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libffi for Mac

Portable Foreign Function Interface library

Quick answer: libffi is a command-line tool for macOS. Install it with brew install libffi. It is distributed under the MIT licence. It has 4,086 Homebrew installs in the last 30 days.

What libffi is

libffi is a command-line tool for macOS: portable Foreign Function Interface library.

It is distributed as a Homebrew formula, which builds or pours a binary and puts it on your PATH. It is distributed under the MIT licence.

How to install libffi

  1. Open Terminal (press ⌘ + Space and type “Terminal”).
  2. If Homebrew is not installed yet, run the installer below once.
  3. Run brew install libffi.

Homebrew installer, if you need it:

Prefer a graphical installer? Download it from the official site. MacPicks never hosts or mirrors binaries — the Homebrew command always pulls from the vendor's own release.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I install libffi on Mac?

Run brew install libffi in Terminal. This requires Homebrew; if you do not have it, install it first with the command below.

Is libffi open source?

Yes — Homebrew distributes it under the MIT licence.

Does libffi run on Apple silicon?

Homebrew publishes this formula for macOS. If upstream does not ship an Apple silicon build, Rosetta 2 handles the Intel binary.

How popular is libffi?

It was installed 4,086 times in the last 30 days according to Homebrew analytics, ranking #391 in this catalogue.

What version of libffi is current?

The latest packaged version is 3.8.0.