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AI tools for Windows

This topic groups together the Windows AI tools people actually install on fresh machines: coding copilots, desktop assistants, local model runtimes, and chat apps for daily work.

12 appsQuick install this topicExplore comparisons

Quick install this topic

Review the included apps, then run the recommended per-app commands in PowerShell. Open other installation methods if you prefer an import file or DSC configuration.

Run this command in PowerShell on Windows with App Installer (winget) available. Review installer prompts and publisher requirements before proceeding.

Review the apps below before installing. This installs the first 12 apps in this topic.

Recommended

Per-app install commands

Run only the apps you actually want. Best when you already have most of these installed and only need to top up.

winget install --id 'Microsoft.VisualStudioCode' --exact
winget install --id 'Anysphere.Cursor' --exact
winget install --id 'Anthropic.Claude' --exact
winget install --id 'Ollama.Ollama' --exact
winget install --id 'Codeium.Windsurf' --exact
winget install --id 'ElementLabs.LMStudio' --exact
winget install --id 'ByteDance.Doubao' --exact
winget install --id 'kangfenmao.CherryStudio' --exact
winget install --id 'Jan.Jan' --exact
winget install --id 'ZhipuAI.ChatGLM' --exact
winget install --id 'ZedIndustries.Zed' --exact
winget install --id 'lencx.ChatGPT' --exact
Other installation methods
Option 1

Batch install with winget import

One copy-paste, no manual download. The command below pulls topic-ai-tools.packages.json from winpkg.com and runs winget import on it. Best for moving an app set between machines.

$f = "$env:TEMP\topic-ai-tools.packages.json"; Invoke-WebRequest -UseBasicParsing -Uri "https://winpkg.com/topics/ai-tools/packages.json" -OutFile $f; winget import -i $f

Run in PowerShell. Saves to %TEMP% and runs winget on it.

Already downloaded the file? Use the short command
winget import -i topic-ai-tools.packages.json
Option 2

Declarative setup with winget configure

One copy-paste, no manual download. The command below pulls topic-ai-tools.winget from winpkg.com and applies it with winget configure. Best for repeatable dev-box bootstrap and onboarding scripts.

$f = "$env:TEMP\topic-ai-tools.winget"; Invoke-WebRequest -UseBasicParsing -Uri "https://winpkg.com/topics/ai-tools/topic.winget" -OutFile $f; winget configure $f

Tip: on Windows with App Installer, double-clicking a downloaded .winget file runs winget configure on it automatically β€” no terminal needed.

Already downloaded the file? Use the short command
winget configure topic-ai-tools.winget

Compare tools in this topic

All comparisons β†’

Use these comparison pages when you are deciding between closely related apps before you install.

Cursor vs Windsurf

Compare Cursor and Windsurf on Windows for AI coding workflows, editing feel, agent-style features, and who each IDE suits best.

Cursor vs Microsoft Visual Studio Code

Compare Cursor and Visual Studio Code on Windows for AI coding, extension familiarity, editor stability, and when the upgrade is worth it.

Ollama vs LM Studio

Compare Ollama and LM Studio on Windows for local LLM workflows, CLI vs desktop UX, experimentation speed, and which tool fits your setup.

Focused install options in this topic

Smaller install flows, kept inside Topics
Day-one setup

Essential Setup

A day-one Windows setup for the apps most people want immediately after booting a fresh machine.

New PCsReinstallsCore everyday apps in one pass
Get the baseline essentials installed fast.
Google ChromeMozilla Firefox (en-US)Microsoft Visual Studio Code7-ZipVLC media playerNotepad++
Developer quick setup

Developer Toolkit

A practical Windows developer starter bundle for rebuilding an editor, terminal, runtime, and tooling stack in one go.

Developer workstation setupTeam onboardingFresh coding machines
Bring your dev stack back with one install flow.
Microsoft Visual Studio CodeGitDocker DesktopPython 3.12Node.jsGo Programming Language

Why this topic matters

  • β€’Strong mix of cloud AI tools and local LLM runtimes
  • β€’Useful starting point for developer and productivity setups
  • β€’Useful for fresh-machine installs and day-one AI workflows

Apps in this topic

Compare related apps β†’
Microsoft Visual Studio Code icon
Microsoft Visual Studio CodeMicrosoft Corporation

Microsoft Visual Studio Code is a code editor redefined and optimized for building and debugging modern web and cloud applications. Microsoft Visual Studio Code is free and available on your favorite platform - Linux, macOS, and Windows.

developer-toolseditor
v1.142.0Microsoft Software License
Details β†’
Claude icon
ClaudeAnthropic, PBC

Your AI partner on desktop. Fast, focused, and designed for deep work.

aiartificial-intelligenceartificialintelligence
v2.42304.2Proprietary
Details β†’
Zed icon
ZedZed Industries

High-performance, multiplayer code editor from the creators of Atom and Tree-sitter.

code-editordeveloper-toolseditor
v1.25.3GPL-3.0
Details β†’