macOS Sierra supports the same installation and upgrade methods that most Mac users are familiar with.

In this guide, we’ll cover the clean install option. If you’d rather perform an upgrade install, check out our complete guide to upgrading to macOS Sierra.

Upgrade installation is the easiest way to upgrade your Mac to macOS Sierra. This method preserves your current user data, documents, and apps while upgrading your existing macOS startup drive to macOS Sierra. The advantage is that your Mac is ready to use as soon as you upgrade, with your data intact and ready to go.

On the other hand, a clean install option will erase existing data on the destination drive and replace it with a pristine copy of macOS Sierra. A clean install is a good choice if you’re experiencing software issues with your Mac that you can’t resolve. While a clean install may fix the problem, you’ll be starting from scratch; your current user data and applications will be gone.