Install Qt with aqtinstall

1 min
Notes

aqtinstall is a command-line tool for downloading Qt packages. I used Scoop to install it on Windows:

scoop install aqt

Find a Qt version and architecture

Qt versions and available architectures change over time. Use aqt list-qt to query the download repository instead of relying on an old version list. For example, list Qt versions for Windows desktop:

aqt list-qt windows desktop

After choosing a version, list the architectures available for it:

aqt list-qt windows desktop --arch <VERSION>

Install Qt

Pass the host operating system, target, Qt version, and architecture to aqt install-qt:

aqt install-qt windows desktop <VERSION> <ARCHITECTURE> --outputdir 'C:\Qt'

For example, older Qt 6 releases used architecture names such as win64_mingw81; available names depend on the selected version. The --outputdir option puts the files in a chosen directory, such as C:\Qt.

Some Qt versions offer additional modules. Check them with:

aqt list-qt windows desktop --modules <VERSION> <ARCHITECTURE>

Then install selected modules with -m, for example -m qtcharts qtnetworkauth.

The aqtinstall Getting Started guide documents the current command syntax and the available targets. Confirm the Qt version and architecture before installing, because not every combination is available.