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CLI Open source 1,089 installs/mo Trending 1.94×

tcpdump for Mac

Command-line packet analyzer

Quick answer: tcpdump is a command-line tool for macOS. Install it with brew install tcpdump. It is distributed under the BSD-3-Clause licence. It has 1,089 Homebrew installs in the last 30 days.

What tcpdump is

tcpdump is a command-line tool for macOS: command-line packet analyzer.

It is distributed as a Homebrew formula, which builds or pours a binary and puts it on your PATH. It is distributed under the BSD-3-Clause licence.

How to install tcpdump

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

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 tcpdump on Mac?

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

Is tcpdump open source?

Yes — Homebrew distributes it under the BSD-3-Clause licence.

Does tcpdump 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 tcpdump?

It was installed 1,089 times in the last 30 days according to Homebrew analytics, ranking #988 in this catalogue.

What version of tcpdump is current?

The latest packaged version is 4.99.7.