How to install PostgreSQL on macOS

PostgreSQL is a powerful open-source relational database. On macOS, the easiest way to install it is with Homebrew.

Prerequisites

Make sure Homebrew is installed on your Mac. You can check it with:

brew --version

If Homebrew is not installed, install it with:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Install PostgreSQL

Update Homebrew first:

brew update

Then install PostgreSQL:

brew install postgresql

Start PostgreSQL

After installation, start the PostgreSQL service:

brew services start postgresql

If you want to stop it later, run:

brew services stop postgresql

Verify the installation

Check the installed version:

psql --version

You can also connect to PostgreSQL from the terminal:

psql postgres

If everything is working, you will enter the PostgreSQL shell.

Create a database

Create a new database with:

createdb myapp

Then connect to it:

psql myapp

Useful PostgreSQL commands

Inside the PostgreSQL shell, these commands are helpful:

\l

List all databases.

\c myapp

Connect to a database.

\dt

List tables in the current database.

\q

Quit PostgreSQL shell.

Uninstall PostgreSQL

If you need to remove PostgreSQL later:

brew services stop postgresql
brew uninstall postgresql

Using Homebrew makes PostgreSQL installation and management simple on macOS. Once installed, you can start building apps, creating databases, and running queries locally.