Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Homebrew VS Windows Package Manager CLI

Compare Homebrew VS Windows Package Manager CLI and see what are their differences

Homebrew logo Homebrew

The missing package manager for macOS

Windows Package Manager CLI logo Windows Package Manager CLI

Windows Package Manager CLI (aka winget). Contribute to microsoft/winget-cli development by creating an account on GitHub.
  • Homebrew Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-29
  • Windows Package Manager CLI Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-25

Homebrew features and specs

  • User-Friendly
    Homebrew provides an easy-to-use command-line interface that simplifies the installation and management of software packages.
  • Wide Range of Packages
    Homebrew offers a vast repository of software, covering a broad spectrum of utilities, languages, and applications.
  • Dependency Management
    Homebrew automatically handles dependencies, ensuring that all required packages are installed and up to date.
  • Community Support
    Homebrew has a strong community backing and regular contributions, which ensures frequent updates and a robust support system.
  • Cross-Platform
    Homebrew is available on macOS and Linux, allowing for consistent package management across different operating systems.
  • Customizability
    Users can create their own formulae to install software that isn’t available in the core repositories.

Possible disadvantages of Homebrew

  • Resource Intensive
    Some users find that Homebrew can be resource-intensive, particularly during installation of large packages or those with numerous dependencies.
  • Security Risks
    Because Homebrew allows for the installation of third-party software, there is a potential risk of downloading insecure or malicious packages.
  • Complexity for Beginners
    While user-friendly for most, beginners with no command-line experience might find the initial learning curve steep.
  • Duplication
    Users might accidentally install software that is already managed by other package managers or system libraries, leading to duplication.
  • Limited GUI Support
    Homebrew is primarily a command-line tool and lacks a graphical user interface, which could be a drawback for users who prefer GUI-based package management.

Windows Package Manager CLI features and specs

  • Centralized Management
    Windows Package Manager CLI provides a centralized platform for managing software installations, allowing users to install, update, and remove applications through a single interface, streamlining software management tasks.
  • Automation
    The CLI enables automation of software deployments through scripting, which is highly beneficial for developers and IT administrators who need to deploy multiple applications across several machines.
  • Community-driven
    Winget is supported and enhanced by a community repository, enabling users to access a wide variety of applications and benefit from community contributions.
  • Integration with Windows
    As an official Microsoft tool, Winget is well-integrated with Windows, ensuring compatibility and reliable operation across supported Windows versions.
  • Free and Open Source
    Being open source and freely available, Winget allows users to contribute to its development and benefit from community-driven improvements without any cost.

Possible disadvantages of Windows Package Manager CLI

  • Limited GUI
    As a command-line interface tool, Winget does not provide a graphical user interface, which may not be suitable for users who prefer visual tools over command-line operations.
  • Repository Limitations
    Some applications may not be available in the official repository, limiting the ability to manage certain software through Winget.
  • Learning Curve
    For users unfamiliar with command-line tools, there is a learning curve associated with using Winget effectively, which could deter casual users.
  • Dependency Management
    Winget currently provides basic dependency management, which may not be as comprehensive as some other package managers, potentially causing issues with complex software installations.
  • Windows Exclusive
    Winget is designed specifically for Windows, and thus is not available for use on other operating systems, which limits cross-platform consistency for organizations using multiple OS environments.

Analysis of Homebrew

Overall verdict

  • Homebrew is highly regarded and widely used, especially in the macOS user community. Its ease of use, extensive package library, and active community support make it a reliable and valuable tool for managing software installations.

Why this product is good

  • Homebrew is considered good because it simplifies the management of software on macOS and Linux by allowing users to easily install, update, and manage packages and dependencies. It integrates well with the system, provides a vast library of open-source software, and has a simple command-line interface, making it accessible and efficient for developers and system administrators.

Recommended for

    Homebrew is recommended for developers, system administrators, and power users who require a straightforward and efficient method to manage software packages and dependencies on macOS or Linux.

Homebrew videos

Homebrew Review: Coopers Lager - Taste Test

More videos:

  • Review - Homebrew Review | Alchemist Class by Mage Hand Press (featuring Designer Mike Holik)
  • Review - Northern Brewer Cream Ale Homebrew Review Tasting

Windows Package Manager CLI videos

No Windows Package Manager CLI videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Homebrew and Windows Package Manager CLI)
Front End Package Manager
Windows Tools
91 91%
9% 9
Package Manager
93 93%
7% 7
Developer Tools
92 92%
8% 8

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Homebrew and Windows Package Manager CLI

Homebrew Reviews

Top Homebrew Alternative: ServBay Becomes the Go-To for Developers
Homebrew is a highly popular package manager on macOS and Linux systems, enabling users to easily install, update, and uninstall command-line tools and applications. Its design philosophy focuses on simplifying the software installation process on macOS, eliminating the need for manual downloads and compilations of software packages.
Source: medium.com

Windows Package Manager CLI Reviews

We have no reviews of Windows Package Manager CLI yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Homebrew seems to be a lot more popular than Windows Package Manager CLI. While we know about 919 links to Homebrew, we've tracked only 13 mentions of Windows Package Manager CLI. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Homebrew mentions (919)

  • Setting Up PostgreSQL on macOS: A Fresh Start Guide
    Since you're on macOS, Homebrew is your friend for installing and managing software like PostgreSQL. If you don't have Homebrew installed yet, head to brew.sh and follow the installation instructions. - Source: dev.to / 4 days ago
  • How to for developers: Mastering your corporate MacBook Setup
    Homebrew is the go to for developer using MacOs to be able to install applications. It's the equivalent of Aptitude in Ubuntu. - Source: dev.to / 20 days ago
  • Connect to Unsupported Older Linux servers with VS Code Remote-SSH using Custom glibc & libstdc++
    Install glibc and patchelf using brew (Homebrew), or build from source, or use a prebuilt binary (if available). This guide uses brew. Also you can see this. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Dark Souls CRUD Arena - The Prisoner Approach
    In past personal projects, and in my most recent role, I've used Docker for dependency management to avoid the "works on my machine" scenario. I also just like keeping dependencies off my machine, but for this project I opted not to use containers given my lack of dependencies. I used Homebrew for all my needs :). - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Use the Amazon Q Developer CLI on AWS Graviton
    Install Homebrew if it's not already available on your computer. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
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Windows Package Manager CLI mentions (13)

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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Homebrew and Windows Package Manager CLI, you can also consider the following products

Chocolatey - The sane way to manage software on Windows.

Scoop - A command-line installer for Windows

iTerm2 - A terminal emulator for macOS that does amazing things.

VS Code - Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

Ninite - Ninite is the easiest way to install software.

Rectangle - Window management app based on Spectacle, written in Swift.