The best MacBook to buy in 2025: tested and reviewed

There isn’t one bad MacBook in the lineup right now. They’re all fast, well-built, and long-lasting, and among the best laptops you can buy. But that doesn’t the one you buy will necessarily end up being the best option for your needs. And by that, I mean the most affordable MacBook that without losing any performance or features you’d actually benefit from. In other words, the best MacBook for you.

Having reviewed every device in the lineup myself, I offer you the following suggestions based on my real testing and hands-on experience with these MacBooks, one of which should be the perfect match for you.

The best MacBook you can buy

MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4)

When it comes to delivering the best overall MacBook experience, I have to recommend the M4 MacBook Pro 14-inch. There are more powerful versions of the MacBook Pro, and there are certainly more affordable ones. But if you want the premium MacBook experience (and probably don’t need the extra performance), look no further than the M4 MacBook Pro.

The model got a number of sweet improvements in this year’s update, including the 12-megapixel webcam and option for the nano-texture glass display. And according to my own testing, you’re getting a significant bump in single-core CPU and GPU performance.

But the thing that makes it such a solid value is the starting configuration, which now comes with 16GB of RAM. The 8GB starting configuration in 2023’s M3 model made it hard to recommend in terms of pricing. But now, this 14-inch MacBook Pro tips the scales against the 15-inch MacBook Air M3, especially with its better screen and broader array of ports. I love that Apple has a MacBook at the middle of its lineup that finally feels worthy of the “Pro” designation without costing an arm and a leg.

MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4)

The best MacBook you can buy

The best budget MacBook

MacBook Air 13-inch (M2)

Despite being over two years old, the M2 MacBook Air is easily the best budget-minded MacBook in the lineup. From that perspective, it’s really the MacBook that most people should consider buying first. Not only is it the most affordable option still sold by Apple but it actually has also been updated in 2024 to include 16GB of RAM in the starting configuration. That’s a huge deal, especially considering that the price hasn’t changed.

The 13-inch M2 MacBook Air first launched in 2022, bringing a redesigned look that had a slimmer chassis, thinner bezels, and an improved 1080p webcam. The focus here was on portability, though. It remains one of the thinnest laptops you can buy, even to this day.

You might be wondering why I recommend the M2 MacBook Air over the M1 or M3 MacBook Air. After all, the M1 is cheaper, while the M3 has significantly improved GPU performance. But the M2 MacBook Air is the perfect balance, getting you the newer and more portable design and improved performance. And yes, you’re foregoing the vastly improved GPU performance in the M3, but if you’re the MacBook Air’s target audience, you likely won’t notice that difference in day-to-day use. This is the go-to option for college students and remote workers, so long as you don’t need support for more than one external monitor.

MacBook Air 13-inch (M2)

The best budget MacBook

The most powerful MacBook

MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Max)

Most people shouldn’t buy the M4 Max MacBook Pro 16-inch. It’s a very large, very powerful, and very expensive laptop. In fact, if you don’t know the specific reason why you need the M4 Max, you can probably get away with the M4 or M4 Pro. But for those creative professionals who really need the fastest device possible, the M4 Max MacBook Pro is incredible.

Of course, it has all the hallmarks of the MacBook Pro that make it such a premium laptop, whether that’s the delightful mini-LED screen, the great port selection, and 12-megapixel webcam. You can also configure the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 Max as well, and the only real difference between the two outside of size is the speakers. The 16-inch MacBook Pro has the absolute best speakers on any laptop, especially in terms of providing extra bass to the sound profile.

I tested the M4 Pro version of the MacBook Pro and was incredibly impressed by the performance. The M4 Max takes things even further, of course, going from 20 GPU cores up to 32 or even 40 GPU cores. Opting for 40 cores also opens up the maxed-out configurations, including going up to 128GB of unified memory and 8TB of storage.

MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Max)

The most powerful MacBook

The most affordable MacBook

MacBook Air (M1)

This four-year-old MacBook is still worth purchasing, but only for the right audience. The M1 chip, which debuted Apple Silicon, is no longer than class-leader it once was. But considering its age, you’ll be surprised at how well it holds up — especially in terms of battery life.

It uses the old design, yes, but there are actually some benefits to that. First off, it doesn’t have that distracting notch. It also uses the classic wedge shape, which many people still like. And when I originally reviewed it, this little fanless laptop had ground-breaking performance and battery life. But these days, this recommendation is all about price. Apple doesn’t sell it anymore, but you can find this laptop for around $500 at third-party retailers, depending on the sale, and that’s just astounding. It’s heads and tails better than the Windows laptops and Chromebooks that are sold around this price, making it a fantastic laptop for high school students or people who need a very basic laptop for travel.

Now, as I mention above, I do think most people should opt for the M2 or M3 MacBook Air. There are enough improvements to warrant the cost, but let’s be real: there’s never been a MacBook to sell at this low of a price that’s actually worth buying. I wish there were more configurations available, as you’ll likely be stuck with only 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, but if price is your main concern, the M1 MacBook Air will delight you.

MacBook Air (M1)

The most affordable MacBook

The best 15-inch MacBook

MacBook Air 15-inch (M2)

The 15-inch MacBook Air is in a tough spot right now. There’s only a $100 difference between the latest M3 version of the 15-inch MacBook Air and the 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro when both are configured with 512GB of storage.

The main advantage the M3 15-inch MacBook Air has over the 14-inch MacBook Pro is the starting price. Unlike the Pro, the Air starts at a 256GB SSD configuration, which allows for a much lower starting price. It’s also quite a bit thinner than the MacBook Pro — despite having a larger screen. But really, it’s that lower starting price that might attract you since the MacBook Pro is better in nearly every way.

The value proposition of the 15-inch MacBook Air improves, however, when you dip back to the M2 model. Despite being an older chip, Apple has still raised the base RAM configuration up to 16GB without jacking up the price. Yes, you’re still losing the extra GPU performance that comes with the M3 model, but like I said in my recommendation for the 13-inch MacBook Air, that GPU performance likely won’t be all that important for the day-to-day needs of a MacBook Air owner. After all, if you really could use that GPU performance, you should be opting for a Pro or Max configuration anyways.

Lastly, I should note that Apple charges you extra for the 15-inch MacBook Air’s larger screen over the 13-inch MacBook Air, but if you really like the idea of a larger screen, the 15-inch MacBook Air has its place.

MacBook Air 15-inch (M2)

The best 15-inch MacBook

What you should consider

What’s the best MacBook for photo and video editing?

If you’re a professional photo or video editor, you’re going to want to consider either the Pro or Max configurations of the MacBook Pro. Not only does the MacBook Pro provide you with the best screen for careful color grading and even HDR support, the extra GPU performance will drastically speed up tasks like applying edits, rendering, and exporting.

If you’re more of a hobbyist, you can no doubt get by with less, though I’d recommend at least trying to pick up something with an M3 chip, which provided a significant uplift in GPU performance over the previous generation.

Should you buy a refurbished MacBook?

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with picking up a refurbished MacBook. Apple sells them directly from its own store, and you’ll find “renewed” or “refurbished” models in retailers like Amazon or Best Buy as well. Apple even has its own network of “authorized resellers” that often offer revamped laptops. Having this authorized reseller status means the company has access to genuine Apple parts, so you know that any refurbished MacBook it sells is full of high-quality parts rather than cheap knockoffs.

But be careful on pricing. Make sure the discount is significant enough to warrant using a used device, especially considering the changes that happen between generations of models.

MacBook or iPad?

There’s a lot of overlap between MacBooks and iPads these days in terms of price and capabilities. That’s especially true when you consider the expensive 13-inch iPad Pro M4. And though you can do many of the things on an iPad that you can on a MacBook, I recommend most people to buy a MacBook Air. It’s a more familiar computing environment for accomplishing the types of tasks you buy a laptop for.

Unless you have specific reasons or preferences about iPadOS over macOS, you’re bound to run into limitations that cause frustrations if you’re using it as your primary work or school device. Each year, iPadOS takes steps toward being a proper laptop replacement, but it’s not quite there yet.

How we test

I test every MacBook with the same benchmarks and tests, many of which are the same I use when reviewing Windows laptops. I run a colorimeter on the display to check brightness, color accuracy, and contrast, as well as detailed battery testing to see how quickly it drains in various tasks.

Every score and measurement must be taken in context of where MacBooks have been in the past and how laptops are testing across the aisle in Windows world. We’re certainly in a new era here with Apple Silicon, but comparisons between MacBooks and Windows laptops have never been more important as the two continue to raise the bar against one another.

I’m still working on getting access to as many different configurations as possible, but I’ve tested many of the important models, including multiple options from the M1, M2, M3, and M4 lines of chips. Having this data is essential as I make comparisons between these models and offer recommendations based on those findings.

Why you should trust us

I’ve been reviewing MacBooks for over seven years, and Digital Trends has been reviewing and testing MacBooks for well over a decade. We have a huge catalogue of laptop and MacBook reviews under our belt, and an endless log of data to sift through.

As an independent outlet, we take the job of evaluating tech products seriously. We don’t offer recommendations for products we wouldn’t recommend to our own family and friends. When it comes to MacBooks, I want to help you save the most money as possible, not necessarily just the latest, flashiest thing. That’s why you’ll find older models on our list of recommendations, and even discussion of refurbished options.