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CLI Open source 18,366 installs/mo Trending 1.6×

powershell for Mac

Command-line shell and scripting language

Quick answer: powershell is a terminal emulator for macOS. Install it with brew install powershell. It is distributed under the MIT licence. It has 18,366 Homebrew installs in the last 30 days.

What powershell is

powershell is a terminal emulator for macOS: command-line shell and scripting language.

It is distributed as a Homebrew formula, which builds or pours a binary and puts it on your PATH. The project is open source and lives at https://github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell.

How to install powershell

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

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 powershell on Mac?

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

Is powershell open source?

Yes — Homebrew distributes it under the MIT licence.

Does powershell 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 powershell?

It was installed 18,366 times in the last 30 days according to Homebrew analytics, ranking #113 in this catalogue.

What version of powershell is current?

The latest packaged version is 7.6.9.