Open Source

Never Miss a Server Update Again

A single binary CLI tool that checks for available software updates 
across 14 package managers and sends notifications through 16 channels.

Get Started View on GitHub
Terminal
curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mahype/update-watcher/main/scripts/install.sh | bash

14 Package Managers

APT, DNF, Pacman, Zypper, APK, macOS, Homebrew, Snap, Flatpak, Docker, WordPress, npm/yarn/pnpm/Composer, Distro Release, and OpenClaw.

16 Notification Channels

Slack, Discord, Teams, Telegram, Email, ntfy, Pushover, Gotify, Home Assistant, Google Chat, Matrix, Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, PagerDuty, Pushbullet, and Webhooks.

Zero Dependencies

Single static binary. No runtime dependencies, no database, no Docker required. Just download, configure, and schedule with cron.

Security Update Highlighting

Automatically classifies and highlights security updates. Supports @mentions and priority escalation for critical patches.

Interactive Setup Wizard

Menu-driven TUI wizard that auto-detects installed package managers and guides you through configuration.

Notification Only

Read-only checks. Never installs updates, pulls Docker images, or modifies your system. You stay in full control.

How It Works

Update-Watcher is designed for servers and workstations managed via cron. The workflow is simple:

Install

Download the single binary on your server with one command.

Configure

Set up watchers (what to check) and notifiers (where to send alerts) via the interactive wizard or YAML config.

Schedule

Add a cron job for daily checks – get notified only when updates are available.

Supported Platforms

PlatformArchitectures
Linuxamd64, arm64, armv7
macOSamd64 (Intel), arm64 (Apple Silicon)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Update-Watcher?
Update-Watcher is an open-source CLI tool that checks for available software updates across 14 package managers – including APT, DNF, Pacman, Docker, Homebrew, WordPress, npm, yarn, pnpm, and Composer – and sends notifications through 16 channels including Slack, Discord, Teams, Telegram, and Email.
Does Update-Watcher automatically install updates?
No. Update-Watcher is notification-only. It checks for available updates and sends alerts – it never modifies packages, pulls Docker images, or changes your system. You decide when and how to apply updates.
Is Update-Watcher free?
Yes. Update-Watcher is free, open-source software released under the MIT license.
How does Update-Watcher compare to unattended-upgrades?
unattended-upgrades automatically installs updates on Debian/Ubuntu only. Update-Watcher supports 14 package managers across multiple distributions and macOS, notifies you through 16 channels, but never installs updates – giving you full control. See the comparison page for a detailed feature comparison.