How to Install React on MacOS? A Step by Step Guide

Installing React on macOS involves setting up a compatible Node.js environment and using package managers like NPM to streamline dependency management. This process includes configuring the Create React App tool, which automates project scaffolding and build setups for optimized development. 

Ensuring your macOS system meets specific version and hardware requirements is critical to avoid installation failures and performance issues. Mastering these steps allows you to efficiently build and deploy scalable applications using ReactJS on macOS.

In this blog, we will explore how to install React on MacOS to help you with organizational purposes.

Want to strengthen your skills in React and other programming languages? upGrad’s Online Software Development Courses can equip you with tools and strategies to stay ahead. Enroll today!

Why choose React for web development?

React for web development uses a component-based architecture, allowing developers to build modular and reusable UI elements, improving maintainability in complex applications. It supports server-side rendering (SSR) to enhance SEO, overcoming limitations typical of traditional JavaScript frameworks. React seamlessly integrates with technologies like JavaScript, Node.js, and HTML, enabling the creation of performant, scalable, and SEO-friendly web and mobile applications.

If you want to learn programming skills to deploy React for scalable enterprise applications, the following courses can help you achieve it.

• Professional Certificate Program in Cloud Computing and DevOps
• Master of Design in User Experience
• Master the Cloud and Lead as an Expert Cloud Engineer

• Component-Based Architecture: React breaks UIs into independent, reusable components, simplifying code management and facilitating collaboration in large-scale projects.
• Cross-Platform Development: React Native extends React’s capabilities to mobile, enabling the development of native iOS and Android apps using the same codebase.
• Developer Tools: React DevTools inspect component hierarchies within the virtual DOM, helping debug and optimize applications efficiently.
• SEO Optimization: React supports server-side rendering (SSR) with frameworks like Next.js, enabling faster page loads and better crawlability by search engines.
• Efficient Testing: Tools like Jest and React Testing Library streamline unit and integration testing, improving code reliability and maintainability.
• JavaScript Ecosystem Compatibility: React integrates with popular tools and libraries, including JavaScript, Node.js, and Webpack, for optimized bundling and performance.
• Rapid Learning Curve: Extensive community resources and documentation enable developers to quickly adopt React and build web applications.

Use Case:

Imagine you’re developing an e-commerce site where users expect real-time updates on product availability, pricing, and reviews. Using React, you can create modular components for product details, inventory status, and user reviews. React’s virtual DOM ensures that only components affected by data changes re-render, delivering a smooth user experience.

Code Example:

import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';

function ProductDisplay({ productId }) {
  const [product, setProduct] = useState(null);

  useEffect(() => {
    fetch(`/api/products/${productId}`)
      .then(res => res.json())
      .then(data => setProduct(data));
  }, [productId]);

  if (!product) return <div>Loading...</div>;

  return (
    <div>
      <h1>{product.name}</h1>
      <p>Price: ₹{product.price}</p>
      <p>{product.description}</p>
      <p>Stock: {product.stock > 0 ? 'Available' : 'Out of Stock'}</p>
    </div>
  );
}

export default ProductDisplay;

Output:

Product Name: Classic Blue Jeans  
Price: ₹1499  
Description: Comfortable, stylish denim jeans perfect for everyday wear.  
Stock: Available

Output Explanation:

The React component dynamically renders product details fetched from the backend API, updating the UI based on the received data. This ensures a responsive user experience with real-time information on product availability and pricing.

If you want to learn programming skills for React, check out upGrad’s AI-Powered Full Stack Development Course by IIITB. The program will help you gain expertise in backend and frontend development for enterprise applications. 

Let’s take a look at some of the critical prerequisites those are necessary for installing React on MacOS. 

Prerequisites for installing React on MacOS

Installing React on macOS requires meeting specific hardware and software prerequisites to ensure smooth development and build processes. Adequate system resources like storage and RAM are essential to efficiently handle the Node.js runtime, package managers, and build tools. The macOS version must support modern development environments, and a reliable internet connection is necessary for downloading dependencies and updates through npm or yarn.

• Minimum Storage Requirement: Ensure at least 10GB of free disk space to accommodate Node.js, npm packages, build caches, and project files, supporting smooth compilation and dependency management.
• RAM Specifications: A minimum of 4GB RAM is recommended to efficiently run the development server, React’s live reload features, and associated build tools like Webpack.
• macOS Version: Install macOS 10.10 (Yosemite) or later to guarantee compatibility with the latest Node.js versions and tooling ecosystems used in React development.
• Internet Connectivity: A stable, high-speed internet connection is necessary for fetching React libraries, dependencies, and updates via package managers such as npm or Hadoop YARN during installation and ongoing development.

Now, let’s understand how you can install Node.js and NPM in details.  

Installing Node.js and NPM

Before installing Node.js and NPM, let’s understand what they are. Node.js is a cross-platform, open-source JavaScript runtime that allows you to run web applications outside the client’s browser. NPM (Node Package Manager) is the package manager for Node.js, enabling developers to share and manage reusable app development packages.

To install Node.js and NPM on macOS, you need to be familiar with the Terminal application. You also need to install Homebrew, a popular macOS package manager, to install Node.js securely and avoid permission or security issues.

Installation Steps:

• Open your Terminal app.
• Run brew update to update Homebrew’s package database.
• Run brew install node to download and install Node.js (which includes NPM).
• Verify installations using node -v and npm -v.

Code example:

# Update Homebrew to get latest package info
brew update

# Install Node.js and NPM
brew install node

# Check Node.js version to verify installation
node -v

# Check NPM version to verify installation
npm -v

Output:

$ node -v
v18.16.0

$ npm -v
9.5.1

Code Explanation:

brew update refreshes Homebrew’s package index to ensure you install the latest Node.js version. Then, brew install node securely downloads and installs both Node.js runtime and NPM package manager on your macOS device. Running node -v outputs the installed Node.js version, confirming it is correctly installed and available. Running npm -v outputs the installed NPM version, indicating that the package manager is ready to manage React dependencies.

Let’s understand the operation of create-react tool for scalable applications. 

Understanding the Create-react-app tool

Create React App (CRA) streamlines the initial setup of React projects by automating configuration and tool installation, allowing developers to focus on building features instead of environment setup. It comes pre-configured with modern JavaScript tools like Webpack and Babel, ensuring compatibility with the latest ECMAScript standards. 

CRA’s built-in features support efficient development workflows and optimized production builds. They integrate smoothly with diverse tech stacks, including PyTorch, R, and C#, for full-stack or AI-powered applications.

Key Features of Create React App (CRA)

• Pre-configured Environment: Automatically sets up essential tools like Webpack for module bundling and Babel for transpiling modern JavaScript syntax.
• Default Project Structure: Provides a standardized folder organization, improving code maintainability and onboarding efficiency for development teams.
• Development Server with Hot Reloading: Enables instant feedback by refreshing UI components live during development, accelerating debugging and iteration.
• Advanced Optimization: Supports automatic code splitting and chunking to reduce load times, alongside built-in handling for CSS and SaSS styling.

Use Case: 

Suppose you are building a web app that uses AI models trained with PyTorch for image recognition and statistical analysis in R. Using CRA, you can quickly scaffold the front end while integrating API endpoints built with C# backend services for secure data processing. CRA handles frontend bundling and hot reloads, enabling rapid development and testing of React components that interact seamlessly with these complex backend systems.

Installing React using Create-react-app

Configuring React manually involves a complex setup of bundlers, transpilers, and dependencies. The Create React App (CRA) automates this by managing package installation, configuration, and build tooling, simplifying React project initialization. Before using CRA, ensure your system has Node.js (v8.10+) and NPM (v5.6+) installed, as these are critical for package management.

Using modern infrastructure tools like Docker for containerization, Kubernetes for orchestration, and cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure Databricks can enhance your React app’s deployment, scaling, and analytics capabilities.

Step 1: Install Node.js on macOS

Download the Node.js installer compatible with macOS from the official site. 

Step 2: Install Create React App globally

npm install -g create-react-app

This command installs CRA globally, allowing you to create React projects anywhere on your system without repetitive setup.

Step 3: Create a new React project

create-react-app my-app

Replace my-app with your desired project name (e.g., myreactproject1). This initializes a React project with all necessary configurations, including Webpack, Babel, and ESLint.

• Docker: Containerize your React app to create consistent environments for development and production, enabling seamless deployment pipelines.
• Kubernetes: Efficiently manage your containerized React app’s scaling and orchestration in production clusters.
• AWS & Azure: Host your React apps on cloud platforms to use global CDN, auto-scaling, and integrated security services.
• Databricks: Use this platform for advanced analytics on user data collected by your React app, enabling data-driven decision-making.

Output Example: Verifying CRA Project Setup

cd my-app
npm start

Expected terminal output:

Compiled successfully!
You can now view my-app in the browser.
Local:            http://localhost:3000/
On Your Network:  http://192.168.1.10:3000/

Output Explanation:
The development server starts with hot reloading enabled, serving your React application locally on port 3000. This setup allows rapid development and testing before deploying to cloud or containerized environments.

Also read: A Beginner’s Guide React Props [With Syntax]

Setting up a new React project on MacOS

Setting up a new React project on macOS is made straightforward with Create React App (CRA), which automates environment configuration and dependency management. By following a few simple steps, you can quickly initialize a React application with a modern toolchain. This setup eliminates the need for manual configuration of build tools like Webpack and Babel, letting you focus directly on development.

• Verify Node.js and NPM Versions: Ensure your system has Node.js (v8.10+) and NPM (v5.6+) installed, as CRA depends on these tools for package management and running scripts.
• Install Create React App Globally: Run npm install -g create-react-app in your terminal to install CRA globally, allowing easy project creation anywhere on your machine.
• Initialize a New React Project: Use the command create-react-app my-app (replace my-app with your project’s name) to scaffold a new React app with pre-configured settings.
• Navigate and Start Development: Change directory into your project folder (cd my-app) and start the development server using npm start to launch your app locally with live reloading.

# Install Create React App globally
npm install -g create-react-app

# Create a new React project named 'my-app'
create-react-app my-app

# Navigate into the project directory
cd my-app

# Start the development server
npm start

Output:

Creating a new React app in /Users/username/my-app.

Installing packages. This might take a couple of minutes.

...

Success! Created my-app at /Users/username/my-app

You can now run:

  cd my-app
  npm start

Compiled successfully!

You can now view my-app in the browser.

Local:            http://localhost:3000/
On Your Network:  http://192.168.1.10:3000/

Output Explanation:

The commands scaffold a React application with all dependencies and configuration set up automatically. Starting the server launches the app locally with live reloading for instant feedback during development.

Also read: Top 50 React JS Interview Questions & Answers in 2025

Running a React app on MacOS

The final step in setting up your React project is running the app locally on your machine. This involves navigating into your project directory and starting the development server, which compiles your code and opens the app in a browser with live reloading.

• Navigate to Project Directory: Use the terminal command cd my-app to enter your React project folder.
• Start the Development Server: Run npm start to launch the React development server.
• View in Browser: The development server opens your React app automatically in the default browser, reflecting any code changes instantly.

Code Example:

# Change directory to your React project folder
cd my-app

# Start the React development server
npm start

Output:

Compiled successfully!

You can now view my-app in the browser.

Local:            http://localhost:3000/
On Your Network:  http://192.168.1.10:3000/

Output Explanation:

Running npm start compiles your React app and starts a local server on port 3000. The app opens automatically in your browser, enabling real-time updates as you edit your code.

Also read: Top 28 React Projects for Beginners in 2025 [Source Code Included] 

Exploring the React file structure

Structuring your React project files systematically is crucial for maintainability, scalability, and developer productivity. Organizing code into well-defined directories separates concerns and promotes reusable, modular components. This clear structure helps manage complex applications effectively and supports collaborative development.

• The src Directory: Contains all source code for the React application, serving as the main workspace.
• Components Directory: Houses reusable UI components shared across multiple pages, promoting code reuse and consistency.
• Pages Directory: Includes distinct application pages, each in its own folder, and is responsible for assembling components into complete views.
• index.js in Pages: Exports page components, allowing easy imports and cleaner UI assembly by importing shared components.
• utils Directory: Stores utility functions, such as API calls and helper methods, centralizing non-UI logic.
• Assets Directory: Holds static files like images, fonts, and icons, separating media from code for better management.
• App.js: The root component that serves as the main entry point of the React app, managing routing and layout.
• index.js: Mounts the React application to the DOM, initializing the React rendering process on the web page.

Also read: 40 Must-Try JavaScript Project Ideas for Developers of All Levels

Tips for getting started with React on MacOS

Before starting with React on macOS, it’s important to prepare your environment and skills to ensure a smooth installation and development experience. React development relies heavily on command-line interface (CLI) usage and requires a reliable internet connection to download packages and dependencies. Selecting the right code editor and understanding React versions will further streamline your workflow and reduce setup issues.

• Reliable Internet Connection: Ensure a stable and fast internet connection to efficiently download Node.js, NPM packages, and React dependencies.
• Familiarity with CLI: Comfort with macOS terminal commands is necessary as React installation and development depend on CLI interactions.
• Choose a Suitable Code Editor: Install and configure a code editor like Visual Studio Code or Sublime Text to write, debug, and manage your React code effectively.
• Research React Versions: Understand the differences between React releases to select a version compatible with your project requirements and dependencies.
• Patience During Installation: React setup can take time; carefully follow prompts and avoid interrupting processes to ensure successful installation.

Example Scenario:

Imagine you’re setting up a React development environment on your MacBook. You first confirm your Wi-Fi connection is stable, then open the terminal to run installation commands. Using Visual Studio Code as your editor, you create a new React project, making sure to choose the React version that fits your project’s needs. By following installation prompts carefully, you avoid errors and build your app confidently.

Also Read: ReactJS Developer Salary in India: Trends, Growth, and Insights for 2025

Conclusion

Installing React on macOS requires a precise setup of Node.js, NPM, and the Create React App tool to ensure an effective development environment. By carefully verifying system prerequisites and following command-line installation steps. You can avoid common configuration pitfalls and streamline your workflow. To maximize productivity, use a reliable code editor and maintain your packages regularly, enabling seamless React application development and efficient project scaling.

If you want to upskill yourself in skills for React programming. These are some of the additional courses of upGrad that can help you succeed. 

• Executive Diploma in Machine Learning and AI with IIIT-B
• Generative AI Mastery Certificate for Software Development
• Node.js For Beginners

Curious which courses can help you excel in React for organizational success? Contact upGrad for personalized counseling and valuable insights. For more details, you can also visit your nearest upGrad offline center.

Boost your career with our popular Software Engineering courses, offering hands-on training and expert guidance to turn you into a skilled software developer.

Explore our Popular Software Engineering Courses

Master in-demand Software Development skills like coding, system design, DevOps, and agile methodologies to excel in today’s competitive tech industry.

In-Demand Software Development Skills

Stay informed with our widely-read Software Development articles, covering everything from coding techniques to the latest advancements in software engineering.

Read our Popular Articles related to Software

References:
https://citrusbug.com/blog/react-statistics/