Which Perl is best for Windows?

Choosing the best Perl distribution for Windows depends on your specific needs, but there are a few well-established options tailored for Windows environments. Each option offers different advantages in terms of ease of installation, bundled tools, compatibility, and community support.

Main Perl Distributions for Windows

• Strawberry Perl: Probably the most popular choice for modern Windows users. It provides a full Perl environment with a bundled compiler (gcc via MinGW), make tools, and many core modules. This allows you to install most CPAN modules seamlessly, even those with XS (C) components, without requiring extra configuration. Strawberry Perl closely mirrors a typical Unix Perl install but customized for Windows.
• ActivePerl: Offered by ActiveState, this distribution provides a polished, commercial-quality Perl build with a graphical installer. It comes with precompiled modules and an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) option. Previously it was a free option, but recent versions have transitioned to a more commercial subscription model. It is reliable and well-maintained, often chosen by enterprise users.
• perlbrew (using WSL on Windows 10/11): While not a Windows-native Perl distribution, if you use Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), you can install perlbrew inside WSL to manage multiple Perl versions on your "Windows" machine. This is closer to a true *nix Perl experience but requires WSL.

Comparing Strawberry Perl and ActivePerl

• Strawberry Perl
  • Completely free and open source
  • Bundled gcc compiler and make tools
  • Good CPAN integration — easy to build and install XS modules
  • Regularly updated, modern Perl versions
  • Good community support
• ActivePerl
  • Polished, signed installers and official support options
  • Precompiled core modules and some popular CPAN modules
  • Commercial support and IDE options
  • Changed licensing model (ActiveState platform)
  • Often used in corporate environments

In summary, for most Windows developers starting or working with Perl, Strawberry Perl is the best all-around choice and the easiest to install and maintain without additional tweaking. ActivePerl is suitable if you need official support or a commercial setup.

Simple Version Check Example

After installing your preferred Perl, you can verify the version and build environment using this command which is both a runnable and informative Perl snippet. It prints the version and some important configuration details about your Perl installation:

#!/usr/bin/perl
use strict;
use warnings;

print "Perl version: $^V\n";

print "Perl built for OS: $^O\n";

print "Perl @INC paths:\n";
print "  $_\n" for @INC;

Save this as check_perl.pl and run with perl check_perl.pl. This helps confirm you are running the expected Perl distribution on Windows.

Common Gotchas for Perl on Windows

• Path differences: Windows paths use backslashes \ but Perl happily accepts forward slashes / which can help avoid escape issues.
• Environment variables: Ensure your PATH includes the Perl bin directory to run perl from any command prompt.
• Module dependencies: Some CPAN modules with XS code require a C compiler, so Strawberry Perl’s bundled compiler is very convenient.
• Differences in line endings: Perl handles CRLF line endings by default, but scripts shared between Windows and Unix can sometimes cause subtle issues.

Hopefully this helps you pick the best Perl for your Windows environment and get started quickly with confidence!