---
id: mac-storage-basics.how-do-i-clean-up-homebrew
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/how-do-i-clean-up-homebrew
category: "Mac storage basics"
subcategory: "Developer tools"
question: "How do I free up space used by Homebrew?"
alt_questions:
  - "brew cleanup"
  - "homebrew cache size"
  - "homebrew taking space mac"
  - "remove old brew versions"
  - "brew autoremove"
short_answer: "Run brew cleanup to remove old versions and downloads, brew autoremove for unneeded dependencies, and uninstall tools you no longer use."
tags: ["homebrew", "developer", "cleanup"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/how-do-i-clean-npm-yarn-and-pip-caches"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# How do I free up space used by Homebrew?

Homebrew keeps old versions and downloaded files. Run:

- `brew cleanup` — removes old versions and stale downloads.
- `brew autoremove` — removes dependencies nothing needs any more.
- `brew list` to review what's installed, then `brew uninstall` followed by a tool's name to remove ones you no longer use.

Homebrew also runs a periodic cleanup on its own, so a large cache usually means a lot of recent installs or upgrades.