install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install appium

local Homebrew formula metadata

Windows

Windows Package Managerverified · 92%

winget install --id JSFoundation.Appium -e

Windows Package Manager source index · JSFoundation.Appium · source: cdn.winget.microsoft.com

overview

Package summary

Automation for Apps

Project links

Commands and aliases

appium

history

Project history and usage

Appium is an open-source WebDriver-based automation framework for native, hybrid, mobile web, desktop, and other app platforms. Its package-manager identity is a Node.js CLI server plus an ecosystem of separately installed drivers, clients, and plugins.

Project history

The Appium project grew from the idea that mobile app automation should use the same open WebDriver protocol that had become central to browser automation. The official docs state that Appium's initial goals were iOS and Android automation, and that Appium adopted WebDriver rather than inventing a new API.

The npm package history records Appium 1.0.0 in May 2014. Appium 2.0.0 was published in July 2023 after a long beta series, and the upstream changelog records Appium 3.0.0 in August 2025.

Adoption history

Appium became a standard fixture in mobile QA stacks because tests can be written in WebDriver-compatible client libraries rather than platform-native test languages only. The README lists official client support for Java, Python, Ruby, and .NET C#, with third-party clients for other languages.

The project's adoption model changed significantly with Appium 2: drivers and plugins became extensions installed and updated through the Appium CLI rather than everything being bundled into one server package. That made the Homebrew formula useful as an entry point to the server while real platform support moved into extension management.

How it is used

A typical install starts the Appium server with `appium` or `appium server`, then installs a platform driver such as an iOS, Android, macOS, or Windows driver with `appium driver install`. Test suites connect over WebDriver using a language client.

Configuration can be auto-discovered from `.appiumrc.*`, `appium.config.*`, `.appiumrc`, or an `appium` property in `package.json`; Appium searches upward from the current working directory and also supports `appium --config /path/to/config/file`.

Why package nerds care

Appium is a good example of a CLI package whose real payload is an extension ecosystem. The formula installs the command, but the working toolchain is assembled from npm-distributed drivers and plugins plus language-specific test clients.

For packagers, Appium also marks the tension between system package managers and upstream Node distribution: the README says npm is the supported installation method, while Homebrew packages it for developers who expect a global `appium` command alongside other testing tools.

Timeline

2014: npm registry records Appium 1.0.0 publication.
2021: Appium 2.0.0 beta series appears in the upstream changelog.
2023: npm registry records Appium 2.0.0 publication.
2025: Upstream changelog records Appium 3.0.0.

Related projects

Selenium and WebDriver are the protocol lineage Appium deliberately follows.
Appium Inspector is the related official GUI used to inspect app UI trees while developing tests.
Official and third-party Appium drivers provide platform-specific automation for iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and other targets.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: orange

formula declares a Homebrew service.

Risk classifier

orange risk · medium confidence · infrastructure

Why

formula declares a Homebrew service

Signals

metadata:service

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Formula metadata declares a service or daemon block.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
Installs with 4 runtime dependencies.
Build metadata lists 1 build dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

local files

Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.

Configuration files

Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.

Unix: .appiumrc.json.appiumrc.yaml.appiumrc.yml.appiumrc.js.appiumrc.cjsappium.config.jsappium.config.cjs.appiumrcpackage.json appium property
Windows: .appiumrc.json.appiumrc.yaml.appiumrc.yml.appiumrc.js.appiumrc.cjsappium.config.jsappium.config.cjs.appiumrcpackage.json appium property

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`appium`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-08

manager version3.5.2

manager updated2026-06-22

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://appium.io/

infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://appium.io/none confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:appium
Version	3.5.2
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/appium
Homepage	https://appium.io/
Repository	https://github.com/appium/appium
Upstream docs	https://appium.io/docs/en/latest
License	Apache-2.0
Source archive	https://registry.npmjs.org/appium/-/appium-3.5.2.tgz
Last updated	2026-06-22T14:02:44-07:00
Pulse	updated
Dependencies	gettext, glib, node, vips
Build dependencies	pkgconf
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	appium
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Head Version	HEAD
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	head stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

winget95%

JSFoundation.Appium

winget install --id JSFoundation.Appium -e

normalized package name match
Matched by: Appium

Windows Package Manager source index · cdn.winget.microsoft.com · Windows Package Manager source index: JSFoundation.Appium from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/appium.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
Nucleus package database
av.db category and tag curation
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated configuration and credential file locations
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install appium with Homebrew, winget