diff --git a/src/modules/updater/api.ts b/src/modules/updater/api.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9cfb1e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/modules/updater/api.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+import { isNewer } from "./semver";
+import type { ReleaseAsset } from "./platform";
+
+const RELEASES_API_URL = "https://api.github.com/repos/pengine-ai/pengine/releases/latest";
+export const RELEASES_PAGE_URL = "https://github.com/pengine-ai/pengine/releases/latest";
+
+const CACHE_KEY = "pengine-updater-cache";
+const CACHE_TTL_MS = 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000;
+
+export type LatestRelease = {
+  tag: string;
+  htmlUrl: string;
+  assets: ReleaseAsset[];
+  checkedAt: number;
+};
+
+export async function getLatestRelease(options?: {
+  force?: boolean;
+}): Promise<LatestRelease | null> {
+  const cached = readCache();
+  if (!options?.force && cached && Date.now() - cached.checkedAt < CACHE_TTL_MS) {
+    return cached;
+  }
+  try {
+    const res = await fetch(RELEASES_API_URL, {
+      headers: { Accept: "application/vnd.github+json" },
+    });
+    if (!res.ok) return cached;
+    const data = (await res.json()) as {
+      tag_name?: string;
+      html_url?: string;
+      assets?: Array<{ name?: string; browser_download_url?: string }>;
+    };
+    const release: LatestRelease = {
+      tag: String(data.tag_name ?? ""),
+      htmlUrl: String(data.html_url ?? RELEASES_PAGE_URL),
+      assets: (data.assets ?? []).map((a) => ({
+        name: String(a.name ?? ""),
+        browser_download_url: String(a.browser_download_url ?? ""),
+      })),
+      checkedAt: Date.now(),
+    };
+    writeCache(release);
+    return release;
+  } catch {
+    return cached;
+  }
+}
+
+export function hasUpdate(
+  current: string | null | undefined,
+  latest: LatestRelease | null,
+): boolean {
+  if (!current || !latest?.tag) return false;
+  return isNewer(latest.tag, current);
+}
+
+function readCache(): LatestRelease | null {
+  try {
+    const raw = localStorage.getItem(CACHE_KEY);
+    if (!raw) return null;
+    const parsed = JSON.parse(raw) as LatestRelease;
+    if (!parsed.tag || typeof parsed.checkedAt !== "number") return null;
+    return parsed;
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+function writeCache(value: LatestRelease): void {
+  try {
+    localStorage.setItem(CACHE_KEY, JSON.stringify(value));
+  } catch {
+    // storage full or blocked — skip caching, next call will refetch
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/modules/updater/components/DownloadLatestButton.tsx b/src/modules/updater/components/DownloadLatestButton.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7f5502a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/modules/updater/components/DownloadLatestButton.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
+import { getLatestRelease, RELEASES_PAGE_URL, type LatestRelease } from "../api";
+import { openDownload } from "../download";
+import { detectPlatform, pickAssetForPlatform, PLATFORM_LABEL } from "../platform";
+
+type Props = { className?: string };
+
+export function DownloadLatestButton({ className }: Props) {
+  const [release, setRelease] = useState<LatestRelease | null>(null);
+  const platform = detectPlatform();
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    let cancelled = false;
+    void getLatestRelease().then((r) => {
+      if (!cancelled) setRelease(r);
+    });
+    return () => {
+      cancelled = true;
+    };
+  }, []);
+
+  const handleClick = () => {
+    const asset = release ? pickAssetForPlatform(release.assets, platform) : null;
+    const url = asset?.browser_download_url ?? release?.htmlUrl ?? RELEASES_PAGE_URL;
+    void openDownload(url);
+  };
+
+  const label =
+    platform === "unknown" ? "Download latest" : `Download for ${PLATFORM_LABEL[platform]}`;
+
+  return (
+    <button
+      type="button"
+      onClick={handleClick}
+      className={className ?? "primary-button px-6"}
+      data-testid="download-latest"
+    >
+      {label}
+      {release?.tag ? (
+        <span className="ml-2 font-mono text-xs opacity-70">{release.tag}</span>
+      ) : null}
+    </button>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/modules/updater/components/UpdateIndicator.tsx b/src/modules/updater/components/UpdateIndicator.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2b031ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/modules/updater/components/UpdateIndicator.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
+import { getLatestRelease, hasUpdate, RELEASES_PAGE_URL, type LatestRelease } from "../api";
+import { openDownload } from "../download";
+import { detectPlatform, pickAssetForPlatform } from "../platform";
+
+type Props = { currentVersion: string | null };
+
+export function UpdateIndicator({ currentVersion }: Props) {
+  const [release, setRelease] = useState<LatestRelease | null>(null);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    let cancelled = false;
+    void getLatestRelease().then((r) => {
+      if (!cancelled) setRelease(r);
+    });
+    return () => {
+      cancelled = true;
+    };
+  }, []);
+
+  if (!release || !hasUpdate(currentVersion, release)) return null;
+
+  const asset = pickAssetForPlatform(release.assets, detectPlatform());
+  const downloadUrl = asset?.browser_download_url ?? release.htmlUrl ?? RELEASES_PAGE_URL;
+
+  return (
+    <div
+      className="mt-2 inline-flex items-center gap-2 rounded-lg border border-yellow-300/30 bg-yellow-300/10 px-3 py-1.5"
+      data-testid="update-indicator"
+    >
+      <span className="h-1.5 w-1.5 shrink-0 rounded-full bg-yellow-300 shadow-[0_0_6px_rgba(252,211,77,0.5)]" />
+      <span className="font-mono text-[11px] text-yellow-100">Update available: {release.tag}</span>
+      <button
+        type="button"
+        onClick={() => void openDownload(downloadUrl)}
+        className="rounded-md border border-yellow-300/30 bg-yellow-300/15 px-2 py-0.5 font-mono text-[10px] uppercase tracking-[0.1em] text-yellow-100 transition hover:bg-yellow-300/25"
+      >
+        Download
+      </button>
+    </div>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/modules/updater/download.ts b/src/modules/updater/download.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..46ea145
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/modules/updater/download.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+/** Open a URL the way the current runtime expects: Tauri → default browser, web → new tab. */
+export async function openDownload(url: string): Promise<void> {
+  try {
+    const { openUrl } = await import("@tauri-apps/plugin-opener");
+    await openUrl(url);
+  } catch {
+    window.open(url, "_blank", "noopener,noreferrer");
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/modules/updater/index.ts b/src/modules/updater/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ae17559
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/modules/updater/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+export { UpdateIndicator } from "./components/UpdateIndicator";
+export { DownloadLatestButton } from "./components/DownloadLatestButton";
+export { getLatestRelease, hasUpdate, RELEASES_PAGE_URL } from "./api";
+export type { LatestRelease } from "./api";
diff --git a/src/modules/updater/platform.ts b/src/modules/updater/platform.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3e8dffe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/modules/updater/platform.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+export type Platform = "macos" | "windows" | "linux" | "unknown";
+
+export type ReleaseAsset = { name: string; browser_download_url: string };
+
+export function detectPlatform(): Platform {
+  if (typeof navigator === "undefined") return "unknown";
+  const ua = navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase();
+  if (ua.includes("mac")) return "macos";
+  if (ua.includes("win")) return "windows";
+  if (ua.includes("linux") || ua.includes("x11")) return "linux";
+  return "unknown";
+}
+
+// Preference order matches what `app-release.yml` publishes. First hit wins.
+const EXTENSIONS: Record<Platform, string[]> = {
+  macos: [".dmg"],
+  windows: [".msi", ".exe"],
+  linux: [".AppImage", ".deb"],
+  unknown: [],
+};
+
+export const PLATFORM_LABEL: Record<Platform, string> = {
+  macos: "macOS",
+  windows: "Windows",
+  linux: "Linux",
+  unknown: "your platform",
+};
+
+export function pickAssetForPlatform(
+  assets: ReleaseAsset[],
+  platform: Platform,
+): ReleaseAsset | null {
+  for (const ext of EXTENSIONS[platform]) {
+    const match = assets.find((a) => a.name.toLowerCase().endsWith(ext.toLowerCase()));
+    if (match) return match;
+  }
+  return null;
+}
diff --git a/src/modules/updater/semver.ts b/src/modules/updater/semver.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bace3be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/modules/updater/semver.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+/** Minimal semver compare — only MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH, tolerates a leading `v`. */
+export function isNewer(latest: string, current: string): boolean {
+  const a = parse(latest);
+  const b = parse(current);
+  if (!a || !b) return false;
+  for (let i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
+    if (a[i] > b[i]) return true;
+    if (a[i] < b[i]) return false;
+  }
+  return false;
+}
+
+function parse(v: string): [number, number, number] | null {
+  const m = /^v?(\d+)\.(\d+)\.(\d+)/.exec(v.trim());
+  if (!m) return null;
+  return [Number(m[1]), Number(m[2]), Number(m[3])];
+}
diff --git a/src/pages/DashboardPage.tsx b/src/pages/DashboardPage.tsx
index e7242e5..ba9ffcc 100644
--- a/src/pages/DashboardPage.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/DashboardPage.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { McpToolsPanel } from "../modules/mcp/components/McpToolsPanel";
 import { fetchOllamaModels, setPreferredOllamaModel } from "../modules/ollama/api";
 import { SkillsPanel } from "../modules/skills";
 import { ToolEnginePanel } from "../modules/toolengine/components/ToolEnginePanel";
+import { UpdateIndicator } from "../modules/updater";
 import { TopMenu } from "../shared/ui/TopMenu";
 
 type ServiceInfo = {
@@ -223,6 +224,8 @@ export function DashboardPage() {
           </p>
         )}
 
+        <UpdateIndicator currentVersion={appVersion} />
+
         {/* ── Terminal (full width) — live runtime log ───────── */}
         <section className="mt-4 sm:mt-6">
           <TerminalPreview />
diff --git a/src/pages/LandingPage.tsx b/src/pages/LandingPage.tsx
index 2fe36db..b06bccc 100644
--- a/src/pages/LandingPage.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/LandingPage.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { Link } from "react-router-dom";
 import { TerminalPreview } from "../modules/bot/components/TerminalPreview";
+import { DownloadLatestButton } from "../modules/updater";
 import { PhoneMockup } from "../shared/ui/PhoneMockup";
 import { SpecMockup } from "../shared/ui/SpecMockup";
 import { TopMenu } from "../shared/ui/TopMenu";
@@ -130,6 +131,7 @@ export function LandingPage() {
               <Link to="/setup" className="primary-button px-6">
                 Scan and connect
               </Link>
+              <DownloadLatestButton className="secondary-button px-6" />
               <a href="#spec" className="secondary-button px-6">
                 Read the spec
               </a>
@@ -439,6 +441,7 @@ export function LandingPage() {
               <Link to="/setup" className="primary-button px-6">
                 Open setup wizard
               </Link>
+              <DownloadLatestButton className="secondary-button px-6" />
               <a
                 href="https://github.com/pengine-ai/pengine"
                 className="secondary-button gap-2 px-6"