Some features require an Apple ID terms apply.OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.6 or later or OS X Lion 10.7 already installed.Mac computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, or Xeon processor.Mac OS X 10.7 Lion is available for older systems that are not compatible with the latest version of macOS and requires the following: MacDailyNews Note: To get Lion and Mountain Lion for free, with important caveats (see below), don’t visit the Mac App Store where they’re still $19.99 each, but visit Apple’s support documents for those operating systems: MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer).Also, the oldest OS an M1 Mac can run is Big Sur. You can’t install an old OS on top of a newer one. Mountain Lion runs on the Macs below, but you may not be able to downgrade to it unless you completely reformat the drive. Lion runs on Macs that came prior to the launch of Mountain Lion in 2012. Until recently, the downloads cost $19.99, but Apple is now offering Lion and Mountain Lion for free. Released in 20, Mac OS X Lion and its successor OS X Mountain Lion were the last two paid software updates for the Mac.
