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Homebrew/BrewUI

Homebrew's official native macOS app for discovering, installing, updating and managing Homebrew packages without using Terminal.

Open-source alternative to:Pacifist

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What is it?

BrewUI is a native macOS graphical interface for Homebrew, the package manager for macOS. It lets users browse, install, update and remove formulae and casks through a SwiftUI app, aimed at people who would rather not work in the Terminal.

The app is built on the brew command-line tool and the Homebrew JSON API, so the operations it performs are the same ones the CLI runs. It also includes a read-only Services tab that lists installed formula services with their status, owner, login registration and log paths, with filters for running and stopped services. Starting, stopping and configuring services is done in Terminal. Homebrew options are set through a brew.env file, and the app must be relaunched after changes.

The project is written in Swift with strict concurrency and distributed as a Homebrew cask. Its interface is localised through community-maintained string catalogs, and partial translations fall back to English.

Key features

  • 01Browse, install, update and remove Homebrew formulae and casks from a native macOS window.
  • 02Read-only Services tab showing installed formula services, their status and log paths.
  • 03Filters for running and stopped services.
  • 04Built on the brew CLI and the Homebrew JSON API, so actions match command-line behaviour.
  • 05Homebrew options configured through a brew.env file.
  • 06Localised interface with community translations and English fallback.

Use cases

  • Installing and updating command-line tools and GUI apps on a Mac without opening Terminal.
  • Checking which Homebrew services are running or stopped on a development machine.
  • Introducing Homebrew to colleagues or students who are uncomfortable with the command line.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install the app with Homebrew

    brew install --cask homebrew-app
  2. 2

    Clone the repository and run bootstrap for development

    ./scripts/bootstrap

Things to know

  • Requires macOS; it is a native macOS app only.
  • Licensed under AGPL-3.0, so reuse or adaptation must follow its network-use terms.
  • Services tab is read-only; starting, stopping or configuring services requires Terminal.

Topics

#macos#package-manager#homebrew#swiftui#gui#swift

FAQ

What is BrewUI?
Homebrew's official native macOS app for discovering, installing, updating and managing Homebrew packages without using Terminal. BrewUI is a native macOS graphical interface for Homebrew, the package manager for macOS. It lets users browse, install, update and remove formulae and casks through a SwiftUI app, aimed at people who would rather not work in the Terminal.
Is BrewUI free to use? What license does it have?
BrewUI is open source under the AGPL-3.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is BrewUI still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to BrewUI was on Oct 16, 2026.
What can I use BrewUI for?
Installing and updating command-line tools and GUI apps on a Mac without opening Terminal. Checking which Homebrew services are running or stopped on a development machine. Introducing Homebrew to colleagues or students who are uncomfortable with the command line.
How do I install BrewUI?
Install the app with Homebrew: brew install --cask homebrew-app Clone the repository and run bootstrap for development: ./scripts/bootstrap
Where can I get BrewUI?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/Homebrew/BrewUI

Summary generated by AI from the project's README. GitHub stats refresh daily.

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