Best MacBooks We've Tested (August 2025)

Yahoo

14 hours ago

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, though 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.
What is the best overall MacBook?
With the release of the M4 MacBook Air earlier this year, both 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 regularly 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 August, 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) and others with busy lives and slim wallets. The older MacBook M1 is still available as a Walmart exclusive for just $599 for budget shoppers, and the 16-inch MacBook Pro M4 provides the added power for graphics pros but at a greater expense.
For more, please read my MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro comparison and you can also check out the new look and features of the next version of Apple's Mac operating system, MacOS Tahoe.
Read more: Best VPN for Mac
Best MacBooks of 2025
Most recent additions
The new M4 versions of the MacBook Airs are the newest additions to the list. The 15-inch Air acts as the bridge between the 13-inch MacBook Air M4 and MacBook Pro line and offers fans the best of both worlds: a larger display without the MacBook Pro premium. Since Apple has dropped the price by $100 for the M4 MacBook Air models, the price gap between the Air and Pro has grown.
Factors to consider when buying a MacBook
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 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 the13-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 (2,560x1,600 pixels), 2.8 pounds
13.6-inch M4 MacBook Air: 13.6-inch display (2,560x1,664 pixels), 2.7 pounds
15.3-inch M4 MacBook Air: 15.3-inch display (2,880x1,864 pixels), 3.3 pounds
14.2-inch M4 MacBook Pro: 14.2-inch display (3,024x1,964 pixels), 3.4 pounds
16.2-inch M4 Pro MacBook Pro: 16.2-inch display (3,456x2,234 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.
How we test laptops
The review process for laptops consists of two parts: performance testing under controlled conditions in the CNET Labs and extensive hands-on use by our reviewers. This includes evaluating a device's aesthetics, ergonomics and features with respect to price. A final review verdict is a combination of both objective and subjective judgments.
Our benchmark tests consist of a core set we run on every compatible system, including several we can run on both MacOS and Windows PCs. There's also an extended set of tests for specific use cases, such as gaming or content creation, where systems may have more powerful GPUs or higher-resolution displays that need to be evaluated.
For the hands-on portion of the reiview, the reviewer uses the laptop for their work during the review period, evaluating how well the design, features like the screen, camera and speakers) and manufacturer-supplied software operate as a cohesive whole. We also place importance on how well everything works given the cost, and where the manufacturer has potentially made upgrades or trade-offs for the price.
The list of benchmarking software and comparison criteria we use changes over time as the devices we test evolve. You can find a more detailed description of our test methodology on our How We Test Computers page.
Other laptops we've tested
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?
Laptop FAQs
Which is better: MacOS or Windows?
For many people, deciding between a MacOS laptop and a Windows machine will come down to personal preference and budget. Apple's base model laptop, the M4 MacBook Air, starts at $999. You can sometimes find it discounted or you can get educational pricing from Apple and other retailers. In general, it'll be at least $1,000 for a new MacBook, and the prices just go up from there.
For the money, you're getting great hardware top to bottom, inside and out, but you're limited to just Apple laptops. With Windows and Chromebooks, you get an amazing variety of devices at a wide range of prices.
Software between the two is plentiful, so unless you need to run something that's available on only one platform, you should be fine to go with either. Gaming performance is definitely an advantage for Windows laptops, though.
What's the difference between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro?
On the whole, MacBook Pro models are more powerful and more expensive, while also being slightly thicker and heavier than their Air counterparts.
The MacBook Air is available with a 13.6-inch or a 15.3-inch display. The 13-inch Air starts at $999, and the 15-inch Air starts at $1,199. The MacBook Pro is available with a 14.2-inch or 16.2-inch display. The 14-inch Pro starts at $1,599, and the 16-inch Pro starts at $2,499.
The 16-inch model has such a higher starting price because it has a more powerful M4 Pro chip, while the base model of the 14-inch Pro features a regular M4 chip. The M4 Pro chip in the 16-inch MacBook Pro is truly a pro-level processor, with 14 CPU cores and 20 GPU cores, while the M4 chip in the baseline 14-inch model has 10 CPU cores and 10 GPU cores.
If you don't need the power of a MacBook Pro, you can save on weight with an Air. The 13-inch MacBook Air weighs 2.7 pounds, and the 15-inch Air weighs 3.3 pounds. The 14-inch MacBook Pro weighs 3.4 pounds, and the 16-inch Pro weighs 4.7 pounds.
For more, check out my MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro article.
Which Macs support Apple Intelligence?
The current generation of MacBook Air and Pro models as well as the previous generation allow you to use Apple Intelligence features. Both the M3 and M4 chips feature a 16-core neural engine that supports Apple Intelligence, but Apple claims that the M4 is twice as fast as the M3 with AI workloads.
What are the best MacBook alternatives?
The two Windows laptops I've tested that come closest to a MacBook's mix of solid build quality, streamlined design, strong performance and long battery life are the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 and HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14. Based on a Qualcomm Snapdragon X CPU, the Surface Laptop 7 offers strong application and AI performance along with outstanding battery life. It was the first Windows laptop I've tested with a longer runtime than that of the MacBook Air. The OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 doesn't offer as long a runtime but supplies a high-resolution OLED display that detracts from battery life, but is beautiful to look at.