Recommended for your system
Detected platform will appear here
Download Varve
Source-available under FSL-1.1-MIT. Core editing is local-first; optional network features are disclosed and user-controlled.
On a Chromebook, tablet, or phone?
Varve runs in your browser without a desktop install: open varve.studio/try (experimental) or install it as a web app. On a Chromebook with the Linux development environment enabled, the Linux package is a separate experimental route. The installers below target Linux, macOS, and Windows. There is no native ChromeOS, Android, or iOS installer. Compare the routes in Varve on Chromebook.
Varve 0.6.0Beta
Pick your platform and architecture. Full checksums and requirements are below.
WindowsRecommended
Intel/AMD 64-bitRecommended for you
Download 67.0 MBARM64Recommended for you
Download 62.6 MBVarve 0.6.0 is a young release.
Expect bugs and incomplete tools. The .varve document format may still change in ways that break older files. Keep backups of anything you care about. See known issues and release notes.
These builds are not code-signed
Varve does not yet have code-signing certificates, so your operating system cannot verify who built these files. That is a statement about this project's budget, not about the files, but you cannot tell the difference without checking, so please check.
Verify the file you downloaded against the published checksum before running it. Checking the whole SHA256SUMS.txt fails for files that are not on disk:
sha256sum --ignore-missing -c SHA256SUMS.txtshasum -a 256 <filename>Get-FileHash .\<filename> -Algorithm SHA256Linux
Which package should I choose?
Choose a package for your distro. Every Linux build requires glibc 2.35 or newer. Debian/RPM/PKGBUILD packages need the system WebKitGTK libraries; the AppImage bundles WebKitGTK.
| Distro family | Recommended format | Install command |
|---|---|---|
| Debian / Ubuntu / Mint / Pop!_OS | Debian package (.deb) | sudo apt install ./Varve-*.deb |
| ChromeOS (Linux development environment) | Debian package (.deb) | sudo apt install ./Varve-*.deb |
| Fedora / RHEL / Rocky / Alma | RPM package (.rpm) | sudo dnf install ./Varve-*.rpm |
| Arch / CachyOS / Manjaro | PKGBUILD recommended | makepkg -si from packaging/aur/varve-desktop-bin |
| openSUSE / SUSE | AppImage | chmod +x Varve-*.AppImage && ./Varve-*.AppImage |
| Other glibc-based distros | AppImage portable format | Same as above; or --appimage-extract-and-run if FUSE2 is unavailable |
AppImage: a single portable file that needs no root or package manager. Use it on openSUSE and other glibc-based distros that meet the requirements below. It is not a universal Linux ABI: Alpine and other musl-based systems are not supported. Requires glibc 2.35+ and FUSE2 (or --appimage-extract-and-run). WebKitGTK is bundled. GStreamer plugins are not.On Arch and CachyOS, the repository PKGBUILD is also available.
Debian package (.deb): installs system-wide and pulls in the WebKitGTK dependency automatically. There is no apt repository for Varve, so apt upgrade does not update it; install the newer package file from the release page over it. For Debian, Ubuntu, and derivatives.
RPM package (.rpm): installs system-wide. There is no dnf/yum repository for Varve, so dnf upgrade does not update it; install the newer package file from the release page over it. For Fedora, RHEL, and derivatives.
Arch/CachyOS PKGBUILD: the varve-desktop-bin PKGBUILD in the repository is fixed and fine to use. It builds from the released AppImage (extracts it at install time), providing a proper .desktop file, icons, MIME types, and clean uninstall via pacman -R. No FUSE dependency. Build with makepkg -si from the PKGBUILD directory. The AppImage also works on its own. An AUR package is coming; AUR registration is currently closed.
ChromeOS (Linux development environment): install the .deb inside the Linux container. It is an ARM64 or x86_64 Debian environment, not native ChromeOS Chrome; GPU acceleration is not available to Linux apps, and files kept only inside the container are deleted if the environment is removed. Step-by-step: Varve on ChromeOS.
System requirements
- OS: any distribution with glibc 2.35 or newer (Ubuntu 22.04+, Fedora 38+, Arch, CachyOS)
- Libraries: WebKitGTK 4.1, GTK3, librsvg2, OpenSSL, fontconfig (.deb/.rpm/PKGBUILD pull these in automatically; the AppImage bundles WebKitGTK and GTK)
- CPU: choose the download labeled x86_64 or ARM64 to match your Linux machine
- RAM: 8 GB recommended; 4 GB machines are not yet tested
- Display: Wayland or X11
- Storage: 500 MB minimum free disk
- ChromeOS: use the .deb inside the Linux development environment; GPU acceleration is unavailable to Linux apps and support is experimental (see the ChromeOS guide)
macOS
System requirements
- OS: macOS 13 Ventura or later
- CPU: Apple Silicon only. There is no Intel macOS build. On-device image tools such as background removal depend on ONNX Runtime, whose upstream discontinued macOS Intel binaries; see the FAQ for details.
- RAM: 8 GB recommended; 4 GB machines are not yet tested
- Storage: 500 MB minimum free disk
Windows
System requirements
- OS: Windows 10 (version 1809) or Windows 11
- CPU: choose the download labeled x86_64 or ARM64 to match your Windows device
- RAM: 8 GB recommended; 4 GB machines are not yet tested
- Storage: 500 MB minimum free disk
Keeping Varve up to date
Varve checks for updates only after you choose to allow it. On first launch you are asked whether Varve may periodically check for newer versions; you can change or revoke that choice at any time in Settings → Updates. Update checks send only your current version, platform, architecture and channel to Varve's release endpoint. No account, document data or device identifier.
Downloads are cryptographically verified against a signature embedded in the installed app before anything is installed, and Varve never restarts over unsaved design work.
- AppImage: Use Settings → Updates to check whether your installed AppImage can update in the app. A downloaded update must pass signature verification before you approve installation. For manual replacement, download the new AppImage from the release page and replace the current file.
- Windows (NSIS): updates install through the installer with a visible progress window, and installation happens only after your approval. Windows may show a SmartScreen warning for unsigned builds. Choose More info, then Run anyway. Windows 11 Smart App Control can block unsigned apps with no override; use the browser version if that happens.
- macOS: in-app updates are available for installed copies (drag the app from the DMG into Applications). If you are running Varve from a mounted DMG or a Gatekeeper-translocated copy, download the new DMG from the release page and replace your installed copy. After the first launch attempt, use System Settings > Privacy & Security > Open Anyway.
- Debian / RPM packages: installed files are owned by your package manager, but no Varve package repository is configured. Update by installing the newer package file from the release page over the installed one;
apt upgrade/dnf upgradealone will not move Varve to a new version.
After you install
- Open the app.
- Linux (pick one):
- macOS:
Open the .dmg and drag Varve to Applications - Windows:
Run the downloaded .exe
- First launch. Varve opens a welcome screen where you can start a new document, open a recent file, or load the sample document. If your operating system blocks the app (unsigned build), the platform notes above say exactly what to do, and verify the checksum first.
- Make your first project. Open the sample poster document (a small
.varvefile showing a complete poster project), follow the first-project guide, or take the getting started tour.
Having trouble launching?
- Wrong architecture. If the OS says the binary is not supported or the app exits immediately, you likely downloaded the build for the other architecture. Check with
uname -m(Linux) or Settings > System > About (Windows) and pick the matching label above. - Linux: AppImage will not start (FUSE2 missing). Install the
fuse2package on Arch (sudo pacman -S fuse2),libfuse2on Debian 12 or Ubuntu 22.04 (sudo apt install libfuse2), orlibfuse2t64on Debian 13 or Ubuntu 24.04 and later (sudo apt install libfuse2t64). You can also run./Varve-*.AppImage --appimage-extract-and-run. The PKGBUILD in the repository extracts the AppImage and does not need FUSE. An AUR package is coming; AUR registration is currently closed. See the official AppImage FUSE guide for other distributions. - Linux: AppImage white screen or EGL error: the AppImage uses host Mesa/EGL with bundled WebKitGTK. If the window stays blank, try
WEBKIT_DISABLE_DMABUF_RENDERER=1./Varve-*.AppImageor install the.deb/.rpminstead. - Linux: .deb fails to install or start. The package needs the system WebKitGTK library. Install it with
sudo apt install libwebkit2gtk-4.1-0, then reinstall the package. - ChromeOS: the Linux app does not install, launch, or see files: use the
.debfor your architecture (uname -m) inside the Linux development environment, keep projects in a shared My files/Drive folder (container files are deleted with the environment), and expect software rendering. See the ChromeOS guide. - Arch/CachyOS: the repository PKGBUILD is fine to use: the
varve-desktop-binPKGBUILD in the repository is fixed. It builds from the AppImage. Runmakepkg -sifrom the PKGBUILD directory, and it installs desktop integration without FUSE. The AppImage also works:chmod +x Varve-*.AppImage && ./Varve-*.AppImage. An AUR package is coming; AUR registration is currently closed. - macOS: the app is blocked: After the first launch attempt, open System Settings > Privacy & Security and choose Open Anyway. Do not disable Gatekeeper. If you still have 0.5.0, run
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Varve.app. - Windows: SmartScreen warning: choose More info, then Run anyway, after verifying the SHA-256 checksum shown above. Windows 11 Smart App Control can block unsigned apps with no override; use the browser version if that happens.
- Still stuck? Troubleshooting guide · Known issues · Report a bug · Report a security issue