Getting Started with IronWord on macOS

Chaknith Bin

Updated:May 25, 2025

IronWord allows .NET developers to read, create, and manipulate Word documents in C# without requiring Microsoft Office installed. While it’s typically used in Windows and Linux environments, IronWord also runs well on macOS with the right setup.

This guide walks you through installing dependencies and getting IronWord working in your macOS development environment.

Prerequisites for macOS

Before getting started with IronWord on macOS, make sure you have the following installed:

.NET 6 or .NET 7 SDK
Homebrew (macOS package manager)
macOS 11 (Big Sur) or later (Apple Silicon and Intel supported)

IronWord works best with .NET Core LTS versions or later .NET SDKs.

Install Native macOS Dependencies

IronWord depends on libgdiplus for graphical operations, such as rendering and processing DOCX content.

You can install this dependency using Homebrew:

brew install mono-libgdiplus

This installs the required native image rendering library. If you get errors related to System.Drawing.Common, this is usually the missing dependency.

NuGet Package Installation

IronWord works on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. We recommend the standard IronWord package for most users.

Install-Package IronWord

Compatibility with MacOs.ARM

IronWord is fully compatible with Apple Silicon chips. Developers using M1 or M2 machines can use the same IronWord NuGet package and setup instructions.

If you're using Visual Studio for Mac or JetBrains Rider, ensure you're targeting .NET 6 or higher for best compatibility.

Chaknith Bin

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Software Engineer

Chaknith works on IronXL and IronBarcode. He has deep expertise in C# and .NET, helping improve the software and support customers. His insights from user interactions contribute to better products, documentation, and overall experience.