If you're a Python developer, you might find it useful to have multiple versions of Python installed on your MacBook. This allows you to test your code on different versions and ensure compatibility with older versions of Python. In this article, we'll explore how to install and use different Python versions on your MacBook and discuss the pros and cons of each method.

1. Using pyenv

1.1 Pros

Allows you to easily install and manage multiple versions of Python
Can switch between versions easily for different projects

1.2 Cons

Requires some setup and configuration
May encounter issues with some third-party packages that are not compatible with certain versions of Python

1.3 Installation Instruction

Ref: https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv#homebrew-in-macos

curl https://pyenv.run | bash



pyenv install 3.11.0  # to install python version 3.11.0

pyenv local 3.11.0  # for the current environment



pyenv global 3.11.0  # for all places

2. Using Homebrew

2.1 Pros

Easy to use and install
Can install other software packages in addition to Python

2.2 Cons

Can only install versions of Python that are available through Homebrew
May encounter compatibility issues with some third-party packages

2.3 Installation Instruction

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"



brew install [email protected]  # install python version 3.11



python3.11 myscript.py  # execute a script with a python version 3.11

3. Building from source

3.1 Pros

Provides complete control over the build process
Can optimize the build for your specific machine

3.2 Cons

Requires knowledge of the build process and dependencies
Can be time-consuming and error-prone

3.3 Installation Instruction

curl -O https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.11.0/Python-3.11.0.tgz

tar xzf Python-3.11.0.tgz

./configure

make

sudo make install

/usr/local/bin/python3.11 myscript.py  # execute a script using python 3.11

4. Using virtualenv

4.1 Pros

Allows you to create isolated environments for each project
Can easily switch between Python versions for each environment

4.2 Cons

Can be confusing for beginners to set up
May require additional configuration for some projects

4.3 Installation Instruction

pip3 install virtualenv  # install virtualenv

virtualenv -p /usr/bin/python3.11 myprojectenv  # create virtual environment named myprojectenv

source myprojectenv/bin/activate  # activate the environment 

pip install django  # install package Django

deactivate  # deactivate the environment

5. Using Anaconda

5.1 Pros

Provides a comprehensive set of tools for data science and machine learning
Can easily manage different Python versions and dependencies for each project

5.2 Cons

Can be heavy and take up a lot of disk space
May not be necessary for all projects

5.3 Installation Instruction

Ref: https://docs.anaconda.com/anaconda/install/mac-os/

Or you can follow this command

curl -O https://repo.anaconda.com/archive/Anaconda3-2021.05-MacOSX-x86_64.sh

bash Anaconda3-2021.05-MacOSX-x86_64.sh

conda create --name myproject python=3.11  # create the environment with python 3.11

conda activate myproject  # activate the environment 

conda deactivate  # deactivate the current environment

6. Conclusion

In conclusion, there are several ways to install and use different versions of Python on your MacBook. Each method has its own pros and cons, and it's up to you to decide which one is the best for your specific needs. Whether you choose to use Pyenv, Homebrew, Anaconda, Virtualenv or Build from source, having multiple Python versions at your disposal can be a valuable tool in your development toolkit.

IMO, Pyenv and Virtualenv are the best option, you might wanna consider this package pyenv-virtualenvwrapper

How to install and use different Python versions on Macbook