Install kubectl on macOS (Step-by-Step 2026)

Here is how to install kubectl on macOS in 2026. Tested and verified.

Method 1: Homebrew (Recommended)

brew install kubectl

Method 2: Direct Download

# Intel Mac
curl -LO "https://dl.k8s.io/release/$(curl -L -s https://dl.k8s.io/release/stable.txt)/bin/darwin/amd64/kubectl"

# Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4)
curl -LO "https://dl.k8s.io/release/$(curl -L -s https://dl.k8s.io/release/stable.txt)/bin/darwin/arm64/kubectl"

chmod +x kubectl
sudo mv kubectl /usr/local/bin/

Verify

kubectl version --client

Enable Shell Completion

# Zsh (default on macOS)
echo 'source <(kubectl completion zsh)' >> ~/.zshrc
echo 'alias k=kubectl' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

Related Resources

• Kubernetes Cheat Sheet
• Install Helm on macOS
• Install kubectl on Ubuntu