10 Best MacBook Pro Alternatives for 2023

There is no longer a terrible keyboard, a bothersome Touch Bar, or an excessive dependency on Thunderbolt/USB-C connections thanks to several much-needed adjustments Apple made to the MacBook Pro in previous generations. Even yet, these upgrades do not guarantee that a MacBook Pro is the best option for you. The top MacBook substitutes provide almost all of your needs.

The reality remains that Windows laptops and Chromebooks have far more designs, feature sets, and display options. Furthermore, Windows continues to be the dominant system for local game play. Although Macs may somewhat get around the gaming issue thanks to cloud gaming, just a small portion of the whole game library can be played this way. Fortunately, there are many of MacBook Pro alternatives available.

Using this list as a starting point will help you gain a sense of what is offered. Jump to our laptop FAQ at the bottom of the list if you need help deciding which laptop or two-in-one is best for you.

HP Envy x360 13

The HP Envy x360 13 is a fantastic option for an older high school or college student — or anybody seeking for a tiny, fashionable, and portable two-in-one — and costs far less than an entry-level MacBook Pro 13. Despite the size, the device weighs only little more than 3 pounds (1.3 kg) and has a lengthy battery life. Additionally, it comes with a variety of Intel CPUs, including the i5 and i7.

Lenovo Yoga 9i

The Yoga 9i is a significantly upgraded and renamed version of the Yoga C940. It is faster, prettier, and more feature-rich than a 13-inch MacBook Pro. Additionally, it offers you a feature that a MacBook does not: a 360-degree screen that allows you to set it up like a tent or kiosk or use it as a tablet.

Dell XPS 17 9720

You need a laptop with a nice IPS display if, like me, you’re not a fan of OLED panels for picture editing because they’re not designed for Adobe RGB and aren’t excellent at tone range in the shadows. That is delivered by the Dell XPS 17 9720 with the 4K screen option, and it is less reflective than the OLED displays I’ve seen. Although the PremierColor software from Dell isn’t flawless, it does provide you more flexibility over screen settings than the majority of other programmes I’ve encountered and has two Thunderbolt 3 controllers to keep your external devices happy. Despite having a larger 17-inch screen, it is not much bigger or heavier than the MacBook. Although its battery life isn’t great, its performance is more than capable.

The Dell Inspiron 16 Plus is a fantastic lower-cost option, but it doesn’t jump to the front of the line due of its subpar build quality. If you’re searching for a MacBook Pro substitute, you probably want the metal chassis, better screen, and higher-end components. But it’s something to think about if you also want to save hundreds of dollars.

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 2-in-1 Chromebook

cheaper than the MacBook Air itself, lighter but with a nearly same size. If everything you do is cloud-based, the 13-inch Flex 5 offers the versatility of a two-in-one computer. It is a reasonable substitute thanks to its upscale appearance and feel at a Chrome OS pricing.

Razer Blade 14

Razer is your go-to Windows brand if the featureless slab appearance of the MacBook Pro appeals to you. The Blade 14 is a choice if you want something that closely equals the 14-inch Pro in terms of style, size, and weight; when you want something a little bit smaller and less expensive, the Razer Book 13 is a perfect substitute for the 13-inch MacBook Pro.

The 14-inch Razer Blade, a smaller version of the 15-inch standard, offers plenty of gaming power for its size without feeling cramped — a crucial factor for a gaming laptop, and one about which Apple needn’t worry — but also has a respectable battery life, a convenient size for travel, and a subtle design (for a gaming laptop) that’s polished enough to use in a meeting with senior management or clients.

Dell XPS 13 2-in-1

The chassis of Dell’s 13.3-inch XPS 13 laptop is so slim that it resembles an earlier 11.6-inch laptop in size. Because it is a member of the company’s XPS series, its chassis and components are among the best in its class, providing you with excellent performance and battery life. It has a headphone jack, a microSD reader, and USB-C power supply. It is available in both the normal clamshell and the two-in-one model, but I prefer the latter because it can be folded up into a tablet if you need to work in a small area.

Asus ZenBook Duo

What surpasses the Touch Bar in quality? That’s what, a full second show on a half-screen. The tilt-up second screen of the Duo may be used in a variety of ways, such as an extra display, an extension of the main screen (for viewing lengthy web pages), a separate control centre from which you can run Asus’ special utilities, or as a control surface for certain creative applications. Additionally, Asus is excellent at maximising performance from its high-end laptops, and the 14-inch has a long battery life.

There are two variations of it: the 15-inch and the 2021 14-inch Duo 14 that we examined. The Duo 14 comes with up to 32GB of RAM, an optional Nvidia MX450 discrete graphics card, and either an 11th-generation Core i5 or i7 CPU.

Commonly asked questions

Which is faster, a MacBook or a Windows laptop?

It’s practically hard to respond to such question.

It’s a shifting objective, to start. Beginning to appear in Windows models are new mobile GPUs and Intel’s new 12th generation CPUs, which share a hybrid core design with Apple’s M1 processors. Although many of these next-generation models have not yet been put to test, it is reasonable to anticipate that Apple’s M1 CPUs will be up against some fierce competition.

Though its integrated graphics seem to scale up to compete with current low-end Nvidia and AMD graphics up to about the RTX 3070 and Radeon RX 6800M, and definitely improves on previous Intel-based Macs, neither of these developments is particularly surprising, Apple hasn’t even released an M1 MacBook with a discrete GPU. However, it means that when it comes to comparisons with heavier Windows choices, we’re still in something of a MacBook holding pattern at the top end.

Additionally, several operating systems add complexity. Since Apple now owns the whole food chain of Windows, Mac OS’s efficiency has only increased. However, it is free from having to worry about working with several other parts and partner systems. I don’t feel like diving down that rabbit hole right now. Add to that the challenges of obtaining repeatable, consistent, representative, and broad-based benchmark findings for cross-platform comparisons.

Is a MacBook Pro better for content creation than a Windows laptop?

Again, this is a challenging topic to respond to since there are no broad generalisations that apply. If your issue is based on the outdated perception that Windows is unsuitable for graphic design work, it was correct in its original context but is no longer valid.

Windows laptop screens have advanced significantly, and two-in-one convertibles allow you to draw or paint right on the laptop screen. You would also need to purchase an iPad if you have a MacBook.

The first thing to determine before deciding between Windows and MacOS is which graphical software you require and which you may move away from because some are only accessible on one platform or the other. Also keep in mind that MacOS no longer supports 32-bit programmes, so if you have an old favourite that hasn’t been updated but is still available on Windows (this is most common with minor utilities), think about that.

Additionally, some apps could be better suited to one platform than another, or they might require a particular AMD or Nvidia GPU for the optimum acceleration. Since none of the M1 MacBooks have discrete graphics and you can’t actually utilise an Nvidia card with a Mac, Windows is definitely a better option, especially for applications that use Nvidia’s CUDA programming interface. Consider any additional accessories you may require, since the drivers and utilities you may require to utilise them may not be offered or may be limited on one or the other.

Because MacOS is far more intimately linked with the hardware than Windows can ever be, MacBooks may perform quicker than similarly configured Windows laptops. This can be particularly relevant for activities sensitive to latency, like audio recording, because Microsoft simply needs to support a considerably larger range of hardware than Apple will ever need to. The flexibility of Windows is both a strength and a problem.