MacUpdater was discontinued in January 2026. If you relied on it to keep your non-App-Store apps current, you have two serious options today — one free, one paid. This page compares them honestly, including when the free one is the right choice.
| MacUpdater | Evergreen | Latest (free) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Discontinued Jan 2026 — no more database updates | Active, updated continuously | Active (open source) |
| Price | Was a paid licence | $19.99 one-time · 2 Macs · 14-day trial | Free |
| Update sources | Large database (now frozen) | Curated database: web-download apps, Homebrew casks and developer update feeds | Apps that ship their own Sparkle feed (+ Mac App Store) |
| Signature verification before install | — | ✓ Developer code signature checked (Team ID anchored) before anything is installed | Relies on each app's own update mechanism |
| One-click "update all" | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| "Download Only" mode | ✓ | ✓ — fetch installers, install yourself | — |
| Ignore list | ✓ | ✓ | Exclusions |
| Menu bar agent / background checks | ✓ | ✓ | Runs on demand |
| Telemetry | — | Zero — on-device, no account | None known (OSS) |
| Requires | — | macOS 14+ · Apple Silicon & Intel | See project page |
Comparison reflects publicly documented behaviour as of July 2026. Spotted something outdated or unfair? Tell us: info@perfectparadox.co.uk — we'll fix it.
If every app you use ships its own update feed and you want free: use Latest. It's good software and it costs nothing.
If you want coverage beyond feeds (direct-download apps, Homebrew casks, a curated database) plus a cryptographic signature check before every install — that's exactly why Evergreen exists.
Mac App Store apps — those update themselves, and duplicating that would add noise. And no updater can cover literally everything: Evergreen works from a curated database that grows weekly. If one of your apps isn't detected, email us and we'll add it — that's how the database is built.
Try everything free for 14 days first. If Evergreen doesn't earn its place in your menu bar, don't buy it.