What to consider
Price
The entry price is $699 for the M1 MacBook Air that was released in 2020. The newer M2 MacBook Air 13 starts at $999, and the M3 MacBook Air starts at $1,099. The 15-inch M3 MacBook Air starts at $1,299. The M3 MacBook Pro 14 starts at $1,599 while the higher-powered M3 Pro MacBook Pro 14 starts at $1,999. The M3 Pro MacBook Pro 16 starts at $2,499.
Processor
MacBooks have used Apple’s own processors since the introduction of the M1 processor in 2020, which marked a huge improvement from previous Intel-based MacBooks in overall performance, efficiency and battery life. Apple has since released M2 and most recently M3 processors, with higher-powered Pro and Max versions of the chips offered in the MacBook Pro machines.
Memory
MacBook Air models start at 8GB of RAM along with the baseline M3 MacBook Pro 14, while the minimum on the MacBook Pro model with an M3 Pro or Max chip is 16GB. MacBooks can smoothly run MacOS and the preinstalled apps with the minimum RAM offered, but doubling the RAM will make your MacBook feel faster and last longer.
We’ve been reviewing MacBooks since the very first polycarbonate MacBook appeared in 2006 — and we covered Apple’s PowerBooks and iBooks before that. Apple’s current laptop lineup is split between the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, and the differences between the two lines are significant. The current MacBook Pros are great for those who need higher-level processing and graphics performance for content creation, graphic design, advanced STEM work and gaming. The Air is more of an everyday laptop that favors portability over performance, although it has power to spare and a long battery life, according to our tests. That’s why the MacBook Air is CNET’s pick for the best MacBook for most people.
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What is the best overall MacBook?
With the release of the M4 MacBook Air this year, the MacBook Pro and Air lines now feature Apple’s latest silicon. The 15-inch MacBook Air acts as the bridge between the 13-inch MacBook Air and MacBook Pro line, providing a bigger display without the MacBook Pro premium. With Apple dropping the price by $100 for the M4 MacBook Air models, the price gap between MacBook Air and MacBook Pro is even bigger than it was before.
Starting at $1,199 at Apple (and currently discounted at $999 at Amazon), the 15-inch Air sits in the sweet spot, making it the best MacBook for most people. As I sit here in October, the larger MacBook Air is my favorite MacBook for its roomy display, trim design and reasonable price. The smaller and cheaper 13-inch Air remains a great pick for students (especially when it’s on sale for $799 at Amazon) and others with busy lives and slim wallets. Both prices are holdovers from Amazon’s Prime Day sale that just ended and represent all-time lows
Until the rumored $599 MacBook materializes, the older M1 MacBook Air remains the most affordable MacBook. The M1 Air from 2020 is available as a Walmart exclusive for $599. At the other end of the spectrum, the 16-inch MacBook Pro M4 provides the added power and bigger screen for graphics pros at a much greater expense.
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Best MacBooks of 2025
The first fork in the road you’ll come to when shopping for a MacBook is whether to follow the Air path or head down the Pro road. For people who are looking for an everyday home laptop or a work laptop for running basic office apps, a MacBook Air will suffice. An Air is also a better pick for students and people on tight budgets. For creative types who need the added processing and graphics muscle of Apple’s new M4 Pro and Max chips, a MacBook Pro is worth the added cost. To help you find the right MacBook for your needs and budget, here are the main considerations to keep in mind.
Price
The entry price for a MacBook is $649. That gets you the M1 MacBook Air that was released in 2020, but that offer is exclusive to Walmart. If you are shopping at Apple, pricing starts at $999 for the 13-inch MacBook Air M4 and $1,199 for the 15-inch MacBook Air M4. Stepping up to a MacBook Pro model starts at $1,599. Here are the starting prices of Apple’s current MacBook lineup:
- 13-inch M4 MacBook Air: $999
- 15-inch M4 MacBook Air: $1,199
- 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro: $1,599
- 16-inch M4 Pro MacBook Pro: $2,499
Size and display
If you’ll be taking your MacBook with you to class, work or even down to your local coffee shop most mornings, an Air is the better choice. The 13-inch MacBook Air models weigh less than 3 pounds, and the roomier 15-inch Air weighs only 3.3 pounds, which is still lighter than the 14-inch MacBook Pro.
The flip side to portability is screen size. The 16-inch MacBook Pro gives you ample room to work and multitask, while the 14-inch MacBook Pro tries to hit the sweet spot between roomy display and travel ease. Unless you need Pro-level performance, we feel the 15-inch Air does a better job of hitting that target.
- 13.3-inch M1 MacBook Air: 13.3-inch display (2,560×1,600 pixels), 2.8 pounds
- 13.6-inch M4 MacBook Air: 13.6-inch display (2,560×1,664 pixels), 2.7 pounds
- 15.3-inch M4 MacBook Air: 15.3-inch display (2,880×1,864 pixels), 3.3 pounds
- 14.2-inch M4 MacBook Pro: 14.2-inch display (3,024×1,964 pixels), 3.4 pounds
- 16.2-inch M4 Pro MacBook Pro: 16.2-inch display (3,456×2,234 pixels), 4.7 pounds
Processor
The processor, aka the CPU, is the brains of a laptop. MacBooks have used Apple’s own processors since the introduction of the M1 processor in 2020. The M1-based MacBooks were clear improvements over Apple’s earlier Intel-based machines in terms of overall performance, efficiency and battery life. The M1 MacBooks were more powerful, boasted longer runtimes and operated more coolly and quietly.
The latest lineup of MacBook Airs feature Apple’s latest M4 chip, and the MacBook Pro line offers a choice of M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max processors. The M4 MacBook Air models offer slightly better performance than the M3-based versions, but the jump in performance is not nearly the same as going from Intel CPUs to the M1.
Graphics
The graphics processor handles all the work of driving the screen and generating what gets displayed, as well as speeding up a lot of graphics-related (and increasingly, AI-related) operations. Apple’s M-series CPUs integrate the GPU. The more processing cores the GPU has, the better the graphics performance. Here’s the breakdown:
- M1: 7-core or 8-core GPU
- M2: 8-core or 10-core GPU
- M3: 8-core or 10-core GPU
- M4: 8-core or 10-core GPU
- M4 Pro: 20-core or 32-core GPU
- M4 Max: 32-core or 40-core GPU
Memory
Memory (or RAM) is where the operating system stores all the data for currently running applications, and it can fill up fast. After that, it starts swapping between RAM and SSD, which is slower. With the exception of the older M1 Air sold at Walmart, MacBook Air models now start at 16GB of RAM along with the 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro. The minimum on the M4 Pro MacBook Pro models is 24GB, and the M4 Max MacBook Pros serve up 36GB or more.
You can’t upgrade the memory on recent MacBooks post purchase, so you’ll need to get all of the RAM you’ll need up front. MacBooks are able to smoothly run MacOS and the preinstalled apps with the minimum RAM offered, but doubling the RAM will make your MacBook feel faster and likely lead to a longer life of the laptop.
Storage
MacBooks feature solid-state drives, or SSDs. MacBook Air models start with a 256GB SSD, and MacBook Pros offer a 512GB SSD at minimum. If you use cloud storage for your files, music collection and photo library, then you might be able to get away with a 256GB SSD without filling it up before too long. We were happy to see the 13-inch MacBook Pro with its paltry 256GB SSD go away — Pro users need 512GB at the very least.
HP OmniBook X Flip 16: While it has a handful of appealing features, this midrange 16-inch convertible ends up being a clumsy assemblage of disparate parts.
Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition: It offers a cheap path to an OLED ultraportable, but is a ThinkPad a ThinkPad without the little red nub in the middle of the keyboard?
HP OmniBook X Flip 14: This two-in-one laptop offers style, value and configuration options abound, including a 3K OLED display for only an extra $100.
Microsoft Surface Laptop (13-inch): It’s compact, solidly built and great for travel, but the 13.8-inch version is the better choice as your daily driver.
Dell 14 Plus: Skip the two-in-one and opt for the clamshell laptop I tested, when it goes on sale.
Acer Swift Go 16 (2025): Built around a beautiful 16-inch OLED screen, the latest Swift Go 16 improves on its predecessors without significant price inflation.
Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1: This big-screen, mini-LED convertible laptop certainly has some positives but there are a few too many minuses to give this Plus a full-throated recommendation.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition: It’s a great business laptop but can get pricey fast with upgrades.
Acer Swift 14 AI: This midrange Copilot Plus PC offers incredible battery life but is missing one key feature.
HP EliteBook X G1a: X does not mark the spot for this biz laptop when the Ultra version costs roughly the same and supplies a far better display inside a slimmer, more compact design.
HP EliteBook Ultra G1i: With its compact, elegant design and excellent OLED display, HP’s flagship EliteBook is a fantastic machine — but it’s worth waiting for a sale before buying.
Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 14 Gen 10: It’s ultrastylish and ultracompact, but maybe don’t hide the camera behind the display next time?
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