Memory and storage are two of the most important things to consider when buying a new MacBook as they can both have a big impact on how well your Mac does what you want it to do and how quickly it runs. If it’s your first Mac, or you’ve just never given it much thought, you might be wondering what the difference is between the two. Keep on reading to find out.
Memory vs storage on Mac explained
Memory and storage have several things in common. They both store data, their capacities are both measured in gigabytes (GB), and the speed at which they operate directly affects the speed of your Mac.
However, there are some key differences, too. The most important one is that data stored in memory is held only for a short time — while the application that’s using it needs it — and all memory is cleared when your Mac shuts down. Storage, on the other hand, is used to hold files in the long term and retains data when your Mac is shut down.
Memory (RAM) | Storage (Hard drive of SSD) | |
Function | Temporarily holds data and applications currently in use | Permanently stores data and apps |
Speed | Blazing fast read and write speed | Slow compared to memory; SSD is faster than hard drive |
Capacity | Starts at 8gb; maximum capacity is up to 32 GB for iMac and MacBook Air, 128GB on MacBook Pro and Mac mini, 192GB on Mac Pro, and 512GB on Mac Studio | Usually, starts at 256GB (128GB in older Macs); maximum capacity is up to 2TB on MacBook Air and iMac, 8TB on MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and Mac Pro, and 16TB on Mac Studio |
Volatility | Volatile — loses data when the power is off | Non-volatile — retains data with no power |
Examples of use | Running apps, temporary data processing | Saving files, storing apps and macOS, backups |
Let’s take a look at each in detail.
What is memory?
Memory, also known as RAM, is used to store data by applications as you use them. Memory is also used by the system to allow it to run. Typically, when an application runs a task, it performs a series of calculations and stores the results of those calculations in memory so it can retrieve them quickly when it needs them. To complicate things further, the results of calculations most often needed by an app are not stored in RAM but in cache on the main CPU. For our purposes, though, we can think of RAM as a place to store data used by applications while the applications are running.
How much memory do I need?
Macs with Apple silicon tend to use RAM more efficiently than Intel-based Macs, so, all other things considered, they need less RAM. That’s one reason why most shipped with 8GB RAM rather than 16GB or 32GB for a long time after Apple launched its M-series Macs. You can check how much memory your Mac has by going to System Settings > General > About.
Generally speaking, the more complicated the applications you use, the more RAM you need. Check the table below to learn how much memory might be just fine for you.
How much memory and storage do I need? | |||
User | Tasks | Memory needed | Storage needed |
Casual | Email, web browsing, messaging, word processing | 8GB | 256GB |
Intermediate | Image editing, basic audio and video editing, gaming | 16GB | 215GB |
Heavy | Video effects, professional video and audio editing, working with large 2D and 3D images | 32-64GB | 1-2TB |
Pro | Data-intensive scientific research, engineering modeling, AI and machine learning engineering, high-end video production, working with animation and visual effects | 64GB+ | 2TB+ |
You may also wonder if you can upgrade memory on Mac. The answer is both yes and no – check out this article to learn more.
What is storage?
Storage is where data is kept for the long term. Application binaries, your photos and documents, movies and music you download, and anything else that needs to be kept after your Mac shuts down is put in storage.
Every Mac comes with built-in storage, but you can add more by connecting an external hard drive, SSD, or USB stick. And you can also use online storage like iCloud Drive or Google Drive.
How much storage do I need?
Again, that depends on what you use your Mac for. If you work with video, audio, or large images, for example, you will need much more than if you only use your Mac for email, web browsing, and writing.
Even if you don’t store large documents, you may be surprised by how much storage you use. To find out, go to System Settings > General > Storage. That will give you an idea of how much of your Mac’s built-in storage you have used and what it is used for.
How to keep your Mac running smoothly
When your Mac runs low on memory or storage space, it can start misbehaving by running slowly or crashing. If the problem is a lack of storage space, it can be difficult to fix without deleting or moving lots of files. And while you can use the Storage section of System Settings to help, if you don’t want to remove files or applications, there’s little it can do.
One solution is to free up what’s known as purgeable space. Purgeable space includes temporary files, cache files, and files that can easily be redownloaded, so clearing it won’t impact the way you use your Mac.
The easiest way to free up purgeable space is to use the Performance feature in CleanMyMac. It can identify that and other tasks that need to be run to improve performance, such as thinning out Time Machine snapshots, and it allows you to run them with a click.
Here’s how it works:
- Get your free CleanMyMac trial.
- Click Performance > Scan > View All Tasks.
- In the Maintenance Tasks tab, select Free Up Purgeable space and click Run.
If you want to free up storage space, you can use two other features from CleanMyMac: My Clutter and Cleanup. And to free up memory, check out the Menu App — you can open it by clicking a little iMac icon in the menu bar.
The distinction between memory vs storage on Mac is an important one. Both play a key role in the way your Mac runs, but they have different jobs. Memory is like the space on a desk where you keep things you need to access quickly while you work. Storage is more like a filing cabinet where you put files that you don’t need right now but will do later. The question of how much of each you need is not easy to answer, but we’ve shown you above how that changes depending on what you use your Mac for.
