# Install steampipe with Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, zypper
Use SQL to instantly query your cloud services. Version 2.4.4 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-26. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#steampipe.
## Install
```sh
sudo av install brew:steampipe
```
Additional install commands:
### macOS
- Homebrew (100%):
```sh
brew install steampipe
```
Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata
- MacPorts (94%):
```sh
sudo port install steampipe
```
Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: net/steampipe/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1
### Linux
- Nix (92%):
```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#steampipe
```
Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/st/steampipe/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- zypper (92%):
```sh
sudo zypper install steampipe
```
Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: steampipe from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst
## Package facts
- **Package key:** brew:steampipe
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 2.4.4
- **Source summary:** Use SQL to instantly query your cloud services
- **Homepage:**
- **Repository:**
- **Last updated:** 2026-07-26T04:03:46+02:00
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00
## Executables
- steampipe (alias)
## Install behavior
- Bottle: not available
## Freshness
- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 2.4.4
## Project history and usage
Steampipe is a command-line data tool that exposes APIs and services as SQL-queryable tables. It is especially associated with cloud infrastructure, security, and DevOps workflows where package users want a local binary that can query live services without building ETL pipelines.
### Project history
The upstream repository was created in January 2021. The official README presents Steampipe as a zero-ETL way to query APIs and services with SQL, emphasizing live data, concurrency, a single binary, and local or CI/CD use.
The project expanded from a CLI into a broader plugin and distribution ecosystem. Its README describes Steampipe CLI, Postgres foreign data wrappers, SQLite extensions, export tools, and Turbot Pipes as related distributions or hosted use cases.
### Adoption history
The input package metadata lists Steampipe in Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, and Zypper. The official README documents installation via Homebrew on macOS and an install script for Linux or WSL2, followed by installing plugins such as AWS, Azure, GCP, GitHub, Kubernetes, and Hacker News.
Steampipe's adoption is strongly tied to its plugin hub. The README says the community has grown a suite of plugins mapping APIs to database tables, with more than 2000 tables documented with copy-paste-run examples.
### How it is used
Common usage is to install the `steampipe` binary, install one or more plugins, and run interactive or batch SQL queries against live API-backed tables. It is also used in CI/CD and security/compliance workflows because the same SQL can inspect cloud, SaaS, code, and infrastructure data.
### Why package nerds care
Package nerds care about Steampipe because it packages a database, plugin runtime, and cloud-query workflow as a local CLI. It turns package installation into immediate access to a broad set of API tables without requiring users to deploy a database service first.
It is also notable as an example of a CLI whose packaging story spans local binaries, plugin registries, container-like plugin distribution, and later sibling tools such as Powerpipe, Flowpipe, and Turbot Pipes.
### Timeline
- 2021: Upstream GitHub repository created.
- 2021: Early 0.x releases published.
- 2023: v0.20 and v0.21 release series active.
- 2026: v2.4.x CLI releases published in the official changelog and GitHub releases.
### Related projects
- Related Turbot projects and distributions include Steampipe plugins, Steampipe Postgres FDWs, Steampipe SQLite extensions, Steampipe export tools, Powerpipe, Flowpipe, and Turbot Pipes.
### Sources
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- input.source_facts.package-manager
## Security Notes
infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal.
- **Geiger risk:** orange / medium
- infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal
## 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
- Unix: ~/.steampipe/config/*.spc
## Other Package-Manager Records
- Nix - steampipe: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/st/steampipe/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- zypper - steampipe - 2.4.4-1.3: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: steampipe from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Query various APIs and services via SQL language | https://github.com/turbot/steampipe
- MacPorts - steampipe: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: net/steampipe/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1
## Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/steampipe.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/steampipe.yml)
## Sources
- pkg.so package database
- Geiger risk classifier
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation
- external package-manager database matches
- cross-ecosystem install command graph