Download Perl
Quickly create reproducible, secure Perl development environments for yourself or with your team.
Supported Operating Systems
- Windows
- Mac
- Linux
Free Versions
5.38.2, 5.36.3, 5.34.3
What makes our Perl different?
Perl.org refers to ActiveState as “the simplest way to install the latest version of Perl.” We have been programmers’ trusted provider of Windows, Linux, and macOS Perl distributions for more than 20 years, ever since Larry Wall invented it. We offer the latest versions of a number of open source programming languages, including Perl, Python, Ruby, and Tcl.
We specialize in stable, secure, and easy-to-deploy Perl environments. Unlike other Perl distributions such as Strawberry Perl or perlbrew, our universal package manager, the State Tool, replaces Comprehensive Perl Archive Network (CPAN) and Perl Package Manager (PPM), and allows you to build runtimes with CPAN modules from source code (including linked C libraries), reducing your exposure to vulnerabilities and eliminate the need for a local compiler/build environment.
With ActiveState, you can install the Perl interpreter plus modules and the State Tool directly on the command line, or you can use our Windows executable or MSI installer for ActivePerl 5.28. We allow sign-up with GitHub and provide documentation on many Perl programming topics such as using Perl with html, xml, Perl scripts, subroutines, and more in our community forum. Docs are available online.
- Quick Start Guide
1 Create an Account
Head over to our platform and create your free account to get started. You can even sign up using your GitHub to import your projects directly.
2 Get Perl via Projects
Once you’ve created your account, you can set up your first Project.
Projects let you store your language and the packages you need to run your development environment in one place. You can share these projects with your team by inviting them to the organization the projects are stored within.
3 Install via our CLI Tool
Once you’ve created your project and added your packages, your project will build using our secure build platform.
When the build is complete, you can easily install and manage it using our CLI tool.
4 Accessing your projects via our CLI Tool
You can deploy and manage your projects using our CLI tool. Install packages, push changes to teammates, install the latest updates and more using our State Tool.
And that's it!
You’ve got an account with us, and you should be able to access your Project using our CLI tool on your local machine. If you’d like to share your project with your team, you can follow this guide. Happy Coding!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this Perl Download Free?
ActiveState’s Perl downloads are free, but there are some limits on use: you can use no more than one “active runtime” for free. An active runtime is the number of instances of software from the ActiveState Platform that are run in a 24 hour period.
If you need more than one Active Runtime, please see our Plans and Pricing page.
For more information, see the ActiveState Platform Terms of Service
How do I download Perl for Windows, Mac, Linux?
Recent versions of ActiveState Perl for Windows, Mac and Linux can be downloaded from the ActiveState Platform. Just copy the install script and paste it at a CMD command prompt to complete your installation of Perl. No prerequisite.
What can I use the ActiveState Perl Download for?
How can I get the 32-bit Perl download?
32-bit and older/legacy versions of ActivePerl are available only with a subscription to our Team or Enterprise tiers. See our Plans & Pricing for more information.
You shouldn’t have to choose between Security and Speed.
Our goal at ActiveState is make Open Source development environments secure, easy to manage, and shareable within teams. Sign-up with us today and start taking advantage of our development solutions.