AppFresh is very useful free tool that keeps all applications on your Mac up to date by checking the internet for new releases and makes downloading and installing them a breeze.

AppFresh covers software updates from Apple and third parties and can be used as a replacement for Apple's own Software Update application to provide one central place to make sure you're up to date.

AppFresh is still very much work in progress, and this is only a preview for now.
For safety reasons, AppFresh will not overwrite your applications but extract downloaded updates and put them on your desktop.

Here are some key features of "AppFresh":

Apple Updates:
· AppFresh integrates native update checking for Apple software und system updates, so you don't need to run Apple's Software Update seperately.

Sparkle Updates:
· By fully supporting RSS based Sparkle updates a great percentage of self updating applications can be updated using AppFresh.

Microsoft AutoUpdate:
· We check for Microsoft AutoUpdate 1 and 2, so you won't need the update checkers shipped with Microsoft Office 2004 and 2008. (Adobe will be available in AppFresh1.x)

Download and Install:
· AppFresh enables you to download any number of updates and automatically install them if you want. It also helps locating downloads and sends Growl notifications when the jobs is done.

Widgets, PrefPanes, Plugins:
· Update applications as well as widgets, preference panes and plugins. Supported plugins include InputManagers, Mail, Addressbook and iPhoto plugins as well as some kernel extensions.

Snapshots:
· Capture the current version of a software along with your preferences and application data. It's like Time Machine for your apps!

Profile Management:
· Using AppFresh it's possible to create and manage your iusethis profile. Start rating and sharing the applications you use and love with your friends and explore the ones you don't know yet!

Profile Installation:
· Keeping your profile up to date will enable AppFresh to automatically install your used and loved applications, for example when reinstalling your Mac!

What's New in This Release: [ read full changelog ]

· Release Date column added.
· Fixed loading of Last Updated dates.
· Number of concurrent downloads can be configured in toolbar gear menu.
· Progress indicator is hidden when download is finished.
· Not excluding /Users/Shared by default.
· Download locator with mouseover URL in a new status bar.
· Download locator saves located URLs for downloaded version.
· Moving a group to trash now trashes all apps of the group.
· Fixed a bug in download locator.
· Fixed crashes on Tiger.
· Fixed deselecting of inspector.
· Fixed restoring of column order.
· Fixed progress when unpacking is disabled.
· Fixed a crash in AppFresh update check.

Reasons why this program is marked as ad-supported:

· Displays IUseThis integration messages.