If you are considering an electric 120 volt or 12 volt dc winch there are a few things to consider
A winch and a hoist are two different items.
Generally a winch will have a rating at its maximum pulling capacity at stall, based on the first layer of cable wrap. Most planetary style winches, say over 4000 pound capacity depending on the make, will have a one way bearing on the power input shaft that self activates when it comes under load. Unfortunately, when lowering a load, the brake must slip and over time the brake will fail.
A hoist will have a higher Factor of Safety, usually about 4:1 and its brake mechanism will have brake that will hold the rated load with the FS but permit the load to be lowered without causing slippage and hence wear on the brake. Normally, a hoist will not have a free wheeling clutch.
In the smaller capacity winches , 1000 to 3000 pound range , cheaper planetary winches, there often is not a brake mechanism but the planetary gear by virtue of gear friction will offer a braking component if the gear ratio is high. But these types can slip at higher loading and lower the load slowly. A term sometimes used by manufacturers to describe the braking mechanism is called an "inertial brake"