The first release of the new OS — Mac OS X Server 1.0 — used a modified version of the Mac OS GUI, but all client versions starting with Mac OS X Developer Preview 3 used a new theme known as Aqua. Aqua was a substantial departure from the Mac OS 9 interface, which had evolved with little change from that of the original Macintosh operating. Use About This Mac to check the version of Mac operating system installed, and find out whether it's the latest (newest, most recent) version. Which macOS version is installed? From the Apple menu in the corner of your screen, choose About This Mac.
Get an ultimate backup app
Running the latest software is not always the best decision. There are plenty of reasons you might want to downgrade or run an older version of macOS on your computer.
You may find that after the latest update your computer runs slower, your apps don’t function, or that the programs you need to run are not yet compatible with the upgrade. Maybe as a developer, you want to create a test environment to ensure your software runs properly in all available versions of OS X - check out the infographic below. Or you may simply like the look of the old version better (no judgement) and not want to upgrade until absolutely necessary.
Keep your apps while downgrading
Get Setapp, a collection of Mac apps that strengthen your macOS. Whenever you decide to downgrade, your apps will travel with you.
How to Install Old OS X on Your Mac
Although you might think that going back to the old macOS is not possible by looking at the App Store Updates tab, it’s actually quite easy to do. In this article, we’ll take you through everything you need to download and install an old OS X on your Mac.
Prepare your Mac first
Make sure you are ready to downgrade your operating system by checking in with what version of OS X you already have and ensuring you have enough hard drive room to download the older version. Clicking the apple in the top left corner of your desktop and selecting About This Mac will allow you to see what OS X version you are currently running. Tabbing over to Storage will let you know how much disk space you have available. You’ll need around around eight gigabytes free depending on which macOS you downgrade to.
Even if you do have enough space, it’s a good idea to clean your computer before installing the desired operating system. You can, of course, do so manually by deleting unused files and uninstalling old software to free up disk space. Depending on how tidy you are, this might take quite a bit of time.
To make things easy, use a specialized app like CleanMyMac, which will quickly free up space by detecting unused apps and large files, and offering to completely delete them, with all their hidden corresponding files, in one quick click.
Optimizing your Mac with CleanMyMac is effortless:
- Launch CleanMyMac
- Select the Smart Scan tab and click Scan
- Review Details to see the list of suggested optimizations
- Click Clean
To uninstall certain apps, find the Uninstaller tab and select the apps you haven’t been using for a while.
Download CMM X to prepare for Big Sur
The only solution that will free up disk space, remove duplicates, and solve tons of problems to prepare your Mac for a new macOS
The final preparation step is to make sure you back up all your important files to cloud storage or an external drive. A proper backup app like Get Backup Pro can save you a lot of headache here.
To create a new backup with Get Backup Pro:
- Connect your external hard drive
- Click the plus icon in the bottom left corner
- Type in the name for your backup
- Choose your external drive as a destination
- Adjust all the settings according to your preference and click OK
- Tap the play button once you ready to perform the backup
Grab an old macOS with Setapp
Downgrading to previous operating systems on Mac gets easier. To put it shortly, Setapp has your back here.
Download the OS X you want
Once you have space on your computer, figure out what version of OS X you would like to install. You can see all previous versions of OS X your Mac has installed by opening up the App Store and clicking the icon in Applications. Tab to the Purchase page of the menu and scroll down to find the line for previous operating systems. Clicking the install button of the macOS you want will begin downloading the file.
What if I can’t find the version I want in the app store?
If your goal is to download a version of macOS that you have not already used, or, that was not available as an update from the App Store after you bought your Mac, you may need to purchase it. The earliest versions, OS X Lion and OS X Mountain Lion are available on the Apple Store’s website and arrive to you via email for download. OS X Snow Leopard ships as a boxed version and requires a disk drive to install.

It could be helpful to know where you sit on the timeline of macOS X updates. Below is a chronological list of all the updates beginning with the most recent update, High Sierra, released in 2017:
- OS X High Sierra 10.13
- OS X Sierra 10.12
- OS X ElCapitan 10.11
- OS X Yosemite 10.10
- OS X Mavericks 10.9
- OS X Mountain Lion 10.8
- OS X Lion 10.7, released in 2011
Visiting the Apple Support’s Downloads page makes it easy to search for any version of macOS you might need, and most are available for free. Downloads for previous versions of OS X are linked below and include:
Alternative sources for downloading macOS
If you can’t find the version you want from Apple, ask a friend who is running the macOS you’re looking for to make a copy of the installer file for you. Downloading a .dmg file from a torrent site may seem a quick solution, but it means risking your security. Alternatively, you could hit up your nearest Apple Store. They will likely have image files of all the different versions of the software and help you install it right there as well.
Install the macOS
If you download the file from the App Store, the installer will start immediately. Follow the prompts and be prepared to restart your computer. If you acquire the installer from another source, just downloading the file will not install the OS X right away on your Mac, you’ll need to find the file in your Downloads or Applications folder, then open and run the installer from the downloaded file.
I can’t download an old version of Mac OS X
A downgrade is different than an upgrade. When you try to downgrade macOS, the installer may not launch right away depending on which versions of macOS you are moving between. If your installer does not launch, or you get an error message that reads: “This copy of the ‘Install OS X’ application is too old to be opened on this version of OS X,” you’ll need to use a bootable USB or external drive to work around this problem.
Get a bootable drive with OS X
Creating a bootable USB or a bootable drive is not complicated. You’ll need an external drive with enough space to hold your desired OS X on it and a basic familiarity with Terminal, Apple’s command line interface.
If you’re uncomfortable using Terminal to execute basic commands, use an app like Disk Drill to help create a boot drive. Whether you use Terminal or Disk Drill, our guide on creating a bootable installer will walk you through all the necessary steps.
Remove the old OS X
Once your drive is prepared with your bootable version of OS X, erase the unwanted version. After you restart your computer, press and hold Command + R. When you enter the macOS Utilities screen, navigate to Disk Utility, click continue, and find your Startup Disk. Tab to the Erase page and name the file you want erased (e.g. macOS High Sierra). Then select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) from the dropdown menu. Hit Erase and quit out of Disk Utility. This will return you to the OS X Utilities selector.
Install the bootable version of OS X
If you used Disk Drill for creating your bootable drive, a window will prompt your actions for using the install disk you made. But if you created your own using Terminal, use OS X Utilities Selector and find Reinstall OS X. Find and select your install disk with your bootable version of your preferred macOS, and click continue through to the license agreement. Once you agree, you should be prompted by the installer. Once the installation is completed, your computer should restart. If it does not restart itself, make sure you restart it normally. The downgrade should be complete!
As you can see, downgrading your OS X is not as dreadful as you might think, especially if you use helper apps like CleanMyMac, Get Backup Pro, and Disk Drill — all of which are available for a free trial on Setapp. So downgrade away!
macOS evolution inforgaphic
Big Sur macOS 11 November 19, 2020 Epic design change: new Control Center, notifications, and more. With the transition to Apple’s M1 chips, you can now run iOS apps natively on Mac. | |
October 7, 2019 iTunes is replaced by dedicated apps for music, movies, and podcasts. It’s now possible to port iOS apps to macOS and expand your workspace with Sidecar. | |
Mojave macOS 10.14 September 24, 2018 Visual refinements introduced via Dark Mode and Dynamic Desktoptake central stage in Mojave. The new apps migrating from iOS include Stocks, News, Home, and Voice Memos.. | |
September 25, 2017 Major improvements go unnoticed for a user, but the overall performance skyrockets, due to embracing Apple File System and a new video standard, HEVC. | |
Sierra macOS 10.12 September 20, 2016 With Sierra, OS X dies and macOS is born. The renamed system introduces even more iOS perks like Siriand unlocking Mac with Apple Watch. | |
September 30, 2015 El Capitan features Split Views– dual-window functionality for arranging and managing app windows. Plus, OS X 10.11 comes with improved Safari, Mail, and Spotlight. | |
Yosemite OS X 10.10 October 16, 2014 A completely new sleek design is what Yosemite is remembered for. Continuityand Handoffintegrated into the new OS strengthen bonds between iOS and OS X devices. | |
October 22, 2013 Maps, iBooks, and Tagsdebut in the first inanimate OS X – Mavericks. To enable secure password encryption and storage, iCloud Keychainin introduced. | |
Mountain Lion OS X 10.8 July 25, 2012 Mountain Lion adds new integrations and further iOS perks like Reminders, Notes, and Messages. It gets easier to track app updates via the Notification Center. | |
July 20, 2011 iCloudarrives. Apart from that, lots of iOS advancements find reflection in OS X Lion, covering Launchpad, multi-touchgestures, and more. | |
Snow Leopard OS X 10.6 August 28, 2009 While Leopard did a great job, Snow Leopard arrives to refine it even more. Mainly, it comes with apps rewritten in 64 bit and OpenCL. The 2009 OS X release is also known for Mac App Storelaunch. | |
October 26, 2007 Long-awaited and Mac-changing. Leopard gives a spectacular leap, introducing Time Machine, Boot Camp, QuickLook, and full support for 64-bit software. | |
Tiger OS X 10.4 April 29, 2005 A rich harvest for Mac, Tiger marks the launch of 200+ new features. Spotlightsearch and Dashboardare the top stars, with Apple TV, Automator, and VoiceOver joining the crowd. | |
October 24, 2003 Panther release introduces Exposé, a feature for seamless management of open applications. Safariofficially becomes the default web browser. | |
Jaguar OS X 10.2 August 23, 2002 A large grey Apple logoappears for the first time, replacing Happy Mac at startup. Optimized search functionality of Finder and the first release of Accessibility API – Universal Access. App arrivals: iChat and Address Book. | |
September 25, 2001 No big functionality updates, the focus is shifted to performanceinstead. From improved file management to CD and DVD burning, Puma just makes it work better. | |
Cheetah OS X 10.0 March 24, 2001 “When you saw it, you wanted to lick it,” said Steve Jobs about Aqua– the brand new UI born with the release of Cheetah. Preview, Mail, QuickTime, and TextEdit make debut at this point. |
Current Stable Version
The current stable release of GIMP is 2.10.28 (2021-09-14).
We think your OS is Well, we don't actually know. Either JavaScript is disabled, or I am not working quite right... So I am showing you all the options.
Show downloads for GNU/LinuxmacOSMicrosoft WindowsAll
GIMP for Unix-like systems
Warnings and information
Flatpak build available in: x86-64 and AArch64 (note: i386 and ARM-32 versions used to be published, yet are now stuck at GIMP 2.10.14 and 2.10.22 respectively).
If available, the official package from your Unix-like distribution is the recommended method of installing GIMP!
The flatpak build is new and has known limitations, though it will likely provide faster updates, following GIMP releases closely.
Therefore choose your installation medium according to your needs.🤫Pssst... want to check out the GIMP 2.99.6 development release? Get it on our development downloads page 🧪.
Flatpak additional instructions
The flatpak link above should open your software installer and prompt you to install GIMP. Yet it may not work out-of-the-box on some platforms since the flatpak technology is new. If that is the case, ensure flatpak is installed and if clicking the link still does not prompt to install GIMP, then manually install by command line:
flatpak install https://flathub.org/repo/appstream/org.gimp.GIMP.flatpakref
All Os X Versions In Order
Once installed, it will be made available exactly the same way as other applications (menus, desktop overview, or any specific application launch process used by your desktop).
If this is not the case, we suggest to report a bug to your desktop or distribution asking for proper support of flatpak. In the meantime, you can still run it by command line (not as the recommended method, only a workaround):
flatpak run org.gimp.GIMP//stable
This installation will also provide regular update. You don't have to come back on this page and install again (it will not work!) when a new version of GIMP is released. Instead if your distribution and/or desktop has a good support for flatpak, it should propose to perform updates.
Once again, if your distribution does not have proper support, you can always fall back to using the following command line:
Download Mac Os X All Versions
flatpak update
Systems without flatpak support
GIMP can also run on Solaris and is available for the BSD family of systems such as FreeBSD and OpenBSD.
Please refer to the documentation for your Unix-like system on the installation of software.
GIMP for macOS
Note: the currently available package provides GIMP 2.10.24 and has not yet updated to the latest version, GIMP 2.10.28. We're working on that, please check back later.
The download links above will attempt to download GIMP from one of our trusted mirror servers. If the mirrors do not work or you would rather download directly from our server, you can get the direct download here.
Warnings and information
Supported OS: macOS 10.9 Mavericks or over
- !IMPORTANT! ⚠️ App Store: GIMP team does not provide any downloads using Apple's App Store at the moment. Any downloads on the store are created by third party and is not in anyway connected to the GIMP team.
Since version 2.8.2, GIMP runs on macOS (OSX) natively. No X11 environment is required.
Native build
The official GIMP 2.10 DMG installer (linked above) is a stock GIMP build without any add-ons. Just open the downloaded DMG and drag and drop GIMP into your 'Applications' folder.
The SHA256 hash sum for gimp-2.10.24-x86_64.dmg
is: d835afd64b4a617516a432a4ff78454594f5147786b4b900371a9fa68252567a
Check it on VirusTotal: gimp-2.10.24-x86_64.dmg
Older Downloads
Previous installers for OSX can be found here: download.gimp.org.
Macports
An easy way to compile and install GIMP and other great Free software on your Mac is by using Macports. The installer allows you to choose from a large directory of packages. To install gimp using Macports, you simply do sudo port install gimp
once you have Macports installed.
Last we checked, the GIMP port file pointed to the current stable release and we have reports from people who've built GIMP successfully this way.
Homebrew
Homebrew is similar to Macports and provides packages (aka formulas) to install, either by compiling them from source or by using pre-made binaries. There are indications that there is now a formula for GIMP, installable with: brew tap homebrew/cask && brew install --cask gimp
.
NOTE! Please be aware that it was announced recently that Homebrew is using analytics. To turn this off in homebrew then run: brew analytics off
You can read more about this on Brew Analytics.
Fink
Fink is a package repository that offer mostly precompiled binaries. It provides the apt-get command known to e.g. Debian and Ubuntu users, and installing GIMP is as easy as sudo apt-get install gimp
once you have installed the Fink installer.
If there's no binary package, then fink install gimp
will compile GIMP from source.
Disclaimer: we haven't been able to determine if it is possible to install or build recent GIMP from Fink. Last we checked, GIMP 2.6.12 appears to be the most recent GIMP package that is offered there.
GIMP for Windows
The download links above will attempt to download GIMP from one of our trusted mirror servers. If the mirrors do not work or you would rather download directly from our server, you can get the direct download here.
Warnings and information
- These links download the official GIMP installer for Windows (~200 MB). The installer contains both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of GIMP, and will automatically use the appropriate one.
- BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer file sharing system. It works by downloading GIMP from a distributed network of BitTorrent users, and may improve download speed dramatically. Choosing this option will download the torrent file for the GIMP installer. You may need to install a torrent client to make use of this file. Learn more...
- !IMPORTANT! ⚠️ Microsoft Store: GIMP team does not provide any downloads using Microsoft Store at the moment. Any downloads on the store are created by third party and is not in anyway connected to the GIMP team.
🤫Pssst... want to check out the GIMP 2.99.6 development release? Get it on our development downloads page 🧪.
Hash Sum
The SHA256 hash sum for gimp-2.10.28-setup.exe
is: 2c2e081ce541682be1abdd8bc6df13768ad9482d68000b4a7a60c764d6cec74e
List All Os X Versions
Check it on VirusTotal: gimp-2.10.28-setup.exe
Older Downloads
- Previous v2.10 installers for Windows can be found here: download.gimp.org.
- Previous v2.8 installers for Windows can be found here: download.gimp.org.
GIMP User Manual
These links download language-specific Windows installers for GIMP's local help. By default, they will place the help files with your GIMP installation.
Note: GIMP uses online help by default. If you want to use this local help offline, you will need to change GIMP's help settings.
- In GIMP, select [Edit] > [Preferences] > [Help System]
- For 'User manual', select 'Use a locally installed copy'
- Under 'Help Browser', you can choose between your system's web browser and GIMP's help browser plugin (if available).
See the online help for more settings.
- Chinese Simplified (39 MB)
- Catalan (40 MB)
- Danish (39 MB)
- Dutch (39 MB)
- English (39 MB)
- English (United Kingdom) (39 MB)
- Finnish (39 MB)
- French (41 MB)
- German (41 MB)
- Greek (38 MB)
- Italian (43 MB)
- Japanese (39 MB)
- Korean (40 MB)
- Norwegian Nynorsk (35 MB)
- Portuguese Brazilian (40 MB)
- Romanian (39 MB)
- Russian (40 MB)
- Spanish (40 MB)
Source for version 2.10 (Stable)
GIMP releases are also available as source tarballs from gimp.org and its mirrors, containing the source code to compile for your system: https://download.gimp.org/mirror/pub/gimp/v2.10/
Hashes of latest releases to check the integrity of the tarballs:
- gimp-2.10.28.tar.bz2 (sha256):
- 4f4dc22cff1ab5f026feaa2ab55e05775b3a11e198186b47bdab79cbfa078826
- gimp-2.10.24.tar.bz2 (sha256):
- bd1bb762368c0dd3175cf05006812dd676949c3707e21f4e6857435cb435989e
- gimp-2.10.22.tar.bz2 (sha256):
- 2db84b57f3778d80b3466d7c21a21d22e315c7b062de2883cbaaeda9a0f618bb
- gimp-2.10.20.tar.bz2 (sha256):
- e12f9f874b1a007c4277b60aa81e0b67330be7e6153e5749ead839b902fc7b3c
- gimp-2.10.18.tar.bz2 (sha256):
- 65bfe111e8eebffd3dde3016ccb507f9948d2663d9497cb438d9bb609e11d716
- gimp-2.10.16.tar.bz2 (sha256):
- cbf9fe9534b913a9487b00cd9710cbc569bfd71fdd2f8c321547701a7d70cbeb
- gimp-2.10.14.tar.bz2 (sha256):
- df9b0f11c2078eea1de3ebc66529a5d3854c5e28636cd25a8dd077bd9d6ddc54
- gimp-2.10.12.tar.bz2 (sha256):
- 7d80b58e0784120d57d327294f6a1fda281ff51a61935c2cd764da281acaac71
- gimp-2.10.10.tar.bz2 (sha256):
- 12d1f243265c7aee1f2c6e97883a5c90ddc0b19b4346cf822e24adbb6c998c77
- gimp-2.10.8.tar.bz2 (sha256):
- d849c1cf35244938ae82e521b92b720ab48b8e9ed092d5de92c2464ef5244b9b
- gimp-2.10.6.tar.bz2 (sha256):
- 4ec8071f828e918384cf7bc7d1219210467c84655123f802bc55a8bf2415101f
- gimp-2.10.4.tar.bz2 (sha256):
- ffb0768de14a2631b3d7ed71f283731441a1b48461766c23f0574dce0706f192
- gimp-2.10.2.tar.bz2 (sha256):
- 1cb0baaecdefe44d371a15f2739a1bcbce4682336b4ccf8eb7b587ce52c333eb
- gimp-2.10.0.tar.bz2 (sha256):
- 7fcc96fb88cb0a0595d2610f63a15dec245bb37bf9db527d37a24fb75e547de2
For instructions, how to build GIMP from source code, please see this page.
You may want to read the Release Notes for GIMP 2.10.
User Manual
GIMP help files are available at https://download.gimp.org/mirror/pub/gimp/help/.
Development snapshots
We now have a separate page for development versions of GIMP.
Mac Os X All Versions
Want to check out the GIMP 2.99.6 development release?
Get it on our development downloads page.