MacBooks are expensive and, let’s face it, best when you have a ton of other Apple products. Which are also expensive. Yet, MacBooks are still among the best laptops you can buy, have a large following, and are incredibly reliable machines. So, what are iPhone-shunning, Android phone-using people to do when they want that kind of quality? They need to get a MacBook alternative.
Unfortunately, there is no one perfect MacBook alternative, as the only way to perfectly capture the essence of a MacBook is by… having a MacBook. That being said, some laptops do better in this regard than others. The following laptops effectively work as the best MacBook alternatives, all in their own special way, for a specific MacBook without having the Apple insignia or price tag.
How to choose a MacBook alternative
It should go without saying that choosing a MacBook alternative all comes down to finding a laptop that is similar to a MacBook. But, if that were so easy this article wouldn’t be necessary (and trademark lawyers might possibly be on the move).
We advise looking at the following qualities highly when choosing your suitable MacBook alternative:
Functionality and reliability
If you know Mac, you know the “It just works” slogan. Part of this comes down to simplified and streamlined design. Another part is quality hardware. And a final part is that macOS still gets less viruses and can be more reliable and stable than the competition.
In any event, the following laptops do their best to live up to these standards, even if they can’t get the macOS virus resistance bonus. These laptops have quality hardware that is known for being reliable.
Streamlined aesthetic
From a user perspective, Apple products feel easy and intuitive to use. The need to go behind the scenes and fix files and play with unintegrated settings is somewhat less common for the average MacBook user than the average Windows user. At the same time, visual displays are paired down to promote the essentials.
The following laptops pride this paired-down aesthetic in the same way. Things should look clean and straightforward, not dizzying. For the most part, external features are felt, not seen.
How we chose these MacBook alternatives
Using the principles outlined above, we compared laptops to the latest MacBooks and made the hard choices. In practice, this means that we look at the primary qualities of the best MacBooks currently available and match up their qualities with other laptops. We’re also taking a look at one of the older models and finding a suitable comparison. Since MacBooks typically come in two editions, one smaller and one larger, we’ll try to keep to similar size guidelines when possible. Additionally, we’ve outlined our reasonings for each pick and, when suitable, provided runner-up choices (Macbook alternative alternatives, if you will) to provide more choices for you.
MacBook Air 13-inch alt: Dell XPS 13 9345
The MacBook Air M3 took everything that was great about the laptop — an ultra thin and exquisitely built machine with an excellent IPS display — and added upgraded graphics and even better efficiency. You really have to like Windows and dislike macOS to choose any other 13-inch laptop. However, there’s one Windows laptop that most closely matches the MacBook Air, and that’s the latest Dell XPS 13 — specifically, the Copilot+ PC version.
Copilot+ is Microsoft’s initiative aimed at leveraging the growing demand for AI features. It requires a fast neural processing unit (NPU), which the XPS 13 9345 running the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite provides. But that’s not all. The Qualcomm chipset, which runs the Windows on Arm Platform, is also very fast and has better efficiency than the Intel version.
The XPS 13 is as small as the MacBook Air and around the same 2.7 pound weight, but it’s not as thin at 0.60 inches compared to 0.44 inches. But, the XPS 13 has an ultramodern design with various — somewhat controversial — features like a zero-lattice keyboard, a row of LED function keys, and a hidden haptic touchpad in a glass palm rest. Both laptops are premium machines, and both are well worth consideration if you’re looking for a 13-inch laptop.
MacBook Air 15-inch alt: Microsoft Surface Laptop 7
Another Copilot+ laptop takes its place as the best MacBook alternative, and this time it’s taking on the MacBook Air 15 with Microsoft’s own machine. The Surface Laptop 7 also runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chipset and boots Windows on Arm, and the 15-inch model is a fast, long-lasting laptop to take on Apple’s larger MacBook Air.
Like the XPS 13 9345, the Surface Laptop 7 uses the Snapdragon X Elite chipset that beats out the Apple M3 chipset for sheer performance. It’s also efficient, giving it much better battery life that challenges the MacBook Air’s efficiency. And it’s also incredibly well built, with an all-aluminum chassis that rivals Apple’s build quality.
Its 15-inch IPS display has equal colors and sharpness, with excellent contrast. It’s part of an overall package that gives the MacBook Air 15 a run for its money.
MacBook Pro 14-inch alt: Acer Swift X 14
Finding a suitable MacBook Pro alternative is a challenge that’s quite difficult. The MacBook Pro 14 has three models using the base M3, the M3 Pro, and the M3 Max chipsets. The base model isn’t nearly as important as the more powerful models, so we’ll focus on them. And it’s hard for any 14-inch laptop to compete given the M3 Max’s performance and incredible efficiency.
One laptop that puts up a good fight is the Acer Swift X 14. Its main claim to fame is its fast components, starting with the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H with 14 cores and 22 threads. That’s mated with up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, unusual in non-gaming 14-inch laptops. It’s fast enough for video editing and complete photo editing — not as fast as the highest-end MacBook Pro 14 but still fast enough for demanding users.
You also get a 2.8K OLED display with brilliant colors and inky blacks. And best of all, it’s significantly more affordable, even when fully configured.
MacBook Pro 16-inch alt: Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16
Once again, MacBook Pro alternatives aren’t easy to come by. The Microsoft Pro 16 is an incredibly elegant and powerful machine with few equal. It’s not only fast but has multi-day battery life and a spectacular 16-inch miniLED display.
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 is a surprising choice here. It offers a fast CPU with up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H, but its maximum RTX 4060 GPU seems underpowered compared to some others. But Lenovo gives both the CPU and the GPU more power than most, and its performance is excellent for creators. That’s the 16-inch laptop’s primary target, and the Yoga Pro 9i 16 meets their needs.
And once again, price is a major factor. The Yoga Pro 9i 16 maxes out at less than half the price of the most powerful MacBook Pro 16. And it, too, has an excellent 16-inch miniLED display.
