brew / rank 316

Install postgresql@18 with Homebrew, winget, apk, chocolatey, MacPorts, zypper, dnf, apt, Nix, pacman, scoop

Object-relational database system. Version 18.6 via Homebrew; verified 2026-10-25. Also installable with winget: winget install --id PostgreSQL.PostgreSQL.18 -e.

Install command Security notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install postgresql@18

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install postgresql18

MacPorts ports tree · databases/postgresql18/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%

sudo apk add postgresql18

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · postgresql18 · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%

sudo zypper install postgresql18

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · postgresql18 · source: download.opensuse.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%

sudo dnf install postgresql

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · postgresql · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install postgresql

Debian stable package indexes · postgresql · source: deb.debian.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#postgresql

nixpkgs package indexes · postgresql · source: raw.githubusercontent.com

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%

sudo pacman -S postgresql

Arch Linux sync databases · postgresql · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

Windows

Windows Package Managerverified · 92%

winget install --id PostgreSQL.PostgreSQL.18 -e

Windows Package Manager source index · PostgreSQL.PostgreSQL.18 · source: cdn.winget.microsoft.com

Chocolateyverified · 92%

choco install postgresql18

Chocolatey community package catalog · postgresql18 · source: community.chocolatey.org

Scoopverified · 92%

scoop install main/postgresql

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/postgresql.json · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Object-relational database system

Project links

Commands and aliases

No executable aliases were found in the local package database.

From the blog

PostgreSQL 18 Makes the Boring Parts Better
2026-08-17

history

Project history and usage

PostgreSQL is an open-source object-relational database system. This package tracks the PostgreSQL 18 major release and includes the server, interactive client, and extensive administration toolset.

Project history

PostgreSQL descends from the POSTGRES research project led by Michael Stonebraker at the University of California, Berkeley. Implementation began in 1986, and the research system progressed through several releases and production uses.

Andrew Yu and Jolly Chen added an SQL interpreter in 1994 and released the result as Postgres95. The community adopted the PostgreSQL name in 1996 to preserve the POSTGRES lineage while recognizing its SQL support.

Adoption history

PostgreSQL moved from a Berkeley research system to a community-developed open-source database. The project reports use across major operating systems and a reputation for reliability, extensibility, data integrity, and standards-oriented relational workloads.

Version 18 continues the project's annual major-release cadence and adds performance, upgrade, UUIDv7, and OAuth-related improvements.

How it is used

Administrators initialize and operate database clusters with tools such as `initdb`, `postgres`, and `pg_ctl`; users connect interactively with `psql`; backup and migration workflows use `pg_dump`, `pg_restore`, `pg_basebackup`, and `pg_upgrade`.

The principal server configuration files conventionally live in `PGDATA`, although PostgreSQL permits relocating them. libpq clients can read passwords from `.pgpass` or the Windows `pgpass.conf` location.

Why package nerds care

PostgreSQL is a cornerstone package in Unix-like repositories: one formula supplies the server, the `psql` client, cluster-management programs, backup and restore utilities, benchmarking tools, and development interfaces.

Its major versions are commonly packaged in parallel because database clusters require deliberate upgrade and compatibility planning. The `postgresql@18` formula identifies that versioned packaging model rather than an unrelated fork.

Timeline

1986: Implementation of the Berkeley POSTGRES project began.
1994: SQL was added and the open-source Postgres95 line was created.
1996: The project adopted the PostgreSQL name and resumed versioning at 6.0.
2025: PostgreSQL 18 was released on September 25.

Related projects

PostgREST exposes a PostgreSQL schema as a REST API.
pgcli provides an alternative interactive client with completion and syntax highlighting.
PgBouncer adds lightweight connection pooling in front of PostgreSQL servers.

Sources

security posture

No protected-tool coverage found yet

No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for postgresql@18. Package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.

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 5 platform targets.
Installs with 7 runtime dependencies.
Build metadata lists 4 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: $PGDATA/postgresql.conf$PGDATA/pg_hba.conf$PGDATA/pg_ident.conf

Credential files

Credential-bearing paths to review before unattended agent runs.

Unix: ~/.pgpass
Windows: %APPDATA%\postgresql\pgpass.conf

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
No executable data was present.

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 generated2026-11-04

manager version18.6

manager updated2026-10-25

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

Package key	brew:postgresql@18
Version	18.6
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/postgresql@18
Homepage	https://www.postgresql.org/
Upstream docs	https://www.postgresql.org/
License	PostgreSQL
Source archive	https://ftp.postgresql.org/pub/source/v18.6/postgresql-18.6.tar.bz2
Last updated	2026-10-25T01:59:05Z
Pulse	updated
Dependencies	gettext, icu4c@79, krb5, lz4, openssl@4, readline, zstd
Build dependencies	docbook, docbook-xsl, gettext, pkgconf
Uses from macOS	curl, libxml2, libxslt, openldap, perl
Bottle	available (on arm64_golden_gate, arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_tahoe, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	declared
Caveats	This formula has created a default database cluster with: initdb --locale=en_US.UTF-8 -E UTF-8 $HOMEBREW_PREFIX/var/postgresql@18 When uninstalling, some dead symlinks are left behind so you may want to run: brew cleanup --prune-prefix If the service fails to start with a "postmaster.pid" lock file error after an unclean shutdown, and no postgres is running, remove the stale file: rm $HOMEBREW_PREFIX/var/postgresql@18/postmaster.pid

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	postgresql@18
Aliases	postgres postgresql
Version Scheme	0
Revision	1
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	yes
URL Keys	stable