Homebrew - Difference between brew and brew cask

Homebrew has two commands that install software, and the difference is simple.

brew

brew install is for command-line tools and libraries. Things like git, wget, node, or python. These are formulae — packages that compile or download into Homebrew's own directory.

brew install git

brew cask

brew cask install (or brew install --cask in newer versions) is for graphical macOS applications — the kind you would normally drag into your Applications folder. Things like Firefox, VLC, or 1Password.

brew install --cask firefox

Why the separation?

Regular Homebrew formulae are typically open-source tools built from source or downloaded as binaries. Casks handle the full .app bundles, .pkg installers, and .dmg files that macOS applications ship as. They live in different places on your Mac and are managed differently under the hood.

In practice, you use both. brew for your terminal tools, brew install --cask for your apps.

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