Updating Software in macOS (2025)

At the beginning of 2021, I wrote on my site about how I manage software madness on macOS.

The problem with software on macOS, but also in Windows, is that there is no central way from which software is installed and updated.

Not like on Android with Google Play and iOS/iPadOS where installations and updates are managed through App Store. On macOS, there is App Store, but the majority of apps are downloaded and installed from other sources. Same as Windows. Windows has Microsoft Store; however, still, there are plenty of things done outside of it.

With Windows Microsoft Store, developers can list their products, which are not directly installing through Microsoft Store, but are just links to installers. Even so, it’s a great way to keep apps always up to date.

With macOS, I have been using MacUpdater. I even purchased a licence, as it was good value for money.

Sadly, without warning, and only discovering it by accident, by the end of 2025, the MacUpdater will be no more.

Ok, “will be no more” is a bit of too much, as software will still be working, but the developer does not guarantee that it will function as required.

MacUpdater, the popular software update utility for macOS, has been discontinued by its developer, CoreCode, and will no longer be actively developed after January 1, 2026. However, all existing MacUpdater 3 licences will continue to be supported until that date. The developers are looking for potential buyers for the software’s code and technology.

As a licensed user, I would expect an email with that info, not just discovering it when I updated my Mac and I need to re-enter licence information to notice a warning about what is happening from 1st January 2026.

Quickly heading into their website, I come to the conclusion that they have enough and are looking actively to sell this software and the backend related to it. I wish them all the best and hope somebody will be able to continue, but if not, I will need to look for an alternative really shortly.

I have been running MacUpdater from time to time to update 10-20 apps each time. This app shows how poorly software is maintained. The lack of automatic update features implemented by developers and swift updates to the latest version are a big pain for Mac users.

Most issues that you may experience are related to the fact that you are using outdated software.

Enough about that. I need to know where to go next with it.

If you start searching for alternatives, it has been quickly suggested through various other solutions, from which two keep repeating.

One of them is TrashMe 3, which is a tool for cleaning and uninstalling apps as its main purpose, but also an updater.

Apart from that, I have been pointed to an app called Latest.

The first one is paid, whereas the second is released as an Open Source project relying on donations.

Also, TrashMe 3 is available to download as a DMG and to be purchased ($14.99) through macOS App Store, whereas Latest is available to be downloaded as a DMG only.

Before I decide in which direction to go, I decided to do some testing of both.

The Latest was first.

Since the last time I ran MacUpdater, I just got three outstanding updates. In the first run of Latest, I got two out of three identified by it, but after pressing the refresh button, I was also prompted with updates for apps available through the App Store.

The annoying part of the App Store on macOS is the fact that apps do not update themselves with the same frequency as on iOS.

When an update is released on iOS, it will take a day or two for updates to be applied. Typically, it happens when I put my phone to charge overnight.

On macOS, it’s inconsistent and, sadly, unreliable. This is why it’s great to see the updates waiting in the macOS App Store in the Latest app as well.

MacUpdater has been showing updates available on the App Store, but I miss a lot of them.

I run TrashMe 3 next. As I downloaded it over the website as a DMG file, I was given a 15-day trial period, so I can decide which one to use.

Concentrating solely on updates, I compared 9 found by Latest to 7 found by TrashMe 3.

From 9 found by Latest, 3 of them were related to software not available through the App Store.

From 7 updated found by TrashMe 3, only 1 was related to software installed by other means and the other 6 directly to an app updated over the App Store.

One software update for iA Writer was only shown in TrashMe 3 and not in Latest.

I am using MEGA to store some files in the cloud. Apart from MacUpdater, none of the other apps see an update for this app. To be honest, this is the app that I would personally not update through MacUpdater, as most of the time it causes a crash and needs to be reinstalled from the source. It is no surprise that it is missed or excluded in both other solutions.

At this stage, the winner is Latest; however, even if the software is better and free, I always worry about its sustainability.

Where you are paying a licence, you are supporting the developer and giving him motivation to invest in the project. There you rely on open source; you must prioritise your time on things that will maintain your daily needs over the project that is not the main source of your income.

Overall, if you look on Latest on GitHub, in the Releases section, you will notice that the app was updated the last time in February 2024.

Of course, the update of the app is not as important as the software database behind it and the way the app checks for the latest version and updates available.

Overall, Latest has a simplistic interface, pleasant for the eye; hence, there is nothing missing from it, so there is no need to update as often as you may think.

I quickly launched the Silicon app and found out that both apps, TrashMe 3 and Latest, are universal apps working on Intel and Apple Silicon apps without problems.

For me, TrashMe 3 is a bit of overkill, as I am using other apps for cleaning and uninstalling purposes, and I am fine with them.

Going back to the numbers, 9 vs 7, you will quickly see that the Update button on Latest is not always pointing you to update the app but, like with Microsoft Edge, will just open the app and let it update itself in the background, in theory.

Microsoft Edge, in the About section, reported to me that it is in the latest version despite Latest saying differently.

Next one, balenaEtcher, the Update button also just opens the app and does not update it, which is a bit confusing, as this app does not have an updater built in, so you need to find a way to do this.

The Latest for information purposes about updates available is more than enough for me, but in matters of updating apps for us, like MacUpdater used to do, this is not this app’s main purpose.

Overall, the way apps are installed, and in the majority, updated, in macOS is just limited to opening a DMG file and dragging and dropping the app to the Applications folder. Simple as it can be.

If you look at the apps updated available in the App Store, the update button in Latest is doing what it is intended to, updating the app, without the need to open the App Store, whereas in TrashMe 3 you are only greeted with a button to View in App Store from where you need to click the update button.

I updated all the apps highlighted and decided to wait and see which app to keep, or shall I look further.

I doubt that in the 15 days of the TrashMe 3 trial period I will be able to assess which app is better, so I decided to stick with Latest for now and over the next month compare its output to sunsetting MacUpdater.

If in fact Latest will be my go-to app, I will likely consider donation and will recommend others to do the same.

The optimistic matter of the Latest app is a text written on the author’s donation page:

“Latest is a free and open source application I work on in my free time. I never planned to earn any money with it, so I am happy if you are happy using it. However, if you like the app and would like to support its development, feel free to think about donating. I am super thankful for that! I support donations via bank transfer (EU), PayPal as well as direct credit card donations.”

This reminds me of myself a bit.

I am writing and publishing what I can, helping others wherever I can, most of the time for free. I do not intend to earn money from knowledge that I want to share, as I have a full-time job that provides it to me. However, I admit that it is encouraging to receive from time to time a small incentive, especially in times that you least expect it, to boost your confidence and to know that there are people who benefit from your work and really appreciate it.