Edge Drop: GitHub Installer or Microsoft Store Version?

The GitHub installer and the Microsoft Store version of Edge Drop are the same free, open-source app with the same features. What differs is how they install and update. The GitHub .exe keeps itself up to date with its own updater, and you can choose how it behaves. The Store version has no updater of its own and gets new versions through the Microsoft Store. Choose the Store if your PC only allows Store apps or you want Windows to handle updates. Choose GitHub if you want new releases straight from the project and control over when they install.

Side-by-side comparison

Everything else is identical: the hover shelf on the left, right or top edge, the Alt+C shortcut, search, filters, stacks, pinning, drag-out of images and files, and the privacy controls. Both builds run on Windows 10 and Windows 11, x64 only.

How updates work on each build

GitHub build. The Updates section in Settings → Behaviour has three modes:

• Automatic (default): checks a few seconds after launch, downloads in the background and installs when you quit. You can also restart straight away from the update card.
• Notify me: checks at launch and shows Update or Skip, but never downloads on its own.
• Off: no automatic checks. The Check for updates button still works when you click it.

How Edge Drop updates on GitHub builds covers each mode in detail.

Store build. The app contains no updater, and the Updates section is hidden. New versions arrive through the Microsoft Store, which Microsoft says updates apps automatically, with an option to pause updates. To check by hand:

1. Open Microsoft Store.
2. Select Check for updates.

New releases are published on GitHub first. A Store version has to pass Microsoft's certification before it appears, so it can show up later. There's no fixed delay. To see which version you have, look at the version number at the bottom of Edge Drop's Settings.

Is the Store version sandboxed?

Not in the way a classic Store app is. Edge Drop's Store package declares the runFullTrust capability, so it runs as a full-trust packaged desktop app rather than inside an AppContainer. Microsoft's documentation describes these as packaged desktop apps that run at medium integrity level.

What packaging does change is file storage. Windows redirects the Store build's AppData writes into its package folder, which is why its data lives somewhere other than %APPDATA%\Edge-Drop\. Where Edge Drop stores data on disk lists every file.

Neither build is more private than the other. Both keep history on the PC, have no account, no sync and no telemetry, and encrypt the history index with Windows DPAPI. The Store build simply makes no update requests of its own.

Which one should you choose?

Go down this list and stop at the first match.

1. Your PC only allows Microsoft Store apps, or blocks downloaded installers. Use the Store.
2. GitHub is blocked on your network, but the Store works. Use the Store.
3. You want Windows to handle updates with everything else. Use the Store.
4. You want new versions as soon as they're published, or you want to choose between Automatic, Notify me and Off. Use GitHub.
5. You want to install to a folder of your choice. Use GitHub. The installer lets you change the install location.
6. No preference. Either is fine. The Store is the simpler choice on a shared family PC; GitHub suits people who already install tools from GitHub Releases.

Install only one. Two copies would each record the clipboard and each try to open from the screen edge. Running two clipboard tools at once explains why that causes trouble.

How to install each version

From the Microsoft Store

1. Open the Edge Drop Store listing, or search for "Edge Drop" in the Microsoft Store app.
2. Select Get or Install.
3. Open Edge Drop from the Start menu. The icon appears in the system tray, and the shelf opens when you move the cursor to the left screen edge or press Alt+C.

From GitHub

1. Go to the latest release and download Edge-Drop-Setup-<version>.exe.
2. Run the installer. It installs for your user account only, and you can change the folder.
3. Start Edge Drop from the desktop or Start Menu shortcut.

If Windows shows a SmartScreen warning for the downloaded file, check that it came from the project's own GitHub Releases page before you continue. Should you use a beta desktop app? has a fuller checklist for new apps. How to install Edge Drop on Windows 10 and 11 has the full walkthrough.

How to switch from one version to the other

1. Copy out anything you still need from the shelf. The two builds keep their data in different locations and Edge Drop has no export, so don't count on your history and pins carrying over.
2. Right-click the Edge Drop tray icon and select Quit Edge-Drop.
3. Uninstall the current version from Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
4. Install the other version using the steps above.
5. Open Settings → Behaviour and check Launch at login is set the way you want.

If you're giving the PC to someone else, uninstalling isn't enough to remove history. Follow how to uninstall Edge Drop cleanly to delete the data folder too.

FAQ

Which version is official?

Both. The project publishes the GitHub installer on its own Releases page and the Store version under Store ID 9P3JMHN9M4NR. Downloads from other sites aren't official.

Does the Store version update automatically?

It's updated through the Microsoft Store, not by the app itself. Whether updates install on their own depends on your Microsoft Store settings.

Do the two versions have different features?

No. The only difference inside the app is the Updates section, which appears only in the GitHub build.

Is the Store version made by Microsoft?

No. Microsoft distributes it, but Edge Drop is an independent app. It's also unrelated to Drop, the file-sharing feature Microsoft retired from the Edge browser in version 152.

Related reading

• How to Install Edge Drop on Windows 10 and 11
• How Edge Drop Updates: GitHub Build vs Microsoft Store
• Is Edge Drop Safe? Privacy, Network and Storage Explained
• Clipboard Managers on the Microsoft Store vs GitHub

Sources

• Edge Drop on GitHub — source code, download options and licence.
• Edge Drop releases (GitHub) — installer downloads.
• Edge Drop (Microsoft Store) — Store listing.
• Get updates for apps and games in Microsoft Store (Microsoft Support) — automatic Store updates and the Check for updates button.
• App capability declarations (Microsoft Learn) — full-trust packaged desktop apps versus AppContainer apps.

Copy. Stack. Drop.

Transform your clipboard into an interactive edge shelf. Stack, pin, and drag assets into any app with zero friction.

Download for Windows Get from Microsoft Store

How to Install Guide · First 10 Minutes Guide · Drag & Drop Guide · Edge Drop vs Win+V · Support