Which Gemma should I run on a 16 GB Mac?

Gemma 4 E4B, the model `ollama run gemma4` pulls by default, or the Gemma 4 12b. Both leave room for context on 16 GB.

Is Gemma free for commercial use?

Gemma 4 is published under Apache 2.0, which allows commercial use. Gemma 3 ships under Google's own Gemma terms, which carry a use policy of their own.

Is running Gemma locally private?

Yes. Through Ollama the model runs on your Mac and nothing you type is sent anywhere.

Can I run Gemma on a MacBook Air?

Yes, sized to its memory: Gemma 3 4b on 8 GB, Gemma 4 E4B or 12b on 16 GB, and the 12b comfortably on 24 GB.

How do I run Gemma locally on my Mac?

Install Ollama and run ollama run gemma4, which pulls Gemma 4 E4B, a 6.6GB to 9.5GB download that reads text and images with a 128K context window. Pick the size by your Mac's memory: Gemma 4 E2B (4.6GB to 7.5GB) is tight on 8 GB, where Gemma 3 4b (3.3GB) fits better; the E4B or the 12b (7.7GB to 8.0GB) suits 16 GB; the 26b, a mixture of experts with 4B active parameters (16GB to 19GB), is tight on 32 GB and comfortable from 48 GB; and the 31b (19GB to 20GB) wants 48 GB or more. The E in E2B and E4B means effective parameters, sized for laptops and edge devices. Gemma 4 is Apache 2.0 licensed; Gemma 3 ships under Google's Gemma terms. Once it runs, point any app that speaks Ollama at it, or install Grux OS (MIT), whose model cookbook lists Gemma 4 12b and 26b by memory and can use them to act on your mail, calendar, files and shell.

Grux OS 3.0.0 · last checked 2026-09-30 · generated from the shipping release

The steps

brew install ollama
ollama run gemma4            # Gemma 4 E4B, 6.6GB to 9.5GB
ollama run gemma4:12b        # 7.7GB to 8.0GB, for 16 GB Macs
ollama run gemma4:26b        # 16GB to 19GB, for 48 GB or more

Which size fits your Mac

Your Mac's memory	Gemma model	Download
8 GB	Gemma 3 4b (Gemma 4 E2B is tight)	3.3GB
16 GB	Gemma 4 E4B or Gemma 4 12b	6.6GB to 9.5GB
24 GB	Gemma 4 12b comfortably	7.7GB to 8.0GB
32 GB	Gemma 4 26b is tight; 12b is easy	16GB to 19GB
48 GB	Gemma 4 26b or 31b	16GB to 20GB
64 GB or more	Gemma 4 31b comfortably	19GB to 20GB

The table applies the rule on the which LLM can my Mac run page: the GPU may use about three quarters of unified memory, and the model file should stay under about two thirds of that, leaving room for context. Sizes are from Ollama's Gemma 4 and Gemma 3 pages, read on 7 October 2026.

Gemma 4 or Gemma 3

Gemma 4 is the newer family and the one to start with: E2B and E4B for laptops, a 12b, a 26b mixture of experts and a 31b dense model, all reading images as well as text. Ollama's Gemma 4 page lists the 31b ahead of Gemma 3 27b on MMLU Pro, AIME 2026 and LiveCodeBench. Gemma 3 still has the smallest sizes, down to 270m and 1b, which suit an 8 GB Mac or a quick test.

Where to check this

Claim	Source
Gemma 4 sizes E2B to 31b, 128K and 256K context, text and image, the E means effective	Ollama library, gemma4
Gemma 3 sizes from 270m to 27b	Ollama library, gemma3
Gemma 4 is Apache 2.0	Gemma 4 12B on Hugging Face
Gemma 3 is under Google's Gemma terms	Gemma 3 4B on Hugging Face
Grux's cookbook lists Gemma 4 12b and 26b by memory	Cookbook.swift

Questions

Which Gemma should I run on a 16 GB Mac?: Gemma 4 E4B, the model ollama run gemma4 pulls by default, or the Gemma 4 12b. Both leave room for context on 16 GB.
Is Gemma free for commercial use?: Gemma 4 is published under Apache 2.0, which allows commercial use. Gemma 3 ships under Google's own Gemma terms, which carry a use policy of their own.
Is running Gemma locally private?: Yes. Through Ollama the model runs on your Mac and nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Can I run Gemma on a MacBook Air?: Yes, sized to its memory: Gemma 3 4b on 8 GB, Gemma 4 E4B or 12b on 16 GB, and the 12b comfortably on 24 GB.

Download Grux 3.0.0 Read the source

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