Apple’s MacBooks are brilliant for many things, and programming sits among the many tasks they excel at. With the power and efficiency of their Apple silicon chips, the superb displays that let you comfortably work for hours on end, and the wide array of specialist apps for whatever project you’re working on, they’re undoubtedly some of the best laptops for programming that money can buy.
Yet with so many models and configuration options available, choosing one can be tricky. Our guide should help you, though, as we’ve picked out the best MacBooks, put them through their paces, and worked out which are best for coding. And don’t forget, you don’t have to just use the MacBook by itself – pair it up with one (or more) of the best monitors for programming and you’ll have yourself a dream coding setup.
The entry-level MacBook Pro 14 offers more than enough power for programmers and a winning balance of portability and premium without the price tag of 'Pro'-chipped models. Read more below
Programming can be much more comfortable on a larger screen, and the 16-inch MacBook Pro offers that along with plenty of power for much more than programming alone. Read more below
With its larger screen and slim, light frame, we think the new MacBook Air 15 provides the perfect balance of power, price and size for programming. Read more below
If you prioritise portability for work in different locations, we recommend the superbly thin and light 13in MacBook Air, which still offers lots of power and a crisp bright Liquid Retina display. Read more below
You really don't need a hugely powerful MacBook for programming, and even the base M3 is overkill if you don't use it for other things. A good keyboard and display are key, and the M2 MacBook Air delivers that at a very budget price. Read more below
The best MacBook for programming in full
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Compact build offers balance between screen size and portability
+
Reasonably priced
Reasons to avoid
-
Some programmers will prefer a larger screen
-
Starting configuration may lack the power for other types of work
Buy it if:
✅ You want sturdy, well-built reliability: Apple's legendary build quality is here in abundance. ✅ You work with static images: As well as coding, it's perfect for graphic design work and similar tasks. ✅ Productivity matters: It's great for more than just programming.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You need graphics power: Other chips have stronger GPUs. ❌ You're on a budget: There are cheaper alternatives. ❌ You're not fussed about Macs: It's worth also looking at Windows laptops.
The bottom line
🔎 The MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4, 2024) is incredibly well built, the screen is predictably great and it's loaded with a bunch of ease-of-use features for anyone, plus the addition of Apple Intelligence adds an AI-shaped layer to the experience of having one. ★★★★
What you need to know: Apple's MacBook Pro 14 (M4, 2024) is the best MacBook for programming thanks to its combination of portability and power. You get Apple's fantastic M4 chip, which can chew through coding tasks with ease, plus a beautiful 14-inch display that is compact enough for travel. There are other options for more specialist needs -- larger screens and cheaper prices, for example -- but this model offers a superb balance of features for programmers.
Design: Apple is well-known for its design prowess and commitment to rock-solid build quality, and these aspects are found in abundance in the 14-inch MacBook Pro. You get an all-metal chassis, superb display with mini-LED lighting, a comfortable keyboard and high-performance Haptic touchpad, and more. It's no wonder that Apple's laptops last an age -- they're built to last.
Performance: The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 chip performed admirably in our tests, with both Geekbench and Cinebench results topping our charts compared to other laptops. In most programming tasks, the M4 chip will handle whatever you need with ease. That said, the M4 is Apple's entry-level chip, so if you have more heavy-duty needs, such as building enormous apps or any video-rendering work, look to upgrade to the M4 Pro or M4 Max chips.
Battery: Apple silicon chips are so efficient that the company's laptops boast some of the best battery life in the biz. We got almost 23 hours in our video-streaming test, so this is one laptop that will have you coding away long into the night without needing to reach for your charger.
Price: The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 chip starts at $1,599. It's obviously not the cheapest laptop in the world, but it offers a ton of quality for the price.
Larger screen for coding, plus ability to power two external displays
+
Fantastic battery life
+
Potential to configure to massive specs
Reasons to avoid
-
Larger size makes it less convenient to carry around
-
More expensive than smaller MacBooks
Buy it if:
✅ You want an expansive workspace. The 16-inch screen is begging to be filled with lines of code. ✅ You need a high power machine: This laptop is perfect for demanding coding work. ✅ Build and aesthetic is important: No flimsy plastic here.
Don't buy it if:
❌ Your budget is limited: All this power doesn't come cheap. ❌ You prefer Windows: Check your coding apps work on macOS first. ❌ You want a smaller screen: The large display isn't for everyone.
The bottom line
🔎 The MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024)'s portability and excellent battery life make it suitable for creatives on the move, so it should be near the top of your shortlist and could even replace a desktop workstation for many users. ★★★★½
What you need to know: If you need a MacBook that can handle much more than programming and you also want the largest screen you can get on a MacBook, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2023) could be the best choice for you. It's essentially the same as the 14-inch model at number two in our list, but coming only with a choice of Apple's M3 Pro or M3 Max chips, but with a larger screen and battery.
Design: This edition of the MacBook Pro has a 16-inch display, which gives you plenty of space for lines of code. That makes it a good choice if the 14-inch MacBook Pro's display just feels to cramped for your work. Elsewhere, there's an all-metal chassis that features a flat-edged design that feels like it will last a lifetime.
Performance: Since it's only available with the Pro or Max chip rather than the base M3, the amount of power provided is overkill for programming alone, but it will be welcomed by anyone who also does video editing or 3D work.
Battery: Apple says that you should get around 14 hours of web browsing from a charge, but we've seen more like 22 hours for basic online work.
Price: The choice of configurations here means that this is the most expensive MacBook by some way. You don't have to pay a fortune for one, but its larger display means its always going to be more costly than the 14-inch MacBook Pro.
✅ You need power: Apple silicon provides plenty of grunt for coding. ✅ Huge battery life is a priority: Working all day and all night? No problem. ✅ You want portability: It's beautifully thin and light.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You're on a budget: The larger display pushes the price up versus the 13-inch MacBook Air. ❌ You want port variety: You're limited to USB-C here. ❌ You want the latest connections: This laptop is stuck with Thunderbolt 3.
The bottom line
🔎 The MacBook Air 15-inch (M3, 2024) may be Apple’s cheapest portable Mac, but it gives up very little to its desktop cousins in terms of performance. ★★★★½
What you need to know: Some will prefer a larger or smaller device rather than this compromise in the middle, but we think the balance between power, price, size and portability make it ideal for programming.
Design: It may have a large display, but this laptop retains the thin and light design that the MacBook Air is known for. That means you get the best of both worlds: an expansive 15-inch screen that is perfect for chugging through code, and a lightweight chassis that can easily be popped into a backpack when it's time to travel.
Performance: Surprisingly strong performance for a machine that doesn't have an active cooling system. It won't be able to keep up with the M4 Pro and M4 Max in the latest MacBook Pro, but the 15-inch MacBook Air should be able to take on most coding tasks without much trouble.
Battery: Exceptional battery life thanks to the larger chassis that's able to handle a larger cell. You should be able to keep this thing running during those marathon coding sessions without a worry.
Price: More expensive than the 13-inch MacBook Air, but this larger model still offers a lot in terms of value.
Great for coding, but the MacBook Pro offers more.
★★★★
Battery life
Fantastic battery life comes as standard.
★★★★★
The best MacBook for programming on the move
(Image credit: Future)
04. MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
The best MacBook for programming on the go
Our expert review:
Specifications
CPU: Apple M3
Graphics: 8- to 10-core GPU
RAM: 8GB-16GB
Screen: 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display
Storage: Up to 2TB
Reasons to buy
+
Powerful M3 processor
+
Light and compact
+
Cheaper than MacBook Pro
Reasons to avoid
-
GPU not as powerful as on MacBook Pros
-
Smaller screen
Buy it if:
✅ You want the most portable MacBook: Slimline and lightweight, it's ideal for working on the go. ✅ You don't want to compromise on power: It may be thin and fanless, but it still packs a punch. ✅ You want something affordable: It happens to be Apple's least expensive laptop.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You need huge power: The base-level chip and lack of active cooling mean it's outdone by more powerful alternatives. ❌ You want more screen space: The 13-inch display isn't the largest. ❌ You worry about it overheating: Apple's chips are very efficient, but this fanless laptop could still struggle in heavy workloads.
The bottom line
🔎 The MacBook Pro 13 (M3, 2024) is the go-to option if you want something that's perfectly portable yet still impressively powerful. ★★★★½
What you need to know: Specs and performance are basically identical to its 15-inch sibling, with battery life only slightly less in our testing (we got over 16 hours of video playback). The M3 chip makes light work of compiling code, and the screen is 25 per cent brighter than the 2021 Air (see our budget pick below), which makes it better for working in sunlight. The laptop also has MagSafe support, which means plugging and unplugging the power cable is easy and safe. Best of all for those who want to program on the go, it's wonderfully slim and light. We think it's also very reasonably priced.
Design: With a 13-inch display and the MacBook Air's patented slimline chassis, this is the MacBook to go for if you aim to hit the road and write some code.
Performance: The M3 chip isn't Apple's latest offering, and it's easily outdone by the M4 Pro and M4 Max in the MacBook Pro. But if you just need it for lightweight programming, it'll be more than up to the task.
Battery: Our testing measured 16 hours of video playback, and battery life like that should enable you to get plenty of coding work done away from your charger.
Price: The 13-inch MacBook Air starts at $999/£999, although that's for the M2 model. The M3 MacBook Air costs $1,099/£1,099, which is still a very fair price considering what you get. It's Apple's most affordable laptop.
The newer MacBook Air above has a brighter screen with more pixels per inch.
Buy it if:
✅ You're looking for a bargain: It may not be the latest, but it's still a great laptop. ✅ You want peace and quiet: With no built-in fan, this laptop is totally silent in use. ✅ You work on the go: Light and slim, this MacBook Air is easy to transport.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You're concerned about overheating: Without a fan, it can run hot. ❌ Throttling is a problem: The M2 chip has been found to throttle in certain circumstances. ❌ You want the newest model: With an M2 chip, it's not the most recent MacBook Air.
The bottom line
🔎 The MacBook Air 13 (M2, 2022) comes with a gorgeous new design, bigger and brighter screen and improved performance. It's basically everything a creative professional would want from an upgrade - but its new (higher) price may put some people off. ★★★★½
What you need to know: If you're a coder on a tighter budget who just does not need the kind of horsepower the other MacBooks offer, then the MacBook Air (M2, 2022) remains an excellent choice, as it still hits the perfect sweet spot between value and performance. It's the cheapest MacBook you can buy new even at full price, but it often sees discounts.
Design: It uses the same design as the newer MacBook Air with M3 chip, so you don't lose out by getting a slightly older model. That means it's svelte and light, which is good for both home working and coding on the go.
Performance: Despite not having the latest chip, you'll still get great performance out of the M2 chip, including when you're knee deep in code. The only thing to note is that the M2 has been found to throttle under heavy workloads (something potentially contributed to by the MacBook Air's fanless design), which might be an issue if you also do things like video rendering or large dataset analysis. But in cases like that, you'll probably be looking at the MacBook Pro anyway.
Battery: Our video playback test recorded battery life of just over 16 hours. Like all the other MacBooks in this guide, the M2 MacBook Air has huge amounts of fuel in the tank for long-lasting coding sessions (or whatever else you want to throw at it).
Price: At $999/£999, it's the most affordable MacBook you can buy from Apple. Be sure to look out for sales and discounts offered by third-party retailers, which could enable you to save even more money.
Choosing the best MacBook for programming is really a case of defining your priorities. All MacBooks have more than enough power for programming and good screens for working in varying conditions. It therefore comes down to size, price, and whether you want enough power for more demanding tasks.
Overall, we recommend MacBook Airs as the best MacBooks for programming because they're cheaper, lighter and still have more than enough power. We chose the latest 15-inch MacBook Air (M3) as our top pick since we found the larger screen more comfortable to code on in our tests. However, if portability is a major priority for you, you might prefer the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air, or the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro. MacBook Pros do have brighter screens than the Airs, and that can be an advantage if you're working outside in bright light.
How we tested the best MacBooks for programming
We tested all of our picks of the best MacBooks for programming hands on as part of our full reviews of each product (see the link in the description of each product). When we reviewed each laptop, we performed a series of benchmark tests in order to evaluate their performance, display brightness and accuracy and battery life.
Our reviewers also used them over a period of at least two weeks, testing them for a wide range of uses. As well as using them for programming, our reviewers used them from general office programs, browsing, entertainment, photo editing and video editing in order to decide which of our buying guides they might fit. We also took into consideration customer reviews. To choose the best MacBooks for programming, we considered display size and quality, ergonomics, particularly the comfort of the keyboards, battery life (important if you often program from a cafe as well as from your home or office) and also price.
The answer depends on what your needs are: do you want a large screen to see more lines of code? Do you want the most powerful Mac to run through operations faster and more efficiently? Ultimately, you can’t go wrong with the MacBook Pro 14 (M4, 2024), our number one pick. It’s got a brilliant blend of power and portability, making it flexible enough to handle all your projects. But the MacBook Pro 16 (M4 Pro, 2024) is the perfect alternative if you need a larger display.
Is 16GB RAM enough for programming?
In most cases, 16GB of RAM should be plenty for coding workloads. If you’re doing some serious multitasking or building a massive app, you could find yourself needing more, though. Assess your needs and how much strain you’re going to be putting on the MacBook – the heavier your demands, the more memory you’ll need.
Is a 13-inch MacBook too small for coding?
We wouldn’t say it’s too small for coding, but you’ll definitely notice the benefits if you get a MacBook with a larger display, such as the 15-inch MacBook Air or the 16-inch MacBook Pro. It’s still absolutely possible to code on a 13-inch MacBook, you just have to make do with seeing less of your work on-screen.
Is a MacBook good for programming?
We think MacBooks are great laptops for programming. They have bright, crisp retina displays that show type clearly, they're powerful and they have good battery life – important if you're coding on the go. MacBooks now come in a good range of sizes, from the cheaper 13-inch MacBook Pro and Air to the larger and more powerful 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros and now even a 15-inch MacBook Air so there's plenty of choice.
Is a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air best for programming?
It used to be that we would easily recommend a MacBook Pro over a MacBook Air for programming because of the larger screen and retina display, which is great if you have the font for your programming set small.
But in recent years, the differences between the MacBook Pro and Air have become less clear-cut. MacBook Airs now have retina displays and Apple's own silicone (either the M1 or M2 chip), and there's even now a 15-inch MacBook Air for those that prefer a larger screen.
This means that we would only recommend paying more for a MacBook Pro (and even more for a M Pro-chipped model) if you'll be using your MacBook for other, more graphically demanding tasks as well. Programming alone does not require the amount of power delivered by the M Pro chips, but you may want to consider one of these if you're also doing other types of work.
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Matt has been a technology journalist for over 15 years, writing for publications such as T3, MacFormat and Creative Bloq. He's a managing editor of TechRadar, Creative Bloq's sister site, where he can be found writing about and reviewing laptops, computers, monitors and more. He often writes for Creative Bloq, helping creatives find their perfect laptop or PC.
