Homebrew Package Manager Cheatsheet

Q: What is the difference between 'brew install' and 'brew cask install'?

'brew install' installs command-line tools and libraries (Formulae), compiled or downloaded into the Cellar. 'brew cask install' (or 'brew install --cask') installs GUI applications (Casks) like Chrome, VS Code, placed directly into /Applications.

Q: How do I clean up Homebrew disk space?

'brew cleanup' removes old versions of all packages, 'brew autoremove' deletes orphaned dependencies. Running both periodically can free gigabytes of space. 'brew doctor' checks overall system health.

Q: How do I pin a package to prevent upgrades?

Use 'brew pin ' to pin a package and prevent 'brew upgrade' from updating it. Use 'brew unpin ' to release it. 'brew list --pinned' shows all pinned packages.

Q: What is 'brew bundle'?

'brew bundle' uses a Brewfile to install/manage all dependencies automatically. 'brew bundle dump' generates a Brewfile for the current environment, 'brew bundle install' deploys everything on a new machine — similar to pip's requirements.txt.

Q: How do I check package dependencies?

'brew deps ' shows direct dependencies (tree view with --tree). 'brew uses ' shows which packages depend on the given formula. 'brew deps --tree ' shows the full dependency tree.

Homebrew is the most popular package manager for macOS (also available on Linux). This cheatsheet covers daily brew operations including Formula and Cask installation, uninstallation, updates, dependency management, and Tap repository configuration.

Updated: 2026-07-17·30 commands

Overview

Homebrew is a free and open-source package management system for macOS (and Linux). It simplifies the installation of software on Apple's operating system. This cheatsheet covers package management, casks, taps, and system maintenance.

Quick Start

``bash brew install wget # Install a package brew search python # Search for a package brew update && brew upgrade # Update everything``

Refer to the command table below for detailed usage.

Basic Ops(9)

Command	Level	Example
`brew install <formula>` Install a Formula package	Basic	`brew install wget`
`brew uninstall <formula>` Uninstall a Formula package	Basic	`brew uninstall wget`
`brew update` Update Homebrew itself and Formula lists	Basic	`brew update`
`brew upgrade` Upgrade all outdated packages	Basic	`brew upgrade`
`brew outdated` List all outdated packages	Basic	`brew outdated`
`brew list` List all installed packages	Basic	`brew list`
`brew search <text>` Search Formulae or Casks	Basic	`brew search python`
`brew --version` Show Homebrew version	Basic	`brew --version`
`brew config` Display Homebrew configuration	Basic	`brew config`

Formula(9)

Command	Level	Example
`brew info <formula>` Show package details	Basic	`brew info nginx`
`brew deps <formula>` Show package dependencies	Intermediate	`brew deps openssl`
`brew deps --tree <formula>` Show dependencies as a tree	Intermediate	`brew deps --tree openssl`
`brew uses <formula>` Show which packages depend on the given formula	Intermediate	`brew uses openssl`
`brew pin <formula>` Pin package version to prevent upgrades	Intermediate	`brew pin python`
`brew unpin <formula>` Unpin package version	Intermediate	`brew unpin python`
`brew leaves` List top-level packages not depended on by others	Intermediate	`brew leaves`
`brew link --overwrite <formula>` Force link (overwrite conflicting files)	Expert	`brew link --overwrite python`
`brew unlink <formula>` Unlink a package	Intermediate	`brew unlink python`

Maintenance(7)

Command	Level	Example
`brew doctor` Check Homebrew installation health	Basic	`brew doctor`
`brew cleanup` Clean up old versions of all packages	Basic	`brew cleanup`
`brew autoremove` Remove orphaned packages with no dependents	Intermediate	`brew autoremove`
`brew bundle dump` Generate a Brewfile for the current environment	Intermediate	`brew bundle dump`
`brew bundle install` Install all dependencies from Brewfile	Intermediate	`brew bundle install`
`brew services start <formula>` Start a background service (e.g., nginx, mysql)	Intermediate	`brew services start nginx`
`brew services list` List all registered services and their status	Intermediate	`brew services list`

Taps(3)

Command	Level	Example
`brew tap <user/repo>` Add a third-party repository	Basic	`brew tap homebrew/cask-fonts`
`brew untap <user/repo>` Remove an added repository	Basic	`brew untap homebrew/cask-fonts`
`brew tap` List all added tap repositories	Basic	`brew tap`

Casks(2)

Command	Level	Example
`brew install --cask <cask>` Install a GUI application (Cask)	Basic	`brew install --cask visual-studio-code`
`brew upgrade --cask` Upgrade all outdated Cask applications	Intermediate	`brew upgrade --cask`

FAQ

What is the difference between 'brew install' and 'brew cask install'?

How do I clean up Homebrew disk space?

How do I pin a package to prevent upgrades?

What is 'brew bundle'?

How do I check package dependencies?

This cheatsheet is compiled from official tool documentation. Last updated: 2026-07-17.