Developer Tools
Can I delete Homebrew from my Mac?
Yes, you can delete Homebrew, but the app itself is only part of what sits on disk. Everything it installed, and any database or other data your services keep inside its prefix, stays until those folders are removed separately — so decide what you still need first. Its own data typically takes 1 GB – 20 GB.
See how much space Homebrew really takes before you decide
Homebrew data usually takes 1 GB – 20 GB on a Mac. The free scan shows the exact size on your Mac before you change anything.
Free scan · No account · Nothing is deleted without your OK · Moves to the Trash first · macOS 14+
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- Homebrew
- Typical data size
- 1 GB – 20 GB
- Category
- Developer Tools
- File Location
~/Library/Caches/Homebrew
What you lose and what you keep if you delete Homebrew
Specific to Homebrew
The app is free and open source, so no license is lost and nothing needs deactivating. What does go, once the prefix and related folders are removed, is everything installed through it: formulae, casks, and the data of services such as PostgreSQL or MySQL, which lives inside the prefix. Downloads and build logs in the cache and log folders are rebuilt automatically, so losing them costs you nothing permanent. Your own documents elsewhere are untouched, and the folders stay until removed separately, so deleting the app alone does not wipe them.
Where your Homebrew data lives
These folders hold your own Homebrew data. Deleting the app leaves them in place; removing them is what actually deletes it.
- License
- Homebrew is free and open source.
- Your files
- Data of services installed with Homebrew, such as PostgreSQL or MySQL databases, lives in var inside the Homebrew prefix (/opt/homebrew or /usr/local) and is deleted with it.
What to do before deleting Homebrew
Record what you installed: brew bundle dump writes a Brewfile, and saving the output of brew list works too. Dump any databases you run through it, because their data sits inside the prefix and goes with it. Stop each service you use with brew services stop, which also deals with the launch agents it added. Then use the official uninstall script rather than deleting folders by hand.
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How to delete Homebrew completely
Quit Homebrew, move it to the Trash, then remove what it left in ~/Library/Caches/Homebrew. The full step-by-step guide:
Try it without risk
- Download and scan for freeSee every Homebrew file and its size. No account needed.
- Clean free for 7 daysStart the 7-day free trial of the yearly plan inside the app.
- Keep it or cancelCancel in your App Store settings at least 24 hours before the trial ends and you won't be charged.
After the free trial, Pro costs $39.99 per year in your country's App Store; cancel any time.