Mac Studio Rental

Two Mac Studio configurations

Machine	Memory	SSD	6 months	12 months
Mac Studio M5 Max	36GB	512GB	$549/mo	$529/mo
Mac Studio M5 Ultra	96GB	1TB	$1,199/mo	$999/mo

These are the starting configurations. More memory or storage is available on request. Each Mac Studio is a physical machine assigned to one customer, not a slice of a shared host.

Prices in USD per month for each machine's starting configuration. More memory, storage or several machines? Ask us.

Why unified memory matters

On Apple silicon the CPU and GPU share one pool of unified memory. There is no separate graphics card with its own, smaller memory, so the GPU can work directly on models, textures and datasets that would not fit on many discrete cards. By default macOS lets the GPU use most of that memory, roughly two-thirds to three-quarters of it.

That is the main reason to choose a Mac Studio over a Mac mini. The M5 Max starts at 36GB and the M5 Ultra at 96GB, against 16GB or 24GB on our Mac mini plans.

What a Mac Studio rental is good for

Local LLMs and machine learning

A 4-bit quantised model needs roughly 0.5–0.7GB of memory per billion parameters, plus room for context. As a rough guide, the 36GB M5 Max suits models in the 30B class, and the 96GB M5 Ultra can hold 70B-class models at 4-bit. Long context windows need more, so leave headroom. Tools such as Ollama, llama.cpp and Apple's MLX run natively on Apple silicon. For a deeper walkthrough, see running local LLMs on a Mac Studio or Mac Studio LLM hosting.

Rendering, video and 3D

GPU-bound work such as 3D rendering, video encoding and Metal compute benefits from the larger GPU and the memory behind it. Batch jobs can run unattended over SSH. For interactive work, a low-latency streaming tool like Parsec gives a more responsive desktop than general-purpose remote access.

Large builds

Big Xcode workspaces and monorepos with many targets compile faster when there is enough memory for parallel jobs and simulators without swapping. The 1TB SSD on the M5 Ultra holds several Xcode versions and large DerivedData folders comfortably.

M5 Max or M5 Ultra

• Choose the M5 Max when 36GB is enough: models up to the 30B class, one heavy creative app at a time, or large builds that outgrow a Mac mini. At $529/mo on 12 months, it is the entry point to Mac Studio.
• Choose the M5 Ultra for 70B-class models, several models loaded at once, big scenes or datasets, or several heavy jobs running side by side. You also get twice the storage.

If your work fits in 24GB, a Mac mini rental costs a fraction of the price. Mac mini vs Mac Studio as a server walks through the trade-offs.

Terms and billing

Mac Studio machines are rented on 6- or 12-month terms. The 12-month term is cheaper per month: the M5 Max goes from $549 to $529, and the M5 Ultra from $1,199 to $999. Pay by card through Stripe, PayPal, Bitcoin or USDT, all in USD, or from account credit.

After payment we set up the Mac Studio and email you. Access details appear under My Macs. We send renewal invoices before the renewal date, and you can change term or cancel at the end of the term. For several Mac Studios working together, tell us what you need.

FAQ

Can I rent a Mac Studio monthly?

No. The Mac Studio M5 Max and M5 Ultra are available on 6- and 12-month terms. For month-to-month use, look at the Mac mini M4 or M6.

What size LLM can a Mac Studio rental run?

Roughly, 30B-class models at 4-bit on the 36GB M5 Max and 70B-class models at 4-bit on the 96GB M5 Ultra. Context length changes the numbers, so leave headroom.

Can I get more than 96GB of memory?

Prices are for the starting configuration, and more memory is available on request. Tell us what you need.

Is the Mac Studio shared with anyone?

No. It is a dedicated physical Mac Studio assigned only to you for the term.