Twoody
Local LLM calculator
The best local LLM for your MacBook Air
From the M1 to the M5, with 8 to 32 GB: the strongest model that runs comfortably on each MacBook Air, and how fast it writes.
| Your computer | Memory | Strongest that runs comfortably | Writes | Suggested by Twoody by default |
|---|---|---|---|---|
M5 — MacBook Air, MacBook Pro |
16 GB | Gemma 4 12B One click in Twoody | 14–20 tokens/s | Qwen3.5 9B (7.4 GB) |
| 24 GB | Qwen3 14B One click in Twoody | 11–16 tokens/s | Qwen3.5 9B (7.4 GB) | |
| 32 GB | Qwen3.6 35B-A3B One click in Twoody | 39–77 tokens/s | Qwen3.5 9B (7.9 GB) | |
M4 — MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, iMac |
16 GB | Gemma 4 12B One click in Twoody | 11–15 tokens/s | Qwen3.5 9B (7.4 GB) |
| 24 GB | Qwen3 14B One click in Twoody | 8.6–12 tokens/s | Qwen3.5 9B (7.4 GB) | |
| 32 GB | Qwen3.6 35B-A3B One click in Twoody | 30–59 tokens/s | Qwen3.5 9B (7.9 GB) | |
M3 — MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac |
8 GB | Qwen3.5 4B One click in Twoody | 17–33 tokens/s | Qwen3.5 4B (4 GB) |
| 16 GB | Gemma 4 12B One click in Twoody | 9.4–14 tokens/s | Qwen3.5 9B (7.4 GB) | |
| 24 GB | Qwen3 14B One click in Twoody | 7.4–11 tokens/s | Qwen3.5 9B (7.4 GB) | |
M2 — MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini |
8 GB | Qwen3.5 4B One click in Twoody | 17–33 tokens/s | Qwen3.5 4B (4 GB) |
| 16 GB | Gemma 4 12B One click in Twoody | 9.5–14 tokens/s | Qwen3.5 9B (7.4 GB) | |
| 24 GB | Qwen3 14B One click in Twoody | 7.4–11 tokens/s | Qwen3.5 9B (7.4 GB) | |
M1 — MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, iMac |
8 GB | Qwen3.5 4B One click in Twoody | 11–22 tokens/s | Qwen3.5 4B (4 GB) |
| 16 GB | Gemma 4 12B One click in Twoody | 6.3–9 tokens/s | Qwen3.5 9B (7.4 GB) |
Speeds are estimates, not measurements made with Twoody, computed from public llama.cpp benchmarks. Figures reviewed on October 16, 2026.
How to read this table
One line per chip of this family and per memory size it comes with: the memory decides which models fit, the chip how fast they write.
- Strongest that runs comfortably
- The strongest model that fits comfortably there and writes at least at your reading speed, 5 tokens per second; under its name, whether it installs in one click in Twoody.
- Writes
- Its speed there, in tokens per second: an estimate from public llama.cpp benchmarks, not a measurement made with Twoody.
- Suggested by Twoody by default
- The model the app installs first on that computer, and the memory it needs there. Not always the strongest: one Twoody has measured with its memory, its tools and your documents.
Twoody is in private beta: leave your email to request access.
A MacBook Air shares its memory between the processor and the graphics. With 16 GB, a model of 8 billion parameters leaves room for your other apps; with 8 GB, stay with about 4 billion.
Speed follows the chip's memory bandwidth: each generation writes faster, and the M5 reads a document several times faster than the chips before it.
Without a fan, a MacBook Air slows down after a few minutes of continuous work: fine for answers of normal length, less so for long sessions.
Questions about running an LLM locally
Which LLM for a MacBook Air M4 with 16 GB?
The strongest model that runs comfortably there is Gemma 4 12B, which writes 11–15 tokens/s. It installs in one click from Twoody's catalogue. Twoody suggests Qwen3.5 9B by default, which needs 7.4 GB of memory there: one of the models it has measured with its memory, its tools and your documents.
Can a MacBook Air with 8 GB run a local LLM?
Yes. With 8 GB, the strongest model that runs comfortably there is Qwen3.5 4B, which writes 11–33 tokens/s depending on the Mac. It installs in one click from Twoody's catalogue. It is also the model Twoody suggests by default; it needs 4 GB of memory there. Close heavy apps while you use it.
Does a MacBook Air get too hot running a local LLM?
It slows down rather than overheats: without a fan, it lowers its speed after a few minutes of continuous writing. For everyday questions it is not noticeable.
The best local LLM, by computer
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