What are the Photoshop system requirements?

Requirements change with each release. Our requirements page lists Windows and macOS side by side using values the site owner keeps in sync with Adobe's published specification.

Is Photoshop available for Windows?

Yes, there is a Windows desktop version. Check the Windows requirements page for the supported releases, processor, memory, graphics and disk space.

Does Photoshop work on Mac?

Yes. Recent versions run natively on Apple silicon and on supported Intel Macs. See the Mac page for details.

What are the best free Photoshop alternatives?

Photopea runs in a browser and reads PSD files. GIMP is a mature desktop editor. Krita suits illustration, Paint.NET suits lighter Windows work, and darktable handles RAW photography.

Windows and macOS side by side

Photoshop System Requirements

Check these before you start a large download or a time-limited trial. Values are maintained against the publisher's own specification; anything not yet configured is shown as a gap rather than filled in with a guess.

Short answer

Photoshop needs a 64-bit Windows or macOS release that is still supported, a GPU with current drivers, generous memory, and considerably more free disk space than the installer size for scratch files. The two specification tables below compare Windows and macOS directly.

See download optionsPublisher's specificationOpens authorized external source: helpx.adobe.com

Windows

Operating system: Windows 10 (v22H2) or Windows 11, 64-bit
Processor: Multicore Intel, AMD or ARM processor with SSE 4.2 / AVX2 support
RAM (minimum): 8 GB
RAM (recommended): 16 GB or more
Graphics card: GPU with DirectX 12 support (feature level 12_0), less than 7 years old
Graphics memory: 1.5 GB minimum; 4 GB for 4K displays
Hard disk space: 10 GB minimum; 100 GB recommended on a fast SSD
Screen resolution: 1280 × 800 minimum; 1920 × 1080 or higher recommended
Internet: Required for activation, subscription validation and online services

macOS

Operating system: macOS Sonoma 14 or later
Processor (Apple silicon): Apple M1 chip or later
Processor (Intel): Multicore Intel processor with 64-bit and SSE 4.2 support
RAM (minimum): 8 GB
RAM (recommended): 16 GB or more
Graphics card: GPU with Metal support
Graphics memory: 1.5 GB minimum; 4 GB for 4K displays
Hard disk space: 10 GB minimum; 100 GB recommended on a fast SSD
Screen resolution: 1280 × 800 minimum; 1920 × 1080 or higher recommended

Reading a spec sheet

What actually affects how it feels

Two machines that both meet the minimum can behave very differently. These are the factors that decide which one is pleasant to work on.

Minimum means it starts, not that it flows

Minimum specifications describe the point at which the application launches and runs. Comfortable editing of large layered files sits closer to the recommended column.

Memory over clock speed

For photo work, more memory usually helps more than a faster processor. Layer count and document size drive memory use far more than anything else.

Graphics acceleration

Many transforms, blurs and brush features use the GPU. An unsupported or badly driven card shows up as stutter rather than as an error message.

Free disk space is not optional

Beyond installation, the application needs working space for scratch files. Running a system drive near full degrades performance across the board.

If your machine falls short

You have three realistic options. Work at smaller document sizes and fewer layers; use a browser-based editor that does the heavy lifting elsewhere; or choose a lighter desktop editor. Several of the free alternatives — Paint.NET in particular — run happily on hardware that struggles with a full creative suite.

Platform-specific detail

Notes on Windows releases and driver issues are on the Windows page. Apple silicon and Intel guidance is on the Mac page. Once you have confirmed your hardware, the installation guide covers the rest.