The best local LLM for a MacBook Air M2 (24 GB) is Qwen 4.1 32B-A3B at 10 tok/s. With 24 GB of unified memory it runs 43 of the models we benchmark — from compact options up to 41B-class models. For everyday chat and coding, Qwen 4.1 32B-A3B is the sweet spot. Full ranking below.
Ranked by LLMCheck suitability (capability balanced against real speed on the M2). Click a model for its full benchmark and setup. Speeds marked est. are scaled from measured runs by memory bandwidth.
| # | Model | Size | License | Speed | Capability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Qwen 4.1 32B-A3B | 32B | Apache 2.0 | 10 tok/s est. | 46/50 |
| 2 | Qwen 4 | 32B | Apache 2.0 | 10 tok/s est. | 45/50 |
| 3 | Qwen 4 Coder | 32B | Apache 2.0 | 10 tok/s est. | 44/50 |
| 4 | Qwen 4 Preview 32B-A3B | 32B | Apache 2.0 | 10 tok/s est. | 42/50 |
| 5 | Gemma 4 31B | 31B | Apache 2.0 | 4 tok/s est. | 40/50 |
| 6 | Qwen 3.6-35B-A3B | 35B | Apache 2.0 | 9 tok/s est. | 38/50 |
| 7 | Phi-5 Large 28B | 28B | MIT | 6 tok/s est. | 36/50 |
| 8 | Gemma 4 26B-A4B | 26B | Apache 2.0 | 8 tok/s est. | 35/50 |
| 9 | Mistral Medium 4 | 41B | Apache 2.0 | 8 tok/s est. | 34/50 |
| 10 | Gemma 4.5 27B | 27B | Gemma | 7 tok/s est. | 32/50 |
| 11 | Gemma 4.5 12B | 12B | Gemma | 35 tok/s | 28/50 |
| 12 | Phi-5 Medium 14B | 14B | MIT | 24 tok/s | 28/50 |
Showing the top 12 of 43 models that fit in 24 GB. See the full leaderboard or all benchmarks.
The fastest way to get started is Ollama. Install it, then pull the top pick for your Mac:
Prefer a GUI? LM Studio gives you a one-click download and chat window. For step-by-step help see our Ollama install guide, or open the Qwen 4.1 32B-A3B on M2 benchmark page for exact settings.
The MacBook Air M2 (24 GB) tops out at Mistral Medium 4. Newer Apple Silicon with more unified memory runs larger, smarter models much faster:
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Qwen 4.1 32B-A3B (32B, Apache 2.0) is the best all-round pick at 10 tok/s on the M2. If you want maximum speed, SmolLM3 3B hits 78 tok/s; for maximum capability, Qwen 4 still fits in 24 GB.
About 43 of the 79 models in the LLMCheck leaderboard fit in 24 GB of unified memory, from compact models up to Mistral Medium 4 (41B).
Not comfortably. A 70B model in Q4 needs ~40–44 GB; with 24 GB you should stick to models up to ~18 GB, such as Qwen 4.1 32B-A3B. For 70B, look at a 48 GB+ Mac.
24 GB is great for small-to-mid models (up to ~14B comfortably); for 30B+ you'll want 32 GB or more. Because Apple Silicon uses unified memory, that figure is both your system RAM and your VRAM.