Apple M4 Pro (24GB) vs Apple M3 Pro (18GB)
Side-by-side local AI comparison: VRAM, memory bandwidth, model compatibility, and estimated tokens per second across 110 open-weight models.
Quick verdict
Apple M4 Pro (24GB) wins for local AI inference. It has 6 GB more VRAM and 82.0% more memory bandwidth, runs 50 models natively (vs 34), and exclusively fits 16 models the other cannot.
Specs comparison
| Spec | Apple M4 Pro (24GB) | Apple M3 Pro (18GB) |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM | 24 GB unified | 18 GB unified |
| Memory type | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5 |
| Bandwidth | 273 GB/s(+82%) | 150 GB/s |
| CPU cores | 12 (8P + 4E) | 11 (5P + 6E) |
| Architecture | Apple M4 Pro | Apple M3 Pro |
| Backend | METAL | METAL |
| Tier | Laptop | Laptop |
| Released | 2024 | 2023 |
| Models (native) | 50 | 34 |
Estimated tokens per second
Computed from memory bandwidth and model active-parameter weight. Assumes model fits natively in VRAM.
| Model | Apple M4 Pro (24GB) | Apple M3 Pro (18GB) | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Llama 3.3 70B Instruct(70B) | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Qwen 3.6 27B(27B) | 16.1 t/s(Q3_K_M) | N/A | N/A |
| Llama 3.1 8B Instruct(8B) | 22.8 t/s(Q8_0) | 15.7 t/s(Q6_K) | +82%at Q6_K |
| Qwen 2.5 7B Instruct(7.6B) | 25.5 t/s(Q8_0) | 14 t/s(Q8_0) | +82% |
Delta is Apple M4 Pro (24GB) relative to Apple M3 Pro (18GB), compared at the highest quantization that fits natively on both cards.
Only Apple M4 Pro (24GB) can run(16)
- Qwen 3.5 35B-A3B (MoE)35B
- Qwen 3.6 35B-A3B (MoE)35B
- Ornith 1.5 35B-A3B (MoE)35B
- Qwen3 32B32.8B
- Gemma 4 31B30.7B
- Qwen3 30B-A3B (MoE)30B
- Muse Glimmer 30B27.8B
- Gemma 2 27B Instruct27.2B
- Gemma 3 27B Instruct27B
- Qwen 3.6 27B27B
- UI-Mate 27B27B
- Qwen 3.8 27B27B
- +4 more
Only Apple M3 Pro (18GB) can run(0)
No exclusive models: Apple M4 Pro (24GB) can run everything Apple M3 Pro (18GB) can.
Both run natively(34)
These models fit in VRAM on both GPUs. Bandwidth determines which runs them faster.
- Bonsai 27B28.2 t/svs15.5 t/s
- Bonsai 2 27B33.9 t/svs18.6 t/s
- Qwen3 14B16.2 t/svs14.2 t/s
- Qwen 2.5 14B Instruct16 t/svs13.8 t/s
- Phi-4 14B Instruct16.6 t/svs14.3 t/s
- Mistral Nemo 12B Instruct19.2 t/svs13.7 t/s
- Gemma 3 12B Instruct15.6 t/svs14.1 t/s
- Gemma 4 12B (Unified)16.5 t/svs15.4 t/s
- Gemma 2 9B Instruct17.3 t/svs14.2 t/s
- Qwen 3.5 9B22.2 t/svs15.7 t/s
- Bonsai 2 9B77.2 t/svs42.4 t/s
- Ornith 1.5 9B22.2 t/svs15.7 t/s
- Llama 3.1 8B Instruct22.8 t/svs15.7 t/s
- DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B22.8 t/svs15.7 t/s
- Qwen3 8B22.5 t/svs15.4 t/s
- Qwen 2.5 7B Instruct25.5 t/svs14 t/s
- +18 more on both
Which should you choose?
Choose Apple M4 Pro (24GB) if:
- • You need to run larger models (>18 GB VRAM)
- • Faster token generation is the priority
- • You want the newer architecture and longer driver support lifecycle
Choose Apple M3 Pro (18GB) if:
- • Price or availability decides it: Apple M3 Pro (18GB) has no VRAM, bandwidth or backend advantage over Apple M4 Pro (24GB)
Frequently asked questions
- Which is better for local AI, the Apple M4 Pro (24GB) or Apple M3 Pro (18GB)?
- For local AI inference, the Apple M4 Pro (24GB) has the edge. It offers 24 GB VRAM (vs 18 GB) and 273 GB/s bandwidth (vs 150 GB/s), letting it run 50 models natively in VRAM vs 34 for its rival.
- How much VRAM does the Apple M4 Pro (24GB) have vs the Apple M3 Pro (18GB)?
- The Apple M4 Pro (24GB) has 24 GB of LPDDR5X at 273 GB/s. The Apple M3 Pro (18GB) has 18 GB of LPDDR5 at 150 GB/s. The Apple M4 Pro (24GB) has 6 GB more VRAM, allowing it to run 16 models the Apple M3 Pro (18GB) cannot fit natively.
- Can the Apple M4 Pro (24GB) run Llama 3.3 70B?
- The Apple M4 Pro (24GB) does not have enough VRAM to run Llama 3.3 70B.
- Can the Apple M3 Pro (18GB) run Llama 3.3 70B?
- The Apple M3 Pro (18GB) does not have enough VRAM to run Llama 3.3 70B.
- What is the difference between the Apple M4 Pro (24GB) and Apple M3 Pro (18GB) for AI?
- The key difference for AI inference is VRAM and memory bandwidth. The Apple M4 Pro (24GB) has 24 GB VRAM at 273 GB/s (METAL backend). The Apple M3 Pro (18GB) has 18 GB VRAM at 150 GB/s (METAL backend). VRAM determines which models fit; bandwidth determines tokens per second. The Apple M4 Pro (24GB) runs 50 models natively vs 34 for the Apple M3 Pro (18GB).