iPhone Diff

What will you use your Mac for?

Photo editing

Which Mac is enough, from what Apple and app makers publish. Where nobody publishes a figure, our own rule of thumb is marked as such.

What Apple and app makers say

The levels

Works

Apple's photo apps run on any Mac that gets current macOS.

  • Apple silicon chipOur rule of thumb (not Apple's)
  • Runs macOS 26 or laterApple says

Comfortable

Large RAW libraries and layered files open faster with more memory and need room on the drive. Apple publishes no memory figure here.

The Works conditions, plus:

  • 16GB of memory or moreOur rule of thumb (not Apple's)
  • 512GB of storage or moreOur rule of thumb (not Apple's)

Heavy use

For big batches and very large images, a Pro chip and more memory keep things moving. Apple publishes no figure here.

The Works conditions, plus:

  • Pro, Max or Ultra chipOur rule of thumb (not Apple's)
  • 24GB of memory or moreOur rule of thumb (not Apple's)

Current models for this

Models Apple sells new today, cheapest first within each level.

Heavy use

Comfortable

Works

Your older model?

Every Mac we have checked, by release year.

Laptops, 2024–
Laptops, 2020–2023
Laptops, 2016–2019
Desktops, 2024–
Desktops, 2020–2023
Desktops, 2016–2019

How we decide

Each use has up to three levels: Works, Comfortable and Heavy use. Comfortable and Heavy use each add their own conditions to the Works conditions, and a model gets the highest level whose conditions it meets.

"Apple says" and "The app's maker says" mark requirements that Apple or the app's maker publishes. "Our rule of thumb (not Apple's)" marks our own suggestion, used where nobody publishes a figure.

Memory and storage are judged on the standard configuration. When ordering more memory or storage would reach a higher level, we add a "configurable" note.

When a spec is not published by Apple or not in our data, we say "Can't confirm" instead of guessing, and the condition does not count as met.

App and system requirements change with new versions. The date at the bottom of each page shows when we last checked them.

Heavy use:
Meets the minimum and the conditions for big projects or heavy daily use.
Comfortable:
Meets the minimum and the conditions for everyday use without waiting around.
Works:
Meets the minimum conditions: the apps and features for this run.
Can't confirm:
A spec the minimum needs is not published by Apple or not in our data, so we do not count it as met.
Not enough:
Misses at least one of the minimum conditions.

Requirements checked on 2026-10-11.