Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Postgres.app VS Homebrew

Compare Postgres.app VS Homebrew and see what are their differences

Postgres.app logo Postgres.app

The easiest way to run PostgreSQL on the Mac.

Homebrew logo Homebrew

The missing package manager for macOS
  • Postgres.app Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-28
  • Homebrew Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-29

Postgres.app features and specs

  • Ease of Installation
    Postgres.app is very easy to install on macOS as it provides a one-click setup process, making it ideal for beginners or developers looking for a hassle-free installation experience.
  • Integrated Environment
    It includes a full PostgreSQL server, along with utilities such as pgAdmin, psql, and PostGIS, offering an integrated environment for database development and management without requiring additional installations.
  • Regular Updates
    Postgres.app is regularly updated to include the latest stable releases of PostgreSQL, ensuring users have access to the newest features and security patches.
  • Self-Contained
    All components required for running PostgreSQL are bundled within the app, reducing potential conflicts with other software and simplifying the management of dependencies.
  • No Need for Administrative Privileges
    Postgres.app can be run without needing administrative privileges on the host machine, making it convenient for users who do not have admin access.

Possible disadvantages of Postgres.app

  • macOS Only
    Postgres.app is only available for macOS, which limits its availability to users on other operating systems like Windows and Linux.
  • Large File Size
    The app's self-contained nature results in a relatively large file size, which might be problematic for users with limited storage space.
  • Limited Configuration Options
    While Postgres.app is suitable for development, it may not offer the same level of configuration customization as a manual installation, which can be a drawback for advanced users needing specific settings.
  • Performance Limitations
    Being an all-in-one package, Postgres.app might not be optimized for high-performance production environments compared to more finely-tuned installations.
  • Potential for Outdated Components
    Although updates are frequent, there may be a delay in releasing the very latest versions of PostgreSQL or its components, which could be a concern for bleeding-edge users.

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.

Postgres.app videos

Installing and Setting up PostgreSQL Using Postgres.app

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

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Postgres.app and Homebrew)
Developer Tools
12 12%
88% 88
Front End Package Manager
MySQL Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Package Manager
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Postgres.app and Homebrew

Postgres.app Reviews

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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

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Homebrew seems to be a lot more popular than Postgres.app. While we know about 918 links to Homebrew, we've tracked only 40 mentions of Postgres.app. 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.

Postgres.app mentions (40)

  • DuckDB is probably the most important geospatial software of the last decade
    PostGIS is included in Postgres.app which is a single executable for Mac. DuckDB appears also to be a single file download for Mac. I’m not sure your “when I was first learning PostGIS” experience reflects the current situation. https://postgresapp.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 20 days ago
  • Test Driving a Rails API - Part One
    A running Rails application needs a database to connect to. You may already have your database of choice installed, but if not, I recommend PostgreSQL, or Postgres for short. On a Mac, probably the easiest way to install it is with Posrgres.app. Another option, the one I prefer, is to use Homebrew. With Homebrew installed, this command will install PostgreSQL version 16 along with libpq:. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Full Stack Chat App with Socket.io
    I was using Postgres.app, but of course, you can download it in any way as long as it works. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Building Secure Neon-Infused Web Apps with Auth0, Express, and EJS
    There are two ways to connect with the Postgres database which can be in the terminal or using a Postgres GUI client app like DBeaver. But first, download the PostgreSQL installer for macOS or Windows, depending on your OS. The setup and installation come with the psql command, a tool shipped with Postgres that allows you to communicate with Postgres through the command line. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Postgres: Opinionated Rules-of-Thumb and Gotchas
    6a. Even stricter option is an "append-only" aka "timeseries" schema, which I highly recommend. Can't remember the last time I didn't use one. 7. If you happen to be testing on a Mac, https://postgresapp.com/ is easier than the MacPorts or Homebrew packages. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
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Homebrew mentions (918)

  • 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 / 7 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 1 month 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 / 2 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 / about 2 months ago
  • 5 Local Environment Mistakes I See Everywhere, and How to Fix Them Properly
    # ./launch.sh: #!/bin/bash if ! Command -v brew &> /dev/null; then echo "❌ Homebrew is not installed. Install it from https://brew.sh/" exit 1 fi if ! Command -v docker &> /dev/null; then echo "⚙️ Installing Docker..." brew install --cask docker fi if ! Command -v php &> /dev/null; then echo "🐘 Installing PHP..." brew install php@8.3 fi. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Postgres.app and Homebrew, you can also consider the following products

Node.js - Node.js is a platform built on Chrome's JavaScript runtime for easily building fast, scalable network applications

Chocolatey - The sane way to manage software on Windows.

TablePlus - Easily edit database data and structure

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

ExpressJS - Sinatra inspired web development framework for node.js -- insanely fast, flexible, and simple

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