Are you considering an alternative to Homebrew for your development needs? Switching to ServBay could be your best decision. ServBay stands out with its user-friendly interface, extensive support for multiple PHP and Node.js versions, and a range of built-in tools and features that simplify development workflows. Let's compare ServBay and Homebrew to understand why ServBay is the superior choice.
| Features\Products | ServBay | ServBay Pro | Homebrew | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||||
| Pricing | Free | $59 ($29 for Edu) | Free | |
| Free version | 5 hosts, Ulimited functions | / | / | |
| Free trial | / | / | / | |
| Functions | ||||
| macOS support | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | |
| Native macOS App | Swift + SwiftUI | Swift + SwiftUI | / | |
| Install package size | 50 MB | 50 MB | N/A | |
| Package upgradeable | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Security updates | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Oprating System | ||||
| Non-intrusive | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | |
| Launch at login | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | |
| Start with system | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | |
| CLI support | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | |
| APP GUI | ||||
| Newbie friendly | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | |
| Quick control/Menubar | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | |
| Service control panel | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | |
| Multilingual | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | |
| Easy to use APP | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | |
| Configurable via GUI | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | |
| Easy backup | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | |
| Hosts / Websites | ||||
| Configurable via GUI | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | |
| Multiple Hosts | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | |
| Max Hosts | 5 | unlimited | unlimited | |
| Custom domains | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Custom TLDs | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Multiple Domains/Alias | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| SSL support | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Free private/self-sign SSL | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Local private/self-sign CA | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Selectable PHP Version | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Static Web Support | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Reverse Proxy | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Docker/Node.js Proxy | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Redirection(301/302) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Programing Languages | ||||
| PHP support | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Multiple PHP versions | 5.6 - 8.5 | 5.6 - 8.5 | 8.0 / 8.1 / 8.2 / 8.3 | |
| PHP 8.4 | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | |
| PHP 8.5 | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | |
| Multiple PHP instances | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | |
| Instantly switch PHP versions | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | |
| Node.js support | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Node.js 22 | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | |
| Node.js 23 | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | |
| Multiple Node.js versions | 12 - 23 | 12 - 23 | 14/16/18/20/21/22 | |
| Instantly switch Node.js versions | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | |
| Web Servers | ||||
| Apache HTTPd | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| NGINX | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Caddy | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Databases | ||||
| MySQL support | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Multiple MySQL versions | 5.1 - 9.1 | 5.1 - 9.1 | ❗️manual | |
| Instantly switch MySQL versions | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | |
| MariaDB support | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Multiple MariaDB versions | 10.4 - 11.8 | 10.4 - 11.8 | ❗️limited | |
| Instantly switch MariaDB versions | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | |
| PostgreSQL support | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Multiple PostgreSQL versions | 10 - 17 | 10 - 17 | ✅ Yes | |
| Instantly switch PostgreSQL versions | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | |
| MongoDB support | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Multiple MongoDB versions | 5.0 - 8.0 | 5.0 - 8.0 | / | |
| Instantly switch MongoDB versions | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | |
| Redis support | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Memcached support | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| SQLite 3 | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Tools | ||||
| phpMyAdmin | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Adminer | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| OpenSSL | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Composer | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| cURL | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| npm | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| pnpm | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | N/A | |
| yarn | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | N/A | |
| Mail Server | ||||
| Built-in Mail Server | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| DNS | ||||
| Built-in DNS Server | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Custom domains | 5 | unlimited | ❌ No | |
| hosts file manage GUI | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | |
| host domain resolution via /etc/hosts | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | |
| host domain resolution via local Built-in DNS Server | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Common PHP Modules | ||||
| APC/APCu | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| xDebug | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| opcache | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| IMAP | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| gd | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| cURL | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| OpenLDAP | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| mysql | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| pgsql | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| sqlite | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| pdo-* | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| sodium | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| MongoDB | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| redis | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| memcache | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| memcached | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| imagick | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Phalcon | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Swoole | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Tunnels/Reverse Proxy | ||||
| Cloudflared | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| frpc | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Ngrok | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❗️manual | |
| Development tools | ||||
| Development Library | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | / | |
| Re-Compile support | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | |
| Additional PHP Extensions Compile | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | N/A | |
| Support | ||||
| Documents | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | |
| Community | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | |
| ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ||
| Pay support | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | |
| Discord/Telegram | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | N/A | |
| WeChat Group | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | N/A | |
ServBay offers an easy-to-use application with a multilingual interface, quick control options, and a user-friendly service control panel, all accessible via a graphical user interface. This contrasts sharply with Homebrew, which primarily operates via the command line interface (CLI) and often requires manual configuration. ServBay's non-intrusive operating system integration, with features like launch at login and starting with the system, further enhances its ease of use compared to Homebrew.
ServBay's hosting capabilities are far more robust than Homebrew's. It supports up to 5 hosts for free and an unlimited number with its pro version, including custom domains and SSL support. Homebrew, while offering unlimited hosts, requires manual configuration for each. ServBay's support for custom PHP versions, Docker/Node.js proxies, and reverse proxy features are streamlined, whereas Homebrew demands manual efforts for these functionalities.
ServBay's support for multiple PHP (5.6 - 8.4) and Node.js (12 - 22) versions, with the ability to switch instantly between them, is a significant advantage over Homebrew. Homebrew does support PHP and Node.js but lacks the convenience of multiple instances and instant switching. ServBay's built-in Node.js support and the capability to run multiple PHP versions simultaneously make it a more versatile platform for developers.
In database support, ServBay again takes the lead with its multiple MariaDB and PostgreSQL versions and the ability to switch between them instantly. Homebrew requires manual installation and configuration for database support. Tools like phpMyAdmin, Adminer, Composer, and npm are readily available in ServBay, whereas Homebrew users must manually install and configure these tools.
ServBay's unique features like built-in mail and DNS servers, extensive PHP module support, and development tools like Cloudflared and frpc, set it apart from Homebrew. Furthermore, ServBay offers comprehensive documentation, community support, and even paid support options, which are lacking in Homebrew.
In conclusion, ServBay offers a more integrated, user-friendly, and feature-rich environment for development compared to Homebrew. Its ease of use, combined with powerful hosting capabilities, extensive programming language support, and a wide array of built-in tools, make ServBay an ideal choice for developers seeking efficiency and versatility in their software development toolkit.