MacTeX is 5 GB or more, and every yearly update installs beside the last
Each MacTeX release installs a complete new TeX Live and leaves the old year in place. How to see how many you have, and remove the old ones safely.
MacTeX installs a complete TeX distribution, and a full install is several GB. The part people miss: each year's MacTeX goes into its own folder, and the installer does not remove last year's. After a few years, you may have three or four complete copies.
ls /usr/local/texlive/
du -sh /usr/local/texlive/* 2>/dev/nullFolders named by year, 2023, 2024, 2025, are full distributions. texmf-local holds your own additions.
Which one is in use
which pdflatex
readlink /Library/TeX/texbinThe link shows which year your system uses. Older years are not used unless you set them up yourself.
Removing old years
# Replace 2023 with each old year you want to remove
sudo rm -rf /usr/local/texlive/2023This deletes directly rather than to the Trash, so check the year first. Leave texmf-local and the current year alone.
A smaller install
| Option | Approximate size |
|---|---|
| MacTeX, full | About 5 to 8 GB |
| BasicTeX | About 300 MB, add packages as needed |
| Online editor | Nothing locally |
With BasicTeX, missing packages are installed with sudo tlmgr install packagename. The MacTeX installer also puts GUI apps in /Applications/TeX, which can be removed if you use another editor.
For other academic tools: Mac storage for academics.
Common questions
How big is MacTeX?
A full install is several GB, typically 5 to 8 GB. BasicTeX is around 300 MB.
Can I delete old TeX Live versions on a Mac?
Yes. Each year installs in its own folder in /usr/local/texlive. Check which one /Library/TeX/texbin points to, then remove older years.
Does updating MacTeX remove the old version?
No. The new year installs beside the old one, so old versions stay until you remove them.