Best MacBooks for Business 2025: Enterprise Buying Guide and Comparisons

Which MacBook is best for business?

Best MacBook for portability

Best MacBook for large screen experience

Best MacBook for creative pros

Best MacBook for value

Apple’s latest MacBook lineup delivers significant performance and efficiency improvements over previous models, largely thanks to the Apple M4 family of processors, released in 2024 and 2025. All MacBook Air laptops are equipped with the base M4 chip, while MacBook Pro models may come with the new M5 chip, the M4 Pro chip or the M4 Max chip, depending on configuration.

In October 2024, Apple made 16 gigabytes of RAM the standard on all its laptops. This provided a noticeable improvement in performance over the 8GB of RAM that was the previous standard for the MacBook Air and even the base model MacBook Pro. Like earlier lineups, all current MacBooks feature a Touch ID sensor integrated into the keyboard for secure, passwordless authentication. Also, all laptops in the current lineup are compatible with Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.3, and all offer support for two external displays, making them a versatile option to support fixed-desk setups.

Still, there are key differences in performance, screen size, battery life and other features among various models. This buying guide offers quick clarity into the best, most portable and most affordable offerings in the latest MacBook lineup.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M4 Pro processor delivers a noticeable upgrade in performance over previous models, with the M4 Pro chip providing up to three times the speed of the M1 Pro processor. Apple bills this model-and-processor combination as an ideal fit for “researchers, developers, engineers, creative pros or anyone that needs even faster performance for more demanding workflows.”

The 14-inch display provides plenty of real estate for most professionals, with far less bulk than the 16-inch version of the MacBook Pro. With a 22-hour battery life and 3.3-pound form factor, this model provides both the power and portability to support workers as they transition between home, the office and the road.

Key specifications and features:

• Processor and performance: Features an Apple M4 Pro chip with a 12-core or 14-core CPU and a 16-core or 20-core GPU, among other options. Standard 24GB of unified memory (configurable up to 48GB).
• Display: 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with 3024x1964 native resolution at 254 pixels per inch. 1000 nits of sustained brightness (1600 nits peak, for HDR content only).
• Battery: Up to 22 hours of continuous use. Fast-charge-capable with 96W USB-C power adapter.
• Connectivity: Equipped with three Thunderbolt 5 USB-C ports, one HDMI port, one MagSafe 3 port, an SDXC card slot and a 3.5 mm audio jack, with other configurations depending on processor.
• Storage: 512GB SSD. Configurable to 1TB, 2TB, 4TB or 8TB.

Likely user personas: Software developers, data analysts and creative professionals whose work requires both significant computing power and easy portability.

The 13-inch MacBook Air has been Apple’s most compact offering for several years, since the company discontinued its 11- and 12-inch models. At 2.7 pounds, the 13-inch MacBook Air is nearly 25% lighter than the 14-inch MacBook Pro, making it an ideal choice for workers for whom device portability is more important than top-end performance.

Although the performance of the 13-inch MacBook Air lags the MacBook Pro models, most workers find the device extremely fast for light-to-moderate knowledge work such as web browsing, coding, the use of office productivity software or similar apps, and even light photo editing. However, because the device lacks active cooling, its performance may slow during sustained heavy loads such as long video renders or intensive data processing.

Key specifications and features:

• Processor and performance: Features an Apple M4 chip with a 10-core CPU and an 8-core or 10-core GPU. Standard 16GB unified memory (configurable up to 32GB).
• Display: 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display with 2560x1664 native resolution at 224 pixels per inch. 500 nits brightness.
• Battery: Up to 18 hours video streaming and up to 15 hours wireless web. Fast-charge-capable with 70W USB-C power adapter.
• Connectivity: Equipped with two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, one MagSafe 3 charging port and a 3.5 mm audio jack.
• Storage: 256GB SSD. Configurable to 512GB, 1TB or 2TB.

Likely user personas: Sales teams, field consultants, executives and other mobile professionals who mostly use their devices for communication, document management and presentations.

While this model isn’t the largest in Apple’s fleet, the 15-inch MacBook Air offers plenty of screen space for most users, packed into a slim, lightweight form factor, at a starting price about half that of the 16-inch MacBook Pro.

According to Apple, the 15-inch model provides “even more room to multitask,” while remaining exceptionally portable. With a 15.3-inch screen, users can view multiple documents side by side, potentially reducing the need for an external monitor. Despite its larger screen, the device offers the same battery life as the 13-inch Air, allowing users to work all day without running out of juice.

Key specifications and features:

• Processor and performance: Features an Apple M4 chip with a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU. Standard 16GB unified memory (configurable up to 32GB).
• Display: 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display with 2880x1864 native resolution at 224 pixels per inch. 500 nits brightness.
• Battery: Up to 18 hours video streaming and up to 15 hours wireless web. Fast-charge-capable with 70W USB-C power adapter.
• Connectivity: Equipped with two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, one MagSafe 3 charging port and a 3.5 mm audio jack.
• Storage: 256GB SSD. Configurable to 512GB, 1TB or 2TB.

Likely user personas: Project managers, writers, financial analysts and other office-based professionals who would benefit from a larger display for multitasking but who do not require the advanced processing power of a MacBook Pro.  

The 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 Max chip is the largest, most powerful laptop in Apple’s lineup. The combination of generous screen size and high-powered processing make it ideal for creative users who spend their days engaged in highly visual, compute-intensive activities such as high-resolution video editing, visual effects and 3D animation. In fact, according to Apple,  this model can tackle projects that once were possible only on a desktop.

Even with its top-end processing power and large screen, the 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M4 Max chip offers battery life similar to the much smaller and less powerful 13-inch MacBook Air. However, all of this comes at a premium, as the model starts at nearly $3,500.

Key specifications and features:

• Processor and performance: Features an Apple M4 Max chip with 14-core CPU and 32-core GPU. Standard 36GB unified memory (configurable up to 128GB).
• Display: 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with 3456x2234 native resolution at 254 pixels per inch. 1000 nits sustained brightness (1600 nits peak, for HDR content only).
• Battery: Up to 21 hours video streaming, and up to 14 hours wireless web. Fast-charge-capable with included 140W USB-C power adapter.
• Connectivity: Equipped with three Thunderbolt 5 USB-C ports, one MagSafe 3 port, an HDMI port, an SDXC card slot and a 3.5 mm audio jack.  
• Storage: 1TB SSD. Configurable to 2TB, 4TB or 8TB.

Likely user personas: Largely intended for use among creative agencies, engineering departments and data science teams to support roles including video editors, 3D artists, architects and machine learning engineers.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 Max chip is the largest, most powerful laptop in Apple’s lineup. The combination of generous screen size and high-powered processing make it ideal for creative users who spend their days engaged in highly visual, compute-intensive activities such as high-resolution video editing, visual effects and 3D animation. In fact, according to Apple,  this model can tackle projects that once were possible only on a desktop.

Even with its top-end processing power and large screen, the 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M4 Max chip offers battery life similar to the much smaller and less powerful 13-inch MacBook Air. However, all of this comes at a premium, as the model starts at nearly $3,500.

Key specifications and features:

• Processor and performance: Features an Apple M4 Max chip with 14-core CPU and 32-core GPU. Standard 36GB unified memory (configurable up to 128GB).
• Display: 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with 3456x2234 native resolution at 254 pixels per inch. 1000 nits sustained brightness (1600 nits peak, for HDR content only).
• Battery: Up to 21 hours video streaming, and up to 14 hours wireless web. Fast-charge-capable with included 140W USB-C power adapter.
• Connectivity: Equipped with three Thunderbolt 5 USB-C ports, one MagSafe 3 port, an HDMI port, an SDXC card slot and a 3.5 mm audio jack.  
• Storage: 1TB SSD. Configurable to 2TB, 4TB or 8TB.

Likely user personas: Largely intended for use among creative agencies, engineering departments and data science teams to support roles including video editors, 3D artists, architects and machine learning engineers.

Often, device upgrades are made according to preplanned lifecycle periods (usually every three to five years). Some organizations conduct rolling refreshes, replacing 20% to 33% of their fleet each year to avoid spikes in capital costs, while others upgrade their entire fleet all at once.

While three to five years is a good guideline, it is important for business and IT leaders to consider the limitations of their existing device fleets, improvements in technology and evolving user needs. If users are experiencing noticeable performance degradation, for example, it may be time to replace devices. This is especially true if lags or freezes are directly affecting employee productivity. If users need to restart their laptops every hour just to do their jobs, a laptop refresh will likely pay for itself in short order.

If current devices are slowing down productivity, CDW can help organizations evaluate refresh strategies with Apple lifecycle services to reduce cost and downtime over the device’s lifespan.

Security and compliance can also be compelling reasons to pursue a device refresh. If existing laptops can no longer receive the latest operating system updates or are incapable of running the most effective cybersecurity tools, then it’s time to replace them.

Insufficient battery life is another powerful motivator, as a battery that no longer holds a charge for a full workday can restrict a worker’s mobility and create workflow interruptions. Rising support costs due to aging hardware may also spur a device refresh, as the cost of replacement parts, IT support and downtime may sometimes exceed the savings gained by waiting another year to replace devices.

Finally, some organizations are opportunistic with their device refreshes, replacing laptops when extra budget remains at the end of a quarter or fiscal year.

CDW is an Apple Premium Business Partner with deep enterprise expertise. CDW can help organizations deploy MacBooks across the business with confidence. Our specialists guide IT teams through device selection, procurement and configuration to match the right MacBook models to every role — from mobile field staff to advanced creative workflows. CDW also simplifies large-scale rollouts and ongoing management through zero-touch deployment, mobile device management policy enforcement and secure provisioning.

With lifecycle services that include asset tagging, financing, warranty support and environmentally responsible device refresh and recovery, CDW enables organizations to maximize productivity, security and ROI throughout the life of every Apple device. From procurement and deployment to support, CDW is your end-to-end partner for Apple success in the enterprise.

Explore our Apple solutions:

• Shop Apple MacBooks
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Q: What are the main differences between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro?

A: True to its name, the MacBook Air is lighter and more portable than the MacBook Pro, with the slimmest model weighing in at just 2.7 pounds. The Air is available in 13-inch and 15-inch versions, while the Pro versions measure 14 inches and 16 inches.

However, performance is likely the most significant differentiator for most buyers. The Air uses only the base M4 chip, with up to 32GB of RAM and up to 2 terabytes of storage, even in its premium configuration. Also, the Air features fanless cooling, which some users prefer due to its lack of noise. However, its performance may slow under sustained heavy workloads. The Pro, by contrast, offers the M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max chip (as well as the M5 chip in its 14-inch model), delivering much greater CPU and GPU performance.

The Pro also offers a wider array of ports than the Air, as well as a higher-quality, premium display.

Q: What are the differences between the M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max chips?

A: Not all chips are available on all models. All MacBook Airs come with a base M4 chip. The 14-inch MacBook Pro is available with either the base M4 chip, the M4 Pro chip or the M5 chip. And the 16-inch MacBook Pro comes with either the M4 Pro or the M4 Max chip.

The M4 chip is sufficient for most business users, whose work involves office suites and web applications. The M4 Pro provides a significant performance boost for users who need extra power for tasks such as compiling code and processing large data sets. And the M4 Max offers top-end speed for compute-intensive activities such as 8K video editing and 3D rendering.

Q: What are the differences between the base M4 and new M5 chips?

A: The M5 chip builds on the foundation of the M4 by delivering a meaningful uplift in CPU, GPU, memory bandwidth and AI/ML acceleration. According to Apple, the M5’s GPU — with a neural accelerator in each core — enables up to 3.5 times faster AI performance and up to 1.6 times faster graphics compared with the M4.

In addition, the M5 supports higher unified memory bandwidth (reported at 153 gigabytes per second, compared with about 120GBps in the M4) and up to 20% better multithreaded CPU performance in professional workloads. For IT buyers, this means that while the M4 is very capable for standard productivity, the M5 is better optimized for heavier workflows, including large data sets, on-device AI/ML, creative rendering, and long-term device lifecycle value.

Q: Do MacBooks meet enterprise security standards?

A: All M4-powered MacBooks incorporate hardware-level security features, including the Secure Enclave subsystem for cryptographic operations and Touch ID for biometric authentication. Also, macOS includes multiple layers of security, and the devices are fully compatible with enterprise mobile device management solutions for policy enforcement, configuration and remote management.