UpdateScout
Native for macOS 14 or later

Every Mac app up to date.
Even the ones the App Store can't reach.

UpdateScout scans the apps you installed outside the Mac App Store, finds the newest release from the right source, and installs it safely — with signature checks, backups, and one‑click Update All.

See how it works

One‑time purchase. Free updates · Universal for Apple silicon & Intel · No account, no telemetry.

Five sources, one window

Most updaters read one place. UpdateScout reads them all.

Tools that only check Homebrew, or only Sparkle, miss half your apps. UpdateScout matches every app to the best source available for it — so far more of your Mac actually gets checked.

Sparkle appcasts

Reads the update feed built into the app itself, then hands installation to the app's own Sparkle updater.

In‑app metadata

Uses the version and feed information already embedded in each app bundle to know exactly what you have installed.

Vendor pages

Built‑in support for publishers that ship updates from their own site instead of a standard feed.

Installed Homebrew

Apps you installed with Homebrew are upgraded with Homebrew — UpdateScout never fights your package manager.

Homebrew Cask catalog

Falls back to the full public Cask catalog to find a trusted download when nothing else has one.

Works with the apps you already have

Sample data shown for illustration. App names and icons are trademarks of their respective owners and do not imply any endorsement.

Everything you need to stay current

UpdateScout combines the update data already inside your apps with trusted vendor and Homebrew sources — then picks the safest action for each one.

Scans everywhere apps live

/Applications, ~/Applications, and your own folders — including apps nested in subfolders. App Store apps and web apps are skipped automatically.

Five sources, one window

Sparkle appcasts, built‑in vendor pages, installed Homebrew Casks, and the full Cask catalog — each app matched to the best source.

Safe by design

Notarized downloads, checksum and code‑signature verification, and atomic replacement with rollback. Passwords are never collected.

Accurate, not noisy

Smart version matching understands packaging quirks, so you don't get false "update available" alerts for apps that are current.

Update All in one click

Update every compatible app together — up to three concurrent downloads with live progress, cancellation, and clear per‑app results.

Backups & history

Each replaced app is kept as a restorable backup for as long as you like, and every attempt is saved to a searchable history.

Checks on your schedule

Hourly, every six hours, daily, or weekly. Get notified when updates arrive, watch the menu bar, and launch at login.

Private & native

A fast SwiftUI app with no Electron, no accounts, and no telemetry. UpdateScout talks to vendor feeds — never to us.

What happens when you press Update

Every install runs the same five checks — the same protections a careful person would do by hand, every time.

1

Download

Fetches the release straight from the vendor's own feed or Homebrew — never a mirror we control.

2

Verify

Confirms the checksum and the app's existing code‑signing identity before anything is touched.

3

Back up

Keeps the current version intact as a restorable backup, so nothing is lost.

4

Replace

Swaps the app in atomically, asking for admin rights only if the location truly requires it.

5

Roll back

If any check fails, the previous version is restored automatically. You're never left broken.

Why it isn't on the Mac App Store

An app that updates other apps simply can't run under the App Store's sandbox rules — so it's distributed the way pro Mac tools always have been.

1

It reads and replaces other apps

Inspecting bundles across /Applications and swapping them in is exactly what the sandbox forbids.

2

It runs Homebrew

Upgrading Homebrew casks means launching a command‑line tool — not allowed for sandboxed apps.

3

It drives other apps' updaters

Handing control to each app's own Sparkle updater is cross‑app coordination the sandbox blocks.

4

It requests admin authorization

Installing into protected locations uses the standard macOS admin prompt the App Store doesn't permit.

Distributed directly, verified by Apple

UpdateScout is notarized by Apple and signed with a Developer ID, and it updates itself through its own signed Sparkle feed. You get the same trust checks as the App Store — without the sandbox that would make the app impossible to build.

Notarized by Apple · Developer ID signed · Signed auto‑updates

Buy once. Own it. Updates are free.

No subscription, no account — a single payment through Gumroad's secure checkout.

UpdateScout
Introductory price
$9.99$14.99
One‑time purchase · Instant download
  • Unlimited apps and update checks
  • All five update sources in one window
  • Update All, backups & searchable history
  • Free updates via signed Sparkle feed
  • English, German, Spanish & French

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Secure checkout via Gumroad · 30‑second install

Requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later. Universal binary for Apple silicon and Intel.

Questions, answered

Is this a one‑time purchase or a subscription?

One‑time. You buy UpdateScout once and own it, and app updates are free through the built‑in signed update feed.

Which of my apps can it update?

Any app you installed outside the Mac App Store that exposes a supported source: a Sparkle appcast, an installed Homebrew Cask, a match in the Homebrew Cask catalog, or a supported vendor page. App Store apps are managed by the App Store and are skipped.

Do I need Homebrew?

No. Homebrew is optional — it's only used to detect and upgrade apps you installed with Homebrew. Everything else works without it.

Is it safe to let it update my apps?

Yes. UpdateScout verifies checksums and each app's existing code‑signing identity, keeps macOS quarantine and trust intact, backs up the app it replaces, and asks for administrator rights only when a protected location requires it. It never collects your password and never runs arbitrary scripts.

Does it run on Apple silicon and Intel?

Yes. UpdateScout is a universal binary and runs natively on both Apple silicon and Intel Macs running macOS 14 Sonoma or later.

How does UpdateScout update itself?

Through its own signed Sparkle feed. Updates are cryptographically verified before they install — just like the trusted apps it checks for you.

Keep every Mac app up to date

Even the ones the App Store can't reach. One window, five sources, safe installs.

One‑time purchase · Free updates · macOS 14 Sonoma or later