Version Tracker and Homebrew, working together.
Homebrew is the essential open-source package manager for macOS — if you're a developer, you're probably already using it daily. Version Tracker doesn't replace it: it uses Homebrew as one of its 44 sources, and extends visibility to everything else on your Mac that brew can't see.
What Homebrew covers — and what it doesn't.
Homebrew installs and updates formulae (command-line tools) and casks (GUI apps) that you explicitly installed through it. It's free, reliable, and community-maintained — and Version Tracker relies on it too, as one of its 44 tracked sources.
What Homebrew can't see: Mac App Store apps, Sparkle-based apps, GitHub Releases, developer tools installed via npm, pip, Cargo, or other package managers, and anything installed outside Homebrew. It also has no built-in dashboard, scheduled scans, or vulnerability intelligence — checking for updates means running brew outdated yourself.
Homebrew, plus everything else.
- Homebrew included — plus 43 more sources: Mac App Store, Sparkle, npm, pip, Cargo, Docker, GitHub Releases, Electron, Tauri, VS Code extensions, and dozens more.
- One dashboard instead of juggling
brew outdated, the App Store, and individual app checks. - CVE/SOFA vulnerability intelligence — know about known vulnerabilities in what you have installed, not just which version it is.
- Free tier, forever — scan all 44 sources at no cost, plus a one-time 7-day trial of Solo. No credit card required to start.
- 100% private — zero telemetry, consistent with the trust Homebrew has earned as an open-source tool.
Side by side.
brew outdated, brew upgrade)Do I still need Homebrew?
No. Homebrew remains an excellent way to install and manage command-line tools and casks. Version Tracker doesn't replace it — it tracks your Homebrew installs alongside everything else on your Mac, in the same dashboard.
It's enough if every piece of software on your Mac was installed through Homebrew. In practice, most Macs also have Mac App Store apps, Sparkle-based apps, and developer tools installed other ways (npm global packages, pip, Cargo, etc.) that Homebrew has no visibility into.
No. Version Tracker reads the same state Homebrew manages — it doesn't replace or modify your Homebrew installation. Updates still run through brew upgrade under the hood; Version Tracker just gives you a dashboard and reminders on top.
Homebrew stays free either way. Version Tracker's Free tier is also free forever, for scanning all 44 sources including Homebrew. You'd only pay for Solo or Family if you want one-click updates across everything, scheduled scans, and CVE/SOFA security intelligence.
Yes. Version Tracker runs entirely on your Mac: zero telemetry, zero analytics, zero data transmitted beyond checking the original sources for updates (including Homebrew's own API). See our Privacy Policy.
Ready to try Version Tracker?
Free to scan all 44 sources, forever, including your Homebrew installs. Includes a one-time 7-day trial of Solo.
Try free for 7 days