Get Acorn

Your Mac’s new
side hustle.

Install Acorn, choose when it can run, and let your Mac pick up paid work while you’re away.

Download for Mac →

Version: 1.0.1 · Released 2026-10-12 · 14.7 MB download

Apple Silicon (M1 or newer) · macOS 14 or later

First setup downloads about 1.75 GB for the current Whisper transcription model and encoder. Extracted models and temporary files need additional space; Acorn checks available disk space during setup. Download time depends on your connection.

Download interrupted? Retry the download above. Model setup stopped? Check the app’s storage message and free space if requested. Get setup help →

Getting started

Three simple steps.
To earn with Acorn.

  1. Download and open.

    Open the downloaded file, then drag Acorn into your Applications folder.

  2. Make yourself at home.

    Open Acorn from Applications and follow the setup prompts. Acorn gives this Mac its own worker identity—there’s no account sign-in—then asks for a contact email, schedule, and resource limits. Adding a payout method is optional and can wait until later. Acorn stores downloaded models under ~/Library/Application Support/Acorn/, so allow some time and spare storage for the first setup.

  3. Set Acorn’s schedule.

    Choose when Acorn can work, then leave your Mac plugged in. Balanced, the default, allows light work while you use it and more when you’re away. Choose Gentle during setup for away-only work. You can change this later in Schedule & limits.

Before you try it

Made to fit into your day.

Your chip does the work.

Acorn processes jobs supplied by customers. It doesn’t request access to your personal documents, camera, microphone, or screen recording.

How we handle security →

Your schedule comes first.

Run Acorn around classes, study sessions, or downtime. Choose away-only work or allow work alongside you while plugged in. You can pause or quit anytime; a running calculation may take time to stop.

How Acorn works →

A little acorn. Right in your menu bar.

Check in on your Mac’s work and watch your earnings add up, all from your menu bar. Your controls are always a click away.

Explore earnings →

Before you get started.

Will it work on my Mac?

Choose Apple menu → About This Mac. Look for an Apple M-series chip and macOS 14 or later. Intel Macs aren’t supported. Use a Mac you own or have permission to enroll.

Can I change my mind?

Of course. Pause for a break, quit the app, or use Acorn’s built-in uninstall option to remove it and its local files.

How to uninstall →
Something didn’t work. What now?

You don’t need to troubleshoot in Terminal. Tell us what you see and which Mac you’re using. If macOS shows a warning you’re unsure about, ask us before changing your security settings.

Get help →
Download details

SHA-256: sha256: 56b58799db93c6fb9ec9a486cac20fb2fb177c45d105b94ec2d3efb89761289d