YKYH Picks
☰ Menu
Home›Command-Line Tools›samtools
CLI Open source 244 installs/mo

samtools for Mac

Tools for manipulating next-generation sequencing data

Quick answer: samtools is a command-line tool for macOS. Install it with brew install samtools. It is distributed under the MIT licence. It has 244 Homebrew installs in the last 30 days.

What samtools is

samtools is a command-line tool for macOS: tools for manipulating next-generation sequencing data.

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

How to install samtools

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

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.

Similar apps in Command-Line Tools

Closest apps in the same category, ordered by description similarity and install base. These are related tools, not confirmed substitutes; the comparison pages cover hand-picked head-to-head matchups.

ntopngNext generation version of the original ntopCLIOpen source236/mosuiNext-generation smart contract platform powered by the Move programming languageCLIOpen source241/mopdalPoint data abstraction libraryCLIOpen source247/mojanssonC library for encoding, decoding, and manipulating JSONCLIOpen source263/moafsctoolUtility for manipulating APFS and ZFS compressed filesCLIOpen source226/morollupNext-generation ES module bundlerCLIOpen source206/mo

Frequently asked questions

How do I install samtools on Mac?

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

Is samtools open source?

Yes — Homebrew distributes it under the MIT licence.

Does samtools 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 samtools?

It was installed 244 times in the last 30 days according to Homebrew analytics, ranking #2264 in this catalogue.

What version of samtools is current?

The latest packaged version is 1.24.