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Install Command-Line Tools with brew install

Add any of thousands of command-line utilities to your Mac with Homebrew's single install command.

macOSpackagebrewLow risk
Run brew install wget (or any package name) to install the tool, then use it immediately in the terminal.

01Command

Command
$ brew install wget

02What it does

Homebrew is macOS's de-facto package manager: brew install downloads a prebuilt (or automatically compiled) copy of the tool, places it in /opt/homebrew/bin, and links it into your PATH so it's on hand instantly. The package pages at formulae.brew.sh list what's available and show the exact install command for each. Everything stays in one place, so brew uninstall wget removes it cleanly, and brew upgrade updates all your tools in one go.

03Risk

RiskLow risk
RequirementsRequires Homebrew (install from brew.sh).
!Warning: Only install formulae you recognize — malicious namespaced packages with plausible names do appear in public package repositories occasionally; check formulae.brew.sh if unsure.

04Undo

Undo
$ brew uninstall wget

05Sources

  • Homebrew Man Page
    Homebrew · vendor-doc · 2026-09-17
    Evidence: The official man page documents 'brew install formula' as installing a formula, with uninstall as the counterpart command.
  • wget — Homebrew Formulae
    Homebrew · vendor-doc · 2026-09-17
    Evidence: The package page for wget displays 'brew install wget' as the official installation command.

Last verified: 2026-09-19 · Category: Developer

06Related solutions

Inspect Package Receipts and File Lists with pkgutil
macOSpkgutilcleanuppackage

List what an installer actually put on your disk, long after the installer window closed.

Low risk ✓ 2026-09-17