# Download Pyzed Design

> Download Pyzed Design, the free drag-and-drop visual designer for Python desktop GUIs, as a standalone app for Windows, macOS and Linux.

Source: https://albakore.github.io/pyzed/download/

**Pyzed Design** is the visual designer of Pyzed as a standalone app: draw windows and components, write their
code with completion and diagnostics, manage your project's dependencies and run everything with **F5**. Pick your
platform; we select the one you are using.

(Image: Pyzed Design with a sign-in form open)

## How it installs

Pyzed Design installs with the usual tool of each system and then keeps itself up to date:

| System | Installer | Where it goes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Windows | `pyzed-design-windows-x86_64-setup.exe` | `%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Pyzed Design`, for your user only (no administrator rights), with a Start menu entry, an optional desktop shortcut and `.pzform` files opening in it. Remove it from **Settings → Apps**. |
| macOS | `pyzed-design-macos-arm64.dmg` (Intel: `-x86_64.dmg`) | Drag the app into **Applications**. |
| Linux | `curl -fsSL https://albakore.github.io/pyzed/install.sh \| sh` | `~/.local/share/pyzed-design`, with the `pyzed-design` command in `~/.local/bin` and an entry in your apps menu. |

The Linux script checks the download against the release's `SHA256SUMS` and needs no root. Run it again to
reinstall, or with `--uninstall` to remove the app (`curl -fsSL https://albakore.github.io/pyzed/install.sh | sh -s -- --uninstall`).
`PYZED_VERSION=1.3.0` installs a given version.

Each release also has a portable **zip** per platform (`pyzed-design-<os>-<arch>.zip`): unpack it anywhere and run
it. That zip is what the app's updater downloads. Releases up to 1.2.0 only have the zips.

## What's included

Every installer and zip has everything Pyzed Design needs, so nothing else has to be installed:

- **Python** and **pyzed-ui**, the same version as the release you download.
- The **uv** binary, used to create projects (`uv init`), add dependencies (`uv add`) and run your forms in each
  project's own `.venv`. See [Projects](https://albakore.github.io/pyzed/guides/projects/).
- The IBM Plex fonts and the Lucide icons.

The code editor's language servers (**ty** and **ruff**) are installed per project with
`uv add --dev ty ruff`, from the Project tab; see the [code editor](https://albakore.github.io/pyzed/guides/designer/#code-editor).

## Updates

Pyzed Design updates itself, so you never download it again by hand. It checks GitHub for a newer release at
launch (once a day) and every few hours while it is open (turn it off in **Help → Check for updates
automatically**, or check now with **Help → Check for updates**). A new version downloads in the background,
verified against the release's SHA-256, and a softly blinking **Restart to update** button appears at the top right
of the title bar: it swaps the app for the new version. With automatic checks off, the button reads
**Update to X.Y.Z** and downloads it on click. **Help → What's new** shows the release notes at any time. Your projects and settings live outside the app, so they are
kept.

There are two channels: **stable** (the default) takes final releases, and **preview**
also takes pre-releases (`X.Y.Z-rc.N`) to try what is coming. Switch with **Help → Get preview releases**.

The installers put the app in a folder of your own (on Windows, Settings → Apps shows the new version after an
update). If the app cannot write to its own folder, download the new installer or zip from this page instead. The [changelog](https://albakore.github.io/pyzed/changelog/) lists what changed, and
[all releases](https://github.com/albakore/pyzed/releases) are on GitHub. More in
[Projects → Updates](https://albakore.github.io/pyzed/guides/projects/#updates).

## Install with pip instead

If you already use Python (3.10 or newer), or your platform has no prebuilt download (for example a Mac with an
Intel chip or Linux on ARM), install the library and start the designer from it:

The `designer` extra adds the ty and ruff language servers; plain `pip install pyzed-ui` works too. Inside a
project, `uv run pyzed design` opens the designer with that project's environment. See
[Installation](https://albakore.github.io/pyzed/getting-started/installation/) for details.

## Build it yourself

The downloads are made by `scripts/build_designer.py` with PyInstaller, on each operating system:

-<arch>.zip
uv run --with pyinstaller --with uv python scripts/build_designer.py --installer   # also the setup .exe (needs Inno Setup 6) or the .dmg
`}
pip={`
{venv}
{activate}
pip install pyzed-ui pyinstaller uv
python scripts/build_designer.py      # dist/Pyzed Design/ and dist/pyzed-design-<os>-<arch>.zip
python scripts/build_designer.py --installer   # also the setup .exe (needs Inno Setup 6) or the .dmg
`}
python={`
{py} -m pip install pyzed-ui pyinstaller uv
{py} scripts/build_designer.py      # dist/Pyzed Design/ and dist/pyzed-design-<os>-<arch>.zip
{py} scripts/build_designer.py --installer   # also the setup .exe (needs Inno Setup 6) or the .dmg
`}
/>

**Next steps:**

New to the designer? Read the [visual designer guide](https://albakore.github.io/pyzed/guides/designer/), then build a reusable widget with
the [component designer](https://albakore.github.io/pyzed/guides/component-designer/).