Can I run Stable Diffusion on a Mac?
Yes. Stable Diffusion runs on Apple Silicon Macs (M1 through M4) using the GPU via Apple's Metal (MPS) backend. Easiest options are the free Draw Things or DiffusionBee apps from the Mac App Store, or AUTOMATIC1111/ComfyUI. You'll want at least 16GB of unified memory; older Intel Macs work but are very slow.
Why — the first-principles explanation
Macs can run Stable Diffusion because Apple Silicon chips have a capable GPU and unified memory. On a Mac there's no separate VRAM; the CPU and GPU share one pool of RAM. That means a 16GB Mac effectively has 16GB available for the model, which is generous compared to many budget PC graphics cards.
The bridge is Apple's Metal Performance Shaders (MPS) backend in PyTorch. Stable Diffusion tools were originally written for NVIDIA's CUDA, so Mac support came by adding an MPS code path. It works well now, though a few advanced extensions built specifically for CUDA may not run.
Because of this, the easiest Mac experience is a native app built for Metal: Draw Things and DiffusionBee are free, install in one click from the App Store, and handle everything under the hood. For power users, AUTOMATIC1111 and ComfyUI both run on macOS via their shell scripts using MPS.
The main limits are speed and memory. Apple Silicon is slower per image than a comparable NVIDIA GPU, so expect longer generation times, and heavy models like SDXL or SD 3.5 want more unified memory (16GB comfortable, 24GB+ ideal). Intel Macs without a strong GPU technically run it but crawl, often taking minutes per image. For a modern M-series Mac, though, Stable Diffusion is very usable.
An example that makes it click
Think of an NVIDIA gaming PC as a race car built for one track, it's blazing fast at this exact job. An Apple Silicon Mac is a nice everyday car that can also do laps: not as fast, but it gets around the track just fine, and it came with a big fuel tank, the shared memory.
So if you have an M-series MacBook, you don't need to buy a special machine. Download the free Draw Things app, and it drives the track for you, quietly, on battery, no setup.
How to do it
- Confirm you have an Apple Silicon Mac (M1, M2, M3, or M4); 16GB or more unified memory is recommended.
- For the simplest setup, install Draw Things or DiffusionBee free from the Mac App Store.
- For more control, install Homebrew, Python, and Git, then clone AUTOMATIC1111 or ComfyUI.
- Run the interface's webui.sh (AUTOMATIC1111) or launcher, which uses the Metal (MPS) GPU backend.
- Add a model checkpoint to the models folder, choosing lighter models on 8GB machines.
- Generate; expect slower speeds than NVIDIA and use SD 1.5 or SDXL rather than the heaviest models on limited memory.
Key facts
- Stable Diffusion runs on Apple Silicon Macs via PyTorch's Metal (MPS) GPU backend.
- Draw Things and DiffusionBee are free native Mac apps that run it with one-click setup.
- Apple Silicon uses unified memory shared by CPU and GPU; 16GB is comfortable, 24GB+ ideal for SDXL/SD 3.5.
- AUTOMATIC1111 and ComfyUI both support macOS through their shell-script installers.
- Intel Macs without a strong GPU run it but are very slow, often minutes per image.
The open-source image model you can run on your own hardware.
Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no cost to you.▶ The 60-second explainer (script)
Can you run Stable Diffusion on a Mac? Yes, and it's easier than most people think, as long as you have an Apple Silicon Mac, that's M1 through M4. These chips have a solid GPU and a clever feature called unified memory, where the graphics chip shares the Mac's full RAM. So a 16-gigabyte Mac gives the AI plenty of room. The simplest way? Open the Mac App Store and download Draw Things or DiffusionBee. Both are free, install in one click, and run Stable Diffusion natively using Apple's Metal graphics system. No terminal, no setup. If you want more power, AUTOMATIC1111 and ComfyUI also run on Mac using the same Metal backend. Two things to know. One, it's slower than a dedicated NVIDIA gaming PC, so images take a bit longer. Two, big models like SDXL want 16 gigabytes or more of memory. Older Intel Macs work too, but they're painfully slow. For a modern M-series Mac, though, Stable Diffusion runs great.
What authoritative sources say
People also ask
What's the easiest Stable Diffusion app for Mac?
Draw Things or DiffusionBee. Both are free on the Mac App Store, run natively on Apple Silicon, and need no command-line setup.
How much memory does my Mac need?
8GB can run lighter SD 1.5 models. For SDXL and SD 3.5, 16GB is comfortable and 24GB or more is ideal.
Is a Mac slower than a PC for this?
Yes. Apple Silicon is capable but generates images slower than a comparable NVIDIA GPU, so expect longer wait times.
Do Intel Macs work?
They can run it, but without a strong GPU they are very slow, often several minutes per image. Apple Silicon is strongly recommended.