Does Agisoft Metashape Work on Apple M1 and M2 Macs? Compatibility Guide
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Does Agisoft Metashape Work on Apple M1 and M2 Macs? Compatibility Guide

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With Apple’s transition from Intel to its own ARM-based silicon chips like the M1, M1 Pro/Max, and M2, many users have wondered: Does Agisoft Metashape work on Apple Silicon Macs? The answer is yes—with some important caveats. In this article, we’ll explore the current compatibility status, performance expectations, and best practices for running Metashape on Apple M1 and M2 devices.

Does Metashape Run on Apple M1/M2?

Yes, Agisoft Metashape runs on Apple Silicon Macs via Rosetta 2, Apple’s translation layer that allows Intel-based apps to run on ARM processors. The current version of Metashape (as of 2024) is not yet natively compiled for ARM64 architecture, but it runs reliably on M1 and M2 Macs using Rosetta.

Agisoft has confirmed general support for macOS Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura, and Sonoma running on Apple Silicon.

Native Apple Silicon Support?

As of today, there is no official ARM-native version of Metashape for macOS. However, Agisoft has mentioned that native support is in development for future releases.

Performance on Apple M1/M2 Macs

Even without native support, Metashape runs surprisingly well on M1/M2 Macs thanks to Rosetta’s efficient translation and Apple’s powerful architecture.

  • Photo Alignment: Fast and stable
  • Dense Cloud Generation: Slower than high-end discrete GPUs
  • Mesh/Texture Build: Consistent performance with CPU parallelization
  • Thermal and fan control: Excellent (especially on M2 MacBook Air/Pro)

GPU Acceleration: Is It Supported?

Agisoft Metashape does not currently utilize Apple M1/M2 GPUs via the Metal API for GPU acceleration. Instead, GPU-accelerated steps like depth maps or mesh construction are processed using the CPU only on M1/M2 systems.

This means that tasks that are GPU-intensive on Windows or Linux (with NVIDIA CUDA/OpenCL) are slower on Mac, even with Apple’s advanced GPU cores.

How to Install Metashape on M1/M2 Macs

  1. Download the latest .dmg installer from download page Agisoft Metashape
  2. Right-click the installer → Open With → Installer (to bypass security)
  3. Once installed, right-click the Metashape icon and choose “Open Using Rosetta”

Rosetta 2 is pre-installed on most M1/M2 Macs, but if you encounter errors, install it using:

/usr/sbin/softwareupdate --install-rosetta

Tips for Best Performance on Apple Silicon

  • Use SSD storage for image and project data
  • Close other apps during dense cloud and mesh processing
  • Lower image count or resolution for large projects (under 500 images is ideal)
  • Use chunking to divide complex reconstructions

RAM Recommendations

Most MacBooks with M1 or M2 chips come with 8 GB or 16 GB of unified memory. While 8 GB is usable for small projects, 16 GB is the recommended minimum for any professional work in Metashape. For complex scenes, 32 GB or more is ideal.

Use Cases Where M1/M2 Macs Work Well

  • Photogrammetry for education and academic research
  • Architectural modeling (low/medium scale)
  • Drone mapping (up to 300–500 images)
  • Quick prototyping and model reviews

When to Avoid Using M1/M2 Macs

If your workflow includes:

  • Large image sets (1000+ images at 20 MP or higher)
  • High-precision dense clouds with GPU acceleration
  • Scripted or headless processing pipelines that rely on CUDA/OpenCL

In these cases, a Windows or Linux workstation with an NVIDIA RTX GPU is a better choice.

Alternatives for GPU Acceleration on Mac

  • Run Metashape via Windows ARM in Parallels (experimental)
  • Cloud processing: Use EC2, Azure, or AWS GPU instances
  • Offload GPU-intensive steps to a remote workstation

Conclusion

Agisoft Metashape does work on Apple M1 and M2 Macs, and the performance is quite good for small to medium projects—even if GPU acceleration is not supported natively. If you’re doing photogrammetry on the go or in education, Apple Silicon is a viable option. But for heavy 3D reconstruction, a dedicated GPU workstation or cloud processing remains essential.

Keep an eye on future updates—native ARM support and Metal-based GPU acceleration are likely coming soon to make Metashape even more powerful on macOS.