# Install nats-server with Homebrew, apk, apt, Nix, scoop, winget Lightweight cloud messaging system. Version 2.14.3 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-29. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:nats-server ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install nats-server ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add nats-server ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nats-server from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install golang-github-nats-io-nats-server-dev ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: golang-github-nats-io-nats-server-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#nats-server ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/na/nats-server/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Windows - Scoop (92%): ```sh scoop install main/nats-server ``` Evidence: Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/nats-server.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - winget (92%): ```sh winget install --id NATSAuthors.NATSServer -e ``` Evidence: Windows Package Manager source index: NATSAuthors.NATSServer from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:nats-server - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 2.14.3 - **Source summary:** Lightweight cloud messaging system - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** Apache-2.0 - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-06-29T16:08:38Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - nats-server (cli) - nats-server (alias) ## Build dependencies - go ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Service: declared - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 2.14.3 - Package-manager updated: 2026-06-29 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/nats-io/nats-server - Upstream latest detected: v2.14.3 (current) ## Project history and usage NATS Server is the Go server for NATS, a subject-based connective messaging system for distributed systems, microservices, edge, IoT, command/control, and event or stream processing. ### Project history NATS was created by Derek Collison. NATS documentation says the acronym stands for Neural Autonomic Transport System and that Collison conceived it as a central-nervous-system-like messaging platform. A 2016 NATS blog post explains that it began as a central nervous system for a cloud control plane, initially without higher QoS guarantees beyond TCP/IP. The nats-io/nats-server repository was created on 2012-10-29. NATS Streaming was announced on 2016-07-19 to add persistence and delivery guarantees as a layered service; later NATS Server 2.2 made JetStream the recommended persistence, streaming, and higher-guarantee option, while NATS Streaming became deprecated. CNCF announced hosting NATS on 2018-03-15 at incubating maturity. The NATS FAQ says maintainership follows a governance process as part of CNCF, with Synadia engineers and community maintainers maintaining the server, streaming server, and official client libraries. ### Adoption history GitHub API data fetched on 2026-07-01 showed 20,126 stars and 1,856 forks, the largest upstream community signal in this batch. Homebrew's formula JSON generated on 2026-07-01 reported 8,660 installs over 365 days and 8,658 installs-on-request over 365 days, indicating that most Homebrew installs are direct requests rather than incidental dependencies. NATS adoption is broader than the Homebrew formula because it is commonly run via Docker, Kubernetes, release archives, and cloud/edge deployments. The official install docs list command-line installer, Docker, Kubernetes, package managers, release zips, and source builds as normal installation paths. ### How it is used Developers run `nats-server` locally for development, as a service for production messaging, or in clusters. Core NATS handles publish/subscribe, request/reply, queueing, service/microservice communication, and subject-based addressing; JetStream adds persistence, replay, key/value, object-store-like patterns, and stronger delivery semantics. Package nerds use the Homebrew package when they want a local broker-like service without container overhead: `brew install nats-server`, then run the binary and connect clients on the default client port. For production, the same binary is more often wrapped in service managers, Docker images, Helm charts, or managed deployment automation. ### Why package nerds care nats-server is significant because it is both the reference server and the operational heart of the NATS ecosystem. Unlike a client-only package, installing it gives developers a working messaging substrate for local integration tests, demos, and small deployments, while the same project scales into clustered cloud-native infrastructure. ### Timeline - 2012-10-29: nats-io/nats-server repository created on GitHub. - 2016-07-19: NATS Streaming announced to add persistence and delivery guarantees. - 2018-03-15: CNCF announced NATS as an incubating hosted project. - NATS Server 2.2: JetStream became the recommended persistence and streaming option, while NATS Streaming was deprecated. - 2026-06-29: nats-server v2.14.3 release published. - 2026-07-01: Homebrew formula JSON listed stable version 2.14.3 and 8,660 installs over 365 days. ### Related projects - JetStream - NATS Streaming - Synadia - CNCF - NATS clients ### Sources - - - - - - - - - - ## Security Notes formula declares a Homebrew service. infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal. - **Geiger risk:** orange / medium - formula declares a Homebrew service - infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** nats-server - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - golang-github-nats-io-nats-server-dev - 2.10.27-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: golang-github-nats-io-nats-server-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | High-Performance server for NATS.io (library) | https://github.com/nats-io/nats-server - Debian apt - nats-server - 2.10.27-1+b2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: nats-server from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | High-Performance server for NATS.io (program) | https://github.com/nats-io/nats-server - Nix - nats-server: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/na/nats-server/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - golang-github-nats-io-nats-server-dev - 2.10.7-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: golang-github-nats-io-nats-server-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | High-Performance server for NATS.io (library) | https://github.com/nats-io/nats-server - Ubuntu apt - nats-server - 2.10.7-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: nats-server from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | High-Performance server for NATS.io (program) | https://github.com/nats-io/nats-server - apk - nats-server - 2.14.0-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nats-server from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | High-Performance server for NATS.io | https://github.com/nats-io/nats-server - Scoop - main/nats-server: normalized package name match | Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/nats-server.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - winget - NATSAuthors.NATSServer: normalized package name match | Windows Package Manager source index: NATSAuthors.NATSServer from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix ## Related links - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider. - [go](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/go/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [nats-streaming-server](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/nats-streaming-server/) - Shares the same upstream homepage. - [activemq](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/activemq/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, messaging, networking, server. - [czmq](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/czmq/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, messaging, networking. - [ejabberd](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ejabberd/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, messaging, networking, server. - [emqx](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/emqx/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, messaging, networking, pubsub. - [nanomsg](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/nanomsg/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, messaging, networking. - [rabbitmq](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/rabbitmq/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, messaging, networking, server. - [libpaho-mqtt](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libpaho-mqtt/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, messaging, networking. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/nats-server.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/nats-server.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph