The standalone MSI installer is best for offline installs and enterprise deployment. For most home and office users with internet access, the OSGeo4W installer is recommended.
What is it?
QGIS standalone installer — self-contained MSI
The QGIS standalone installer is a single large file (~1 GB) that contains QGIS and all its dependencies (GDAL, Python, PROJ, GRASS). Unlike the OSGeo4W Network Installer which downloads packages during setup, the standalone installer works completely offline once downloaded.
Download
Where to download the standalone installer
- 1
Go to qgis.org/download
Visit qgis.org/download and click Download for Windows.
- 2
Choose version and variant
Select QGIS Standalone Installer → choose LTR or Latest → choose the architecture (always x86_64 for 64-bit Windows).
- 3
The file to download
# LTR standalone installer:QGIS-OSGeo4W-3.40.5-1.msi (~1 GB)# Latest standalone installer:QGIS-OSGeo4W-3.42.1-1.msi (~1 GB)
Install
Install the standalone MSI
- 1
Run as Administrator
Right-click the .msi file → Install or Run as administrator. Accept the UAC prompt.
- 2
Follow the install wizard
Accept the license, choose install directory (default:
C:\Program Files\QGIS 3.40.5), click Install. No internet needed. - 3
Launch QGIS
Find QGIS Desktop 3.40.5 in the Start menu. First launch may take 30 seconds.
Silent install
Silent / unattended install for enterprise
# Silent install:
C:\> msiexec /i "QGIS-OSGeo4W-3.40.5-1.msi" /quiet /norestart
# Silent install with log:
C:\> msiexec /i "QGIS-OSGeo4W-3.40.5-1.msi" /quiet /norestart /l*v install.log
# Uninstall silently:
C:\> msiexec /x "QGIS-OSGeo4W-3.40.5-1.msi" /quiet /norestart
FAQ
Standalone installer questions
Standalone MSI vs OSGeo4W — which is better?
For most users with internet access: OSGeo4W is better because it manages updates and dependencies. Standalone MSI is better for offline environments, IT deployment, or users who want a simple double-click install. See full comparison.
Can I update the standalone MSI version?
Download the new MSI from qgis.org and install it. The new version installs alongside the old one by default (different install paths). Uninstall the old version from Control Panel if you do not need it.