Perplexity Computer runs on a 36GB Mac
Perplexity said on the 20th of October 2026 that its Computer agent can run fully on a Mac with Alibaba's Qwen 3.6. It recommends 36 GB of memory, and the cheapest Mac with that much costs 2,499 dollars.
Perplexity Computer, fully on your MacPerplexity Computer can now run fully on a Mac, without the internet, Perplexity said on the 20th of October 2026. Perplexity recommends a Mac with 36 GB of memory or more.
Perplexity Computer is an AI agent, a program that does tasks for you, such as working with your files and apps. Until now it ran on Perplexity's computers online.
Who gets it: Pro, Max and Enterprise users
The local mode is open to Perplexity Pro, Max and Enterprise users, the blog says. Max costs 200 dollars a month, Perplexity's help page says, and Enterprise Pro starts at 40 dollars a month for each person.
The AI model on your Mac: Alibaba's Qwen 3.6 or PPLX Pro
You can pick Alibaba's Qwen 3.6 or PPLX Pro, a version of Qwen that Perplexity trained further, the blog says. Perplexity does not say how large either model is.
Your files, the planning and the thinking stay on the Mac, the blog says.
Below we break down which Macs have 36 GB or more
Apple's store showed these prices on the 24th of October 2026. The cheapest Mac with 36 GB built in is the Mac Studio with the M5 Max chip, at 2,499 dollars.
The 14 inch MacBook Pro with M5 Max and 36 GB starts at 4,099 dollars, and the 16 inch at 4,399.
The blog names the new Mac mini with M6 as an example. Apple sells that model with 32 GB at most, which is 4 GB under the advice, by our arithmetic.
The Mac mini with the M5 Pro chip can be ordered with 48 or 64 GB, Apple's store shows. Its price with that much memory did not show on the page Daily Agentic read.
What is confirmed and what is not
With your yes, the agent can still go online for fresh news, web browsing or apps linked to the cloud. It can also ask one of more than 15 large online models for hard problems, the blog says.
Perplexity does not say how many usage credits a local task costs.
Key facts
Announced by Perplexity on the 20th of October 2026.
Runs Alibaba's Qwen 3.6 or Perplexity's PPLX Pro on the Mac.
36 GB of memory or more recommended.
Cheapest Mac with 36 GB: Mac Studio, 2,499 dollars.
Source: Perplexity blog, Perplexity Computer now runs fully local on Mac