Installation

This page explains how to install NeoTavern on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Download the build for your platform from the GitHub releases page.

Install Targets

Windows installer. A setup executable that installs the app and adds shortcuts. Recommended for most Windows users.
Portable Windows build. A self-contained folder that runs without installing anything. It keeps all data inside its own directory, so you can carry it on a USB drive.
macOS package. A standard .app bundle. Drag it into Applications and launch it from there.
Linux AppImage and archive. The AppImage runs on most desktop distributions. The archive variant is a plain folder you can place anywhere and launch with a double click.

All four targets are functionally identical. Choose whichever fits how you manage software on your machine.

A 64-bit desktop OS: Windows 10 or newer, macOS, or a mainstream Linux distribution.
Enough memory and disk space for your library. The idle backend uses about 180 MB of RAM on a reference machine, and the app reaches a ready UI in about four seconds on that same machine.
No separate Node.js, Python, SQLite, or browser installation. Everything the app needs is bundled.

The distribution embeds Node.js 24 LTS and SQLite, and the desktop shell runs the local backend as an embedded sidecar process. That means:

The first run never executes npm install and never requires a terminal.
The backend binds to 127.0.0.1 only. LAN or remote access is never enabled silently; it requires an explicit opt-in.
Closing the app window gracefully shuts the sidecar down, so no backend process is left behind.

The first launch creates your data directory, seeds a small starter library, and opens the Home screen. See Quick Start for the next steps.

If something goes wrong during install or first run, see Troubleshooting.