miniforge ☆

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Description:
Minimal installer for conda specific to conda-forge

Type: Cask | Latest Version: 26.1.0-0@0 | Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: Developer tools

Tags: python conda package-manager data-science development

Install: brew install --cask miniforge

About:
Miniforge is a minimal installer for the conda package manager, pre-configured to use the community-driven conda-forge channel. It provides a lightweight alternative to the full Anaconda distribution, allowing users to quickly set up a Python environment focused on open-source packages. This approach reduces installation size and avoids the commercial licensing associated with Anaconda's default repository.

Key Features:

Minimal installation footprint compared to Anaconda
Pre-configured for conda-forge channels
Fast and reliable package management
Cross-platform support (macOS, Linux, Windows)

Use Cases:

Setting up lightweight Python data science environments
CI/CD pipelines requiring fast conda installation
Managing isolated project dependencies without commercial restrictions

Alternatives:

Anaconda – Anaconda includes a larger suite of pre-installed packages and commercial tools, whereas Miniforge is minimal and community-focused.
Mambaforge – Mambaforge includes the mamba fast solver by default; Miniforge focuses on a minimal base but supports installing mamba.

Version History

Detected	Version	Rev	Change	Commit
Feb 9, 2026 10:18pm	26.1.0-0	0	VERSION_BUMP	16da864d
Aug 2, 2025 3:49pm	25.3.1-0	0	VERSION_BUMP	fae2cef7