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DATASHEET // DIFFUSIONBEE

DiffusionBee

One-click Stable Diffusion for macOS.

OPEN SOURCECPU-CAPABLERuns locally
Actually FreeNo SignupOpen SourceWatermark-FreeHobbyist-OK
Visit DiffusionBeeUPDATED 2026-02-15 · DIRECT LINK
diffusionbee.com/
DiffusionBee — preview image

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS //

Runs locally · Integrated / Apple Silicon

CPU-CAPABLE
Min VRAM
None
Rec. VRAM
8 GB
Min RAM
8 GB
Rec. RAM
16 GB
Disk
15 GB
GPU class
Integrated / Apple Silicon
Apple Silicon ✓GPU RequiredQuant: FP16

Apple Silicon required (M-series); Intel Macs unsupported in current builds.

[ EDITORIAL PICK ]

Why we recommend DiffusionBee

DERIVED FROM METADATA — NOT SPONSORED
  • Open source

    Source is public — you can audit it, fork it, and you'll never lose access to your workflows if DiffusionBee the company changes direction.

  • Apple Silicon

    Native Metal / MPS support — runs on M-series Macs without CUDA gymnastics.

  • Beginner-friendly

    You don't need to read a paper before getting your first result — sensible defaults and a quick install.

[ EVIDENCE NOTE ]

Documentation-led datasheet

This page summarizes upstream documentation, release information, and editorially reviewed catalogue fields. It is not presented as a hands-on benchmark. Verify changing requirements at the official project; report stale data through our corrections channel.

VRAM guide →

AT-A-GLANCE SIGNALS //

DERIVED FROM THIS PAGE'S DATA
  • Install difficulty
    Standard

    A standard local install — download, install dependencies, point at your GPU.

  • Hardware comfort
    Runs anywhere

    No dedicated GPU required.

  • Ecosystem
    Active community

    Open source plus 3 community resources we've vetted — there are people to ask.

  • Verification
    Ageing

    151 days since the last catalogue refresh — flagged for re-verification.

[ COMMUNITY GUIDES & WORKFLOWS ]

Tutorials & deep-dives for DiffusionBee

Hand-picked from YouTube, Reddit, GitHub, and the wider web. Each link goes straight to the source — we don't intercept or rewrite anything.

[ MORE IN THIS NICHE ]

Other heavy image generation tools we rate

Three picks across different tradeoffs — so you don't end up with three near-clones of DiffusionBee.

LIGHTEST HARDWARE //

FaceFusion

The most active open face-swap toolkit.

OPEN SOURCE2–8 GB VRAM
BEST FREE OPTION //

ComfyUI

The nodal workflow engine for serious diffusion.

OPEN SOURCE6–16 GB VRAM
TOP QUALITY //

FLUX.1 [dev]

12B parameter open-weight diffusion model.

OPEN SOURCE8–24 GB VRAM

What is DiffusionBee?

DiffusionBee was the original 'just give me Stable Diffusion on my Mac' app and remains a polished choice for hobbyists. Bundles SD 1.5 / SDXL / inpainting / outpainting / upscaling behind a simple UI. Slightly behind Draw Things on performance and model breadth, but the simplest possible on-ramp.

Pros & cons

✓ PROS

  • Truly one-click: download DMG, run, generate
  • Open source under AGPL
  • Bundled inpainting, outpainting, upscaler

– CONS

  • macOS only
  • Slower than Draw Things on the same hardware
  • Limited to bundled models unless you side-load

What's actually free?

Free download, open source (AGPL).

✓ Actually FreeNo SignupOpen SourceWatermark-Free

Alternatives

Fooocus

Stable Diffusion XL, dialed to one button.

OPEN SOURCE4–8 GB VRAM
VRAM fit4–8 GB