Uninstall FreeCAD on Mac

Save FreeCAD project files, macros and workbench customizations before removing the app. Project files outside FreeCAD’s settings are not uninstall leftovers. The September 19, 2026 record covers the app copied from the official package.

Quit and remove the app

Close every project, quit FreeCAD and move FreeCAD.app to Trash. Keep project directories untouched, and inspect add-ons separately if you plan to reinstall. The official page has more product information.

Review the app’s data

The cask names ~/Library/Application Support/FreeCAD, ~/Library/Caches/FreeCAD and ~/Library/Preferences/com.freecad.FreeCAD.plist. The first may contain customizations. The recorded sample also exposed ~/Library/Caches/FreeCADStartThumbnails, a review path. After quitting and backing up macros and workbench settings, use Shift + Command + G in Finder to inspect these exact locations, then move only existing FreeCAD items you no longer need to the Trash.

If you installed it with Homebrew

The Homebrew cask has its own --zap list. brew uninstall --cask freecad removes the cask without that list; brew uninstall --cask --zap freecad also acts on its listed data without consulting Mole’s checkboxes. Zap includes Application Support and preferences, so it may remove reusable customization. Mole also suppresses zap if its list would cross an unchecked, shared, unknown, or unsupported path; selected remnants still follow Mole’s own deletion path.

brew uninstall --cask freecad

Check the result

These commands inspect the running process and one relevant location. They do not remove anything:

pgrep -il "FreeCAD"
ls -ld "$HOME/Library/Application Support/FreeCAD"

No pgrep match means no process with that name is running; a match needs identification before quitting anything. A listed path still exists, while an ls “No such file” error means only that exact path is absent. A permission error is inconclusive.

What Mole lists

Mole lists display-name Application Support, the alternate preference spelling and FreeCADStartThumbnails for review. They start unchecked with Remove data and settings with apps off; turning it on can preselect eligible app-owned data, so review customizations before removal. Exact bundle-ID cache or preference rows can be selected by default; it does not collect FreeCAD project files.

What this test covered

The September 19, 2026 official-package test showed com.freecad.FreeCAD.plist and FreeCADStartThumbnails as review items. The display-name Application Support folder stayed unchecked; macro and project restoration were not tested.