The Best Apple MacBook Air and MacBook Pro Laptops for 2024

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We've tested thousands of laptops at PCMag since PC Labs' founding more than 40 years ago. Naturally, we've reviewed Apple's line of laptops since before MacBooks were even a thing. Our analysts and editors have more than a collective century of experience telling the good laptops—macOS, Windows, ChromeOS, you name it—from the great ones. Like we do with other laptops, we test all MacBooks for CPU, GPU, display, and battery performance using rigorous, repeatable benchmark tests. We also focus on design, usability, connectivity, and—crucially—value. Our take on Macs? Right now, the best MacBook for most people is Apple's 2024 model of the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air, the company's most value-packed laptop with excellent speed, an M3 CPU, and lengthy battery life for mainstream Mac fans. We have four more thoroughly tested and vetted MacBooks to recommend. Below these picks, we compare their specs and share in-depth MacBook buying advice.

The 13-Inch and 15-Inch MacBook Airs

Apple's smallest laptop is the 13-inch version of the MacBook Air, last redesigned for 2022, and the same design retained in the 2024 version. It's a slim, sleek machine that measures just 0.44 inch thick and weighs just 2.7 pounds. The latest version of the 13-inch MacBook Air heavily adopts the newest MacBook Pro design, with uniform thinness, an improved Magic Keyboard, a larger 16:10 screen (thanks to the adoption of the "display notch"), MagSafe charging, and more.

The MacBook Air line is also Apple's cheapest, now starting with the revived 13-inch M1 model for just $649 at retailers like Walmart. The 2022 model (with Apple's M2 processor) starts at $899 for students and teachers or $999 for the general public. Both are marked down often, too, so the 2022 MacBook Air model might have even bigger appeal and staying power than the M1 model that's now priced as a mega-bargain.

Apple's 2024 version of the 13-inch MacBook Air keeps every advancement from the 2022 model and refines it with more power inside. Those advancements include the new 16:10 display, the improved keyboard, the MagSafe charging port, and the enhanced FaceTime webcam. Plus, the M3 processor measurably improves performance over the M2 model while maintaining a lengthy battery life.

The MacBook Air is an ideal travel companion and, given its sleek styling and Apple's cachet, a bit of a status symbol. It's the Mac laptop we recommend for most people. But since you'll spend about $999 on it when it is not on sale, you'll want to look at the other, larger Apple portables that provide more connectivity and—in some cases—more computing power.

Bigger than the 13-incher is the now second-generation 15-inch MacBook Air, updated this year with the M3 processor in the same frame and again with two more GPU cores than the 13-inch options in its base model (10 total). This model again starts at $1,299, which nets you the 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display, 8GB of unified memory, and a 256GB SSD. Unfortunately, the port arrangement does not change here, but the sharp 1080p FaceTime webcam carries over. Each component upgrade from there (SSD, memory) generally costs another $200 per step upward, save for the largest storage options. For more about how the two models compare, read our article detailing the 15-inch MacBook Air versus the 13-inch MacBook Air.

14-Inch and 16-Inch MacBook Pro: For Pros in the Know

If you are a video editor, photographer, or software developer who might benefit from more computing power, then you should skip the MacBook Air and instead consider a MacBook Pro. The factors to consider here are more than just the extra screen inches and additional weight. You must also decide whether you need the extra horsepower that the new M4 processors can provide over the M3 series. This year's generational gains are smaller than the jump from M2 to M3 was, though the base M4 chip now starts with 10 CPU cores instead of eight.

The MacBook Pro line begins with an M4-equipped 14-inch model for the same $1,599 baseline as before, the only Pro configuration that features a plain M4 rather than M4 Pro or M4 Max chip. Along with the processor, which combines 10 CPU cores (four performance and now six efficiency cores) with 10 GPU cores and 16 neural engine cores, the laptop has a 512GB solid-state drive and now 16GB of unified memory to start. Optional upgrades include up to 32GB of memory and up to a 2TB SSD, any of which naturally hikes up the price; the most loaded M4 14-inch MacBook Pro—including Apple's returning $150 nano-texture display option and a beefier charger—costs $2,769.

If you want an M4 Pro processor instead, you need at least $1,999 for a 14-inch machine with a 12-core CPU, a 16-core GPU, 24GB of memory, and 512GB of storage. (The 12-core count and the 24GB memory minimum are new.) The M4 Pro chip brings expanded capacity across the board, now supporting up to 48GB of memory and 4TB of storage (for a ceiling of $3,769 with the new display and enhanced charger) and adding another Thunderbolt port, which the M4 Pro model upgrades to Thunderbolt 5.

You can also configure the 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M4 Pro chip containing a 14-core CPU and 20-core GPU for another $200 above the starting price. A maxed-out model with this particular processor, the nano-texture display, and the bigger charger costs $3,949.

Finally, if you crave a 14-inch MacBook Pro with the top-shelf M4 Max chip inside, it'll cost $3,199 to start. That starter model has a 14-core CPU, a 32-core GPU, 36GB of memory, and a 1TB SSD. You'll also find an M4 Max version with a 40-core GPU starting at $3,699. This model boosts the laptop's memory and storage limits to 128GB and 8TB, respectively, with a fully loaded configuration topping out at a princely $7,049.

Then there's the bigger MacBook Pro. With the 16-inch model's price ranging between $2,499 and $7,349, it's evident that you have plenty of options for customizing your build at purchase. The $2,499 base unit is outfitted with an M4 Pro processor, Apple's middle chip in the family. With 14 CPU cores (10 performance cores and six efficiency cores), it's a capable system for most office workers. The stock model now comes with a 20-core GPU and 24GB of memory, as well as 512GB of SSD storage, and enough power to drive two external monitors at up to 6K resolution and as fast as 60Hz.

Stepping up to the more powerful M4 Max processor bumps the price to $3,499. It comes with a more powerful 14?core CPU and a beefy 32?core GPU. It starts with 36GB of unified memory and now 1TB of SSD storage. This power allows it to double its maximum display support, too.

However, this can be upgraded considerably, with options for a more powerful 16-core M4 Max chip and 40-core GPU, up to 128GB of memory, and up to 8TB of SSD storage. Add it all up (and throw in the nano-texture screen), and the top possible model sells for $7,349.

The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops are also obvious choices for professionals who plan to connect peripherals like external monitors or transfer data using SD cards. Both include a full-size HDMI port and an SD card reader, setting them apart from the USB-C/Thunderbolt-only MacBook Air models.

What About Touch-Screen MacBooks?

All Apple MacBook models lack any form of touch input, following (at long last) the end of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the Touch Bar, replaced by the 14-inch model during the M3 generation. Touch screens seem to go against Apple's laptop design philosophy, looking to keep focus on the keyboard and touchpad experience instead.

An Apple iPad or a Windows laptop is your best alternative for using a digital stylus or other tasks best suited to touch screens. Fortunately, the trackpads on all Apple laptops are excellent, with oversize glass surfaces and virtual “haptic” feedback instead of a physical click mechanism.

So, Which Apple MacBook Should I Buy?

Apple frequently releases new Mac laptop models and updates old ones. We saw an unprecedented amount of Macs last year, two new MacBook Air models this year, and the flurry of M4 MacBook Pros in fall 2024, so while now is a safe time to buy a Mac, anticipate new models—at least, new MacBook Air ones—sometime next year if the past few years are anything to go by. And, if you're not sure if a MacBook Air or Pro is your thing, also look at our roundup of the best laptops overall—Windows, macOS, and ChromeOS alike. Below is a recap of our picks for the best Apple MacBooks to buy right now.