Another vote for Updatest. It has improved rapidly over the last few weeks and the developer is very responsive.
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RIP, MacUpdater
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Sven G
macrumors 6502a
Here is an interesting and also quite recent article about some possible alternatives to MacUpdater:
denshub.com
There is also a new “all-in-one” solution, based on Homebrew, Taphouse: which is essentially an Updatest + brew cask app store and also some other nice features. BTW, strange that Updatest hasn’t been updated itself in almost two months (since the developer transitioned to email-based support): let’s hope that this excellent updater will continue to be developed and evolve further…
How to Update macOS Apps Without MacUpdater
MacUpdater shut down January 1, 2026. Compare the best alternatives: Latest, Updatest, Homebrew, mas-cli, and Topgrade.
denshub.com
There is also a new “all-in-one” solution, based on Homebrew, Taphouse: which is essentially an Updatest + brew cask app store and also some other nice features. BTW, strange that Updatest hasn’t been updated itself in almost two months (since the developer transitioned to email-based support): let’s hope that this excellent updater will continue to be developed and evolve further…
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Good guide to alternatives. Timely, too, after about 6 months of no MacUpdater. I only disagree with the chosen "best". I much prefer Updatest which covers all sources (brew, sparkle, mas, electron) plus its own attempt at central collection of what people are using (Updatest Network). In practice it has converted me to using brew casks where possible - Updatest has an easy adoption process for casks. I use:Here is an interesting and also quite recent article about some possible alternatives to MacUpdater:
How to Update macOS Apps Without MacUpdater
MacUpdater shut down January 1, 2026. Compare the best alternatives: Latest, Updatest, Homebrew, mas-cli, and Topgrade.
There is also a new “all-in-one” solution, based on Homebrew, Taphouse: which is essentially an Updatest + brew cask app store and also some other nice features. BTW, strange that Updatest hasn’t been updated itself in almost two months (since the developer transitioned to email-based support): let’s hope that this excellent updater will continue to be developed and evolve further…
1) Mac App Store with autoupdate (and ignore these in Updatest).
2) Updatest for nearly everything which can use brew casks, sparkle, GitHub, or the electron update processes.
3) I don't use "Updatest Network" because it often leads to beta software.
Re Taphouse: When I tried it, I thought that it had just a subset of Updatest functionality.
Last December I thought the sky was falling with the closure of MacUpdater. But now I wonder what I was bothered about - Updatest is a fine replacement.
Sven G
macrumors 6502a
Yes, Updatest as a pure updater certainly does the job well and is probably the ideal successor to MacUpdater; but personally I also like Taphouse, which also manages the install of new Homebrew casks and formulae (a feature which is absent in Updatest). I, too, migrated all possible apps (with adoption) to Homebrew: something that wasn’t necessary before, with MacUpdater’s universal curated database, but is now the best possible approach. It would be nice if a pool of motivated developers acquired MacUpdater’s technology, but maybe it is too late, now. Ideally, Apple should integrate all updates into the Mac App Store (with some form of plugins for third parties, like Homebrew and others? Microsoft seems to be wanting to do this, in Windows), but sadly hasn’t shown any interest in this, so far. Anyway, let’s hope that Updatest will resume its own updates (stalled since two months), fix bugs (still present) and evolve as an app…
I am not expert in "formulae" but I believe Updatest does update formulae but calls them "packages".
I have been running Updatest (right) and Taphouse (left) since the start, and this is a screenshot of both showing my formulae/packages:
I also prefer Updatest, and notice in the screenshot that Updatest is showing 145 apps+packages but Taphouse 130.
Interesting comparison, but I don't think that's quite right. Looking at your numbers:
Taphouse is managing 64 apps, 61 of which are casks (gui apps) and 3 are formulae (command line apps).
Updatest is managing 141 apps plus 4 packages. I can also see the breakdown of your apps into App Store 33, Homebrew 57, Sparkle 34,.... The 57 homebrew apps is roughly equivalent to Taphouse having 61 casks.
As an extra, you have 11 apps which could be "adopted" as homebrew casks. I have a 6 that I don't want adopted (apps update themselves, or would update versions I don't want)
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I found that Taphouse wasnt showing App Store apps in my previous screenshot so the difference is not as great as it looked:
I have checked again with the current state of Taphouse. Taphouse functionality is a subset of Updatest functionality - Taphouse is brew only. Updatest includes brew casks and packages/formulae as well as other sources of update info.
My main frustration with both Updatest and Taphouse (if I used it) is that they offer (on my Sequoia iMac) updates which are Tahoe only. I recently was caught out by a cocoapacketanayzer update. I have Xcode updates disabled.
This is a plus for Latest.
Sven G
macrumors 6502a
Taphouse seems to include almost everything; the problem might be if it is as efficient as Updatest (which, BTW, also has a lot of configurable settings): which, like MacUpdater was, is specialised only in updates, but sadly lacks the Homebrew app store part (IMHO, very useful). Latest is certainly a very interesting app, but currently a little too basic. Lots of updater apps (but the most evolved aren’t open source)…
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willybk3
macrumors newbie
Sven G
macrumors 6502a
This new app looks almost to good to be true (!):
version-tracker.app
… and it would of course become the ultimate MacUpdater replacement: if it really works well, with all those sources (and also a Topgrade GUI).
However, the keys that they send to unlock the free version don’t yet work: this must be fixed!
Version Tracker — Track 100,000+ packages on macOS
Version Tracker helps you track and update over 100,000 packages on macOS.
… and it would of course become the ultimate MacUpdater replacement: if it really works well, with all those sources (and also a Topgrade GUI).
However, the keys that they send to unlock the free version don’t yet work: this must be fixed!
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Clearly he needs a support person to handle that side of things.
The price of Version Tracker will put customers off, but might be realistic from the development and support point of view.
Sven G
macrumors 6502a
Has anyone been able to activate the free option of Version Tracker (of course, in order to try the app, before purchasing it)…? I have tried several times and it refuses to activate, saying that This license key is not for Version Tracker. (and if you retry, eventually it says This license has reached its activation limit. Deactivate it on another Mac or use another license.): something isn’t right...
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Yes, I have tried. And fails just as you said.
The Terms and Conditions https://version-tracker.app/terms.html say under the laws of Portugal. I don't know anything about the developer.