Install and Download
Compare Steam and Community, then pick one path:
Community is completely free forever, with permanent updates. Downloads, use and all future updates are free; sponsorship is entirely voluntary.
| You install from | What to do |
|---|---|
| Steam | Open the ECHO store page, install it, then start from Steam. Full guide: Using the Steam edition. |
| Free Community (website / GitHub) | Open the download page for Windows; check GitHub Releases for other platforms. |
| Android (beta) | Visit the official ECHO Android repository and download an APK from GitHub Releases. Android is currently a beta version; check the release notes for features and compatibility. |
After installing desktop ECHO, follow Quick start with a small folder. For Android, follow the Android repository and your build’s release notes.
Do not overwrite one install with the other. Current Community policy opens all Pro features for free; Steam Pro still requires DLC. Workshop, Cloud and achievements are Steam services. See the edition comparison for older installers and current policy.
Most people should use the website installer. The portable build is for a quick test. If GitHub is slow, use this site’s mirror. If you already use Steam, do not drop the website package on top of it.
The download page prefers the site mirror. GitHub Releases is still the publishing source; the server syncs assets into /update/stable/win/ so downloads and app updates do not depend on direct GitHub large-file delivery.
Windows
Section titled “Windows”- Installer builds are for regular use.
- Portable builds are useful for testing or isolated installs.
GitHub sync
Section titled “GitHub sync”ECHOPage includes a sync script:
$env:GITHUB_TOKEN = "<github token>"npm run sync:github-releaseThe script reads the latest release from https://github.com/Moekotori/ECHO/releases, detects the Windows installer, downloads it into public/update/stable/win/, computes the electron-updater sha512, writes localized release Markdown, and regenerates /update/stable/win/latest.yml.
On the production server, trigger the sync with a scheduled task or GitHub webhook. GitHub remains the source; the Hong Kong server is the stable mirror.
Auto update
Section titled “Auto update”The ECHO client should read /update/stable/win/latest.yml. This file is generated from release content and remains compatible with electron-updater.