# PostgresApp/PostgresApp

The easiest way to get started with PostgreSQL on the Mac

Repository: https://github.com/PostgresApp/PostgresApp
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/postgresapp
Homepage: https://postgresapp.com
Language: Makefile
License: NOASSERTION
License Family: other
Topics: postgis, postgres
Last push: 2026-08-26T08:55:34+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 94/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 85, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 5262, "days_push": 7, "days_rel": 20, "gap_med": 49, "n_releases_24m": 14}
- flags: no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 7770, forks 402 (observed 2026-08-28T04:10:04.896772+00:00)

## What it is
Postgres.app is a full-featured PostgreSQL installation packaged as a standard macOS application with a native GUI for starting and stopping servers. It bundles PostgreSQL with popular extensions like PostGIS, pgvector, and pgrouting, and supports running multiple PostgreSQL major versions simultaneously.

## Use cases
- install postgresql on mac without homebrew
- run a local postgres database for development
- get postgis working on macos easily
- run multiple postgres versions side by side
- set up pgvector for local ai development
- manage postgres servers from a menu bar app
- learn postgres without touching the command line

## When to choose
- you want the simplest PostgreSQL setup on macOS with a GUI
- you need bundled extensions like PostGIS or pgvector without manual compilation
- you want to run several PostgreSQL major versions in parallel
- you prefer a self-contained app over Homebrew or manual installs

## When to avoid
- you are on Linux or Windows
- you need a production database server rather than a local development instance
- you already manage PostgreSQL via Docker or Homebrew and prefer that workflow
- you need custom extensions not included in the bundle on older macOS versions

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: database, developer-tools, gui
- domain: databases, developer-tools, operating-systems, self-hosted
- platform: -
- tags: postgresql, postgis, pgvector, mac-app, database-server, local-development, macos, desktop

## Member repositories
- PostgresApp/PostgresApp (main) score 94

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:10:04.896772+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T17:35:04.925993+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/PostgresApp/PostgresApp (fetched 2026-08-28T04:10:04.896772+00:00, sha c0b7bbe10c24)
  - homepage: https://postgresapp.com (fetched 2026-08-29T08:31:08.556030+00:00, sha 694a0c1330a0)
  - site_page: https://postgresapp.com/documentation (fetched 2026-08-29T08:31:08.558798+00:00, sha 3a4db67e4016)
  - site_page: https://postgresapp.com/documentation/cli-tools.html (fetched 2026-08-29T08:31:08.560486+00:00, sha e334a407cc75)
  - site_page: https://postgresapp.com/documentation/relocation-warning.html (fetched 2026-08-29T08:31:08.562182+00:00, sha 9d9fe90dd0a6)
  - site_page: https://postgresapp.com/documentation/remove.html (fetched 2026-08-29T08:31:08.563916+00:00, sha ad45bccc21fb)
  - site_page: https://postgresapp.com/documentation/update.html (fetched 2026-08-29T08:31:08.574247+00:00, sha 37ab25869caa)
  - site_page: https://postgresapp.com/documentation/gui-tools.html (fetched 2026-08-29T08:31:08.576376+00:00, sha f606a6cf73e1)
  - site_page: https://postgresapp.com/documentation/troubleshooting.html (fetched 2026-08-29T08:31:08.577954+00:00, sha 8da44647a873)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.