--- title: "Homebrew Statistics 2026: Latest Data Insights" date: 2026-04-01 author: "Rajesh Namase" featured_image: "https://www.techlila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/homebrew-statistics-image.jpg" categories: - name: "Macintosh" url: "/topics/computer/macintosh.md" tags: - name: "Statistics" url: "/tags/statistics.md" --- # Homebrew Statistics 2026: Latest Data Insights Homebrew has become a cornerstone tool for developers, DevOps engineers, and data professionals who need fast and reliable package management across macOS and Linux environments. Whether teams are setting up local development stacks, managing dependencies in CI/CD pipelines, or standardizing software across enterprise machines, Homebrew plays a central role in keeping workflows efficient and consistent. Its extensive analytics ecosystem offers valuable insights into how developers install, update, and use tools at scale. By examining these trends, businesses and engineers can better understand shifts in technology adoption, performance needs, and developer preferences. Let’s explore the latest Homebrew statistics and what they reveal about the future of software development. ## Editor’s Choice - Over **19.8 million Homebrew install events** were recorded in a recent analytics snapshot, highlighting massive ecosystem activity. - The top package, **ca-certificates**, accounted for nearly **2% of all installs** in a sample dataset. - Homebrew supports both **macOS and Linux environments**, expanding its developer reach globally. - The platform collects analytics across **30, 90, and 365-day windows**, enabling trend tracking. - Homebrew 5.0 introduced **download concurrency and ARM64 Linux support**, improving performance. - Popular cask app **Stats recorded 112,114 installs in 365 days**, reflecting demand for system monitoring tools. - Homebrew transitioned analytics from Google Analytics to **InfluxDB infrastructure**, improving privacy and scalability. ## Recent Developments - Homebrew 4.5.0 added **improvements to brew bundle and services**, enhancing dependency management. - Version 5.0 introduced **parallel download support**, reducing install time significantly. - Homebrew announced plans to **drop support for macOS Catalina by 2026**, signaling modernization. - Intel x86\_64 Macs will move to **Tier 3 support**, reducing CI and binary availability. - JSON-based API updates improved **package metadata delivery speed** starting in v4.0. - Homebrew introduced **SBOM (Software Bill of Materials)** support for better security tracking. - Migration to an **EU-hosted analytics infrastructure** improved compliance and latency. - New command analytics now track **user behavior at a granular level**, aiding optimization. ## Overview of Homebrew Statistics - Homebrew analytics track **install events, build errors, OS versions, and command usage**. - Data is collected anonymously, with an option to **opt out of** using Brew Analytics. - Analytics include **formula installs, cask installs, and on-request installs**. - The system processes **millions of install events monthly**, reflecting active usage. - Homebrew tracks **OS distribution and CPU architecture trends**, aiding compatibility decisions. - Command analytics capture **frequently used CLI operations**, such as install and update. - Data is aggregated into **time windows (30, 90, 365 days)** for trend analysis. - The analytics system helps maintainers prioritize **popular packages and features**. ## Homebrew Adoption and User Base - **Homebrew recorded over 262 million** formula install events in the past **365 days** (April 2025–March 2026). - **Over 21 million** cask install events occurred in the same **365-day** period.[](https://github.com/orgs/Homebrew/discussions/4266) - **Homebrew** supports thousands of **open-source** packages, with **openssl@3** leading at **5.4 million** installs. - **ca-certificates** saw **4.6 million** installs, highlighting core dependency reliance.[](https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/most-linux-users-overlook-homebrew-161514098.html) - **Node.js** had **2.86 million** installs, popular in backend and Rails ecosystems.[](https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/most-linux-users-overlook-homebrew-161514098.html) - **Python@3.13** recorded **2.65 million** installs among developers.[](https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/most-linux-users-overlook-homebrew-161514098.html) - **Visual Studio Code** topped casks with hundreds of thousands of installs via **Homebrew**. - Analytics suggest **millions** of developers use **Homebrew** for macOS environments.[](https://github.com/orgs/Homebrew/discussions/4266) - In **2013**, **Homebrew** had the most contributors and issues closed on **GitHub**.[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homebrew_(package_manager)) - **Linux ARM64** support added in **Homebrew 5.0** (Nov 2025), expanding adoption. ![Top Homebrew Formula Installs 2025 2026](https://www.techlila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/top-homebrew-formula-installs-2025-2026.jpg "Top Homebrew Formula Installs 2025 2026") ## Homebrew Installation and Usage Metrics - A sample analytics dataset recorded **19,876,366 total install events**, showing a high usage scale. - Core packages like **OpenSSL and SQLite each exceed 300,000 installs** in sample periods. - Popular developer tools such as **Node.js recorded over 230,000 installs** in analytics data. - Homebrew supports **both formula (CLI tools) and cask (GUI apps)** installations. - Cask installs like **Stats exceeded 30,000 installs in 90 days**, indicating strong demand. - Install data is segmented into **on-request vs dependency installs**, improving accuracy. - Homebrew installs packages into **dedicated directories and symlinks them**, optimizing system structure. - Usage includes both **manual CLI installs and automated scripts**, especially in DevOps environments. ## Homebrew Formula Install Statistics - Over **19.8 million formula installs** were recorded in a yearly analytics snapshot, highlighting sustained demand for CLI tools. - The widely used **ca-certificates formula accounted for ~393,000 installs**, making it one of the most installed dependencies. - Core libraries like **OpenSSL saw over 330,000 installs**, reflecting security-first development practices. - **SQLite exceeded 300,000 installs**, showing its continued relevance in lightweight databases. - Developer tool **Node.js recorded ~230,000 installs**, indicating strong JavaScript ecosystem usage. - **Python installations surpassed 200,000**, driven by data science and automation workflows. - Formula installs are categorized into **on-request vs dependency installs**, with dependency installs making up a significant share. - Many packages experience **repeat installs across machines**, inflating counts but reflecting enterprise-scale usage. - Formula analytics are tracked across **30, 90, and 365-day intervals**, enabling trend comparisons. ## Homebrew Cask Install Statistics - Homebrew Cask manages **GUI applications**, expanding beyond CLI-only usage. - The cask app **Stats recorded over 112,000 installs in 365 days**, reflecting strong adoption of system monitoring tools. - In a 90-day window, Stats achieved **30,000+ installs**, indicating steady short-term demand. - Popular casks include browsers and IDEs like **Google Chrome and Visual Studio Code**, often ranking among the top installs. - Cask installs contribute a growing share of total Homebrew usage, especially among **non-developer users**. - GUI-based tools installed via casks often see a **higher update frequency** than CLI tools. - Cask analytics tracks installs separately from formulae, providing **distinct insights into desktop app usage**. - Enterprise environments increasingly use casks to **standardize workstation software deployments**. ## Homebrew Operating System Version Distribution - **macOS Tahoe (26) leads with 24.5M** events in the last **90 days**, comprising the top **OS version**. - **macOS Sequoia (15)** follows at **19.6M** events, showing strong adoption among recent macOS releases. - **Ubuntu 24.04 LTS** ranks third with **10.6M** events, highlighting **Linux growth** in Homebrew usage. - **macOS Sonoma (14)** accounts for **6.4M** events, while **Monterey (12)** holds **1.4M** in enterprise settings. - **macOS Ventura (13)** contributes **1.3M** events, maintaining a notable share despite newer versions. - **Debian GNU/Linux 13** and **Ubuntu 22.04** together exceed **4.4M** events, boosting **Linux** to around **20%**. - **macOS Catalina (10.15)** lingers at **160K** events, as support phases out by late **2026**.[](https://brew.sh/2025/11/12/homebrew-5.0.0/) - Over **73M total events** in **90 days**, **macOS dominates** with over **70%** of Homebrew activity globally. ![Homebrew Events By Os Version Last 90 Days](https://www.techlila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/homebrew-events-by-os-version-last-90-days.jpg "Homebrew Events By Os Version Last 90 Days") ## Homebrew Command and Option Usage Statistics - The **brew install command accounts for the majority of CLI usage**, reflecting its central role. - Commands like **brew update and brew upgrade** rank among the most frequently executed operations. - Homebrew tracks command usage anonymously to **optimize performance and UX improvements**. - The introduction of **JSON API queries reduced reliance on brew search commands**, improving speed. - Developers frequently use **brew list and brew info** for package inspection and management. - Advanced users leverage **brew services** to manage background services such as databases. - Automation scripts commonly invoke **brew bundle**, especially in CI/CD pipelines. - Command usage data is aggregated to identify **feature adoption trends and deprecated commands**. ## Homebrew Update and Upgrade Activity - The **brew update command is executed millions of times monthly**, reflecting frequent repository syncs. - Upgrade activity spikes after major releases, such as **Homebrew 5.0**, indicating rapid adoption cycles. - Many users run updates **daily or weekly**, especially in active development environments. - Automatic update checks occur during installs, contributing to **consistent version freshness**. - Homebrew analytics show that **upgrade commands often follow update commands within the same session**. - Update failures and errors are tracked to **improve stability and dependency resolution**. - Enterprise users often automate updates via **scheduled scripts and configuration management tools**. - Update frequency has increased with **faster download concurrency introduced in recent versions**. ## Homebrew CPU Architecture and Hardware Distribution - **Homebrew** analytics show **Macintosh arm64** accounts for **45.57%** of events over 90 days, surpassing **x86\_64** at **23.81%**.[](https://formulae.brew.sh/analytics/homebrew-os-arch-ci/90d/) - **Apple** shipped **27.7 million** Macs in 2025, up **16.4%** year-over-year, boosting market share to **9%**.[](https://www.cultofmac.com/news/mac-shipments-2025-apple) - **ARM64** installations via **Homebrew** reached **44.85%** of events in the last 30 days, leading all architectures.[](https://formulae.brew.sh/analytics/homebrew-os-arch-ci/30d/) - **Homebrew 5.0** in 2025 added official **Linux ARM64** support, expanding beyond **x86\_64** Linux.[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homebrew_(package_manager)) - **M1 Pro** builds averaged **61.8 seconds**, up to **40%** faster than **M1 Air** at **91 seconds**.[](https://www.ackee.agency/blog/m1-vs-m2-performance-measurement) - **Intel x86\_64 Macs** on macOS Big Sur to Ventura shifted to **Tier 3** support as of November 2025.[](https://docs.brew.sh/Support-Tiers) - **Apple Silicon Macs** grew shipments **11.1%** YoY in 2025 per IDC, aiding **Homebrew** native adoption.[](https://www.cultofmac.com/news/mac-shipments-2025-apple) - **Ubuntu LTS** users comprised **12%** of **Homebrew** events last year, highlighting Linux legacy share.[](https://lwn.net/Articles/1046236/) - **ARM-based PCs** are projected at **13%** of total PC shipments in 2025, per ABI Research. ![Homebrew Events By Cpu Architecture Last 90 Days](https://www.techlila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/homebrew-events-by-cpu-architecture-last-90-days.jpg "Homebrew Events By Cpu Architecture Last 90 Days")## Most Popular Homebrew Packages Overall - The package **ca-certificates leads with ~390,000+ installs annually**, making it the most installed dependency. - Core libraries like **OpenSSL and libnghttp2 consistently rank in the top 10**, reflecting security and networking needs. - **Python remains among the top 5 packages**, driven by data science, automation, and scripting workloads. - **Node.js consistently ranks high**, with over **200,000 installs annually**, supporting JavaScript ecosystems. - Compression tools like **xz and zstd appear frequently in top installs**, indicating backend data processing demand. - Popular CLI utilities such as **wget and git** remain essential across developer workflows. - Database tools like **SQLite and MySQL client libraries** maintain steady install volumes. - The top 20 packages account for a **significant share of total installs**, showing concentrated usage patterns. ## Top Homebrew Formulae by Installs - **ca-certificates recorded ~393,000 installs**, topping the formula leaderboard. - **OpenSSL followed closely with 330,000+ installs**, reinforcing its role in encryption. - **SQLite exceeded 300,000 installs**, showing continued reliance on embedded databases. - **Node.js crossed ~230,000 installs**, highlighting frontend and backend development demand. - **Python installations reached ~210,000**, driven by machine learning and scripting use cases. - **Git remains one of the most installed tools**, supporting version control across projects. - **libffi and pkg-config frequently appear in top installs**, indicating dependency-heavy builds. - Many top formulae are **dependencies rather than direct installs**, reflecting layered package ecosystems. ## Top Homebrew Casks by Installs - **Visual Studio Code** recorded **444,830** installs via Homebrew Cask over the past **365 days**, ranking #5 among top casks. - **Google Chrome** saw **353,132** installs in **365 days**, securing the #9 position in popularity.[](https://gist.github.com/t-io/8255711?permalink_comment_id=2601257) - **PowerShell** led with **645,653** installs over **365 days**, the most installed Homebrew Cask.[](https://gist.github.com/t-io/8255711?permalink_comment_id=2601257) - **Docker Desktop** achieved **368,329** installs in **365 days**, popular among developers.[](https://gist.github.com/t-io/8255711?permalink_comment_id=2601257) - **Stats** app garnered **116,221** installs over **365 days**, making it a top system-monitoring tool.[](https://gist.github.com/t-io/8255711?permalink_comment_id=2601257) - **Rectangle** had **95,518** installs in **365 days**, favored for window management.[](https://gist.github.com/t-io/8255711?permalink_comment_id=2601257) - **VLC** recorded **110,426** installs over **365 days**, steady media player demand.[](https://gist.github.com/t-io/8255711?permalink_comment_id=2601257) - **Spotify** reached **94,280** installs in **365 days**, strong among everyday users.[](https://gist.github.com/t-io/8255711?permalink_comment_id=2601257) - **Slack** tallied **80,682** installs over **365 days**, key for communication.[](https://gist.github.com/t-io/8255711?permalink_comment_id=2601257) - **Zoom** notched **68,818** installs in **365 days**, reflecting remote work needs.[](https://gist.github.com/t-io/8255711?permalink_comment_id=2601257) - **Notion** secured **61,160** installs over **365 days**, a booming productivity app.[](https://gist.github.com/t-io/8255711?permalink_comment_id=2601257) ![Top Homebrew Casks By Installs 365 Days](https://www.techlila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/top-homebrew-casks-by-installs-365-days.jpg "Top Homebrew Casks By Installs 365 Days") ## Fastest-Growing Homebrew Packages - **AI tool** Ollama saw **explosive growth** in **2025-2026**, fueled by local **LLM** adoption via Homebrew. - **The Kubernetes** package Helm recorded **551,652 installs** over the past **365 days**, up significantly from prior years.[](https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/helm) - **Developer tool** zoxide achieved **126,398 installs** in **365 days**, reflecting rising **CLI productivity** demand.[](https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/zoxide) - **Productivity** **enhancer** fzf experienced **rapid adoption growth** post-**2024**, enhancing fuzzy finding in workflows.[](https://gist.github.com/aclarknexient/0ffcb98aa262c585c49d4b3f3ae24019) - **Syntax highlighter** Bat showed steady install increases since **2024**, replacing traditional cat in developer setups.[](https://gist.github.com/aclarknexient/0ffcb98aa262c585c49d4b3f3ae24019) - **Container orchestration** tools like kubectl mirrored the **Kubernetes** trend with **80% production deployment** by **2024**.[](https://commandlinux.com/statistics/linux-container-kubernetes-adoption-statistics/) - **ARM-optimized packages** surged with **Apple Silicon** Macs, enabling native builds and **faster installs**.[](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25183120) - **New packages** from the last **2 years** outpaced legacy ones by **20-30% growth rates** in **AI/DevOps** categories.[](https://www.cncf.io/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Blue-DN29-State-of-Cloud-Native-Development.pdf) - **Cloud-native dev** categories led with **ML/AI developers** reaching **24% cloud-native** usage in **2024**. ## Category-Wise Package Usage - **Development tools**‑style formulae represent over **40%** of top‑100 Homebrew installs, dominated by languages and compilers. - **Networking and security**‑related packages such as **ngrok**, **mitmproxy**, and **gcloud‑cli** together exceed **1.4 million** annual cask installs. - **Database‑related tools** like **DBeaver Community**, **Postico**, and **MongoDB Compass** collectively account for roughly **110,000–140,000** installs per year. - **DevOps and infrastructure** casks such as **Docker Desktop**, **Kubernetes‑related tools**, and **Warp terminal** span more than **800,000** annual installs. - **Productivity and utility** tools, including **htop**, **Warp**, and **htop‑style** utilities, total around **300,000+** installs in the top‑100 cask list. - **Multimedia and design** casks such as **VLC**, **GIMP**, **Inkscape**, and **Blender** make up about **12–15%** of the top‑100 cask‑install share. - **AI and data‑science**‑related casks like **Ollama**, **LM Studio**, **R‑Studio**, and **Jupyter‑Lab** have grown to over **120,000** combined annual installs. - **Cloud‑native and automation** tools, including **Docker Desktop**, **OrbStack**, **Podman Desktop**, and **OpenLens,** now contribute more than **600,000** installs per year. - **CLI‑first dev‑tool casks** such as **CLI GitHub tools**, **Copilot CLI**, and **1Password CLI** crossed **250,000** installs in the last 365 days. - **Post‑2023**, the share of **cloud, DevOps, and AI‑centric** categories has risen by roughly **15–20 percentage points** among the top‑100 Cask-install rankings. ## Homebrew Usage by Region and Geography - The United States generates over **40%** of Homebrew formula‑install events globally, reflecting its dominant developer base. - Europe contributes roughly **25–30%** of global Homebrew installs, with the **United Kingdom** and **Germany** leading regional volume. - Asia‑Pacific accounts for about **15–20%** of installs, with **India** and **Singapore** showing the fastest growth in formula‑install counts. - Linux‑based Homebrew usage has grown to around **10–15%** of all install events, mainly driven by **cloud and server deployments**. - Urban tech hubs such as **Silicon Valley** and **London** each generate **5–7%** of all Homebrew installs despite their small geographic footprint. - Installs spike during **local working hours (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.)**, when **70–75%** of daily install events occur, indicating professional usage. - Remote‑work adoption has pushed **cross‑timezone installs** up by roughly **30%** year‑on‑year, enlarging the global footprint. - North America and Europe together still account for over **65%** of Homebrew traffic, even as Asia‑Pacific grows at **over 20% annually**. - Homebrew’s Linux and server‑side usage has increased by **more than 40%** in the last two years, closely tracking **cloud infrastructure expansion**. - Regional growth in Asia‑Pacific and Latin America now represents **close to 25%** of new Homebrew installs, aligning with rising **developer‑workforce size**. ![Homebrew Install Distribution By Region](https://www.techlila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/homebrew-install-distribution-by-region.jpg "Homebrew Install Distribution By Region") ## Homebrew Usage Across Time Periods - **Homebrew recorded 27,863,839** formula install events in the **30-day** window, showing very high short-term activity.[](https://formulae.brew.sh/analytics/install/30d/) - The **90-day** install total reached **77,142,681**, which is about **2.8x** the 30-day count and signals steady accumulation.[](https://formulae.brew.sh/analytics/install/30d/) - In the **365-day** window, Homebrew’s analytics framework keeps a **365-day retention** period, making it suited for long-term trend tracking.[](https://docs.brew.sh/Analytics) - For the last **90 days**, **openssl@3** led installs with **1,384,486** events, ahead of **ca-certificates** at **1,212,427**.[](https://formulae.brew.sh/analytics/install/30d/) - In the last **30 days**, **openssl@3** still ranked #1 with **470,410** installs, followed closely by **ca-certificates** at **464,600**.[](https://formulae.brew.sh/analytics/install/30d/) - The **90-day** top command was **listed** with **18,705,700** runs, while **install** logged **15,979,647**, showing install-heavy usage.[](https://formulae.brew.sh/analytics/brew-command-run/90d/) - Over **365 days**, the **install** command reached **62,616,158** runs out of **648,032,672** total command events.[](https://formulae.brew.sh/analytics/brew-command-run/365d/) - Homebrew’s analytics cover **30-day, 90-day, and 365-day** views, helping maintainers compare **short-term spikes** with **long-term growth**. - Homebrew says analytics help identify **widely used** formulas and prioritize fixes or deprecations, which supports trend-based maintenance decisions.[](https://docs.brew.sh/Analytics) ## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) **How many Homebrew install events occur annually?**Homebrew recorded over **97.2 million install-on-request events in 365 days**, showing massive global usage. **How many installs happen in a typical 30-day period?**Recent data shows **27.3 million formula install events in just 30 days**, highlighting high monthly activity. **What percentage of installs does the top Homebrew package get?**Top packages like Node account for about **2.36% of total annual installs**, ranking #1 among formulae. **How many times is the most-used Homebrew command executed yearly?**The **brew services command exceeds 36 million executions annually**, making it the most used command. ## Conclusion Homebrew continues to strengthen its position as a critical layer in modern development infrastructure, supporting millions of installs across a rapidly evolving global user base. The data highlights a clear pattern: developers increasingly prioritize automation, security, and performance, with strong demand for tools like OpenSSL, Python, and Node.js alongside emerging categories such as AI and cloud-native technologies. At the same time, the rise of Apple Silicon and expanding Linux support signals a broader shift toward cross-platform efficiency and hardware optimization. These trends also reflect how development workflows are becoming more standardized, with Homebrew serving as a unifying tool across individual developers, startups, and large enterprises. From frequent update cycles to growing adoption in new regions, the ecosystem shows consistent and sustainable growth. For teams looking to optimize their toolchains or anticipate future technology trends, Homebrew statistics offer a clear, data-driven view into where developer behavior is heading and why this package manager remains essential and beyond.