Installing Homebrew on macOS: A Step-by-Step Guide

What Homebrew does and why you need it

Homebrew is a package manager that installs command-line tools, programming languages, and other software directly from your terminal instead of hunting for installers online. Once installed, you run a single command like brew install node to get Node.js, or brew install git to get Git — Homebrew handles downloading, installing, and keeping them updated.

If you write code or work with developer tools, Homebrew saves hours of manual setup. It also prevents version conflicts: you can install multiple versions of Python or Ruby side by side and switch between them without breaking your system.

The installation itself takes about five minutes and requires only your Mac's password and an internet connection. You do not need to be a command-line expert — the process is the same for everyone.

Key Takeaways

Homebrew installs from your terminal using a single command that downloads and runs an installation script from the official Homebrew website.
You need Xcode Command Line Tools installed first, which Homebrew will prompt you to install if you do not have them.
After installation, you verify Homebrew works by running brew --version in your terminal.
On Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3), Homebrew installs to a different location than on Intel Macs, but the installation command is identical.

Check your Mac's processor type before you start

Homebrew works the same way on all Macs, but it installs to different folders depending on whether you have an Intel or Apple Silicon processor. You need to know which one you have so you understand where Homebrew puts files later.

Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner, select About This Mac, and look at the line that says "Chip". If it says "Apple M1", "Apple M2", "Apple M3", or similar, you have Apple Silicon. If it says "Intel Core", you have an Intel processor. Write this down — you will not need it for installation, but it matters when you troubleshoot later.

Install Xcode Command Line Tools first

Homebrew needs Xcode Command Line Tools — a set of compilers and libraries that let you build software from source code. You do not need the full Xcode application, just the command-line version.

Open your terminal (press Command + Space, type "terminal", and press Enter). Paste this command and press Enter:

xcode-select --install

A dialog box will appear asking if you want to install the tools. Click Install, then agree to the license. The download is about 500 MB and takes 5 to 15 minutes depending on your internet speed. You will see a progress bar. When it finishes, the dialog closes automatically.

If you see a message saying the tools are already installed, that is fine — move to the next section.

Run the official Homebrew installation command

Keep your terminal open. Go to the official Homebrew website at brew.sh and copy the installation command from the home page. It is a long line that starts with /bin/bash -c. Paste it into your terminal and press Enter.

The script will download and run automatically. It will ask for your Mac password — this is normal and expected. Type your password (you will not see the characters appear, but they are being entered) and press Enter. The installation continues and shows you progress as it goes.

When it finishes, you will see a message saying "Installation successful!" and some next steps printed to the terminal. On Apple Silicon Macs, you may see a note about adding Homebrew to your PATH — follow those instructions if they appear.

Verify the installation worked

Close your terminal completely and open a new one. This ensures you are using the updated settings. Type this command and press Enter:

brew --version

You should see output like "Homebrew 4.0.1" (the version number may be different). If you see this, Homebrew is installed and working.

If you see "command not found", the installation did not complete. Go back and check that you followed the installation command from brew.sh exactly — copy and paste is safer than typing it by hand.

Update Homebrew and install your first package

Before you install anything, update Homebrew's list of available packages by running:

brew update

This takes a minute or two. Once it finishes, you can install any package. For example, to install Git (a version control tool many developers use), run:

brew install git

Homebrew downloads and installs it automatically. When it finishes, you can verify it worked by typing git --version. You now have Git installed and ready to use.

To see what packages you have installed, run brew list. To update all of them at once, run brew upgrade.

Troubleshooting common installation problems

If the installation command fails with a permission error, you may have copied it incorrectly. Go back to brew.sh, copy the entire command again, and paste it fresh into a new terminal window.

If you see "Xcode Command Line Tools not found" after installation, the tools installation did not finish. Run xcode-select --install again and wait for it to complete fully before trying Homebrew again.

On Apple Silicon Macs, if Homebrew installs but you cannot find it in your PATH, the installation script may have printed instructions at the end. Look back at your terminal output and follow any lines that start with "Next steps". Usually this means adding a line to your shell configuration file, which the script will tell you exactly how to do.

If you get stuck, the official Homebrew documentation at docs.brew.sh has detailed troubleshooting for less common problems.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to pay for Homebrew?

No. Homebrew is free and open-source. The packages it installs are also free, though some are commercial software that you may need to purchase a license for separately.

Can I uninstall Homebrew if I change my mind?

Yes. Run /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/uninstall.sh)" in your terminal. It removes Homebrew and all packages you installed with it. Your other files and applications are not affected.

What is the difference between Intel and Apple Silicon installation?

The installation command is identical for both. Homebrew detects your processor type automatically and installs to the correct location. On Intel Macs it uses /usr/local/bin, and on Apple Silicon it uses /opt/homebrew/bin. You do not need to do anything different.

Can I use Homebrew to install regular Mac applications?

Homebrew has a separate tool called Cask that installs graphical applications like Firefox or Slack. Run brew install --cask firefox to install Firefox, for example. Most command-line tools use regular Homebrew, while GUI apps use Cask.

How do I keep my Homebrew packages up to date?

Run brew update to refresh Homebrew's package list, then brew upgrade to update all installed packages to their latest versions. You can also run brew upgrade package-name to update a single package.

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