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CLI Open source 16,274 installs/mo

watchman for Mac

Watch files and take action when they change

Quick answer: watchman is a command-line tool for macOS. Install it with brew install watchman. It is distributed under the MIT licence. It has 16,274 Homebrew installs in the last 30 days.

What watchman is

watchman is a command-line tool for macOS: watch files and take action when they change.

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 watchman

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

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.

sccacheUsed as a compiler wrapper and avoids compilation when possibleCLIOpen source5,504/mowatchexecExecute commands when watched files changeCLIOpen source2,388/momoreutilsCollection of tools that nobody wrote when UNIX was youngCLIOpen source2,242/moentrRun arbitrary commands when files changeCLIOpen source1,565/moswitchaudio-osxChange macOS audio source from the command-lineCLIOpen source1,482/moviddyModern watch commandCLIOpen source403/mo

Frequently asked questions

How do I install watchman on Mac?

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

Is watchman open source?

Yes — Homebrew distributes it under the MIT licence.

Does watchman 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 watchman?

It was installed 16,274 times in the last 30 days according to Homebrew analytics, ranking #128 in this catalogue.

What version of watchman is current?

The latest packaged version is 2026.10.19.00.