Twoody
Local LLM on Mac
Run an LLM locally on your Mac
A large language model can run entirely on your Mac: private, offline and free. What you need, which model to choose, and the simplest way to start.
Why run an LLM on your Mac
Your questions and your files stay on the machine. It works without internet. There is no subscription, no quota and no account. The trade-off: a model that fits a Mac is smaller than the largest online models — excellent for writing, summaries and your documents, less so for the hardest reasoning.
What you need
A Mac with Apple Silicon (M1 or later) runs models comfortably; an Intel Mac runs small ones, slowly, on its processor. Memory decides the model: 8 GB for about 4 billion parameters, 16 GB for 8 billion, 24 GB for 14 billion, 48 GB and more for the largest models a laptop can hold.
Which model to choose
Qwen3 writes well in many languages at every size; Llama, Gemma, Mistral and gpt-oss are good alternatives. Start with the model that fits your memory comfortably: a larger one that makes your Mac swap is slower than a smaller one.
Three ways to do it
- Twoody — a Mac app that suggests the model for your Mac and installs it in one click; it reads your folders of documents and cites them. Runs on Intel Macs and macOS 13.
- LM Studio — an app to explore thousands of models and their settings. Apple Silicon and macOS 14 or later.
- Ollama — an engine used from the terminal, an API or its app. macOS 14 or later.
With Twoody, in three steps
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1
Download Twoody for Mac: about 160 MB, notarized by Apple.
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2
Install the model it suggests for your Mac: 2.5 to 9 GB, one click.
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3
Ask your first question — and turn Wi-Fi off if you like.
Frequently asked questions
Is running an LLM locally on a Mac free?
Yes: the open-weight models are free to download, and apps like Twoody, LM Studio and Ollama are free. The only cost is your Mac's memory and electricity.
How much memory do I need to run an LLM on a Mac?
8 GB for a small model such as Qwen3 4B, 16 GB for Qwen3 8B, 24 GB for Qwen3 14B. The calculator shows what fits each Mac, and how fast.
Can I run a local LLM on an Intel Mac?
Yes, with Twoody, on macOS 13 or later: the model runs on the processor, so small models work, slowly. LM Studio and Ollama need macOS 14, and LM Studio an Apple Silicon Mac.
Is a local LLM as good as ChatGPT?
For everyday writing and questions about your documents, often close enough; for the hardest questions, no. In exchange, it is private, offline and free.
Try local AI on your Mac, for free.
Version 0.12.1 · macOS 13 or later · no account, no subscription. Download it, install a model in one click, and ask your first question — even offline.