How to download OS X El Capitan

Can your Mac use El Capitan?

OS X El Capitan requires any of the following Mac models and versions of OS X. It also requires at least 2GB of memory and 8.8GB of storage space.
  • OS X Yosemite
  • OS X Mavericks
  • OS X Mountain Lion
  • OS X Lion
  • OS X Snow Leopard

To find your model, memory, storage, and macOS version, choose About This Mac from the Apple () menu.

Get El Capitan from the App Store

Now that High Sierra is available, you should upgrade to High Sierra instead of El Capitan. For security and compatibility reasons, Apple always recommends using the latest version of macOS. 
If your Mac doesn't support High Sierra, or you're using Snow Leopard or Lion and would like to upgrade to High Sierra, follow these steps:
  1. Use this link to open the El Capitan page on the App Store: Get OS X El Capitan.
  2. Click the Download button on the El Capitan page. A file named Install OS X El Capitan downloads to your Applications folder.
  3. After download is complete, the installer opens automatically. Click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions.







Installer screen