All options for installing Stable Diffusion and generating AI images on Mac (M1 or M2)

Stable Diffusion is a text-to-image AI that can run on computers like Mac M1 or M2. In this article, we'll guide you step-by-step on how to install and use Stable Diffusion on your Mac. For reasonable speed, make sure you're using a Mac with an Apple Silicon chip (M1, M2, or M3) and ideally 16GB of memory or more.

⚠️ Warning: Installing Stable Diffusion requires a powerful machine. An 8GB GPU is recommended for using Stable Diffusion, and comfortable use generally requires more power. If you don't have a sufficiently powerful machine, a good alternative is to use a cloud solution.

Learn more about creating images on the cloud

Possible options for installing SD on Mac

🧠 Update - 09/04/2024
The procedures described in this article are still valid and will allow you to install and use Stable Diffusion. If you have an M1 or M2, there is now a simpler method that will probably suit you better if you're not used to using command lines:
Use the one-click installer from Stability Matrix

The most complete and powerful option is to install the AUTOMATIC1111 graphical interface - but its installation is not done with a simple click and requires some manipulation. We will therefore also cover 3 other installation options for Stable Diffusion on Mac: Draw Things, Diffusers, DiffusionBee.

Each of these options has its advantages and disadvantages in terms of functionality and ease of installation.

AUTOMATIC1111

If you're feeling adventurous or want to become an expert, I recommend using AUTOMATIC1111, an advanced level graphical interface. This marvel will be essential if you want to follow most of our tutorials, use ControlNet or other advanced features of Stable Diffusion.

How to install AUTOMATIC1111?

[Installation steps for AUTOMATIC1111]

Using AUTOMATIC1111 on Mac

To install AUTOMATIC1111 on your Mac, follow these steps:

1. If you haven't already, install Homebrew, a package manager for Mac:

Open the Terminal application, type the following command and press Enter:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"


1. Install the necessary dependencies: Open a new terminal and execute the following command:

brew install cmake protobuf rust python@3.10 git wget


1. Clone the AUTOMATIC1111 repository by executing the following command in the terminal:

git clone https://github.com/AUTOMATIC1111/stable-diffusion-webui

A new stable-diffusion-webui folder will be created in your home directory.

1. You'll also need a model to use Stable Diffusion: Download Stable Diffusion SDXL or another model and place the file in the stable-diffusion-webui/models/Stable-diffusion folder. You can access it in the Finder application. In the top menu, click Go, then Home. Double-click to access the stable-diffusion-webui folder, then models, and finally Stable-diffusion. When you've completed this step, the Stable-diffusion folder should contain two files.

Using AUTOMATIC1111 on Mac

Follow these steps to start and use the AUTOMATIC1111 graphical interface for Stable Diffusion:

1. Open a new terminal and execute the following command:

cd ~/stable-diffusion-webui;./webui.sh

This may take some time on the first run.

1. Open a web browser and go to the following URL: http://127.0.0.1:7860/

2. You should see the AUTOMATIC1111 graphical interface. Enter "a sheep" as text and press Generate to test the interface.

3. Close the terminal when you're done. Follow steps 1 and 2 of this section again the next time you want to use AUTOMATIC1111.

📘 To fully enjoy the many possibilities of this interface, we have prepared a complete manual for AUTOMATIC1111 in French.

Advantages:

• Best features among all applications
• One of the most well-known applications for which a large part of the tutorials and guides available online are written.

Disadvantages:

• Difficult to install for less tech-savvy people
• Difficult to grasp for a beginner

Draw Things

How to install Draw Things?

Draw Things is an Apple application that can be installed on iPhones, iPads, and Macs like any other application.

Simply go to the Draw Things page in the App Store and click the "Get" button.

Advantages and disadvantages of Draw Things

Advantages:

• Easy to install
• Offers several models
• Has a good set of features like Inpainting and LoRa support
• Also available on iPhone and iPad

Disadvantages:

• Fewer features than AUTOMATIC1111

Diffusers

How to install Diffusers?

Diffusers is a Mac application developed by Hugging Face, where many Stable Diffusion models are hosted.

To install Diffusers, go to its page in the App Store and click the "Get" button.

Advantages and disadvantages of Diffusers

Advantages:

• Easy to install
• Allows use of models hosted on Hugging Face

Disadvantages:

• Very limited features

DiffusionBee

How to install DiffusionBee?

DiffusionBee is an app that allows you to use Stable Diffusion directly on your computer, without an internet connection.

Here's how to install DiffusionBee step by step on your Mac:

1. Go to the DiffusionBee download page and download the installer for MacOS - Apple Silicon. A .dmg file will be downloaded.
2. Double-click to run the downloaded .dmg file in Finder. A window will open.
3. Drag the DiffusionBee icon from the left to the Applications folder on the right. The installation is now complete!

Using DiffusionBee

To launch DiffusionBee, use the Spotlight search bar by pressing Command + Space. Type "DiffusionBee" and press Enter to start the application.

DiffusionBee will download some models when it first launches. Once finished, you can start using Stable Diffusion!

Try entering a prompt like "modern disney (baby lion) jumping on rocks" in the text box and click Generate.

It works pretty well! You can click the Options button to customize your images, such as image size and CFG scale.

Advantages and disadvantages of DiffusionBee

Advantages:

• Numerous features (inpainting, outpainting, upscaling...)

Disadvantages:

• Still fewer features than AUTOMATIC1111
• Does not (yet) support Stable Diffusion XL

What's Next?

Remember, this guide is designed to help you get started with Stable Diffusion on your Mac. As you become more comfortable with these tools, you'll discover even more exciting possibilities for AI-generated art!

StableDiffusion #MacAI #AIArt #MachineLearning