross-platform open source package manager by Microsoft.^[2]

vcpkg
Developer(s)	Microsoft
Initial release	2016; 9 years ago (2016)
Stable release	2025.04.09 / April 9, 2025; 4 months ago (2025-04-09)[1]
Repository	github.com/microsoft/vcpkg
Written in	C++
Operating system	Windows (11, 10, 8.1, 7), macOS, Linux
Platform	IA-32, x86-64, ARM, ARM64
Type	Package manager
License	MIT License
Website	vcpkg.io

Overview

vcpkg provides access to C and C++ libraries to its supported platforms. The command-line utility is currently available on Windows, macOS and Linux.^[3]

vcpkg was first announced at CppCon 2016.^[4]

The vcpkg source code is licensed under MIT License and hosted on GitHub.^[5]

vcpkg supports Visual Studio 2015 Update 3 and above.

In 2018, Microsoft announced the availability of this installer for Mac and GNU/Linux , among other POSIX systems.^[6] As of July 2020, there are 1900 libraries supported by the vcpkg package installer.^[7]

In early 2023, JetBrains CLion began supporting vcpkg directly—adding a tool‑window, package browser, install/update actions, vcpkg.json integration, and quick‑fixes for missing packages.^[8]

The 2024.01.12 release (January 2024) added 15 new ports (total 2,377), 227 updates, numerous documentation articles—including SBOM support—and refined triplet implementation.^[9]

In early 2025, monthly updates continued: tool/releases in January–April including documentation additions, CI commands, performance improvements, offline usage support, Arm64 Linux support, and other bug fixes.^[10]

See also

• Free and open-source software portal

• List of software package management systems