How to uninstall CMake on a Mac, from Homebrew or the CMake app
CMake can be on your Mac twice: Homebrew's and the CMake.app with its command links. How to tell which you have, remove both, and find build folders.
How do I uninstall CMake on a Mac?
which -a cmake
# Homebrew
brew uninstall cmake
# CMake.app from cmake.org: Trash the app, then its command links
ls -l /usr/local/bin | grep CMake.appIf you chose "Install command line tools" in CMake.app, it put links such as cmake, ctest and cpack in /usr/local/bin pointing into the app. Trash the app and those links point at nothing. Remove each one listed by the last command with sudo rm.
What does CMake take?
| Item | Size here | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Homebrew cmake 4.3.2 | 74 MB | Program, modules, docs, editor support |
| CMake.app | not installed here | Similar size, in Applications |
| Build folders in your projects | varies, often the biggest part | build, cmake-build-debug and the like |
On our Mac brew uses --installed cmake was empty, so nothing else needed it. If a formula does depend on CMake, Homebrew refuses and names it.
What about the build folders?
CMake builds outside your source, usually into a build folder in each project. Uninstalling CMake leaves every one. See CMake build folders taking up space for finding them all at once.
Find what is left in one look
Free Mac's Dev tab finds build output across your projects and its Storage map shows Homebrew's packages by size. What you pick goes to the Trash. See also Homebrew packages taking up space.
Related: uninstall pnpm and uninstall Yarn.
Common questions
How do I check if CMake is installed on a Mac?
Run which -a cmake in Terminal. It lists every copy on your PATH, Homebrew's and the app's.
Does uninstalling CMake delete my build folders?
No. Build folders live in your projects and stay until you delete them.
How big is CMake on a Mac?
74 MB for Homebrew's CMake 4.3.2 on our Mac.