YKYH Picks
☰ Menu
Home›Command-Line Tools›the_silver_searcher
CLI Open source 602 installs/mo

the_silver_searcher for Mac

Code-search similar to ack

Quick answer: the_silver_searcher is a command-line tool for macOS. Install it with brew install the_silver_searcher. It is distributed under the Apache-2.0 licence. It has 602 Homebrew installs in the last 30 days.

What the_silver_searcher is

the_silver_searcher is a command-line tool for macOS: code-search similar to ack.

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

How to install the_silver_searcher

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

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.

ackSearch tool like grep, but optimized for programmersCLIOpen source614/momockeryMock code autogenerator for GolangCLIOpen source540/moopen-code-reviewAI-powered code review tool with deterministic pipelines and an LLM agentCLIOpen source696/motgrepTrigram-indexed grep for fast regex search in large codebasesCLIOpen source510/moflake8Lint your Python code for style and logical errorsCLIOpen source448/mocc-switch-cliAll-in-one assistant tool for Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, OpenCode and OpenClawCLIOpen source446/mo

Frequently asked questions

How do I install the_silver_searcher on Mac?

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

Is the_silver_searcher open source?

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

Does the_silver_searcher 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 the_silver_searcher?

It was installed 602 times in the last 30 days according to Homebrew analytics, ranking #1391 in this catalogue.

What version of the_silver_searcher is current?

The latest packaged version is 2.2.0.