Switched to Mac for Coding? Here's What to Install First (2026 Guide)

I switched from Windows to Mac for development last year, and I wish someone had given me this list on day one. Not the "install Homebrew" basics — the stuff that actually makes Mac development feel fast . Here's everything I installed in the first week that I'm still using daily. The Terminal Setup Homebrew This is step zero. Mac's package manager. Install it first, use it for everything else. /bin/bash -c " $( curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh ) " iTerm2 or Warp The built-in Terminal.app is fine, but iTerm2 gives you split panes, hotkey windows, and better search. Warp is newer and has AI built in. I use iTerm2 out of habit. Oh My Zsh Mac uses zsh by default now, and Oh My Zsh makes it 10x better with themes, plugins, and auto-suggestions. sh -c " $( curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh ) " The Code Editor VS Code or Cursor VS Code is the standard. Cursor is VS Code with AI built deeper into t