MacUpdater alternative

A MacUpdater alternative with no database to go stale.

MacUpdater relied on a hand-kept list, and that work has stopped. Greypaint reads each app's own update source, so there's nothing to fall behind.

Download the 14-day trial

$6.49 once after the trial · macOS 26.2 or later

80 apps updated and checked so far. Check yours

Reading each app's own sourceexample

RectangleSparkle feedsame developer ✓
Podman DesktopGitHub releasesame developer ✓
DiscordHomebrewsame developer ✓
1PasswordHomebrewsame developer ✓
HandBrakeSparkle feedsame developer ✓

No database to keep up. Each answer comes from the developer.

The Greypaint window listing installed Mac apps with their versions and which ones have an update waiting.

What happened

MacUpdater still opens. It just stopped learning.

MacUpdater's lifetime ended on 1 January 2026, and there will be no MacUpdater 4. Version 3.5 is free but unsupported, and CoreCode expects the number of apps it can update to fall from about 7,000 to about 3,500 while its database runs through 2026.

"Our daily maintenance has been stopped and we don't verify updates anymore."CoreCode, MacUpdater page · FAQ

The difference

Built so it can't go stale the same way.

Reads each app's own sourceSparkle and Electron feeds, Homebrew, GitHub releases and the App Store. When a developer ships, Greypaint sees it, with no one in between keeping a list.

Checks before it replacesThe new copy must come from the same developer and be accepted by macOS, or it isn't installed. If you're using the app, it asks first.

Keeps a way backThe previous version is kept, so you can roll back, with its settings if you like.

Your tools tooHomebrew formulae and global npm, pnpm and uv packages, in the same window.

Side by side

MacUpdater 3.5 and Greypaint.

	MacUpdater 3.5	Greypaint
Status	Free, unsupported	Maintained, 1.4 out October 2026
Where updates come from	CoreCode's database, no longer maintained	Each app's own update source
Developer tools	Not listed	Homebrew, npm, pnpm, uv
Rollback	Not listed	Previous version, optionally with settings
Price	Free	14-day trial, then $6.49 once
Needs	macOS 13 or later	macOS 26.2 or later

"Not listed" means CoreCode's own pages don't mention it. Greypaint is independent, not a continuation of MacUpdater.

Before you switch

Questions

Do I have to uninstall MacUpdater first?

No. Keep it while you try Greypaint, and compare what each finds. Just don't let both install updates for the same app at the same time.

Will Greypaint find every app MacUpdater found?

Not necessarily. It finds a different set, because it reads each app's own update source rather than a hand-kept list. Search your important apps on greypaint.app/apps, or scan your Mac during the 14-day trial.

Does it install Mac App Store updates?

It shows them and opens the App Store on that app's page, where you update it. Apple doesn't let other apps install App Store updates.

Who is Greypaint not for?

Macs older than macOS 26.2, which it doesn't run on. And if you only use App Store and Sparkle apps, a free checker like Latest may be all you need.

Last checked 7 October 2026 · Written by the makers of Greypaint

Try it next to MacUpdater for 14 days.

Download the 14-day trial Check your apps

$6.49 once after the trial · macOS 26.2 or later