Apps
Homebrew Cache
Homebrew stores downloaded bottle tarballs, source archives, package metadata, and temporary fetch artifacts in its cache so installs, upgrades, and rebuilds do not need to download the same files every time. It also writes per-formula build and fetch logs that capture compiler output, download failures, and dependency checks during installs from source. Kudu removes these cached bottles, source archives, temporary download data, and Homebrew log files without touching installed formulae, casks, taps, accounts, or shell configuration.
Why clean Homebrew Cache?
- Old bottle tarballs and source archives accumulate after repeated upgrades, and the most obvious symptom is tens of gigabytes disappearing into the Homebrew cache even though the older versions are no longer installed
- Interrupted or partial downloads can leave behind damaged archives, which shows up as checksum mismatches, tar extraction errors, or repeated fetch failures until the bad cached file is removed
- Cached bottles built for an older dependency set can force Homebrew to re-fetch or fall back to rebuilding, so you may see installs unexpectedly restart downloads or spend much longer compiling from source
- Stale temporary fetch artifacts can make a formula appear to be already downloaded when the archive is unusable, leading to install loops where Homebrew keeps failing on the same package
- Build and fetch logs from repeated source installs grow over time, and users usually notice this as large Homebrew log folders consuming disk space after failed compiles or verbose diagnostic runs
- After cleaning, Homebrew fetches fresh package archives and metadata, which often resolves confusing repeat failures where the same formula breaks immediately on every retry with the same cached input
What gets cleaned
Cache paths Kudu targets
macOS
~/Library/Caches/Homebrew |
~/Library/Logs/Homebrew |
Linux
~/.cache/Homebrew |
Frequently asked
Common questions about Homebrew Cache
Related cleaners
Free & open source
Download Kudu and reclaim your disk space.
Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. No account required, no feature gates, no telemetry without consent. All cleaning targets are open source and community-auditable.