Founded in 1976, Apple is one of the world's largest consumer electronics manufacturers, with instantly recognizable products like the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and MacBook. Apple has a relatively small laptop lineup compared to brands like Dell, HP, Lenovo, and ASUS, ranging from the budget-friendly MacBook Neo to the thin-and-light MacBook Air and high-end MacBook Pro. MacBooks are consistently among the best when it comes to build quality and the overall user experience. Apple's in-house silicon also delivers strong performance and excellent battery life, though the entry-level MacBook Neo is better suited to lighter everyday tasks than demanding workloads.
Updates
- 08/28/2026Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5, 2026) reviewed
- 04/10/2026Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 2026) reviewed
- 11/27/2025Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025) reviewed
- 04/04/2025Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4, 2025) reviewed
- 04/02/2025Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4, 2025) reviewed
Since 2021, we've tested dozens of laptops every year. We buy our laptops to avoid bias and, following a rigorous methodology, test nearly every part of the laptop so we can deliver results you can rely on. We use a wide range of equipment to perform our tests, including a colorimeter, a Mecmesin MultiTest-i System Test Stand, and various performance benchmarking suites.
Want to know more? Check out our How We Test Laptops article, where we give you a broader overview of our review process, from the moment we purchase the product to the final review.
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Best Apple Laptop
General ProductivityMultimediaGamingWorkstationSize:14"See all our test resultsOperating System:macOSThe best MacBook we've tested is the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025). It's an exceptionally well-built premium laptop with long battery life and an excellent overall user experience, including a bright 120Hz Mini LED display, a tactile keyboard, a large haptic touchpad, great speakers, and a wide port selection. The base M5 configuration is very capable for everyday productivity, programming, and lighter creative work, but if you regularly tackle demanding tasks like high-resolution video editing, 3D rendering, or other heavily CPU- or GPU-intensive workloads, consider an M5 Pro or M5 Max configuration. These chips have substantially more CPU and GPU cores, higher memory bandwidth, and support for much more unified memory, giving them considerably more performance headroom.
The MacBook Pro also stands out for its display. Its sharp Mini LED panel has a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate, gets very bright in SDR and HDR, and is available with an optional nano-texture finish to reduce glare. The base M5 model has three Thunderbolt 4 ports, while M5 Pro and M5 Max configurations support Thunderbolt 5. If you need more screen space, consider the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M5, 2026). It provides essentially the same premium experience with a larger display and is only available with M5 Pro or M5 Max chips, making it particularly well-suited to demanding professional workloads.
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Best Mid-Range Apple Laptop
General ProductivityMultimediaGamingWorkstationSize:13.6"See all our test resultsOperating System:macOSIf you want something thinner and lighter and don't need the extra performance of an M5 Pro or M5 Max, get the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5, 2026). Its base M5 delivers performance similar to the base Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025) in most everyday tasks, and you can configure the 13-inch Air with the same 10-core GPU as the Pro. It's exceptionally well built, completely silent thanks to its fanless design, and still powerful enough for demanding multitasking, programming, and light content creation.
The main compromises compared to the MacBook Pro are its 60Hz IPS display, limited selection of two USB-C ports, and lower sustained performance during long, demanding workloads due to its passive cooling. If you want more screen space, consider the Apple MacBook Air 15. Its base configuration gets the M5's 10-core GPU instead of the 8-core GPU in the base 13-inch model, giving it a little more graphics performance, and its larger chassis provides slightly more thermal headroom. It also has a better six-speaker sound system. You can configure the 13-inch model with the same 10-core GPU, so the main reason to choose the larger model is its larger display.
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Best Budget Apple Laptop
General ProductivityMultimediaGamingWorkstationSize:13"See all our test resultsOperating System:macOSIf you want an affordable MacBook, get the Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 2026). The Neo is Apple's purpose-built entry-level laptop. It still delivers much of the experience people expect from a MacBook, with a sturdy build, long battery life, a sharp display, an excellent haptic touchpad, and a great webcam. Its A18 Pro SoC is also surprisingly capable, providing smooth performance for everyday tasks like web browsing, office work, media consumption, and general multitasking. It's an especially good option for students, as it's easily powerful enough for most typical college workloads.
The Neo only has 8GB of non-upgradeable memory, but macOS makes efficient use of it, so the laptop can handle a surprising amount of multitasking and browser tabs without feeling sluggish. That said, 8GB can become restrictive if you regularly work with large datasets, run virtual machines, or use memory-intensive creative and professional applications. Likewise, the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5, 2026) is considerably faster for sustained demanding workloads. Most people considering the Neo won't need that extra performance, though; if your needs mostly consist of schoolwork, browsing, productivity, and entertainment, the Neo provides everything you need at a much lower price.
Compared To Other Brands
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Exceptional build quality.Apple laptops, even the entry-level devices like the MacBook Air, usually feel exceptionally well-built.
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High-quality speakers.Apple MacBooks typically have excellent speakers, among the best on the market. They usually sound clear, well-balanced, and full.
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Large haptic touchpad.Apple MacBooks have arguably the best touchpads on the market. They're usually large and smooth and use haptic feedback to simulate clicks, allowing you to click anywhere on the touchpad.
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Distinct lineup.Apple usually has a small but distinct lineup, making it less confusing for consumers.
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Bright, colorful, and well-calibrated displays.
Apple MacBooks usually have a high-quality display with full DCI-P3 coverage and outstanding factory calibration.
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Apple ecosystem.MacBooks have deep integration with other Apple products, like the iPhone and iPad, adding various features like Continuity Camera, AirDrop, and Sidecar.
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Excellent customer support.Apple's customer service is among the best in the world. It usually has a physical store in most large cities, making it easy to bring a device in for repair or replacement.
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Not ideal for gaming.
There are plenty of games available on macOS, but support is still less comprehensive than on Windows. Also, while MacBook displays are typically among the best in color reproduction, their response times tend to be on the slow side, resulting in visible ghosting.
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No 2-in-1 or touchscreen option.Apple doesn't make any 2-in-1 convertibles or laptops with a touchscreen.
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Poor serviceability.
Apple laptops have soldered memory and storage, making it impossible to upgrade later on.
Apple vs Dell
Dell and Apple are very different in their approach to laptops. Dell makes a significantly larger number of models for various uses and price segments, while Apple has a much smaller lineup ranging from the budget-friendly MacBook Neo to the MacBook Air and high-end MacBook Pro. Dell's premium productivity laptops are often compared to Apple laptops in build quality and user experience. However, unlike Apple, which designs its own Apple silicon, Dell uses processors from companies like Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm. See our recommendations for the best Dell laptops.
Apple vs Microsoft
Microsoft and Apple are similar in some ways but very different in others. Both companies have relatively small laptop lineups and tighter control over hardware and software integration than most other OEMs, as they also develop their respective operating systems. Microsoft experiments more with form factors, offering traditional laptops and detachable 2-in-1 tablets with touch and pen input, while Apple only makes clamshell laptops without touchscreens. Both companies are among the best when it comes to build quality.
Apple vs Lenovo
Apple and Lenovo are very different. Lenovo produces a huge range of laptops, including mobile workstations, ultraportables, gaming laptops, 2-in-1s, and Chromebooks. Apple's lineup is much smaller, ranging from the budget-friendly MacBook Neo to the MacBook Air and high-end MacBook Pro. Lenovo tends to experiment more with unusual form factors and features, like a secondary e-ink display, ultrawide laptops, and dual-screen laptops. See our recommendations for the best Lenovo laptops.
Apple vs ASUS
ASUS and Apple are quite different. ASUS makes a wide range of Windows and ChromeOS devices across various price points, including gaming laptops, ultraportables, and 2-in-1s, while Apple's much smaller lineup ranges from the entry-level MacBook Neo to premium MacBook Air and Pro models. Apple tends to provide a more consistent user experience across its lineup, particularly when it comes to touchpads, speakers, and webcams. ASUS tends to experiment with new form factors and features, like dual-screen laptops, tablet gaming PCs, touchpads with an integrated numpad function, and more. ASUS laptops are generally more serviceable, allowing users to upgrade the memory and/or storage, though they're less stable on the software side. See our recommendations for the best ASUS laptops.
Apple vs HP
As the other laptop manufacturers mentioned, HP produces a significantly wider range of laptops at various price points, including Windows productivity models, gaming models, and Chromebooks. HP offers everything from inexpensive everyday laptops to premium and workstation models, giving it a much broader range of options than Apple. Apple's smaller lineup tends to provide a more consistent build quality and user experience. Also, unlike MacBooks, HP laptops often come with a lot of resource-intensive bloatware that can noticeably affect performance. HP laptops typically have more configuration options, which can be a good or bad thing: it lets you configure the laptop to better suit your needs and budget, but it makes the buying decision more complicated. See our recommendations for the best HP laptops.
Apple vs Acer
Acer and Apple take very different approaches to laptops. Acer makes a much wider range of models for productivity, gaming, and content creation, with a particularly large selection of budget laptops and Chromebooks. Apple now competes at the lower end with the MacBook Neo, but its overall lineup remains much smaller and is centered around the Neo, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro. See our recommendations for the best Acer laptops.
Apple vs LG
LG and Apple both make premium productivity-focused laptops, but they prioritize different things. LG's gram laptops are known for being exceptionally light for their screen size and often provide features Apple doesn't, like OLED touchscreens, 2-in-1 designs, pen input, and wider port selections. MacBooks generally feel sturdier, last longer on battery, and provide a more polished overall user experience.
Apple has a relatively small laptop lineup, ranging from the budget-friendly MacBook Neo to the MacBook Air and high-end MacBook Pro. MacBooks generally stand out for their build quality, battery life, performance, and tight integration with other Apple devices, while macOS makes efficient use of memory. However, Apple doesn't offer touchscreen or 2-in-1 models, and gaming support remains less comprehensive than on Windows, with relatively slow display response times also being common across the lineup.
Lineup
Apple currently has five laptops in its lineup:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M5, 2026) – Available with M5 Pro or M5 Max SoCs.
- Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025) – Available with M5, M5 Pro, or M5 Max SoCs.
- Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5, 2026) – Available with an M5 SoC with a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU.
- Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5, 2026) – Available with an M5 SoC with a 10-core CPU and either an 8- or 10-core GPU.
- Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 2026) – Available with an A18 Pro SoC with a 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU.
Recent Updates
Sep 17, 2026:
We updated our recommendations to reflect Apple's current MacBook lineup, replacing the previous picks with the latest M5 models and adding the MacBook Neo as our new budget pick. We also refreshed the article throughout to reflect the latest models and features.
Dec 02, 2025:
Small text changes to add the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025) to the lineup.
Apr 03, 2025:
Replaced the M3 Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024) with the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4, 2025) since the M3 model was discontinued. Replaced the M2 Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) with the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024) as the budget pick.
Feb 04, 2025:
Added comparison with Acer. No change in recommendations.
Dec 09, 2024:
Replaced the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (M3, 2023) with the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2024) since the M3 model is discontinued.
Conclusion
If you're looking for a laptop for school, everyday productivity, or demanding professional work, Apple MacBooks are among the best options available, whether you're already in the Apple ecosystem or not. The lineup now ranges from the affordable MacBook Neo to the powerful MacBook Pro, and MacBooks generally stand out for their build quality, long battery life, performance, and polished user experience. However, if you want a touchscreen or 2-in-1 convertible, you'll need to look at a Windows laptop or Chromebook. Windows is also the better choice if you want the widest possible game compatibility.
If you're interested in shopping for Apple-compatible peripherals, check out our recommendations for the best printers for Mac.
