Blender on Mac

About Blender

Blender is a free and open source 3D creation suite. It supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, and video editing. Advanced users employ Blender’s API for Python scripting to customize the application and write specialized tools; often these are included in Blender’s future releases. Blender is well suited to individuals and small studios who benefit from its unified pipeline and responsive development process. Examples from many Blender-based projects are available in the showcase.
Blender is cross-platform and runs equally well on Linux, Windows and Macintosh computers. Its interface uses OpenGL to provide a consistent experience. To confirm specific compatibility, the list of supported platforms indicates those regularly tested by the development team.
As a community-driven project under the GNU General Public License (GPL), the public is empowered to make small and large changes to the code base, which leads to new features, responsive bug fixes, and better usability. Blender has no price tag, but you can invest, participate, and help to advance a powerful collaborative tool: Blender is your own 3D software.

How to Run Blender on Mac

Mac Version Available

Option 1: Use Parallels

Parallels is the fastest, easiest, and most powerful option to run Windows on your Mac. Data can be shared between Mac and Windows and switching between the two is as simple as switching screens. Run it On Mac recommends Parallels as the #1 best way to run Blender on your Mac desktop or laptop.

Pros: Very Cost-Effective; Easily transfer files; Easily switch between Windows & Mac.

Cons: May see a slight decrease in performance; Cost varies from $50-80 for a personal license.

Option 2: Use Bootcamp

Boot Camp is a boot utility included with most Apple desktop and laptop products that allows users to install a Windows operating system alongside the native macOS/OS X operating system. Using Bootcamp is a relatively technical process and should probably only be undertaken by someone who understands the process.

Pros: Free; Good option if you need high performance or are using an older machine.

Cons: Switching between operating systems requires a restart; difficult, technical installation process.

Blender System Requirements

    Minimum:
    • OS: Windows 7, 8, 8.1 or 10, with latest Service Packs
    • Processor: 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo or 3.0 GHz AMD Athlon II x2
    • Memory: 4 GB RAM
    • Graphics: nVidia GTS 450 or AMD Radeon 5750
    • DirectX: Version 9.0c
    • Network: Broadband Internet connection
    • Storage: 30 GB available space
    • Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
    Recommended:
    • OS: Windows 7, 8, 8.1 or 10, with latest Service Packs
    • Processor: 3.0 GHz Intel i5 or 4.0 GHz AMD FX
    • Memory: 8 GB RAM
    • Graphics: nVidia GTX 760 or AMD 7870
    • DirectX: Version 11
    • Network: Broadband Internet connection
    • Storage: 60 GB available space
    • Sound Card: DirectX Compatible