Install on macOS

Homebrew installs the server package, while the service command starts it. Use the official instructions for the version supported by your Mac.

In this tutorial, you will learn how to install MongoDB on macOS using Homebrew, a popular package manager for Mac. By the end of this lesson, you'll have MongoDB running on your machine and ready to accept connections.

What is Homebrew?

Homebrew is a command-line tool that helps you install software packages easily on macOS. It’s like an App Store for your terminal.

Step 1: Check if Homebrew is Installed

First, open your Terminal and type:

    brew --version

    Homebrew 4.1.10

If you don’t have Homebrew installed, use the following command to install it:

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

Q: Why use Homebrew instead of downloading MongoDB manually?

A: Homebrew handles dependencies, updates, and setup automatically. It's quicker and more reliable than doing everything manually.

Step 2: Tap the MongoDB Homebrew Formula

MongoDB’s official tap (package source) must be added before installation:

    brew tap mongodb/brew

Explanation: This tells Homebrew to use MongoDB’s official source for the latest formula (install recipe).

Step 3: Install MongoDB Community Edition

Now install MongoDB with:

    brew install mongodb-community@7.0

    🍺  mongodb-community@7.0 was successfully installed!

Note: Replace 7.0 with the latest stable version if needed.

Step 4: Start the MongoDB Service

You can start the MongoDB server using the following command:

    brew services start mongodb/brew/mongodb-community

    Successfully started `mongodb-community` (label: homebrew.mxcl.mongodb-community)

Q: What does this command do?

A: It tells macOS to run MongoDB as a background service, so you don’t have to start it manually every time.

Step 5: Verify MongoDB is Running

Use the following command to open the MongoDB shell:

    mongosh

    Current Mongosh Log ID: 661ffd8e4e2ff7d1723fcd65
    Connecting to: mongodb://127.0.0.1:27017
    test>

Explanation: You're now connected to the test database by default. You can start running MongoDB commands!

Step 6: Insert Your First Document

Let’s run a simple insert command to confirm everything is working:

    db.users.insertOne({ name: "Alice", age: 25 });

    {
      acknowledged: true,
      insertedId: ObjectId("...")
    }

Explanation: You just created a document inside a collection named users. MongoDB automatically creates the collection if it doesn't exist.

Stopping MongoDB (Optional)

To stop the MongoDB service:

    brew services stop mongodb/brew/mongodb-community

    Stopping `mongodb-community`... (might take a while)
    ==> Successfully stopped `mongodb-community` (label: homebrew.mxcl.mongodb-community)

Package versions and supported operating systems change. Check the official installation instructions for your platform before using a version-specific command below.

Homebrew installs the server package, while the service command starts it. Use the official instructions for the version supported by your Mac.

Summary

• You installed MongoDB using Homebrew
• You started MongoDB as a background service
• You verified installation using the shell
• You inserted a sample document into a collection

You're now ready to build MongoDB-based applications on your Mac! Next, we’ll explore MongoDB Compass — a GUI to visualize and work with your database easily.

• Understand databases, collections and documents