# lucasgelfond/zerobrew

A 5-20x faster experimental Homebrew alternative

Repository: https://github.com/lucasgelfond/zerobrew
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/zerobrew
Language: Rust
License: Apache-2.0
License Family: permissive
Last push: 2026-08-19T19:05:51+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 78/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 98, release rhythm 88, longevity 16
- inputs: {"age_days": 226, "days_push": 14, "days_rel": 82, "gap_med": 9.5, "n_releases_24m": 7}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 7531, forks 176 (observed 2026-08-28T04:10:00.601627+00:00)

## What it is
zerobrew is a fast, Rust-based alternative client for the Homebrew package ecosystem on macOS and Linux, offering 5-20x faster installs. It supports familiar commands like install, upgrade, bundle, and garbage collection while relying on Homebrew's package metadata.

## Use cases
- install homebrew packages faster
- replace homebrew with a faster client
- manage packages from a Brewfile
- upgrade outdated cli tools quickly
- run a package without linking it
- clean up unused package store entries

## When to choose
- you want dramatically faster Homebrew package installs on macOS or Linux
- you already use Brewfiles and want a drop-in faster client
- you want a Rust-based, actively developed brew alternative

## When to avoid
- you need full Homebrew feature parity or formulae not supported by the client
- you require a battle-tested, stable package manager for critical infrastructure
- you are on platforms other than macOS or Linux

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: experimental
- function: package-manager, cli, developer-tools
- domain: developer-tools, cross-platform
- platform: cli, rust
- tags: homebrew-alternative, package-management, rust, performance, brewfile, command-line, macos, linux

## Member repositories
- lucasgelfond/zerobrew (main) score 78

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:10:00.601627+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 2026-08-29T17:37:26.967688+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/lucasgelfond/zerobrew (fetched 2026-08-28T04:10:00.601627+00:00, sha 809528a62482)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.