Best Macbook in Every Price Range and Use Case: Mac Buying Guide (July 2025)
Update: We last updated this article on Jul 16, 2025, with details about upcoming MacBooks
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 with 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:
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:
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 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 USB-C 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:
Reasons to skip:
Also Read:
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 Final Cut 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.
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 skip
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 may 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.
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.
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 can 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 reflection, 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:
Best MacBooks for Specific Tasks – Summary
Refurbished and Second-Hand MacBook
For those on the lookout for refurbished and second-hand MacBooks, you’re able to purchase the M1 MacBook Air, M2 MacBook Air, or even M3 MacBook Air. The best deals are often available onApple’s own refurbished websiteas well asAmazon. 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.
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.
Upcoming MacBooks You Should Wait For
1.MacBook Pro M5 (Expected: October 2025)
Apple is all set to introduce a new M5 powered MacBook Pro later this year. Just like past iterations, it will be available in 14-inch and 16-inch variants. Being the Pro model, it will use the M5 Pro and M5 Max chipset in both screen sizes. Based on TSMC”s third generation 3nm process. This should result in better efficiency compared to M4 which are based on second generation 3nm fabrication process. Apart from the performance boost, users should not expect any major upgrade as Apple is reserving them for the 2026 MacBook Pro M6.
2.MacBook Air M5 (Expected: Early 2026)
Apple’s most selling MacBook is also expected to get an update next year. The MacBook Air will get the new M5 chipset with the codename J813 and J815. This means we will get two variants: 13-inch and 15-inch just like every year. But don’t expect any cosmetic changes as the design will largely stay the same.
3.MacBook Pro M6 (Expected: End Of 2026)
Cupertino is saving the best for the last as MacBook Pro M6 would be the biggest update in recent years. The company will unveil it’s first OLED MacBook next year switching from mini-LEDs. This will result in better brightness, contrast with deeper blacks and even better battery. Furthermore, it will also get a new design that will thinner than the existing model. Another interesting bump would be the chipset refresh as the MacBook Pro will use the M6 Pro and M6 Max chips. Apple could drop the ugly notch on the MacBook in favour of a hole punch cutout. It will also have a built-in modem allowing you to browse on the go without relying on your iPhone’s hotspot. If you have been waiting to purchase a new MacBook, this upgrade is certainly worth the wait.
Specifications of All MacBook Models Mentioned Above
Abeer Chawake
A part-time gamer and a full-time Tech Writer. Abeer is a tech enthusiast who keeps track of all the trending gadgets and smartphones. When he isn’t busy smashing words with his keyboard, you can find him playing the latest PC Games or binge-watching TV Shows.
