Why does my Mac say command not found python?

Modern macOS ships only a `python3` command, never a bare `python`. Apple removed the Python 2 `python` executable in macOS 12.3 (2022), and nothing else puts a `python` on your PATH by default. Typing `python` finds no matching executable, so zsh reports `command not found: python`. Run `python3` instead, or install uv to get a managed `python` command.

Should I use python or python3 on Mac?

For a quick check, use `python3`, since that is the only command macOS provides. For real project work, install uv and run Python through `uv run`, which uses the interpreter your project pins rather than whichever `python3` happens to be first on PATH. Relying on a bare `python` is fragile because the version behind it changes from machine to machine.

How do I get a python command on Mac?

Install uv, then run `uv python install --default 3.13`. That writes both `python` and `python3` executables into `~/.local/bin`. Once that directory is on your PATH, typing `python` runs the uv-managed interpreter. For project work you can skip this and use `uv run python` instead, which needs no PATH changes.

How to Fix "zsh: command not found: python" on macOS

by Tim Hopper · Markdown

uv Virtual Environments

You typed python in Terminal and macOS answered:

zsh: command not found: python

Nothing is broken. Modern macOS ships a python3 command but no bare python, and unless a tool has put one on your PATH, there is nothing for zsh to run.

Confirm what Python you have

macOS provides python3, so check that first:

$ python3 --version
Python 3.14.5

If python3 prints a version but python does not, the interpreter is fine. Only the short name is missing:

$ which python3
/opt/homebrew/bin/python3
$ which python
python not found

Why does macOS have no `python` command?

Apple removed the Python 2 python executable in macOS 12.3 (2022) and never replaced it with a Python 3 one. The system now ships python3 alone, and Homebrew, pyenv, and the python.org installers all follow the same convention. A plain python appears only when you deliberately create one. See what a Python interpreter is for how these executables get onto your PATH.

A version manager can also be the cause: if its shims or PATH setup aren’t loaded in your current shell, python disappears until you open a new terminal or re-source your shell profile.

Run python3 for a one-off check

For a quick script or REPL, use the command macOS gives you:

$ python3 -c "print('hello')"
hello

Every place a tutorial says python, substitute python3 and it works.

Install uv for real project work

Depending on python3 from the operating system is fine for a one-liner but poor for a project. The version is chosen by Apple, you can’t switch it, and packages you install leak across every project. uv fixes all three by managing its own interpreters. Install it with the standalone installer:

curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

See how to install uv on macOS for Homebrew and pip alternatives.

Then install a Python version:

$ uv python install 3.13

You don’t need a python command at all to use it. uv run launches the right interpreter for your project:

$ uv run python --version
Python 3.13.13

Get a real `python` command with uv

If you want typing python to work, pass --default when installing:

$ uv python install --default 3.13
Installed Python 3.13.13 in 63ms
 + cpython-3.13.13-macos-aarch64-none (python, python3)

That writes both python and python3 into ~/.local/bin. Confirm the directory is on your PATH:

$ echo $PATH | tr ':' '\n' | grep .local/bin

If nothing prints, add it for zsh (the default macOS shell) and reload:

echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

Now python resolves to the uv-managed interpreter:

$ python --version
Python 3.13.13

Note

The --default flag is experimental and prints a warning, but the versioned python3.13 executable it also installs is stable. See how to add Python to your system PATH with uv for the full PATH setup.

Why a bare `python` is fragile

A python command hides which interpreter runs behind it. On one machine it might be a uv install, on another a Homebrew Python, on a third nothing at all, which is the error that brought you here. That ambiguity is the reason to prefer uv run python, which always uses the version your project pins, and to avoid leaning on the system Python for project work.

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Last updated on July 11, 2026

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