MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Which Apple laptop should you buy in 2026

Choosing between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro isn’t just about price, it’s about how much power you actually need. We break down the differences in performance, ports, displays and more to help you buy the right MacBook in 2026.

Apple’s most popular Mac laptop is the MacBook Air, which offers a great combination of features for the typical user, but there is another MacBook to consider is you are looking for the best Mac laptop – the more powerful MacBook Pro.

In this article, we aim to help those who want to buy an Apple laptop, but aren’t sure what the difference between the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro is and whether the cheaper Air can be as good as the Pro.

We’ll explain the advantages and disadvantages of buying a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, we’ll discuss what makes the MacBook Air so popular, and we’ll talk about which uses each Mac laptop is best suited to.

We’ll also look in depth at the various specs and features of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, so you can see how the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro compare in terms of price, display, design, processor, graphics, storage, RAM, ports, battery life and more. We discuss these elements and the other differences between the MacBook Air and Pro in the article.

What is the difference between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro?

• The MacBook Air is best if you want the lightest laptop, all-day battery life, and great performance for everyday work, school, and travel.
• The MacBook Pro is best if you need sustained performance, better displays, more ports, and power for video, photo, or development work.

The MacBook Air and MacBook Pro cater to different user needs, with the Air being a more budget-friendly and portable option for general use, and the Pro designed for users requiring higher performance and advanced features. These differences encompass processing power, thermal management, display quality, and port selection.

The MacBook Air is ideal for general-purpose users, students, and those who prioritize portability and affordability, while the MacBook Pro is better suited for demanding users, professionals, and creatives who require superior performance.

The MacBook Pro features a superior display compared to the MacBook Air, with differences in pixel density, brightness, and refresh rates.

The MacBook Pro, equipped with a fan, can sustain high performance during intensive tasks like video editing or code compilation, whereas the fanless MacBook Air may throttle to maintain temperature during prolonged heavy processing.

The MacBook Air models generally offer up to 18 hours battery life, while the 14-inch MacBook Pro models extend this to 24 hours.

MacBook Pro models also offer more extensive port selections, including HDMI and SDXC card slots, in addition to Thunderbolt ports, while MacBook Air models only offer Thunderbolt/USB4 ports and a MagSafe charging port.

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro Compared: Which MacBook is best?

• Best for everyday use: MacBook Air – lighter, more affordable, great battery life for everyday tasks.
• Best for Professionals: MacBook Pro – stronger performance and better display for demanding workflows.
• Best for Creative Work: MacBook Pro with M4 Pro/Max chip – ideal for video editing and heavy multitasking.

The question of which MacBook is best depends on what you need. The ultimate and most powerful MacBook is the M4 Max powered MacBook Pro, but that will be overpowered and prohibitively expensive to most people. The best value MacBook is the MacBook Air, and it’s not surprising that it is the most popular Mac, but there are reasons to consider the entry-level MacBook Pro, which has a slightly higher price, but is better suited to demanding users than the Air.

Right now, while we wait for Apple to update the MacBook Air with an M5 chip, we are recommending the M5 MacBook Pro as the best MacBook for most because it offers such a tremendous combination of price, performance, and features. However, if you need something with a bit more oomph then the M4 Pro or M4 Max MacBook Pro will be a better option.

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro price and value for money

Since budget is often the main issue, we’ll start with price and how much you get for your money.

With no ‘budget’ MacBook Pro available, the MacBook Air is the only option for those looking for a bargain. If you are looking for the cheapest option the $999/£999 MacBook Air would appear to be the clear winner. However, we recommend spending $200/£200 more to get the 10-core CPU/10-core GPU 512GB MacBook Air, which is worth every extra penny.

The price of the MacBook Pro is higher, and on everyday tasks it performs the same as the MacBook Air, but it does offer better performance on long, CPU-intensive tasks, like image and video rendering and similar tasks. Not to mention the better screen, HDMI port, and SDXC Card slot, and more discussed below. At $200/£200 more than the 15-inch MacBook Air with M4 and the same 512GB SSD, it actually represents good value for money.

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Display comparison

One of the biggest differences between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro is the quality of the display. There is a lot more to separate the displays than diagonal measurements.

• 13-inch MacBook Air: 13.6 inches diagonal, 2,560 by 1,664 pixels
• 14-inch MacBook Pro: 14.2 inches diagonal, 3,024 by 1,964 pixels
• 15-inch MacBook Air: 15.3 inches diagonal, 2,880 by 1,864 pixels
• 16-inch MacBook Pro: 16.2-inches diagonal, 3,456 by 2,234 pixels

You’ll notice from the above that there are significantly more pixels on the MacBook Pro screens – even when compared to a larger MacBook Air model.

The MacBook Air has what Apple calls a Liquid Retina display. The MacBook Pro has a superior Liquid Retina XDR panel. The image quality is significantly better on the MacBook Pro. However, to the average person the screen quality of the MacBook Air will be more than sufficient.

It’s not just fewer pixels though. Both Airs have a maximum brightness of 500 nits, which is half of the Pro’s 1,000 nits in normal use, or a third if you’re running HDR content at a max of 1,600 nits of which the MacBook Pro is capable. This is achieved by the Pro display incorporating mini-LEDs rather than the Air’s standard LCD screen.

Perhaps the biggest difference though is that the Pro features ProMotion, meaning that the refresh rate tops out at 120Hz, again double that of the Air’s 60Hz refresh rate. This helps keep scrolling and animations smooth and crisp. Any of these displays will be great for everyday use and long hours of work, but the Pro has the edge when it comes to features.

And there is more. With the M4 MacBook Pro, Apple introduced a nano-texture glass option that has a matte-like finish for $150. This option is not available on the MacBook Air, and if you need to cut down the glare from the display, it’s a feature to consider.

All of this is moot if you will plug your Mac into a display, of course, in which case you can buy a display that offers you the screen quality you need.

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro Performance: Is the MacBook Pro the best?

There’s a reason why there is a “Pro” in the name. The MacBook Pro is better suited to pro users, by which we mean creative professionals, graphic designers, photographers, film makers, 3D animators, programmers, and so on. A MacBook Air would be more than sufficient for home users, students, and office workers, but as soon as you start to push it with something more demanding, like movie editing software, or a computer game, you might find it heats up and slows down a bit, at least in comparison to how a MacBook Pro would deal with the dame demands. That’s why we tend to recommend the MacBook Air to those who go beyond the typical user.

Despite this, if you are upgrading an old computer, the MacBook Air will feel super speedy whatever you are doing with it.

We have the data below to show just how much better MacBook Pro performance is compared to the MacBook Air.

The chart below shows the Geekbench results for the various processors.

The MacBook Air is slower because in order for it to be so compact it is fanless, which means it is less able to manage heat, and therefore may run slower in order to keep cool if you really push it. If it’s power you need then, as the benchmarks show, a MacBook Pro will have the edge.

However, that’s not to say that the M4 MacBook Air is slow. As you can see from the scores above, the M4 shoots ahead of the M3, M2 and M1, in fact it even scores above the M3 Pro. The M4 MacBook Air is plenty powerful enough for most people, and likely way better than any old Mac you are replacing.

If you really need a powerful machine you might want to consider the M4 Pro MacBook Pro.

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: M4 (Pro/Max) vs M5 Processors

All of Apple’s laptops are powered by Apple’s silicon and right now the latest Apple chip is the M5, however, only the 14-inch MacBook Pro is using the M5 right now, with the MacBook Air still using the M4, and the two alternative MacBook Pro using the M4 Pro and M4 Max. You might think that the M4 would be less powerful than the M5, and you’d be right, but the M4 Pro is a more powerful chip that beats the M5, and the M4 Max even more so. Apple is expected to update the MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and Max in spring of 2026. And we expect to see the M5 in the MacBook Air at the same time. To learn more about all the Mac processors read our Mac processor comparison.

When it comes to the processor specs, the MacBook Pro currently beats the MacBook Air by some margin, but when the M5 arrives in the Air the gap will be narrowed. However, the MacBook Pro always has the edge even with closely matched specs because it includes better cooling and therefore if doesn’t have to slow down to stop itself overheating.

MacBook	Price	CPU	GPU	Memory	SSD
13.6-inch MacBook Air, M4 (2025)	$999/£999	10-core, M4	8-core, M4	16GB (up to 32GB)	256GB SSD
13.6-inch MacBook Air, M4 (2025)	$1,199/£1,199	10-core, M4	10-core, M4	16GB (up to 32GB)	512GB SSD
13.6-inch MacBook Air, M4 (2025)	$1,399/£1,399	10-core, M4	10-core, M4	24GB (up to 32GB)	512GB SSD
15-inch MacBook Air, M4 (2025)	$1,199/£1,199	10-core, M4	10-core, M4	16GB (up to 32GB)	256GB SSD
15-inch MacBook Air, M4(2025)	$1,399/£1,399	10-core, M4	10-core, M4	16GB (up to 32GB)	512GB SSD
15-inch MacBook Air, M4 (2025)	$1,599/£1,599	10-core, M4	10-core, M4	24GB (up to 32GB)	512GB SSD (up to 2TB)
14-inch MacBook Pro, M5 (2025)	$1,599/£1,599	10-core, M5	10-core, M5	16GB (up to 32GB)	512GB SSD
14-inch MacBook Pro, M5 (2025)	$1,799/£1,799	10-core, M5	10-core, M5	16GB (up to 32GB)	1TB SSD (up to 4TB)
14-inch MacBook Pro, M5 (2025)	$1,999/£1,999	10-core, M5	10-core, M5	24GB (up to 32GB)	1TB SSD (up to 4TB)
14-inch MacBook Pro, M4 Pro (2024)	$1,999/£1,999	12-core, M4 Pro	16-core, M4 Pro	24GB (up to 48GB)	512GB SSD
14-inch MacBook Pro, M4 Pro (2024)	$2,399/£2,399	14-core, M4 Pro	20-core, M4 Pro	24GB (up to 48GB)	1TB SSD (up to 4TB)
14-inch MacBook Pro, M4 Max (2024)	$3,199/£3,199	14-core, M4 Max	32-core, M4 Max	36GB	1TB SSD (up to 4TB)
14-inch MacBook Pro, M4 Max (2024) Build-to-order	$3,699/£3,699	14-core, M4 Max	32-core, M4 Max	48GB (up to 128GB)	1TB SSD (up to 8TB)
16-inch MacBook Pro, M4 Pro (2024)	$2,499/£2,499	14-core, M4 Pro	20-core, M4 Pro	24GB (up to 48GB)	512GB SSD (up to 4TB)
16-inch MacBook Pro, M4 Pro (2024)	$2,899/£2,899	14-core, M4 Pro	20-core, M4 Pro	48GB	512GB SSD (up to 4TB)
16-inch MacBook Pro, M4 Max (2024)	$3,499/£3,499	14-core, M4 Max	32-core, M4 Max	36GB	1TB SSD (up to 8TB)
16-inch MacBook Pro, M4 Max (2024)	$3,999/£3,999	16-core, M4 Max	40-core, M4 Max	48GB (up to 128GB)	1TB SSD (up to 8TB)

However, there is a difference in terms of how well the processors perform in the different models, as you can see from the Geekbench and Cinebench results below. The M5 MacBook Pro performs better than the M4 MacBook Air, as expected, but the M4 Pro and Max shoot ahead.

• The M4 15-inch MacBook Air scored 14680 in the multiple CPU Geekbench and 3907 in the GPU test for Cinebench 2024. The 13-inch MacBook Air results are similar.
• The M5 14-inch MacBook Pro scored 18013 in the multiple CPU Geekbench and 5867 in the GPU test for Cinebench 2024.
• The M4 Pro 16-inch MacBook Pro scored 22406 in the multiple CPU Geekbench and 9297 in the GPU test for Cinebench 2024.

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: RAM (unified memory)

Prior to October 2024, many Macs shipped with just 8GB RAM as standard. These days a Mac may struggle with just 8GB RAM so Apple has upped this allocation, and since October 2024 all MacBook Air and MacBook Pro ship with at least 16GB RAM as standard. There is an option to increase unified memory to 24GB or 32GB in the M4 MacBook Pro and Air.

If you need more memory you will need to look to the MacBook Pro with M4 Pro or M4 Max. With the M4 Pro you can get up to 48GB unified memory, while the M4 Max can support up to 128GB memory.

Our advice is to get as much RAM as you can afford when you buy the Mac, as you can’t upgrade it later.

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Storage

Apple offers a 256GB storage option at the entry-level for both the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air. The entry-level MacBook Pro starts at 512GB. There is the option to add 1TB or 2TB SSD to for the MacBook Air, the M5 MacBook Pro gains support for 8TB SSD.

While a 2556GB SSD might prove to be enough for you, especially if you use iCloud or other cloud based services to supplement your storage. But 512GB might be a better option, as we found, see: Here’s proof that a 256GB SSD is too small for a Mac in 2025.

Another reason to avoid the 256GB model: in previous generations, there were some concerns about this 256GB SSD, with reports that its SSD is up to 50 percent slower on read speeds and 30 percent on write speeds. We found that these observations were indeed true when we ran our own set of tests using Blackmagic Disk Speed Test on older MacBook models. In more recent times, this has seemed to be less of an issue. This will only matter if you are using apps that access the SSD often, so it may not make a difference in typical use.

If you want an even bigger SSD you need to look at the MacBook Pro models with the M4 Pro and M4 Max which can support up to 8TB SSD.

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Design

Following a redesign of the MacBook Air in June 2022, you could have been forgiven for thinking you were looking at a MacBook Pro. Gone is the tapered edge for which the Air was famous, replaced with a more uniform design. The MacBook Air is still thinner – albeit fractionally – but it is also very slightly larger than the old version of the Air, thanks to the bigger screen.

Both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro have a notch at the top of the screen as see on some iPhone models. It’s not a bad thing, but some people don’t like notches. The notch conceals the FaceTime camera, which, with the introduction of the M4 MacBook Air, is now the same 12MP Center Stage camera with support for Desk View and 1080p HD video recording on all models.

Despite the presence of the iPhone-like notch, MacBooks do not offer Face ID for unlocking. Instead all MacBook’s have a Touch ID sensor built into the keyboard, so you can just tap your finger on there to unlock things and enter passwords.

One key difference between these MacBooks is the color choices. There are four color choices for the 13-inch MacBook Air and the 15-inch MacBook Air: Midnight (dark blue), Starlight (gold), Sky Blue and Silver. Apple introduced the Sky Blue option with the M4 MacBook Air and discontinued the Space Gray option (to the dismay of some). The Starlight shade is paler gold, while Midnight is close to black with a dark blue hue.

The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro offer only Silver and Space Black options.

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Dimensions

Apple refers to them as the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air and the 14-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro. The measurements are based on the screen size, but those numbers are actually not accurate. Here’s what the real screen measurements are:

• The screen on the 13-inch MacBook Air measures 13.6-inches diagonally.
• The screen on the 15-inch MacBook Air measures 15.3-inches diagonally.
• The screen on the 14-inch MacBook Pro measures 14.2-inches diagonally.
• The screen on the 16-inch MacBook Pro measures 16.2-inches diagonally.

A larger display doesn’t necessarily mean the Mac is bigger and heavier though. The 15-inch Air is thinner, so it not only weighs less than the 16-inch MacBook Pro, it is also lighter than the 14-inch MacBook Pro due to the fans needed for heat dissipation in the more powerful machine.

• 16-inch MacBook Pro, M4 Pro: 4.7 pounds (2.14 kg), M4 Max: 4.7 pounds (2.15 kg)
• 14-inch MacBook Pro, M4 Pro: 3.5 pounds (1.60 kg), M4 Max: 3.6 pounds (1.62 kg)
• 14-inch MacBook Pro, M5: 3.4 pounds (1.55 kg)
• 15-inch MacBook Air, M4: 3.3 pounds (1.51 kg)
• 13-inch MacBook Air, M4: 2.7 pounds (1.24 kg)

From the figures above, you’ll notice that the M4 Pro and M4 Max models weigh a little bit more than the M5 MacBook Pro.

And as you can see from the below, the 13-inch MacBook Air dimensions aren’t much smaller than those of the 14-inch MacBook Air. Given that there is actually only half an inch (0.6in) difference in screen size, this shouldn’t be surprising.

• 16-inch MacBook Pro: 14.01 x 9.77 x 0.66 inches (35.57 x 24.81 x 1.68cm)
• 15-inch MacBook Air: 13.40 x 9.35 x 0.45 inches (34.04 x 23.76 x 1.15cm)
• 14-inch MacBook Pro: 12.31 x 8.71 x 0.61 inches (31.26 x 22.12 x 1.55cm)
• 13-inch MacBook Air: 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches (30.41 x 21.5 x 1.13cm)

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Battery life and charging

When it comes to battery life, according to Apple, the MacBook Air offers 18 hours battery life when video streaming, while the 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro offers an 24 hours video streaming, according to Apple. The main reason for this difference is that the 14-inch MacBook Pro has a larger battery: 72.4 watt-hours compared to 66.5 watt-hours in the 15-inch MacBook Air and 53.8 watt-hours in the 13-inch Air. The battery in the 16-inch MacBook Pro is even bigger at 100 watt-hours.

• MacBook Air, 13-inch, M4, 18 hours battery life (Apple)
• MacBook Air, 15-inch, M4, 18 hours battery life (Apple), 1,076 minutes, just under 18 hours (our test)
• MacBook Pro, 14-inch, M5, 24 hours battery life (Apple), 27 hours and 15 minutes (our test)
• MacBook Pro, 14-inch, M4 Pro/M4 Max, 22 hours battery life (Apple)
• MacBook Pro, 16-inch, M4 Pro/M4 Max, 24 hours battery life (Apple), 26 hours (our test)

It’s not just how long the battery lasts that matters, but also the charging speed. The entry-level 13-inch MacBook Air ships with a 30W adapter, the other 13-inch Air and the 15-inch MacBook Air ship with a 35W power adapter. You can opt instead for a 70W adapter for fast charging at no extra cost (unless you are buying the entry-level model, in which case the 70W or 35W adapter costs $20/£20).

Depending on where in the world you live, the 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 ships with a 70W charger, with the opportunity to switch to a 96W charger for $20, which you need for fast charging. If you happen to live in the U.K. or Europe and want to have a Power Adapter for your M5 MacBook Pro then you have to pay extra: £59 for the 70W and £79 for the 96W. Expect the power adapter to be removed from the box in European countries when Apple updates the other Mac laptops in 2026.

The M4 Pro MacBook Pro ships with a 70W adapter, there’s the option of a 96W charger for $20/£20. You need a 96W adapter to fast charge the 14-inch MacBook Pro. The 16-inch model ships with a 140W adapter, which allows for fast charging.

Each 14-inch MacBook Pro can be fast charged the 96W adapter and the MacBook Air can be fast charged with a 70W adapter (not included). See our comparison test of Apple’s MacBook Air chargers as well as the best USB-C charger for your MacBook.

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Ports, expansion and display support

Over the years it’s felt like Apple has been on a mission to remove ports from Macs in order to make them slimmer and slimmer. This has been a disadvantage for many, although generally if you need more or different ports you can just plug in an adapter or a dock (read: Best USB-C hubs and adapters for Mac).

The MacBook Air offers a MagSafe charging port alongside two Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports. It can support two 6K external displays, which is one more than the M3-powered MacBooks could. See: How to connect two or more external displays to an M1, M2, M3 or M4 MacBook.

The M5 MacBook Pro offers a third Thunderbolt 4/USB-C port, as well as HDMI and SDXC ports. It can support up to two external 6K displays, or one 8K display and a 4K display.

The M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBook Pro offer three Thunderbolt 5/USB‑C ports as well as the HDMI and SDXC ports.

The M4 Pro has can support the same number of external displays as the M5. The M4 Max can support up to four external displays: three 6K displays and one 4K display, or two 6K and one 8K display.

As yet Thunderbolt 5 has only arrived on the Pro and Max models, it doubles the bidirectional data bandwidth from 40Gbps to 80Gbps and, for display connections, it can achieve speeds of up to 120Gbps using Bandwidth Boost. It also supports up to 240W of power delivery downstream, a substantial increase from Thunderbolt 4’s 100W.

Connectivity for all MacBook models is via Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E. All Mac laptops offer a 3.5mm headphone jack. 

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Audio and camera

All of the MacBooks in the current generation offer a 12MP Center Stage camera that automatically keeps the user in the center of the frame. The camera also supports Desk View, which can show the desk space in front of the laptop. This is an upgrade from the M3 MacBooks, which only offered a 1080p FaceTime camera.

The 15-inch MacBook Air has a benefit over the 13-inch MacBook Air model: if features a six-speaker sound system with force-canceling woofers, compared to a four-speaker sound system. Apple describes the speaker system in the 14-inch MacBook Pro as a high-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers, indicating that it is superior to that in the 15-inch Air. Apple also refers to a “studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming” in the 14-inch Pro, while both Air models offer only a “three-mic array with directional beamforming”.

The MacBook Pro has a better speaker system than the MacBook Air: six-speaker arrays rather than a four-speaker sound system. The sound on the MacBook Pro is described by Apple as “High Fidelity,” by which we assume Apple is indicating it is superior to the Air.

MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Buying advice

• For most people, the MacBook Air is the smarter buy, but the MacBook Pro makes sense if your work regularly pushes your system.

So which MacBook should you choose? If you are on a budget it has to be the MacBook Air and you won’t be disappointed. If you need a bit more power than the Air can offer, and a better quality display, the M5 MacBook Pro will see you good. But if you need even more power you’ll have to fork out for the M4 Pro or M4 Max MacBook Pro models.

If one factor that is important to you is the screen size, the 15-inch MacBook Air will give you a larger screen for less money than the 14-inch MacBook Pro. Just be aware that screen quality is not as good as that on the more expensive model. Of course, if you are going to plug your Mac into an external display whenever you are at your desk this shouldn’t be a decision breaker. See our round-up of the best displays for Mac.

If it’s display quality that matters, the XDR, ProMotion display of the MacBook Pro will meet your needs. There is also the option of a non-glossy Nano-texture display with the MacBook Pro that doesn’t exist for the Air.

We recommend getting the best machine you can afford at the time of purchase because you won’t be able to upgrade down the line. At the time of your purchase make sure you add sufficient RAM and storage for your needs. For more help with this read: How much RAM, SSD, GPU, CPU do you need in a Mac?

Luckily, you don’t have to pay full price for a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, check out our best MacBook Air deals and best MacBook Pro deals articles for the best discounts available.

Finally, a word of warning: if you are tempted buy a used Intel-powered MacBook (one that predates Apple’s move away from Intel to produce its own chips from 2020) we strongly recommend that you don’t buy it as Apple is unlikely to support Intel Macs for much longer. Very few Intel Macs can run macOS Tahoe and Apple has confirmed that 2026’s update to macOS will not run on any Intel Macs. Read: How long does Apple support Macs.

We also help you choose the Best Mac in our buying guide. For buying advice on the best Windows laptops, see our sister site PCWorld.

Why you can trust Macworld’s advice

Macworld has been covering everything Apple related since our first issue which arrived alongside the original Mac in 1984. Nobody knows Apple better, except probably Apple, but the difference is that we are completely impartial. We are made up of a team of experts with decades of experiences with Macs and other Apple products, and between us we have reviewed every Apple product meaning we are uniquely positioned to provide buying advice.