Macworld

Choosing the best Mac in 2026 means finding the right combination of performance, features and price for the way you work. Whether you’re buying your first Mac, replacing an older computer or looking for more power, this guide will help you understand your options and choose with confidence.

Do you need a laptop to carry around or a desktop for a permanent workspace? Which processor will handle your apps, how much memory and storage should you buy, and which connections do you need? We explain what these differences mean in practice, helping you identify the features worth paying for.

We also help you work out the total cost. Memory and storage upgrades can significantly increase the price, while some models require a separate display and accessories. Our configuration advice and retailer price comparisons will help you balance your needs against your budget and decide where to spend – or save.

Below, you’ll find our recommendations followed by detailed explanations of every current Mac family, including their strengths, limitations and upgrade options. Together, these will help you narrow your shortlist and choose the right Mac for your work, home or studies. For a closer look at Apple’s laptops, see our MacBook comparison.

Best Mac 2026: Mac & MacBook Buyers Guide

The MacBook Air is our top Mac for most people in 2026, offering an excellent balance of performance, portability, battery life, and value. For tighter budgets, the MacBook Neo starts at $699/£699 and is Apple’s most affordable laptop.

For demanding creative and professional work, choose the MacBook Pro. The touchscreen MacBook Pro adds the flexibility to interact directly with the display alongside the keyboard and trackpad.

If you don’t need portability, the Mac mini, starting at $899/£899, offers good value if you already own a display and accessories. The iMac combines the computer and display in an all-in-one design that’s ideal for the home, while the Mac Studio provides greater power for intensive creative work and AI development.

13-inch MacBook Air (M5, 2026) – Best Mac for most people Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide

What is it? The 13-inch MacBook Air is Apple’s thin and light laptop for everyday use, offering more performance and features than the cheaper MacBook Neo.

What’s new? Apple introduced the M5 MacBook Air in March 2026, featuring the M5 chip with its faster CPU and GPU. The base configuration now starts with 512GB of storage (double the previous model), along with faster SSD speeds, more memory bandwidth, and support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.

Who’s it for? It’s perfect for students and everyday users who want a lightweight laptop that’s easy to carry, and powerful enough for working, studying, browsing, and doing light creative work. If you want a larger screen there is a 15-inch MacBook Air, which we discuss below.

How much does the 13-inch MacBook Air cost? The entry-level 13-inch M5 MacBook Air costs from $1,299/£1,299, that’s up $200/£200 from the launch price of $1,099/£1,099. You can create build-to-order models with more memory (up to 32GB) or storage (up to 4TB).

What are the specifications? The standard specs for the M5 MacBook Air offer an improvement compared to the previous generation. The MacBook Air now ships with 512GB SSD as standard.

  • Apple M5, 10-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB memory, 512GB SSD, two Thunderbolt 4 ports: $1,299/£1,299.
  • Apple M5, 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16GB memory, 512GB SSD, two Thunderbolt 4 ports: $1,399/£1,399.
  • Additional options: Up to 32GB memory, 4TB storage.

What are display specifications?

  • While referred to as 13-inch, when measured diagonally the screen is 13.6-inches.
  • The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina on the M5 MacBook Air display has a native resolution of 2,560×1,664 and 500 nits brightness.
  • The MacBook Air M5 can support two external displays.

How do I connect stuff? The M5 MacBook Air models supports Thunderbolt 4, which means that they can support a dual monitor set up. If you want to connect USB-A devices, you need either a USB-C to USB-A adapter, like Apple’s $19 / £19 one, or a USB-C hub that has USB-A ports. In the U.K. and Europe Apple has stopped including a Power Adapter in the box, so you will need to buy one separately. See our round-up of the best USB-C hubs and adapters.

The 2026 MacBook Air offers Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) for connecting to a network. It also provides built-in Bluetooth (6) for wirelessly connecting a mouse or other peripherals. If you want to connect to an ethernet network, you need an adapter.

How fast is it? In our tests the M5 saw consistent gains over the M4 in the previous generation, as you can see in our Mac processor benchmarks. In some benchmarks the M5 even beats the M1 Ultra. If you are upgrading from an old Mac – especially if it is one with an Intel chip – you will see a huge difference.

Any other considerations? The MacBook Air is more than fast enough for everyday use and occasional creative work. Its fanless design keeps it silent, but performance can drop during sustained demanding tasks as it reduces speed to control heat. If you regularly run lengthy video exports, large code builds or other intensive workloads, a MacBook Pro with active cooling is a better choice. Memory and internal storage cannot be upgraded after purchase, so choose a configuration that meets your likely longer-term needs. Prioritize enough memory for your apps; you can add storage later with an external SSD. The Air still uses M5, while Apple now offers M6 versions of the standard MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac mini. An M6 MacBook Air could follow in spring 2027. If you need a new laptop now, the M5 Air remains a capable option, particularly at a discount.

Why we recommend the 13-inch MacBook Air: The MacBook Air is a great choice for someone who does general-purpose work and moves around a lot, such as a student or a self-employed person.

We compare the MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro separately.

Read our full Apple 13-inch MacBook Air (M5, 2026) review

Apple MacBook Neo – Cheapest Mac laptop Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide

What’s new? The MacBook Neo is Apple’s new entry-level Mac laptop. It’s powered by an iPhone-class chip (the A18 Pro) rather than an M-series processor, and it introduces a colorful design and a simplified feature set at a much lower starting price, although not as low as it was, thanks to Apple’s June 2026 price hikes which pushed prices up $100.

Who’s it for? The MacBook Neo is designed to appeal to students and those who want to use a laptop for everyday tasks like web browsing, video calls, schoolwork, streaming, email and office apps. Because it uses an A18 Pro iPhone chip and is limited to 8GB of non-upgradable RAM, it is not suitable for heavy video editing or large-scale photo processing.

How much does the MacBook Neo cost? At launch the MacBook Neo was the cheapest Mac laptop Apple has ever released, starting at $599/£599. That price is now slightly more, at $699/£699, but it’s still about half the price of a MacBook Air.

What are the specifications? The MacBook Neo is the first Mac to use an A-series processor, the same family used in iPhones. That chip has a 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU, 8GB unified memory, and either 256GB or 512GB storage.

  • Apple A18 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 8GB memory, 256GB SSD, two USB-C ports: $699/£699.
  • Apple A18 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 8GB memory, 512GB SSD, two USB-C ports: $799/£799.
  • Additional options: None.

What are display specifications? The MacBook Neo features a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with 2,408×1,506 resolution at 220 ppi, at up to 500 nits and sRGB color. That should be good enough for everyday work.

How do I connect stuff? Connectivity is basic. There are two USB-C ports; one is USB 3, the other is slower USB 2. There isn’t a separate MagSafe port so charging is via USB-C. There is a 3.5mm headphone jack. Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 6 are included.

How fast is it? MacBook Neo uses the A18 Pro chip that first appeared in the iPhone 16 Pro. Our tests and benchmarks of that chip indicate that it offers similar performance to the M1. It is suitable for everyday tasks like web browsing, streaming, and office apps.

Any other considerations? The MacBook Neo’s low price comes with several trade-offs: there’s no Thunderbolt, MagSafe charging or backlit keyboard, and Touch ID is available only on the 512GB model. Unified memory is limited to 8GB and cannot be upgraded, so consider whether that will meet your longer-term needs before buying. The Neo uses the A18 Pro chip. A refresh with a newer, more powerful processor could arrive in 2027.

Why we recommend the MacBook Neo: This is the most affordable way to own a Mac laptop – unless you buy a used or refurbished model. If you don’t need pro-level performance it’s a very compelling entry-point into Apple’s ecosystem.

Read our full Apple MacBook Neo review

Apple 15-inch MacBook Air (M5, 2026) – Big screen without Pro pricing Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide

What is it? The 15-inch MacBook Air is essentially identical to the 13-inch model above aside from the bigger screen and six-speaker system rather than four speakers. Surprisingly, battery life isn’t better on the 15-inch, despite the bigger battery.

What’s new? The M5 MacBook Air arrived in March 2026. Like the 13-inch version it features the M5 chip for faster CPU and GPU performance compared to the previous generation. The base configuration now starts with 512GB of storage (double the previous model), along with faster SSD speeds, more memory bandwidth, and support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.

Who’s it for? The 15-inch MacBook Air is ideal for anyone who wants a big-screen laptop for far less than the price of a 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro. The big screen will allow more room for spreadsheets and browser tabs, and for multitasking with multiple apps open. It’s also great choice for anyone who values portability due to its lightweight and thin design.

How much does the 15-inch MacBook Air cost? The price of the 15-inch model was $1,299/£1,299, but following the June 2026 price increases it now starts at $1,499/£1,499. There are three configurations and you can create build-to-order models with up to 32GB memory and 4TB storage.

What are the specifications? The specifications of the 15-inch M5 MacBook Air are generally the same as the 13-inch model, except there is no 8-core GPU option here. The actual screen measurements, measured diagonally are 15.3in. You are essentially paying $200/£200 more for the bigger screen.

  • Apple M5, 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16GB memory, 512GB SSD, two Thunderbolt 4 ports: $1,499/£1,499.
  • Additional options: Up to 32GB memory, 4TB storage.

What are display specifications?

  • While referred to as 15-inch, when measured diagonally the screen is 15.3-inches.
  • The 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display has a native resolution of 2,880×1,864 and 500 nits brightness.
  • The MacBook Air M5 can support two external displays.

How do I connect stuff? Both M5 MacBook Air models support Thunderbolt 4 and can support a dual monitor set up. For USB-A devices you need a USB-C to USB adapter (Apple sells one for $19 / £19), or a USB-C hub with USB-A ports. In the U.K. and Europe Apple has stopped including a Power Adapter in the box, so you will need to buy one separately. See our round-up of the best USB-C hubs and adapters.

The 2026 MacBook Air offers the new standards of Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) and Bluetooth (6). If you want to connect to an ethernet network, you need an adapter.

How fast is it? This is the same M5 as found in the 14-inch MacBook Pro, so you can expect similar performance. In our tests we found the M5 to be faster than the M1 Ultra in some benchmarks. If you are updating from an older Mac expect a big boost.

Any other considerations? The Air doesn’t have a fan to keep the computer cool, so it may throttle down its speed during long processing sessions, such as video editing or compiling code. If that’s the kind of work you intend to do, a MacBook Pro would be a better option. Also note that you won’t be able to update RAM or storage later, so get as much as you can afford. The Air still uses the M5 chip, while Apple now offers M6 versions of the standard MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac mini. An M6 MacBook Air could follow in spring 2027.

Why we recommend the 15-inch MacBook Air: Starting at $1,499/£1,499, the 15-inch MacBook Air is a much more affordable Mac laptop than the 14-inch MacBook Pro, which starts at $1,999/£1,999, so if you want your screen to be bigger than 13 inches, and you don’t need the power of a MacBook Pro for the kind of work you do, the 15-inch MacBook Air is a great option.

Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro (M6, 2026) – Everyday power with Pro features Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide

What is it? The 14-inch M6 MacBook Pro is the entry-level model in Apple’s professional laptop range. It combines a standard M6 chip with active cooling, a Liquid Retina XDR display and more ports than the MacBook Air. More powerful M5 Pro and M5 Max models remain available, including separate OLED touchscreen versions. The M6 model retains a conventional, non-touchscreen display.

What’s new? Announced on October 27, 2026, the M6 model replaces M5 with a 2nm processor featuring a 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU, up from 10 cores each. It also gains a dual 16-core Neural Engine, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. The enclosure, display, memory capacities and storage options remain largely unchanged.

Who’s it for? The M6 MacBook Pro suits users who want a better display, additional connections and more sustained processing power than the MacBook Air offers. Its cooling fan makes it better suited to lengthy video exports, code builds and other demanding tasks. For heavier graphics workloads or projects requiring more than 32GB of memory, consider M5 Pro or M5 Max instead.

How much does the 14-inch MacBook Pro cost? The M6 model starts at $1,999/£1,999 with 16GB of unified memory and a 1TB SSD. That matches the outgoing M5 model’s most recent starting price, rather than its lower original launch price.

What are the specifications?

  • Apple M6 with a 12-core CPU, 12-core GPU and dual 16-core Neural Engine.
  • 16GB unified memory and a 1TB SSD as standard. Optional 24GB or 32GB memory and 2TB or 4TB storage.
  • Memory bandwidth of 153GB/s with 16GB, rising to 170GB/s with 24GB or 32GB.
  • Apple rates battery life at up to 24 hours of video streaming or 16 hours of wireless web browsing.

What are the display specifications?

  • 14.2-inch mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display with a resolution of 3024 × 1964.
  • Up to 1,000 nits sustained full-screen HDR brightness and 1,600 nits peak HDR brightness.
  • Up to 1,000 nits SDR brightness outdoors.
  • ProMotion adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz, P3 wide color and True Tone.
  • Optional nano-texture glass.
  • A notch housing a 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View support.

How do I connect stuff? There are three Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, HDMI, an SDXC card slot, MagSafe 3 charging and a headphone jack. You may need an adapter for older accessories; see our MacBook adapter guide. The M6 supports two external displays alongside its built-in screen. Wireless connectivity improves to Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, replacing the previous generation’s Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. In the U.S., a 70W USB-C adapter is included. Buyers in the U.K. and Europe need to supply a compatible adapter separately. Fast charging requires a 96W or higher USB Power Delivery source.

How fast is it? Apple claims up to 30 percent faster graphics and 25 percent faster on-device AI workloads than M5. We’ll run independent testing to establish the gains in everyday apps and sustained workloads. T