Install Terraform on Mac with Homebrew (brew install terraform 2026)

Quick Install (TL;DR)

brew tap hashicorp/tap
brew install hashicorp/tap/terraform
terraform --version

That's it — three commands and you're running Terraform 1.12+ on macOS. Read on for version pinning, multiple-version management, and troubleshooting.

Homebrew is the standard way to install Terraform on macOS. It handles installation, upgrades, and dependency management automatically. The hashicorp/tap is the official source maintained by HashiCorp, ensuring you always get the latest stable Terraform release.

Why not just brew install terraform? Since HashiCorp moved Terraform to the Business Source License, Homebrew no longer ships it from homebrew-core — you need HashiCorp's own tap, so brew tap hashicorp/tap followed by brew install hashicorp/tap/terraform is the correct command.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• macOS 13 Ventura or newer (Intel or Apple Silicon)
• Homebrew installed — if not, run:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

• Terminal access — use Terminal.app, iTerm2, or any shell

Verify Homebrew is working:

brew --version
# Homebrew 4.4.x (or newer)

Step 1: Add the HashiCorp Tap

HashiCorp maintains an official Homebrew tap with all their tools (Terraform, Vault, Packer, Consul, etc.):

brew tap hashicorp/tap

Expected output:

==> Tapping hashicorp/tap
Cloning into '/opt/homebrew/Library/Taps/hashicorp/homebrew-tap'...
Tapped 2 casks and 28 formulae (87 files, 1015.4KB).

Why use the official tap? The hashicorp/tap/terraform formula is maintained by HashiCorp and always has the latest release. The default terraform formula in homebrew-core may lag behind.

Step 2: Install Terraform

brew install hashicorp/tap/terraform

Output on Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4):

==> Fetching hashicorp/tap/terraform
==> Downloading https://releases.hashicorp.com/terraform/1.12.1/terraform_1.12.1_darwin_arm64.zip
==> Installing terraform from hashicorp/tap
🍺  /opt/homebrew/Cellar/terraform/1.12.1: 3 files, 92.1MB, built in 3 seconds

Step 3: Verify Installation

terraform --version

Terraform v1.12.1
on darwin_arm64

If you see the version number, Terraform is installed correctly.

Step 4: Enable Shell Autocomplete

Terraform supports tab-completion for commands and arguments:

terraform -install-autocomplete

Then restart your shell (or run source ~/.zshrc). Now you can type terraform pl + Tab → terraform plan.

Upgrading Terraform

Upgrade to Latest Version

brew upgrade hashicorp/tap/terraform

Check for Available Updates

brew outdated hashicorp/tap/terraform

Pin a Specific Version (Prevent Auto-Upgrade)

If your team requires a specific version:

brew pin hashicorp/tap/terraform

To unpin later:

brew unpin hashicorp/tap/terraform

Managing Multiple Terraform Versions with tfenv

Many teams run different Terraform versions per project. tfenv is a version manager (like nvm for Node.js):

Install tfenv

brew install tfenv

Important: If you already have Terraform installed via Homebrew, unlink it first:

brew unlink terraform

Use a Specific Version

tfenv install 1.12.1
tfenv install 1.9.8
tfenv use 1.12.1

Auto-Switch Per Project

Create a .terraform-version file in your project root:

echo "1.12.1" > .terraform-version

tfenv automatically switches when you cd into the directory.

List Installed Versions

tfenv list

* 1.12.1 (set by /Users/luca/.terraform-version)
  1.9.8

Alternative Install Methods

Method 1: Direct Binary Download

If you prefer not to use Homebrew:

curl -LO https://releases.hashicorp.com/terraform/1.12.1/terraform_1.12.1_darwin_arm64.zip
unzip terraform_1.12.1_darwin_arm64.zip
sudo mv terraform /usr/local/bin/
terraform --version

Method 2: Using asdf Version Manager

brew install asdf
asdf plugin add terraform
asdf install terraform 1.12.1
asdf global terraform 1.12.1

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Error: "terraform: command not found"

Your shell can't find the binary. Fix:

# Check where Homebrew installed it
brew --prefix hashicorp/tap/terraform
 
# Add to PATH if needed (for Apple Silicon)
echo 'export PATH="/opt/homebrew/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

Error: "Cannot install terraform because conflicting formulae are installed"

You have both the core formula and the HashiCorp tap:

brew uninstall terraform
brew install hashicorp/tap/terraform

Error: "terraform: already installed" (But Wrong Version)

brew unlink terraform
brew link hashicorp/tap/terraform

Permission Denied Errors

sudo chown -R $(whoami) /opt/homebrew
brew install hashicorp/tap/terraform

Apple Silicon: "Bad CPU type in executable"

You're running an Intel binary on ARM. Reinstall:

brew uninstall hashicorp/tap/terraform
brew install hashicorp/tap/terraform

Homebrew will fetch the correct darwin_arm64 build.

Verify Your Setup Works

Create a quick test to confirm everything is operational:

mkdir ~/terraform-test && cd ~/terraform-test
 
cat > main.tf << 'EOF'
terraform {
  required_version = ">= 1.9"
}
 
output "hello" {
  value = "Terraform is working on macOS!"
}
EOF
 
terraform init
terraform apply -auto-approve

Expected output:

Apply complete! Resources: 0 added, 0 changed, 0 destroyed.
 
Outputs:
 
hello = "Terraform is working on macOS!"

Clean up:

cd ~ && rm -rf ~/terraform-test

Uninstalling Terraform

If you need to remove Terraform:

brew uninstall hashicorp/tap/terraform
brew untap hashicorp/tap  # Optional: remove the tap entirely

Related Articles

• How to Install Terraform on Any OS (full guide)
• Install Terraform on Ubuntu 24.04
• Manage Terraform Versions with tfenv
• Terraform Commands Overview
• Getting Started with Terraform on AWS

Frequently asked questions

How do I install Terraform on Mac with Homebrew?

Run brew tap hashicorp/tap then brew install hashicorp/tap/terraform. Confirm it worked with terraform --version. Homebrew installs the latest stable Terraform and keeps it updated through brew upgrade.

How do I update Terraform on macOS?

Run brew upgrade hashicorp/tap/terraform. To check your current version first, run terraform --version. HashiCorp releases updates frequently, so upgrading periodically is recommended.

Does Terraform work on Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3)?

Yes. Homebrew installs the native darwin_arm64 build automatically on Apple Silicon Macs, and the same brew install hashicorp/tap/terraform command works on both Intel and Apple Silicon.

How do I install a specific Terraform version on macOS?

Use tfenv: brew install tfenv, then tfenv install 1.12.0 and tfenv use 1.12.0. tfenv lets you switch between versions per project with a .terraform-version file.

Hands-On Courses

Learn by doing with interactive courses on CopyPasteLearn:

• Terraform for Beginners course on CopyPasteLearn

Conclusion

Installing Terraform on macOS with Homebrew takes under a minute. For team environments, use tfenv to manage multiple versions and add a .terraform-version file to each project. Keep your installation updated with brew upgrade hashicorp/tap/terraform — HashiCorp releases new versions frequently with bug fixes and new provider features.