How to install kubectl on MacOS

kubectl is the primary command-line tool for managing Kubernetes clusters. On macOS, installation is fast and straightforward — especially with Homebrew.

Step 1: Check for Homebrew

Homebrew is the easiest way to install kubectl.
Verify it's installed:

brew -v

If it’s missing, install it:

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

Update Homebrew:

brew update

Step 2: Install kubectl via Homebrew (Recommended)

Install the latest stable Kubernetes CLI:

brew install kubectl

Check the version:

kubectl version --client

You should see something like:

Client Version: v1.30.x

Step 3: Install kubectl via curl (Alternative Method)

If you don’t want to use Homebrew:

curl -LO "https://dl.k8s.io/release/$(curl -s https://dl.k8s.io/release/stable.txt)/bin/darwin/amd64/kubectl"

Make it executable:

chmod +x kubectl

Move it into your PATH:

sudo mv kubectl /usr/local/bin/

Verify:

kubectl version --client

For Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3):

curl -LO "https://dl.k8s.io/release/$(curl -s https://dl.k8s.io/release/stable.txt)/bin/darwin/arm64/kubectl"

Step 4: Enable Auto-Completion (Optional)

For Bash:

echo "source <(kubectl completion bash)" >> ~/.bash_profile
source ~/.bash_profile

For Zsh:

echo "source <(kubectl completion zsh)" >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

Step 5: Test kubectl (Optional)

If you already have a Kubernetes cluster configured:

kubectl get nodes

If nodes appear, your CLI is fully working.