Cork is a fast GUI for Homebrew written in SwiftUI.
Cork solves the problem of managing Homebrew packages through a graphical interface rather than the command line. It wraps Homebrew functionality while adding capabilities that are either impossible or cumbersome to achieve through Homebrew alone. The tool loads installed packages approximately ten times faster than Homebrew's native implementation and provides a centralized location to view detailed package information alongside management controls.
Cork is suited for macOS users who prefer graphical interfaces and want streamlined package management. The tool distinguishes itself through features unavailable in Homebrew directly: automatic system proxy respect, cached download clearing, menu bar package updates without the app open, package tagging for tracking purposes, and clear visibility into which packages were intentionally installed versus installed as dependencies. It also simplifies operations that are technically possible in Homebrew but tedious in practice, such as selective package updates, viewing reverse dependencies, and managing Homebrew services through a dedicated interface. The project explicitly positions itself as AI-free, with all code and documentation created entirely by humans.
The project maintains active community engagement through Discord and Mastodon. Development appears focused on stability and feature completeness, with the maintainer personally acknowledging contributors who solved technical challenges around licensing for self-compiled builds. The tool is distributed through the maintainer's Homebrew tap with pre-compiled versions kept up-to-date.
