How to Install Python on Mac (macOS) in 2026

You can install Python on Mac OS X (now macOS) in a few minutes: download the macOS installer from python.org, run it, then type python3 --version in Terminal. Homebrew users can do it in one command instead:

brew install python@3.14
python3 --version

As of October 2026, python.org lists Python 3.14.8 as the latest release, and Homebrew’s python@3.14 formula is on the same version. The screenshots are real captures of both pages.

I’ll walk through the python.org installer, Homebrew, and uv, then cover pip, virtual environments, and the PATH problems people hit most often on a Mac.

Does macOS come with Python?

Not really. Old versions of Mac OS X shipped Python 2, which Apple removed in macOS 12.3. Today, typing python3 on a fresh Mac usually offers to install Apple’s Command Line Tools, which include a Python 3 meant for Apple’s own tools.

That copy works, but it’s often behind the latest release and you don’t control updates. For your own projects, install a current Python with one of the methods below.

which python3        # where the python3 command comes from
python3 --version    # which version it is

Method 1: Install Python on Mac from python.org

This is the official route and the one I’d suggest for beginners. The installer is a universal package, so it runs natively on both Apple silicon (M1 to M4) and Intel Macs:

1. Open python.org/downloads/macos and download the macOS installer for the newest stable release (a .pkg file).
2. Double-click the package and click through the installer. It installs into /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework and adds a Python folder to Applications.
3. In Applications > Python 3.14, double-click Install Certificates.command. This lets Python make HTTPS connections, so pip and Requests work.
4. Open a new Terminal window and check the version.

python3 --version
# Python 3.14.8

python3 -m pip --version

If the version still shows the old Python, run Update Shell Profile.command from the same folder, then open a new Terminal window.

Method 2: Install Python with Homebrew

If you already use Homebrew, it’s the quickest way to install Python and keep it updated. Install Homebrew from brew.sh first if you don’t have it:

brew install python@3.14
brew upgrade python@3.14      # later, to update

python3 --version

Homebrew links python3 and pip3 into /opt/homebrew/bin on Apple silicon (or /usr/local/bin on Intel). Want several versions side by side? Install python@3.13 too.

Method 3: Install Python on macOS with uv

uv is a fast Python and package manager from Astral. It downloads standalone Python builds without touching the system, which makes switching versions painless:

curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
uv python install 3.14
uv run --python 3.14 python --version

uv also creates virtual environments and installs packages far faster than pip. It’s my default on new machines now. I use the same idea on Windows in installing multiple Python versions.

Installing packages with pip on a Mac

Always run pip through the Python you mean: python3 -m pip. With Homebrew’s Python, a plain pip install into the main interpreter stops with an externally-managed-environment error on purpose.

The fix is a virtual environment for each project. It keeps packages separate and avoids that error entirely:

mkdir ~/Projects/weather && cd ~/Projects/weather
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
python -m pip install requests
deactivate

Inside the activated environment, python and pip point at the venv. More on this in Python virtual environments and pip install a specific version.

Fixing python command not found on Mac

What you see	Why	Fix
zsh: command not found: python	macOS has no python command, only python3	Use python3, or activate a venv
Old version after installing	Terminal was open during the install	Open a new Terminal window, or run Update Shell Profile.command
CERTIFICATE_VERIFY_FAILED	Certificates not installed (python.org build)	Run Install Certificates.command
externally-managed-environment	pip into Homebrew’s Python	Create a venv first
ModuleNotFoundError	Package went into another Python	Use python3 -m pip install

That last one has its own guide: ModuleNotFoundError after pip install. Once Python works, here’s how to run a Python script.

Which way should you install Python on a Mac?

Method	Good for	Updates
python.org installer	Beginners, IDLE, one main version	Download the new installer
Homebrew	Developers who already use brew	brew upgrade
uv	Several versions, fast project setup	uv python install
Apple’s Command Line Tools	Apple’s own tools, not your projects	Software Update

Python’s set up? These are good next reads:

• Environment variables in Python
• Python for loop
• PyCharm vs VS Code for Python
• Python libraries for web scraping

Frequently asked questions