Should I use homebrew to install Python?

No.

Homebrew’s Python installation serves a specific purpose - supporting other Homebrew-installed tools that depend on Python. Using it as your primary Python for development can lead to several problems.

When you run `brew upgrade`, Homebrew may update Python without warning. This can break your project environments and dependencies that expect a specific Python version.

Also, homebrew makes it difficult to install multiple Python versions, switch between versions, or pin specific versions for projects.

Homebrew’s Python installation primarily exists to run Homebrew’s own Python-based tools.

Better Alternatives

For development work, use dedicated Python tools that provide proper version management:

These tools offer:

• Explicit version management
• Project-specific Python versions
• Clean separation from system Python
• Better dependency isolation

Recommended Approach

1. Leave Homebrew’s Python alone - let it manage itself
2. Use uv or similar tools to install and manage Python versions for your projects
3. Always use virtual environments for project work
4. Keep development environments isolated from system and Homebrew Python installations

This separation ensures more reliable and maintainable Python development environments.