Knowledge base

Guides for installing and starting PyCharm

Practical steps drawn from JetBrains’ installation documentation — Toolbox, standalone Windows install, checksums, and first project.

Install PyCharm on Windows

PyCharm installs the same way across Windows, macOS, and Linux. On Windows you can use the Toolbox App (recommended) or the standalone .exe.

Download
Get the Toolbox installer or the PyCharm Windows installer from the download page / jetbrains.com.
Run the installer
Follow the wizard. Useful options include the 64-bit launcher, “Open Folder as Project”, .py file association, and adding the launchers directory to PATH.
Launch
Start PyCharm from the Start menu or desktop shortcut. First-run screens help you customize the instance.

TIP JetBrains Runtime is bundled (based on 21). You do not need a separate Java install to run PyCharm.

PyCharm editor showing sample Python code with a breakpoint and indexing status

Verify the download

Before you run any installer, use the SHA checksum linked from the official download page. Hash the local file and confirm it matches JetBrains’ published digest.

WARNING Skip unofficial mirrors. Altered installers are the most common supply-chain risk for desktop IDEs.

More detail lives on Trust & security.

First run checklist

On a fresh install you receive access to core features for free, plus a 30-day Pro trial for advanced functionality. After the trial you can subscribe to Pro or continue with core features only.

INFO Existing PyCharm Professional licenses continue to unlock Pro features — no migration step is required for current subscribers.

Create a new project or open an existing folder
Clone from VCS if your team already hosts the repo
Confirm the Python interpreter in the status bar

Choose a Python interpreter

PyCharm supports Python 2.7 and Python 3.9 through 3.15. Prefer a project virtual environment (venv, Poetry, uv, or conda) so dependencies stay isolated. From 2026.2 onward the IDE avoids creating venvs for end-of-life 2.7 / 3.6 / 3.7 — you can still attach an existing env manually.

Update via Toolbox or in-product

Stable 2026.2.1 builds are available through the IDE updater, the Toolbox App, or a fresh download. Toolbox is the recommended path when you juggle multiple JetBrains tools or need rollbacks.

Go to download FAQ