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wickenico/WailBrew

A native macOS GUI for Homebrew to install, update, and manage formulae, casks, taps, and services without the terminal.

Open-source alternative to:Cakebrew

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What is it?

WailBrew is a graphical front end for Homebrew on macOS. It lets you browse installed formulae and casks, search and filter packages, and install, uninstall, or upgrade them individually, in bulk, or all at once. Dependency and dependent details are shown for each package, and a Leaves view helps identify packages that can be removed safely.

Beyond package management, WailBrew covers taps, Homebrew services (start, stop, restart, run), and maintenance tasks such as a built-in brew doctor view, cleanup with a dry-run preview, and Brewfile export. Update checks can run in the background and display a Dock badge for available upgrades.

The app is built with Wails, Go, and React, and is distributed as a universal build for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs running macOS 11 or later. It requires Homebrew to be installed and calls the brew CLI directly.

Key features

  • 01Browse, search, install, uninstall, and upgrade formulae and casks, individually or in bulk.
  • 02Start, stop, restart, and run Homebrew services from the UI.
  • 03Manage taps, including tapping and untapping repositories.
  • 04Run brew doctor and cleanup with a dry-run preview.
  • 05Background update checks with a Dock badge for available upgrades.
  • 06Localized UI in 12 languages with light and dark mode.

Use cases

  • Managing Homebrew packages on a Mac without memorizing command-line syntax.
  • Keeping casks and formulae up to date from a single window.
  • Reviewing and cleaning old package versions and caches to free disk space.
  • Exporting a Brewfile to record the set of installed packages.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install WailBrew via Homebrew cask

    brew install --cask wailbrew

Things to know

  • macOS only; Linux support is partial and not officially targeted.
  • Requires Homebrew to already be installed.
  • Code signing and notarization depend on donations to cover the Apple Developer fee.

Topics

#homebrew#macos#package-manager#gui#wails#go#react#cask#apple#tailwindcss

FAQ

What is WailBrew?
A native macOS GUI for Homebrew to install, update, and manage formulae, casks, taps, and services without the terminal. WailBrew is a graphical front end for Homebrew on macOS. It lets you browse installed formulae and casks, search and filter packages, and install, uninstall, or upgrade them individually, in bulk, or all at once. Dependency and dependent details are shown for each package, and a Leaves view helps identify packages that can be removed safely.
Is WailBrew free to use? What license does it have?
WailBrew is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is WailBrew still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to WailBrew was on Oct 18, 2026.
What can I use WailBrew for?
Managing Homebrew packages on a Mac without memorizing command-line syntax. Keeping casks and formulae up to date from a single window. Reviewing and cleaning old package versions and caches to free disk space. Exporting a Brewfile to record the set of installed packages.
How do I install WailBrew?
Install WailBrew via Homebrew cask: brew install --cask wailbrew
Where can I get WailBrew?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/wickenico/WailBrew

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