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CLI Open source 16,474 installs/mo

bat for Mac

Clone of cat(1) with syntax highlighting and Git integration

Quick answer: bat is a developer tool for macOS. Install it with brew install bat. It is distributed under the Apache-2.0 OR MIT licence. It has 16,474 Homebrew installs in the last 30 days.

What bat is

bat is a developer tool for macOS: clone of cat(1) with syntax highlighting and Git integration.

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/sharkdp/bat.

How to install bat

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

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 bat on Mac?

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

Is bat open source?

Yes — Homebrew distributes it under the Apache-2.0 OR MIT licence.

Does bat 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 bat?

It was installed 16,474 times in the last 30 days according to Homebrew analytics, ranking #124 in this catalogue.

What version of bat is current?

The latest packaged version is 0.26.1.