Summary: in this tutorial, you’ll learn how to install Python on your computer, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Install Python on Windows #
Download Python Installer #
- First, download the latest version of Python from the download page.
- Second, click the link for the latest stable version. Choose the Windows Installer (64-bit) option
Run the installer #
Double-click the installer file to run the installer.
In the installer window:
- Check Add Python to PATH at the bottom of the window. This ensures you can run the
python
command line without specifying its full path. - Click Install Now to begin the installation.
- Leave other options as the default.
It’ll take a few minutes to complete the setup.
Verify the installation #
- Open the Command Prompt by pressing Win + R, type, and press Enter.
- Check the install Python version using the command:
python --version
. You should see output indicating the version you install, e.g., Python 3.13.2
If you see the following output from the Command Prompt after typing the python
command:
'python' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.
Code language: Shell Session (shell)
It’s likely that you didn’t check the Add Python to PATH checkbox when you installed Python.
Install Python on macOS #
It’s recommended to install Python on macOS using an official installer. Here are the steps:
- First, download a Python release for macOS.
- Second, run the installer by double-clicking the installer file.
- Third, follow the instructions on the screen and click the Next button until the installer completes.
Install Python on Linux #
Before installing Python 3 on your Linux distribution, you check whether Python 3 was already installed by running the following command from the terminal:
python3 --version
If you see a response with the version of Python, then your computer already has Python 3 installed. Otherwise, you can install Python 3 using a package management system.
For example, you can install Python 3.13 on Ubuntu using apt:
sudo apt install python3.13
Code language: CSS (css)
To install the newer version, you replace 3.13 with that version.