Introduction
UniGetUI (formerly WingetUI) wraps every major Windows package manager behind a single native GUI. Instead of juggling multiple CLIs, developers can search, install, update, and remove packages from WinGet, Scoop, Chocolatey, Pip, Npm, and .NET Tool in one window.
What UniGetUI Does
- Aggregates six package managers into a unified search and install interface
- Detects outdated packages across all sources and offers one-click bulk updates
- Provides per-package options: version pinning, silent install, admin elevation, scope selection
- Exports and imports package lists for reproducible developer environment setup
- Displays package metadata, screenshots, and release notes before installation
Architecture Overview
UniGetUI is a .NET desktop app written in C# with a WinUI 3 frontend. Each supported package manager is wrapped by a backend adapter that translates GUI actions into the corresponding CLI commands, captures stdout/stderr, and parses output into structured data for the UI layer.
Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Install via WinGet, Scoop, or download the MSIX bundle from GitHub Releases
- Requires Windows 10 1809 or later with .NET Desktop Runtime 8
- Configure which package managers to enable in Settings and set custom source repositories
- Optionally schedule automatic update checks on a timed interval
- Export your full package list as JSON to restore on a fresh machine
Key Features
- Unified search across six package managers with relevance ranking
- Background update checker with desktop notifications
- Bulk operations: update all, ignore specific packages, or pin versions
- Dark and light theme support with customizable accent colors
- Portable mode available for USB-drive setups
Comparison with Similar Tools
- WinGet CLI — command-line only; UniGetUI adds the visual layer on top
- Scoop — bucket-based; UniGetUI aggregates Scoop alongside other managers
- Chocolatey GUI — Chocolatey-only; UniGetUI covers six managers at once
- Ninite — curated list; UniGetUI exposes full repository catalogs
- Patch My PC — enterprise focus; UniGetUI targets individual developers
FAQ
Q: Does UniGetUI replace WinGet or Scoop? A: No. It calls them under the hood. Removing UniGetUI leaves your packages untouched.
Q: Can I use it without admin rights? A: Yes for user-scoped installs. Machine-wide packages still require elevation.
Q: Is telemetry collected? A: No. UniGetUI runs entirely offline except when querying package repositories.
Q: Does it support custom Scoop buckets? A: Yes. Add or remove buckets from the package manager settings panel.