Sometimes you don't need to run the installer at all.

| Feature | Online Bootstrapper | Offline Installer (Full) | |---------|--------------------|---------------------------| | File size | ~2-5 MB | ~150-200 MB | | Internet required during install | Yes | No | | Downloads latest version on the fly | Yes | No (contains fixed version) | | Best for | Individual users with stable internet | Enterprises, air-gapped PCs, mass deployment |

The offline full installer contains the complete runtime package. It is ideal for:

Microsoft’s default download for WebView2 is a bootstrapper (a ~2MB executable). This tool requires an active internet connection to download the specific version of the runtime matching the user's OS architecture (x86, x64, or ARM64). In scenarios such as:

The bootstrapper will fail immediately. This creates a dependency loop: your application requires the runtime, but the installer cannot reach Microsoft’s servers.