Compare Laptops

17 ranked products · Two to 4 at a time · Updated 17 Aug 2026

Pick any two to four of the 17 ranked laptops and read them side by side. This page opens on the board's top 3, Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5), Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5) and Apple MacBook Neo.

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Laptops compared side by side. Each column is one product, each row is one measure taken from the same research that built the board.
Measure	Apple Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5)	Apple Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5)	Apple Apple MacBook Neo	Microsoft Microsoft Surface Laptop 8th Edition	ASUS Asus Zenbook A14 (2026)	Lenovo Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14	Lenovo Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 (14" Intel)	Framework Framework Laptop 13	Acer Acer Swift 16 AI	Asus Asus Zenbook Duo (2026)	Dell Dell XPS 14 (2026)	HP HP OmniBook 7 Aero	Lenovo Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x	Lenovo Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14	Samsung Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra	MSI MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+	Apple Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M1, 2020)
Tier	S	A	A	B	B	B	B	C	C	C	C	D	D	D	F	F	F
Rank on this board	1 of 17	2 of 17	3 of 17	4 of 17	5 of 17	6 of 17	7 of 17	8 of 17	9 of 17	10 of 17	11 of 17	12 of 17	13 of 17	14 of 17	15 of 17	16 of 17	17 of 17
Ladder points	1032 LP	808 LP	664 LP	587 LP	566 LP	564 LP	554 LP	434 LP	428 LP	374 LP	368 LP	353 LP	290 LP	230 LP	114 LP	105 LP	76 LP
Our verdict	The default recommendation at the biggest outlets combined with top-tier failure data, long macOS support, and strong resale. Nothing else in the category owns as gracefully.	Same ownership virtues as the Air with active cooling for sustained load, but most productivity buyers pay extra for headroom they will never use.	Cheapest entry into Apple's reliability and update longevity; the compromises in ports and headroom matter less at its price than they would higher up.	Recent Surfaces pair much-improved repairability with Microsoft's direct support channel, a real change from the line's glued-shut past.	ASUS carries a genuine reliability reputation and the A14's magnesium build travels well, though ASUS warranty service remains slower than Apple or ThinkPad channels.	The lowest measured failure rate and longest tracked lifespan of any line, plus the best enterprise warranty ecosystem in Windows laptops. Loses the top spot only on price-to-value for typical buyers.	Solid Lenovo underpinnings, but the 360-degree hinge and touchscreen stack add failure points that cost it places.	The purest longevity play: every wear part is user-replaceable and the mainboard is upgradeable, so it can outlive everything here. Held back by the realities of a small company's support capacity.	Excellent value per the testing outlets, but Acer's budget-line build tolerances and support are a clear step below the names above it.	Genuinely innovative and well made, but the second screen is a luxury you pay for, which dents its value score.	Premium marketing over a machine current avoid-lists grade as a straight D, with the capacitive touch row and XPS line churn compounding Dell's consumer-support complaints. Buy the ThinkPad X1 Carbon or a Surface Laptop instead.	HP makes the reliability-reputation shortlist, but consumer-line HP support experiences are inconsistent enough to sit at the bottom of the picks.	Excellent battery life for very little money, but its modest performance ceiling keeps it below the more capable budget options.	For browser-first users, delivers near-ultrabook polish for half the money.	Outclassed at its price: creator-class specs with a thin service network and no place on any reliability-reputation shortlist. A MacBook Pro 14 owns better for the same money.	The worst ownership risk on the board: MSI's non-gaming lines pair unproven build consistency with the weakest after-sales support reputation among major brands. Any pick above is safer.	A famously durable machine, but buying one new in 2026 means 8GB of RAM and a macOS support clock with little left on it. The MacBook Neo or M5 Air is the correct cheap-Mac answer.
What reviewers rate	Default buying answer at major outlets like Wired Far more powerful than its compact size suggests Second only to ThinkPad in measured failure rates Long macOS support and strong resale value	Same ownership virtues as the MacBook Air Active cooling for sustained loads Apple tops BGR's reliability-reputation list for build quality and dependability	Cheapest entry into Apple's reliability and update longevity Covered by Apple's top-rated reliability reputation	Much-improved serviceability over past generations Microsoft's direct enterprise support channel	ASUS is on BGR's four-brand reliability-reputation shortlist Magnesium build travels well Zenbook line ranks among LaptopMag's top picks	Lowest measured failure rate of any tracked line: 8.3% over 3 years Longest average lifespan at 6.2 years Best enterprise warranty ecosystem in Windows laptops Business-class design brief: 4 to 6 years of productive use	Solid Lenovo underpinnings Anchored by Lenovo's strong failure-rate and lifespan data	Full user-repairability; every wear part is replaceable Upgradeable mainboard extends usable life Strong parts availability The strongest longevity proposition in the category	Excellent value per the testing outlets Swift family named LaptopMag's best budget laptop	Dual-screen design genuinely useful for multitaskers Well-executed, innovative design Current, credible 2-in-1-adjacent option	Premium design and brand cachet Flagship XPS line positioning	HP makes BGR's four-brand reliability-reputation shortlist Major-brand service network and parts availability	Excellent battery life for very little money Real efficiency-per-dollar from the Snapdragon platform Fine for basic productivity	Premium-feeling screen Strong battery life Smooth everyday speed A fraction of ultrabook money	Creator-class specs Premium Samsung hardware	2-in-1 convertible 'Flip' form factor AI+ branded feature set	Famously durable hardware Cheapest Mac still on shelves
Where it falls short	Failure rates still trail ThinkPad's industry-best numbers	Most productivity buyers pay extra for headroom they will never use	Compromises in ports and headroom	The line's glued-shut past still colors its track record	ASUS warranty service remains slower than Apple or ThinkPad channels	Price-to-value is weaker for typical buyers	360-degree hinge adds failure points Touchscreen stack adds further failure risk over years of use	Small company's support capacity is a real limitation	Budget-line build tolerances a step below the leaders Acer support is a clear step below the names above it	You pay a meaningful premium for the second panel The weakest of the recommended options on value	Graded a straight D by a widely circulated 2026 avoid-list Capacitive touch row frustrates owners XPS line churn compounds the risk Dell's consumer-support complaints are well documented	Consumer-line HP support experiences are inconsistent	Not fast Modest performance ceiling versus more capable budget options	Only makes sense for buyers whose workload lives in a browser	Thin laptop service network relative to its marketing spend Absent from BGR's four-brand reliability-reputation shortlist Outclassed at its price; a MacBook Pro 14 owns better for the same money	Unproven build consistency in MSI's non-gaming lines Weakest after-sales support reputation among major brands The worst long-term ownership risk in the category	Base config still ships with 8GB of RAM, which 2026 buyer guidance says to avoid Six years old with little macOS support left on the clock Fits the exact cheap-outdated-model risk profile Which? warns against
Evidence behind it	8 sources across 8 outlets	5 sources across 5 outlets	214 sources across 108 outlets	9 sources across 7 outlets	70 sources across 47 outlets	64 sources across 36 outlets	35 sources across 30 outlets	42 sources across 33 outlets	30 sources across 26 outlets	103 sources across 88 outlets	90 sources across 57 outlets	20 sources across 17 outlets	46 sources across 44 outlets	41 sources across 31 outlets	33 sources across 27 outlets	29 sources across 26 outlets	3 sources across 2 outlets
Flagged as one to avoid	Not flagged	1 of 8 research runs	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	2 of 8 research runs	Not flagged	1 of 5 research runs	Not flagged	3 of 8 research runs	1 of 6 research runs	3 of 6 research runs
Announced	Mar 2026	Mar 2026	Mar 2026	Not recorded	Not recorded	Jan 2026	Aug 2020	Not recorded	Jan 2026	Jan 2026	Not recorded	Not recorded	Feb 2025	Jun 2025	Jan 2026	Not recorded	Nov 2020
Where to buy	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it

Every column is the same research that built the board. Nothing here is a specification sheet copied from a maker. Read how we rank for what a tier and a ladder point mean.