Independent guide. Not affiliated with Dortania or the OpenCore Legacy Patcher project.Official project on GitHub
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OCLP 2.5.1/3.0.0 RC5

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Download OpenCore Legacy Patcher safely

There is exactly one official place to get OpenCore Legacy Patcher: its GitHub releases page. It is free. This page explains which file to pick, which version you need, and how to check that what you downloaded is genuine.

Checked against OCLP 2.5.1 and 3.0.0Updated 4 min read
On this page 7 sections
  1. The official download, and the only one
  2. Which file you need
  3. Stable 2.5.1 or 3.0.0?
  4. Check that the download is genuine
  5. Install the app
  6. Older versions
  7. Common questions

Short answer

Download OpenCore-Patcher.pkg from github.com/dortania/OpenCore-Legacy-Patcher/releases. Use the latest stable version (2.5.1) for macOS Big Sur to Sequoia. For macOS Tahoe you need version 3.0.0 (newest build: 3.0.0-rc.5, a pre-release). Open the .pkg and follow the installer. We do not host copies, and you should not download it anywhere else.

Latest stable (2.5.1) on GitHub 3.0.0-rc.5 for macOS Tahoe

Both buttons open the official GitHub release page in a new tab. Nothing is downloaded from oclp.dev.

The official download, and the only one

The OpenCore Legacy Patcher developers list three official links: the GitHub repository, the documentation at dortania.github.io, and dortania.com, a back end that is not meant for people to visit (issue #1120). Releases are published only on GitHub.

That matters because copies circulate. In 2023 the developers publicly warned about a look-alike website that claimed to be official, and they ask people not to re-upload or download the app from other sites, since a modified copy cannot be trusted. Download sites such as MacUpdate and MajorGeeks list it without the developers' approval. If a site asks you to pay, to install a “downloader”, or to disable security features before downloading, leave it.

Which file you need

Each release on GitHub lists three files. You only need the first.

FileSize (3.0.0-rc.5)What it isDo you need it?
OpenCore-Patcher.pkg967 MBThe installer for the app. It installs OpenCore Legacy Patcher and its helper tool.Yes
AutoPkg-Assets.pkgabout the sameExtra assets the app downloads by itself when you create a macOS installer: they go onto the USB drive, so OCLP installs and root-patches automatically after macOS installs.No, the app fetches it
OpenCore-Patcher-Uninstaller.pkg0.2 MBRemoves the app and its helper tool. It does not remove OpenCore from your EFI partition or revert root patches.Only to uninstall the app

There is no .dmg and no .app.zip any more: the app zip was deprecated in 1.5.0 and removed from releases in 2.3.0 (changelog). There is no Windows .exe either: OCLP is a Mac app. If you see any of those offered as “OpenCore Legacy Patcher”, it is not from the developers.

Stable 2.5.1 or 3.0.0?

You wantUseWhy
macOS Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura, Sonoma or Sequoia2.5.1 (stable, September 19, 2026)Released and supported. Sequoia patches are mature.
macOS Tahoe3.0.0 (newest: 3.0.0-rc.5, October 28, 2026)Tahoe support exists only in 3.0.0. Until 3.0.0 is final, its builds are marked “pre-release” on GitHub.
You are already patched and things workStay on your versionUpdate the app before a major macOS upgrade, not in between. See Updating.

Nightly builds are not releases

The developers also publish untested “nightly” builds from their build server. They ask people not to share links to those binaries and not to use them on a main machine. This guide never links to them.

Check that the download is genuine

Every release .pkg is signed with the developers' Apple Developer ID and notarized by Apple, so macOS checks it when you open it. You can check it yourself in Terminal before you install:

Terminal
pkgutil --check-signature ~/Downloads/OpenCore-Patcher.pkg

Look for Status: signed by a developer certificate issued by Apple for distribution, Notarization: trusted by the Apple notary service, and the certificate Developer ID Installer: Mykola Grymalyuk (S74BDJXQMD) (Mykola Grymalyuk is OCLP's lead developer, khronokernel). That is exactly what our test run printed for 3.0.0-rc.5. The package has no stapled ticket, so macOS confirms the notarization online the first time you open it. Then compare the file's SHA-256 with the value we computed from the GitHub file:

Terminal
shasum -a 256 ~/Downloads/OpenCore-Patcher.pkg
ReleaseFileSizeSHA-256
2.5.1AutoPkg-Assets.pkg738.1 MBf35d9fb9308af3f00ce9d1788e559c9c084f82a46112e914953311e4b7a3121d
2.5.1OpenCore-Patcher-Uninstaller.pkg0.2 MBa61b1119b730a83ae7ca2dbdd6e6a1827c550731332c6783ebbe8591fbe8171a
2.5.1OpenCore-Patcher.pkg738.1 MBe4b65f633f97818b26135ba19e528e59dd100a986cf11bdcde62ef51f1e1603a
3.0.0-rc.5AutoPkg-Assets.pkg967.0 MBa965871a838931c2a0cfeb9504398976b5caf142fff05249225d4f3bcd2e8054
3.0.0-rc.5OpenCore-Patcher-Uninstaller.pkg0.2 MB13c79fa3dad4d345de185f489f3ac69f9af5961c1055060b84d3cefe113e1ebe
3.0.0-rc.5OpenCore-Patcher.pkg967.0 MB0a604e738b83ca36a7392cad20e329057033122261db9dc4d8e9135fc5d8430c

Computed by us on 2026-11-05 from the files on GitHub (run 42051156326).

Install the app

The macOS Installer opening the official OpenCore-Patcher.pkg (3.0.0). The Introduction step says the package installs the app and a shortcut in /Applications, and does not build OpenCore or install root patches.
Real screenshot · OCLP 3.0.0-rc.5 · macOS 15.7.9 (24G830) · GitHub macos-15-intelThe macOS Installer opening the official OpenCore-Patcher.pkg (3.0.0). The Introduction step says the package installs the app and a shortcut in /Applications, and does not build OpenCore or install root patches.
  1. Double-click OpenCore-Patcher.pkg and follow the installer. It asks for your password once.
  2. The app goes to /Library/Application Support/Dortania/OpenCore-Patcher.app, with a shortcut in Applications, and a privileged helper tool is installed so the app does not ask for your password at every step.
  3. Open OpenCore-Patcher from Applications. Version 3.0.0 starts with a welcome screen listing the project's contributors.

Continue with How to install OpenCore Legacy Patcher.

Older versions

Every release since 2020 is still on GitHub. You rarely need an old one; reasons people do:

  • You run an old macOS that a newer OCLP no longer patches the same way, and you want to keep the exact patches you have. Generally, newer OCLP versions support all macOS versions from Big Sur, so update instead.
  • You are troubleshooting a regression. Check the release notes first.
VersionDateTypeInstaller downloads
3.0.0-rc.52026-10-28Pre-release33,369
3.0.0-rc.32026-10-08Pre-release80,845
3.0.0-rc.22026-10-04Pre-release19,691
3.0.0-rc.12026-10-04Pre-release3,477
2.5.12026-09-19Stable551,341
2.5.02026-09-08Stable243,980
2.4.12025-09-01Stable2,950,104
2.4.02025-05-12Stable1,168,571
2.3.22025-04-04Stable693,468
2.3.12025-04-02Stable87,919
2.3.02025-03-31Stable59,746
2.2.02024-12-11Stable730,842

Common questions

Is OpenCore Legacy Patcher free?

Yes, completely. It is open source. Anyone charging for it, or for a “premium” version, is not the developer.

Is there an OpenCore Legacy Patcher download for Windows?

No. It is a macOS app. You need access to a Mac to build OpenCore and create the installer. See OCLP and Windows for options if you only have a PC.

Is OpenCore Legacy Patcher on Homebrew or the App Store?

Not from the developers. The only official distribution is the GitHub release.

Do I need to download macOS separately?

No. The app downloads the macOS installer directly from Apple's servers in Create macOS Installer. You can also use an installer you already have.

Which version supports macOS Tahoe?

3.0.0. The stable 2.5.1 supports up to macOS Sequoia.

Keep going

How to installThe complete step-by-step guide for OCLP 3.0Is OCLP safe?What it changes, what it does not, and real risksReleasesEvery OCLP version in plain language

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