What is BEAST?
BEAST is a cross-platform program for Bayesian analysis of molecular sequences using MCMC. It is entirely orientated towards rooted, time-measured phylogenies inferred using strict or relaxed molecular clock models. It can be used as a method of reconstructing phylogenies but is also a framework for testing evolutionary hypotheses without conditioning on a single tree topology. BEAST uses MCMC to average over tree space, so that each tree is weighted proportional to its posterior probability. We include a simple to use user-interface program for setting up standard analyses and a suit of programs for analysing the results.
This website is for BEAST X v10.X (currently version v10.5.0). For details about BEAST2, an independent project led by the University of Auckland, please look here.
Getting started with BEAST
Downloading BEAST
Introductory Tutorials
As an introduction to using BEAST we provide some basic introductory tutorials using the graphical applications of BEAST to perform analyses using provided example files.
Citing BEAST
- The recommended citation for this program is:
- Baele G, Ji X, Hassler GW, McCrone JT, Shao Y, Zhang Z, Holbrook AJ, Lemey P, Drummond AJ, Rambaut A & Suchard MA (2025) BEAST X for Bayesian phylogenetic, phylogeographic and phylodynamic inference Nature Methods 22, 1653-1656. DOI:10.1038/s41592-025-02751-x
- As BEAST relies on the BEAGLE high-performance computational library, it’s also appreciated to cite:
- Ayres DL, Cummings MP, Baele G, Darlin AE, Lewis PO, Swofford DL, Huelsenbeck JP, Lemey P, Rambaut A & Suchard MA (2019) BEAGLE 3: Improved Performance, Scaling, and Usability for a High-Performance Computing Library for Statistical Phylogenetics Systematic Biology 68 (6), 1052-1061. DOI:10.1093/sysbio/syz020
BEAST is descended from earlier work:
Drummond AJ, Nicholls GK, Rodrigo AG & Solomon W (2002) Estimating mutation parameters, population history and genealogy simultaneously from temporally spaced sequence data. Genetics, 161, 1307-1320.
Rambaut A (2000) Estimating the rate of molecular evolution: incorporating non-contemporaneous sequences into maximum likelihood phylogenies. Bioinformatics, 16, 395-399.
Pybus OG & Rambaut A (2002) GENIE: estimating demographic history from molecular phylogenies. Bioinformatics, 18, 1404-1405.
BEAST is built on a large body of prior work and appropriate citations for individual modules, models and components will be listed when BEAST is run.
BEAST-Users mailing list
Users are strongly advised to join the BEAST mailing-list. This will be used to announce new versions and advise users about bugs and problems.
Send an email to beast-users-subscribe@googlegroups.com or go to the mailing list site: