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CLI Open source 603 installs/mo

netcat for Mac

Utility for managing network connections

Quick answer: netcat is a networking tool for macOS. Install it with brew install netcat. It is distributed under the GPL-2.0-or-later licence. It has 603 Homebrew installs in the last 30 days.

What netcat is

netcat is a networking tool for macOS: utility for managing network connections.

It is distributed as a Homebrew formula, which builds or pours a binary and puts it on your PATH. It is distributed under the GPL-2.0-or-later licence.

How to install netcat

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

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 netcat on Mac?

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

Is netcat open source?

Yes — Homebrew distributes it under the GPL-2.0-or-later licence.

Does netcat 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 netcat?

It was installed 603 times in the last 30 days according to Homebrew analytics, ranking #1387 in this catalogue.

What version of netcat is current?

The latest packaged version is 0.7.1.