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MinGW-w64 VS MinGW

Compare MinGW-w64 VS MinGW and see what are their differences

MinGW-w64 logo MinGW-w64

The project's goal is to deliver runtime, headers, and libs for developing 64 bit (x64), as...

MinGW logo MinGW

MinGW ("Minimalistic GNU for Windows") is a port of the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) and...
  • MinGW-w64 Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-18
  • MinGW Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-12-08

MinGW-w64 features and specs

  • Cross-compilation
    MinGW-w64 allows developers to cross-compile software for Windows on other operating systems like Linux or macOS, enhancing the flexibility in the development process.
  • Wide Platform Support
    It supports both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows applications, providing comprehensive coverage for different Windows environments.
  • Open Source
    Being open source, MinGW-w64 is free to use, modify, and distribute, making it accessible for developers and aligning with open-source project goals.
  • Compatibility
    MinGW-w64 is compatible with a wide range of C/C++ software, allowing the reuse of existing codebases without significant modifications.
  • GCC Backend
    Utilizes the robust and mature GCC (GNU Compiler Collection) as its backend, providing a reliable and efficient compilation process.
  • Active Development
    Maintained by an active community, ensuring regular updates, security patches, and new feature implementations.

Possible disadvantages of MinGW-w64

  • Limited Windows-Specific Features
    MinGW-w64 may lack support for certain Windows-specific features or APIs, which could limit its use for some native applications.
  • Complex Setup
    Setting up MinGW-w64 can be complex for beginners, requiring multiple steps and successful configuration of paths and environment variables.
  • Lack of Official Support
    Without official support options, users rely on community support, which might not always be timely or sufficient for resolving specific issues.
  • Performance Overheads
    Some users have reported performance overheads when using MinGW-w64 compared to MSVC (Microsoft Visual C++), particularly for specific optimizations.
  • Limited IDE Integration
    While many IDEs support MinGW-w64, the integration might not be as seamless or feature-rich as that available for other compilers like MSVC.

MinGW features and specs

  • Open Source
    MinGW is an open-source software project, which makes it freely available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute.
  • Lightweight
    It is a lightweight alternative to full-fledged development environments, providing essential tools without unnecessary overhead.
  • Windows Compatibility
    MinGW offers native Windows support, allowing developers to compile applications that can run directly on Windows without the need for a compatibility layer.
  • GCC Integration
    It includes the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC), which is widely considered a strong, stable, and versatile set of compilers for C, C++, and other languages.
  • Active Community
    MinGW is supported by an active community, which can provide help, patches, and additional resources via forums and online discussions.

Possible disadvantages of MinGW

  • Limited POSIX Support
    While MinGW provides some POSIX functionality, its support is limited compared to other environments like Cygwin, which might be a drawback for developers relying on extensive POSIX compatibility.
  • Manual Configuration
    Initial setup and configuration can be cumbersome for beginners, requiring a manual installation process that might be intimidating or time-consuming.
  • Lacks Newest GCC Features
    At times, MinGW may lag in providing the latest features or updates available in the newest versions of GCC, leading to potential compatibility or feature discrepancies.
  • No Native 64-bit Support
    Historically, MinGW has focused on 32-bit toolchains, which may not offer the full benefits of modern 64-bit architectures. However, MinGW-w64 was developed to address this issue.
  • Fragmentation
    The existence of multiple variants such as MinGW and MinGW-w64 can cause confusion, leading developers to face challenges in choosing the right version for their needs.

MinGW-w64 videos

Set Up C++ With Visual Studio Code (VS Code) on Windows 10 mingw-w64 (Easiest)

More videos:

  • Review - Creating a C/C++ Hello World Program in ReactOS With MinGW-W64 and Code::Blocks

MinGW videos

MinGW или Cygwin

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to Install MinGW | GCC Toolset for C and C++ Programming | Setting Path variable on Windows 10
  • Tutorial - How to install | use gcc | MinGW compiler in windows | window 10

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to MinGW-w64 and MinGW)
SSH
36 36%
64% 64
Terminal Tools
27 27%
73% 73
Server Management
34 34%
66% 66
Emulators
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare MinGW-w64 and MinGW

MinGW-w64 Reviews

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MinGW Reviews

10 Termux Alternatives
MinGW is an application with all the functions of GNU that includes the runtime of MSVC and supports C99 functionality. This software is only supported and executed on 64bit Windows and similar platforms with Linux shell environment and provides its users the facility of different import types of files and libraries and move them to other software according to your specific...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, MinGW-w64 should be more popular than MinGW. It has been mentiond 7 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

MinGW-w64 mentions (7)

  • I have tried so many times to make windows recognize the java and c compilers using environment variables and it's not working. windows is not recognizing the compilers
    Download and install the MinGW-w64 GCC for Windows: https://mingw-w64.org/. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Updating CLion Compiler to use C++ Modules
    Looking at the Compiler Support page on cppreference.com, it shows GCC version 11 as having partial support for modules. I went to mingw-w64.org website and saw they had MinGW-w64-builds with version 12.1.0/10.0.0, so I figured I'd download and install that, which is where I am having issues. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Discussion Thread
    If I wanted to build and run a MASM syntax Win32 assembly program on Linux, I would indeed probably use jwasm to assmble but then I would use mingw-w64 to link (despite the name, it supports 32-bit and 64-bit, it's more up-to-date than pure 32-bit mingw), and then run using WINE. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • I'm having problems installing Raylib for Go
    I finally got the Mingw-w64 for my pc, and of course, I got Golang and all. I have been working with it and (for the most part) has been working alright! But when I try used Go get, nothing weird happens but the compiler still tell me this :. Source: about 4 years ago
  • How legit is the compiler and how likely can a compiler be malware and how hard it is to be detected?
    However, what is preventing you from getting the thing from its website, http://mingw-w64.org/ ? Source: about 4 years ago
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MinGW mentions (1)

  • Is Mingw dead?
    Is osdn's mingw it a new project ? It's surprising how it provides gcc 4.8.2 and gcc 9.2.0. I guess the 4.8.2 is the last one provided by mingw.org, and 9.2.0 is the first of osdn's project? Is it maintained by the same developers? Source: about 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing MinGW-w64 and MinGW, you can also consider the following products

MSYS2 - A Cygwin-derived software distro for Windows using Arch Linux's Pacman

PowerShell - Download WMF. Windows Management Framework contains the latest versions of PowerShell, DSC, WMI, and WinRM for older versions of Windows. PowerShell Module Browser. Search for PowerShell modules and cmdlets.

Cygwin - Cygwin is a set of tools that provide Linux and POSIX functionality to Windows.

TDM-GCC - TDM-GCC is a compiler suite for Windows.

Termux - Terminal emulator and Linux environment for Android

PuTTY - Popular free terminal application. Mostly used as an SSH client.