install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install mas

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install mas

MacPorts ports tree · sysutils/mas/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#mas

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ma/mas/package.nix · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Mac App Store command-line interface

Project links

Commands and aliases

mas

history

Project history and usage

mas is a macOS command-line interface for the Mac App Store, designed for scripting and automation. It gives package-manager users a way to search, list, install, update, and inspect App Store apps from shell scripts and Brewfiles.

Project history

The mas repository was created in August 2015, and v1.0.0 was released in September 2015 as the initial public release. Early releases quickly added app upgrade and App Store sign-in/sign-out commands, establishing the project's role as a bridge between command-line workflows and Apple's GUI-oriented app distribution system.

The project matured into a Swift-based macOS utility with a man page, `mas --help`, GitHub wiki documentation, and a command table in the README. Recent releases continue to track App Store behavior and macOS compatibility changes; the v6 series improved minimum-OS handling for outdated checks, and GitHub listed v7.0.0 as the latest release in May 2026 with optional JSON output and tabular output improvements.

Adoption history

mas became especially prominent in the Homebrew ecosystem because Homebrew Bundle can include Mac App Store applications in a Brewfile. The official README lists Homebrew Core, the mas tap, MacPorts, and GitHub Releases as installation routes, while the supplied package metadata also records Nix packaging.

With more than twelve thousand GitHub stars, mas is one of the better-known macOS-specific CLI tools. Its adoption reflects a common need among dotfile, laptop-bootstrap, and managed-Mac users: keeping App Store software in the same declarative or scripted workflow as Homebrew packages.

How it is used

Common commands include `search`, `lookup`, `list`, `outdated`, `get`, `install`, `lucky`, `update`, `uninstall`, `open`, and `home`. The README notes that detailed command documentation is available through `man mas` and `mas --help`.

The CLI depends on macOS and App Store behavior rather than a portable service API. Its README documents practical constraints such as App Store eventual consistency, Spotlight indexing requirements, free-app installation behavior, and the need to purchase paid apps directly in the App Store.

Why package nerds care

mas is package-nerd glue: it does not replace Homebrew, but it fills the Mac App Store gap that Homebrew intentionally leaves alone. In Brewfiles, it lets a machine rebuild include both Unix packages and GUI App Store apps.

It is also a useful reminder that package management on macOS is plural. Homebrew, MacPorts, Apple's App Store, and system update mechanisms all own different slices, and mas gives one of those slices a scriptable face.

Timeline

2015: GitHub repository created.
2015: v1.0.0 initial release.
2016: v1.1.0 adds sign-in and sign-out commands.
2026: v7.0.0 released with optional JSON output and improved tabular spacing.

Related projects

mas is commonly paired with Homebrew Bundle for Brewfile-based Mac provisioning.
It is related to macOS automation tools and update orchestrators such as Topgrade, both of which can call into system package managers.

Sources

https://api.github.com/repos/mas-cli/mas
https://github.com/mas-cli/mas
https://github.com/mas-cli/mas/releases?page=6
https://github.com/mas-cli/mas/wiki
source_facts.package-manager-url

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 4 platform targets.

Recommended review

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

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`mas`	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 version7.0.0

manager updated2026-06-09

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://github.com/mas-cli/mas

infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/mas-cli/masnone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:mas
Version	7.0.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/mas
Homepage	https://github.com/mas-cli/mas
Repository	https://github.com/mas-cli/mas
Upstream docs	https://github.com/mas-cli/mas#readme
License	MIT
Source archive	https://github.com/mas-cli/mas.git
Last updated	2026-06-09T11:09:24+02:00
Pulse	updated
Uses from macOS	jq
Bottle	available (on arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	mas
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Head Version	HEAD
Requirements	macos xcode
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.

Nix95%

mas

nix profile install nixpkgs#mas

normalized package name match
Matched by: Mas

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ma/mas/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

MacPorts95%

mas

sudo port install mas

normalized package name match
Matched by: Mas

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/mas/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

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/mas.yml

Used sources

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

Install mas with Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix