Apple likes to keep its product lineup simple. There are only two MacBook models and each has a couple of variants based on the configuration you are looking for. Selecting the best MacBook for your use case can be confusing since these variants with different configurations often overlap each other. To help clear your confusion, we have created this list of the best MacBooks you can buy based on price and use case in 2025.
Table of Contents
Breaking Down Apple’s MacBook Lineup
Currently, Apple offers two laptops in the MacBook series:
- MacBook Air: The MacBook Air is the company’s entry model, catering to users with a thin and lightweight build. Available in 13-inch and 15-inch variants, it is the cheapest offering from Apple and has decent power and portability performance.
- MacBook Pro: The MacBook Pro, as the name suggests, is made for “Pro” users such as content creators, editors, and multi-taskers. It is loaded with hadrware prowess and is available in 14-inch and 16-inch display variants.
To sum it up, MacBook Air is for 90 percent of the users while MacBook Pro caters to power users and content creators.
Key Features of MacBook Air And Pro
Here’s a look at the key features of the MacBook Air as well as the MacBook Pro:
| MacBook Air | MacBook Pro |
|---|---|
| Made for casual users: The MacBook Air caters to students, working professionals, and those looking to purchase their first MacBook. | Stunning Displays: Feature high-resolution Liquid Retina XDR displays with ProMotion technology for a superior visual experience. You can also purchase them in a NanoTexture coating option for glare free experience. |
| Affordability: Generally more affordable than MacBook Pros, making them a good option for budget-conscious users. | High Performance: Designed for professionals and power users who perform demanding tasks like video editing, 3D rendering, and professional software |
| Everyday Hero: While not as powerful as MacBook Pros, they offer impressive performance for everyday tasks and even some creative workflows in a very light chassis. | Versatile Connectivity: Offer a wider array of ports compared to MacBook Air, making it easier to connect to external displays and peripherals. |
| All-Day Battery: You get an impressive all-day battery life in a light and compact design. | Thick and Heavy: The Pro models are slightly thicker with many ports and hardware specs going in. It is also heavier than Airs which is known for its light fanless design. |
Best Macbook Based on Budget and Use Case
Best Overall MacBook for Everyone: 13-inch MacBook Air M4
The latest MacBook Air M4 is perfect for the majority of the users. Powered by the new M4 chip, it is powerful enough to handle most tasks you throw at it. This updated MacBook Air brings great performance at a $100 cheaper price tag. The 13-inch screen is bright enough for most users and it’s lightweight enough to carry in a backpack. Apart from the upgraded chipset, there’s also a new Sky Blue color that makes it stand out.
The base model of the new M4 MacBook has two fewer GPU cores compared to the 512GB model. You get a slightly slower charger in the box at 30W instead of a 35W with dual USB-C found on the other models. Although the 18 hours of battery backup means you shouldn’t need a charger anytime soon. There’s also a new Neural Engine that is 3 times faster than the M1 so you can also perform AI tasks.
You get two Thunderbolt USBC ports which means for the first time in an AIr, you can connect up to two external displays to your Mac M4 Air. Quite useful for multitasking.
Reasons to buy:
- Latest M4 series processor
- $100 cheaper than last year
- Improved 12MP center-stage camera
- New Sky Blue color to stand out from the crowd
- Available in 13-inch and 15 variants
- Support for two displays apart from its screen
Reasons to skip:
- The base model has two cores less than 512GB, need to pay extra for additional cores
- The base variant has 30W charging compared to 35W/70W on other models
- Fewer ports than in the Pro model
Also Read:
- MacBook Air M4 vs M3: 8 Big Differences to Help You Decide
- MacBook Air M4 Unveiled: 7 Things You Should Know
Best MacBook for Power Users and Creators: 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 Pro
Are you a content creator/editor/creator or video editor? The 14-inch MacBook Pro is the one for you. Configurable with up to 36GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, it has enough horsepower to deal with those multiple timelines in FinalCut Pro. The screen is sharp enough and you get support for all the required encodes including AV1 and ProRes. The 16-core Neural Engine can also deal with AI upscaling of videos and generating captions. You get up to 24 hours of battery backup on a single charge and Apple’s seamless ecosystem means you can easily transfer all the videos that you shoot on your iPhone.
Reasons to buy:
- Same display as the 16-inch model in a more compact form factor
- Plenty of ports
- More affordable than a 16-inch one
- Better battery backup compared to the 16-inch variant
Reasons to skip:
- Smaller display size means it isn’t the best for consuming content
Best MacBook With Big Screen: 15-inch MacBook Air M4
The 15-inch MacBook Air M4 offers the benefits of a large screen while still helping you stick to your budget. The 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display is sharp enough for watching content or browsing through web pages. Offering a significant leap over the 13-inch model, this bigger model isn’t as bulky as its 16-inch Pro counterpart.
It is also portable enough to fit inside your backpack. It has a peak brightness of 500 nits and supports a P3 color gamut as well as True Tone. Despite the bigger display, it does not compromise on battery backup as you expect up to 18 hours of continuous video playback. Moreover, compared to the 13-inch model, the price difference isn’t huge and you get the same performance thanks to the new M4 chipset underneath. Overall, it’s the best MacBook for binge-watching those TV shows, anime, and movies.
Reasons to buy:
- Large 15.3-inch model on a budget
- New M4 chipset for smooth performance
- 500 nits of brightness and P3 color gamut
- 18 hours of battery backup
Reasons to skip
- Expensive than the 13-inch model
- 60Hz refresh rate
- No anti-glare coating option
Best Budget MacBook: 13-inch MacBook Air M1
Want the cheapest MacBook possible? The MacBook Air M1 is the one for you. Launched 5 years ago, it is officially discontinued but can be purchased via third-party retailers. It’s a great option for those looking to get a MacBook for the first time. Running on the latest macOS Sequoia, it will receive updates until 2027 and security updates after that. The only cons are the 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD although you can connect external storage to solve the latter.
M1 solves the battery life woes found in Intel-powered MacBooks while still offering enough performance for day-to-day tasks. The 13-inch form factor means you won’t have to struggle to fit it inside your backpack. Overall, it’s a great buy especially if you can get it at a massive discount.
Reasons to buy:
- The most affordable MacBook available
- Great battery life (up to 18 hours)
- Good performance for day-to-day usage
- Portable and lightweight compared to other Windows laptops
Reasons to skip:
- M1 is outdated in 2025
- Only two years of updates left
- 8GB of RAM means you run out of memory quickly
- No Apple Intelligence support
- Officially discontinued by Apple (only available in third-party retailers)
Best Compact MacBook: 13-inch MacBook Air M4
The 13-inch MacBook Air M4 is the lightest and thinnest MacBook in the entire lineup. Measuring just 1.2 kgs, you won’t feel its weight while commuting to the office. It is also lighter than the Pro models and smaller making it a great travel companion. While not as stunningly light as the LG Gram, it has comparatively less weight than most Windows laptops. It is the same thickness as last year’s M3 MacBook Air so you are getting more power in the same form factor. If you buy the 24GB model, you can harness all the power of the M4 chipset in the most compact form factor possible.
Reasons to buy:
- Lightest MacBook available
- New M4 chipset
- Great display
- Long Lasting Battery Life
Reasons to skip:
- Not as thin and light as other Windows laptops
- The 15-inch variant has the same weight
Also Read:
- Apple MacBook Lineup Explained: Which Model Is Right for You
- 14 Ways to Optimize MacBook’s Battery Life
Best MacBook for Gaming/Streaming: 16-inch MacBook Pro M4 Max
Wondering what happens when you completely spec out a MacBook? You get a monstrous beast called the 16-inch MacBook Pro M4 Max. Starting at $3999, it is the most expensive MacBook that you currently purchase. However, the price you pay for it is well worth the money as you get the best performance possible in a MacBook.
Also For those looking for a big-screen MacBook for content consumption, the MacBook Pro 16-inch is your best bet. Its 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR panel is available in both standard and with Nano Texture coating. The latter protects you from reflections and the screen has 1600 nits of peak brightness in XDR and 1,000 nits in SDR so you won’t face any legibility issues. ProMotion support (Apple’s marketing term for adaptive high refresh rate display technology) means you can navigate through the screen at a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. The bigger and brighter screen makes it perfect for watching content, multitasking, and even productivity tasks.
MacBooks aren’t exactly popular for gaming, Still, MacBooks are constantly getting new games, and here’s an overview of the gaming performance:
| Games | FPS (Frames per second) |
|---|---|
| Resident Evil 4 4K High | 50 FPS |
| Minecraft 1440p Photon Shaders High | 1088 FPS |
| Grid Legends 4K Ultra High | 96 FPS |
| Cyberpunk 2077 (Crossover) 1080p Ultra | 40 FPS |
| Firmament 1440p Epic | 59 FPS |
| WarThunder 1440p Maximum | 113 FPS |
| CounterStrike 2 1080p Medium | 150 FPS |
| Uncharted (RCPCS 3) | 28 FPS |
| Diablo 4 1440p Ultra | 90 FPS |
| Black Myth Wukong (Crossover+FSR 3 65 percent) | 45 FPS |
Reasons to buy:
- The most powerful MacBook that you can purchase
- Whopping 40-core GPU and 16-core CPU
- The only MacBook worth buying for gaming
- 128GB RAM
- 4TB SSD
Reasons to skip:
- Overkill for most users
- Windows laptops offer way better gaming performance
- MacOS doesn’t support all games natively
Best MacBooks for Specific Tasks – Summary
- Video Editing: MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024)
- Coding/Programming: MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024)
- Office Work: MacBook Air 13-inch (M4, 2025)
- Photo Editing: MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Max, 2024)
- Graphic Designing: MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro, 2024)
- Music Production: MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024)
- Students: MacBook Air 13-inch (M1, 2020)
Refurbished and Second Hand MacBook
For those on the lookout for refurbished and second-hand MacBooks, you can purchase the M1 Macbook Air, M2 MacBook Air, or even M3 Macbook Air. The best deals are often available on Apple’s own refurbished website as well as Amazon. These are the price ranges that you will typically find renewed MacBooks for. Make sure to go through all the terms and conditions and the physical condition of the Mac mentioned on the website. If you are purchasing from eBay or another website, double-check everything before making the payment.
- M1 MacBook Air: $400-$500
- M2 MacBook Air: $800-$900
- M3 MacBook Air: $900-$1000
- M1 MacBook Pro: $500-$600
- M2 MacBook Pro: $700-$800
- M3 MacBook Pro: $1200-$1300
Discontinued MacBooks: MacBooks No Longer Officially Available But Still…
Apple has officially discontinued the M1, M2, and M3 MacBook Air. This means that you can only purchase the new M4 MacBook Air from the official website. Similarly, the M1, M2, and M3 MacBook Pro variants have also been phased out. This means that you only purchase the M4 MacBook in both Air and Pro variants.
Specifications of All Macbook Models Mentioned Above
| Feature | 13-inch MacBook Air M4 | 16-inch MacBook Pro M4 Pro | 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 Pro | 13-inch MacBook Air M1 | 16-inch MacBook Pro M4 Max |
| Processor | Apple M4 chip | Apple M4 Pro chip | Apple M4 Pro chip | Apple M1 chip | Apple M4 Max chip |
| Display Size | 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display | 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display | 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display | 13.3-inch Retina display | 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display |
| RAM | Up to 24GB unified memory | Up to 48GB unified memory | Up to 48GB unified memory | 8GB, 16GB unified memory | Up to 128GB unified memory |
| Storage | Up to 2TB SSD | Up to 8TB SSD | Up to 8TB SSD | Up to 2TB SSD | Up to 8TB SSD |
| Battery Life | Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback or wireless web | Up to 22 hours Apple TV app movie playback or wireless web | Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback or wireless web | Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback or wireless web | Up to 22 hours Apple TV app movie playback or wireless web |
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, MagSafe 3 charging port, 3.5 mm headphone jack | 3x Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI port, SDXC card slot, MagSafe 3 charging port, 3.5 mm headphone jack | 3x Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI port, SDXC card slot, MagSafe 3 charging port, 3.5 mm headphone jack | 2x Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, 3.5 mm headphone jack | 3x Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI port, SDXC card slot, MagSafe 3 charging port, 3.5 mm headphone jack |
| Weight | 2.7 pounds (1.24 kg) | 4.7 pounds (2.14 kg) | 3.5 pounds (1.60 kg) | 2.8 pounds (1.29 kg) | 4.8 pounds (2.16 kg) |
| Starting Price | $999 | $2,499 | $1,999 | $999 | $3,999 |
