Replacing Docker Desktop with brew services for local database development on macOS

Short summary

A team replaced Docker Desktop with Homebrew's brew services on macOS, using launchd to run Postgres, Redis, and MySQL natively instead of inside a Linux VM. The switch eliminated idle RAM consumption, CPU overhead from file-sync, and Docker Desktop's per-seat licensing costs for companies over 250 employees. The article honestly trades container isolation and reproducibility for native performance and zero overhead, and includes the four-command daily workflow.

• •brew services uses macOS launchd to run databases natively — no VM, no file-sync overhead
• •Eliminates Docker Desktop licensing costs for larger teams and removes update nag friction
• •Honest trade-off: loses container isolation and reproducibility but gains native performance for the 90% local-dev case

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