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CLI Open source 29,044 installs/mo

harfbuzz for Mac

OpenType text shaping engine

Quick answer: harfbuzz is a command-line tool for macOS. Install it with brew install harfbuzz. It is distributed under the MIT licence. It has 29,044 Homebrew installs in the last 30 days.

What harfbuzz is

harfbuzz is a command-line tool for macOS: openType text shaping engine.

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/harfbuzz/harfbuzz.

How to install harfbuzz

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

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 harfbuzz on Mac?

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

Is harfbuzz open source?

Yes — Homebrew distributes it under the MIT licence.

Does harfbuzz 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 harfbuzz?

It was installed 29,044 times in the last 30 days according to Homebrew analytics, ranking #67 in this catalogue.

What version of harfbuzz is current?

The latest packaged version is 15.0.0.