Softonic surfaced the first M6 Mac mini benchmarks this week, and the numbers are a legitimate speed boost even for people who thought Apple Silicon had already found its ceiling. Which raises the fair question: when a new Mac shows up (M6 mini, M5 MacBook Air, the rumoured next Studio), how do we actually check whether the marketing lines up with the workloads we care about? These seven benchmark apps cover CPU, GPU, storage, and real-world creative and dev workloads on Apple Silicon, with honest notes on where each one still lags behind the Windows tooling.
What to look for in a Mac benchmark app
- Native Apple Silicon build. Rosetta 2 shims skew results in ways that make comparisons useless.
- Metal support where the app touches the GPU. Anything relying on OpenGL is measuring emulation, not the chip.
- Reproducibility. The same run on the same machine should land within a small variance window; run three passes and average.
- Score databases to compare against similar Macs, not just “big number good”.
- Coverage of the workload we actually care about: compile times, video render, ML inference, gaming, or storage throughput.
- Sensible free tier. Most benchmarks still ship a free run; the paid versions usually add reporting or automation.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Starting price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 | Cross-platform CPU and GPU baseline | Free single-run mode | Pro license paid | CPU (single, multi), GPU (Metal, OpenCL) |
| Cinebench 2024 | Cross-platform CPU render benchmark | Free | None | CPU render, GPU RT render |
| 3DMark | Cross-platform GPU stress and gaming | Demo | Full unlock paid | GPU, gaming workloads |
| Blender Benchmark | Real-world CPU and GPU render | Free | None | Blender GPU and CPU render times |
| GFXBench Metal | Metal-native GPU testing | Free | None | Sustained Metal graphics performance |
| AmorphousDiskMark | Storage benchmark for Apple Silicon | Free | None | Sequential and random storage IO |
| Xcode Instruments | First-party profiling for anything else | Free with Xcode | None | CPU, GPU, energy, memory profiling |
The apps
1. Geekbench 6 – Best cross-platform CPU and GPU baseline
Geekbench 6 is the benchmark most reviewers reach for first. Its cross-platform score database is huge, its single-thread and multi-thread numbers are directly comparable to Windows and Linux systems, and the GPU test on Apple Silicon runs through Metal for a fair chip-to-chip comparison.
Where it falls short: Short bursts favour peak clocks over sustained performance. It is not a thermal test; run something like Blender or Cinebench alongside for the long-running picture.
Pricing:
- Free: single-run mode with results uploaded to the browser database
- Paid: Pro license for automated runs, private results, and CLI integration
Platforms: macOS, Windows, Linux.
Download: primatelabs.com/geekbench.
Bottom line: Every Apple Silicon benchmark session should start with Geekbench 6, because that is the number the rest of the internet will be comparing to.
2. Cinebench 2024 – Best CPU render benchmark with a real workload
Cinebench 2024 rebuilt the classic render benchmark on Redshift, added GPU RT render on the Mac side, and rewrote the CPU test for modern core counts. It is a real workload (film render code) rather than a synthetic loop, and it stresses cores for long enough that thermal design matters.
Where it falls short: Longer runs than Geekbench, so ends up as a “run once and go get coffee” test. Not useful for gaming or storage.
Pricing: Free.
Platforms: macOS, Windows.
Download: maxon.net/en/downloads/cinebench-2024-downloads.
Bottom line: Cinebench 2024 is the reference for “how long will a real render take on this chip”.
3. 3DMark – Best for GPU stress and gaming workloads
3DMark covers the graphics side properly. Time Spy, Steel Nomad Light, and the Wild Life suite compare Apple Silicon GPUs against desktop cards through a set of standardised workloads that game reviewers already trust. The Mac build stays close to the Windows one, so results carry.
Where it falls short: Free demo runs a smaller subset. Some tests still lean on OpenGL or Vulkan; on Metal-only Macs the coverage is narrower.
Pricing:
- Free: demo with a subset of tests
- Paid: full unlock via Steam or UL benchmarks
Platforms: macOS, Windows.
Download: store.steampowered.com/app/223850 (Steam).
Bottom line: Reach for 3DMark when the workload question is “how does the GPU behave under game-shaped stress”.
4. Blender Benchmark – Best real-world CPU and GPU render
Blender Benchmark runs a set of reference scenes on the CPU and, on Apple Silicon, on the Metal-accelerated GPU. Because Blender is an actual tool people use to earn a living, the numbers translate directly: “this MacBook renders the Classroom scene in X seconds” is a metric a working artist can act on.
Where it falls short: Long runs. Metal support is newer than the CUDA and OptiX paths on NVIDIA, so cross-platform comparisons still favour NVIDIA at the top end.
Pricing: Free.
Platforms: macOS, Windows, Linux.
Download: opendata.blender.org.
Bottom line: Blender Benchmark is the render number that carries weight with anyone who ships Blender work.
5. GFXBench Metal – Best Metal-native GPU testing
GFXBench Metal runs graphics tests written for Metal, which matters for Apple Silicon GPUs because it removes the compatibility layer. Sustained-performance mode loops a test scene until thermals settle, exposing the difference between a burst-happy MacBook Air and a longer-holding MacBook Pro.
Where it falls short: Fewer eyeballs than 3DMark, so score-database comparisons are thinner. Some tests have not been updated as often as the platform has.
Pricing: Free.
Platforms: macOS.
Download: gfxbench.com.
Bottom line: Use GFXBench Metal to see what the Apple GPU actually does when Metal is the target.
6. AmorphousDiskMark – Best storage benchmark on Apple Silicon
AmorphousDiskMark replicates the ATTO-and-CrystalDiskMark experience on macOS. Sequential and random reads and writes at multiple queue depths, native Apple Silicon build, and results that carry across generations of Mac SSDs and external drives.
Where it falls short: Storage benchmarks are always sensitive to background load; close everything before the run. Free app, though donations are the polite response.
Pricing: Free.
Platforms: macOS.
Download: katsurashareware.com/amorphousdiskmark.
Bottom line: AmorphousDiskMark is the tool to verify a new Mac’s SSD is not the surprise bottleneck.
7. Xcode Instruments – Best first-party profiling for anything else
Xcode Instruments is Apple’s own performance suite. CPU sampling, GPU frame capture, energy profiling, memory pressure, thread state; anything Apple Silicon reports, Instruments can graph. For engineers who care why a specific workflow is slow rather than what the top-line score is, this is the tool.
Where it falls short: Aimed at developers. Not a benchmark in the leaderboard sense; the output is traces, not scores.
Pricing: Free with Xcode.
Platforms: macOS.
Download: developer.apple.com/xcode (bundled with Xcode).
Bottom line: Instruments is the answer to “why is this specific thing slow on my Mac”, not “how big is the number on this Mac”.
How to pick the right one
If we want the number the rest of the internet compares to: Geekbench 6.
If we want a long real-workload CPU number: Cinebench 2024.
If we care about gaming and GPU stress: 3DMark.
If our job is Blender: Blender Benchmark, no debate.
If we want a Metal-native GPU test: GFXBench Metal.
If a new SSD or Thunderbolt drive is on the desk: AmorphousDiskMark.
If we are chasing a specific slowdown in our own code: Xcode Instruments.
FAQ
What is the best free Mac benchmark app?
Geekbench 6 in single-run mode is the strongest free general-purpose pick. Cinebench 2024 is free and long-form; Blender Benchmark, GFXBench Metal, AmorphousDiskMark, and Xcode Instruments are all free too.
Does Geekbench 6 run natively on Apple Silicon?
Yes. Geekbench 6 ships as a universal binary and runs natively on every current Apple Silicon Mac.
How do I check if my Mac’s SSD is slow?
Run AmorphousDiskMark with sequential 1MB and random 4K tests at queue depths 1 and 32. Compare against published results for the same Mac model on r/mac and r/macmini. Any large gap points at background load, thermal throttling, or an aging cell.
Can I benchmark GPU workloads on Apple Silicon reliably?
Yes, through 3DMark’s Metal tests, GFXBench Metal, and Blender Benchmark’s Metal path. Geekbench 6’s GPU score covers the compute side. Avoid tools that only test OpenGL, because OpenGL is deprecated on macOS and results are not representative.
What benchmark do reviewers use for new Macs?
Geekbench 6 for the CPU headline, Cinebench 2024 for sustained CPU, 3DMark for GPU, and Blender Benchmark for the render angle. That combination shows up in almost every Mac review this year.