Endstate

Endstate captures Windows applications and settings so a setup can be restored on another Windows PC. Scanning, saving, and restoring can run locally and offline. It detects apps installed through EXE/MSI installers and the Microsoft Store using winget, and includes settings modules for 359 Windows applications. Saved setups are plain files in the user's Documents folder, where they can be copied, backed up, or shared. Before restoring, users can preview differences and select which detected applications and supported settings to apply. A settings restore creates a backup that can be reverted with one click. Endstate reinstalls applications through WinGet and Chocolatey, while sponsored integrations can add settings migration support. Portable apps that are not registered in Windows are not detected. The local product has no telemetry, tracking, or background reporting, and sends no data off the computer unless Endstate Cloud is enabled. The Free plan is €0 forever, with no account and unlimited machines. Endstate Cloud is listed at €4 a month or €40 a year and is in early access, not generally available.

Endstate offers selective Windows application and settings migration, with local offline operation and reversible settings restores. The free plan is available at €0 forever; Cloud backup is a separate early-access option.

Endstate suits people moving a Windows setup between PCs, including designers, editors, creators, gamers, freelancers, students, and system administrators. It is also relevant to users who want to save setup files locally and choose what to restore.

Endstate is a Windows migration utility for carrying chosen applications and supported preferences to another PC. It suits people who want a clean, selective rebuild rather than a wholesale user-profile transfer. Its local operation, ordinary-file profiles, and reversible settings restores make it a careful choice, provided your software is registered in Windows.

Overview

Endstate focuses on application and settings migration, not personal data. Scanning, saving, and restoring can all happen locally and offline, which fits users who do not want a migration workflow dependent on an online account. It does not migrate a complete user profile or personal files, so it is best for recreating a working environment after a Windows reinstall or PC change.

Key features

The application inventory covers software installed through EXE and MSI installers and Microsoft Store applications discovered with WinGet. Endstate can reinstall applications through WinGet and Chocolatey, giving it a practical route from an old setup to a fresh machine. Its settings modules support 359 Windows applications, enough to address many established work and entertainment tools, though coverage is not universal. Sponsored integrations can add settings-migration support.

Portable profiles are plain files saved in the Documents folder. You can copy, back up, or share them without handing your setup to a managed service. Restore is selective: a difference preview lets you choose individual applications and supported settings instead of accepting an all-or-nothing import. Every settings restore creates a backup that can be reverted with one click, an important protection when a preference import produces an unwanted result.

The boundary is application registration. Portable applications that are not registered in Windows are not detected, so users whose toolkit lives mostly in standalone folders will need a separate transfer method. Endstate also moves applications and settings, but not a user profile or personal files.

The provisioning engine is open source under the Apache 2.0 license. The local product has no telemetry, tracking, or background reporting, and does not send data off the computer unless Endstate Cloud is explicitly enabled. Cloud backups are encrypted on the user's machine before upload; the service stores ciphertext along with operational metadata.

Pricing

The Free plan costs free, billed forever, requires no account, includes the full product with no limits, and supports unlimited machines. It is unusually complete for a free tier and is the clear fit for individuals who can manage their own profile files and do not need hosted backup.

Endstate Cloud costs €4 a month, billed monthly with cancellation at any time. It covers application lists and supported non-secret settings, not personal-file backup. Cloud is currently in early access, so it is a convenience option rather than a generally available service. The yearly option, Endstate Cloud (yearly), costs €40 a year and adds encrypted managed backup with client-side keys.

Support Endstate is a voluntary $10, paid once contribution. It unlocks nothing. Endstate for Teams has custom pricing: it is described as design-partner research, with no current team product or purchase. There is no free trial because the full local product is already available on the free plan.

Platforms

Endstate runs on Windows and is also offered as self-hosted software. That combination suits Windows administrators and privacy-conscious users who want control over where the workflow runs, but it does not help households managing macOS, Linux, Android, or iOS devices.

Who it's for

Designers, editors, creators, gamers, freelancers, students, and system administrators can use Endstate to reconstruct a familiar application setup while choosing which preferences follow them. It is particularly well matched to people who value offline handling, inspectable profile files, and an undo path for settings changes. It is a poor fit for anyone expecting documents, personal files, or an entire Windows user profile to move automatically, and for users dependent on unregistered portable applications.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Unlimited free plan: the €0 plan has no stated limits, needs no account, and supports unlimited machines.
• Selective and reversible restores: difference previews, per-item choices, and one-click settings rollback reduce the risk of importing an unsuitable configuration.
• Offline privacy: local operation has no telemetry, tracking, or background reporting, while the open-source Apache 2.0 provisioning engine supports scrutiny.
• Portable profiles: ordinary Documents files are easy to copy, archive, or share.

Cons

• Windows-only migration scope: there is no cross-platform device support.
• No profile or personal-file transfer: Endstate cannot replace a broader data-migration tool.
• Incomplete app detection: unregistered portable applications are omitted.
• Cloud uncertainty: hosted backup remains early access, and the cheaper monthly plan excludes personal files.

Alternatives

For a broader shortlist, see PC Migration Software. Choose EaseUS Todo PCTrans instead when a guided transfer with a 2 GB and five-program free allowance or a paid Windows plan better matches your needs. MigrationMerlin is the better comparison for a free, MIT-licensed Windows 10/11 option requiring administrator privileges on both PCs. PC Migration Pro suits readers who need a free edition for three computers or per-migration pricing at larger volumes. PickMeApp is another free Windows option for relocating or installing applications without licenses, expiration, or adware. IObit Uninstaller is aimed at Windows application removal and leftover cleanup rather than setup migration. ForensiT Transwiz is a free Windows alternative from a specialist in Windows system solutions. Super Grate is a free Windows alternative. IDEAL Remote is a paid, multi-platform administration product rather than a like-for-like local migration tool.

Verdict

Choose Endstate if you want to rebuild selected Windows applications and preferences with offline processing, file-based profiles, and a reliable undo mechanism. Its free, unlimited local plan is the main reason to start here. Look elsewhere if you need personal-file or full-profile migration, support for unregistered portable apps, or a mature, generally available cloud backup service.