What Happened to Homebrew?

Homebrew emerged in 2009 as a groundbreaking solution to the cumbersome package management landscape on macOS, offering a user-friendly, command-line interface for installing, updating, and managing software. Created by Max Howell, it quickly surpassed predecessors like Fink and MacPorts due to its simplicity, extensibility, and seamless integration with GitHub for package definitions, known as 'formulae'. The 'brew install' command rapidly became an essential tool for developers on macOS, streamlining their workflow.

The necessity for Homebrew arose from macOS's unique position as a Unix-based operating system that, despite its power, lacked a native and efficient package management system. Homebrew filled this critical void by leveraging existing macOS tools and Git, which not only simplified the installation process but also made contributions remarkably easy, fostering a large and active community. Its design philosophy emphasized simplicity and avoided installing files outside its designated prefix, eliminating the need for `sudo` in most operations—a key differentiator from its contemporaries.

Key turning points in Homebrew's history include its initial release in 2009, followed by rapid growth between 2010 and 2013, during which it became one of the most forked and contributed-to projects on GitHub. A successful Kickstarter campaign in 2013 secured funds for essential server infrastructure. In 2019, Linuxbrew, a dedicated port for Linux, was officially merged back into the main Homebrew project, significantly expanding its user base beyond macOS. The release of Homebrew 3.0.0 in February 2021 marked a crucial adaptation, introducing official support for Macs with Apple silicon.

More recently, Homebrew has focused on project sustainability and security. In 2022, the Project Leadership Committee green-lit paid projects for maintainers and established a stipend program, acknowledging the significant volunteer effort. Homebrew 5.0.0, released in November 2025, brought download concurrency by default and official support for Linux ARM64/AArch64, alongside initial timelines for deprecating macOS Intel. The project also underwent a security audit in 2023, funded by the Open Technology Fund.

As of August 2026, Homebrew remains highly active and is the de facto package manager for macOS, while also serving a significant role on Linux. The project released Homebrew 6.0.0 on June 11, 2026, introducing a new tap trust security mechanism, a faster internal Homebrew JSON API, sandboxing on Linux, and initial support for macOS 27 (Golden Gate). Homebrew operates as an unfunded open-source project, primarily relying on volunteers and community donations through platforms like GitHub Sponsors, OpenCollective, and Patreon. To support its core contributors, the project provides a minimal monthly stipend and hardware grants to eligible active maintainers. The project is also proactively managing its operating system support tiers, with plans to move Intel x86_64 macOS to Tier 3 (no CI support, no new binary packages) in September 2026, and to fully deprecate support by September 2027, prioritizing Apple Silicon and the latest macOS versions. An official graphical interface, BrewUI, is also currently in development.