There’s no denying that the MacBook Pro is a dream machine. Beautifully designed, robustly built, and powered by the M4 chip, we found it excels at everything from coding and productivity tasks to complex content creation in our reviews for both the 14-inch and 16-inch models.
But let’s be honest, Apple’s mighty machine isn’t for everyone – especially those looking for a suitable Windows alternative. That’s why I’ve scoured our reviews and benchmark tests to find the best MacBook alternatives, all brilliantly designed and constructed, all featuring top-end specs that deliver the sort of performance that’s on par with Apple’s MBP.
Whether you’re on the hunt for the best video editing laptop or just the best business laptop for making productivity gains, these are my top 3 picks if you’re switching out from Apple ecosystem and replacing your MacBook Pro with a performance-driven Windows machine.
For creators
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Right now, this is my top recommendation for anyone looking for a MacBook Pro alternative. It ticks almost every box, coming equipped with the excellent AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor, with the max configuration boasting Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 graphics and 64GB RAM. Considering MacBooks have arguably the best screen on any laptop around, what I also like about the P16 is that it boasts a 4K OLED screen.
It performed incredibly well in tests, with our reviewer Alastair admitting that after a lifetime of using MacBooks, he’s now seriously considering making the move thanks to what’s on offer here. Citing the laptop’s exceptional quality and Windows compatibility with video formats for creatives, he said, “the speed, quality, design, and robustness of the ProArt P16 really make me think the time has come to switch.”
Where it compares unfavorably is, predictably, battery life. MacBooks have an incredible amount of charge in them – think somewhere around 15 to 20 hours during light duties. But in just about every other area, this is an ideal replacement – particularly for creative professionals.
Read our full Asus ProArt P16 H7606 review
For business
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The Dell XPS 14 is one of my favorite laptops ever – like the MacBook Pro, it’s sleek, robust, stunning to look at, and powers through a whole range of computing tasks.
The current model sports some excellent specs, armed with a Intel Core Ultra 7 155H chip, up to 64GB memory, and your choice of integrated graphics or the discrete Nvidia RTX 4050.
Under review, our Components Editor John called it a stunning laptop that “gives the MacBook Pro 14-inch its strongest competition yet thanks to its gorgeous OLED display, powerful processor and GPU, and svelte design.”
Like the P16, battery life doesn’t come close to the MacBook Pro, although it easily bests most other Windows laptops. But otherwise, comparing performance against the MacBook Pro 14-inch, it’s a win (or a draw). During his comprehensive tests, he found the Dell XPS 14 holds its own against Apple’s best when it came to performance, beating it on the gaming front, and matching it on typical creative workloads like video editing.
Read our full Dell XPS 14 review
For gamers
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The 2025 edition of the Razer Blade 16 is easily one of the best in its class, thanks to top-end specs and gorgeous design. If you’re into content creation, it’s a staggeringly good choice, and, as a gaming laptop, it’s far better at running modern titles than the MacBook Pro, which is slowly but slowly becoming adept at gaming, but can’t match the likes of the Razer machine.
Updating the previous model with a thinner chassis and better specs, the latest version sports a AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor, Nvidia RTX 5090 graphics card, and 32GB RAM on the max configuration. But even the base unit is well-specced for a range of gaming and content creation tasks. The screen is also a thing of beauty, boasting 16 inches at 2.5K, a 240Hz refresh rate, HDR 500 support, and hitting up to 100% DCI-P3 with Calman Verification.
Taking it out for a spin, Christian, our Computing Editor, found it delivered best-in-class performance and noted that “thanks to its surprisingly strong battery life and great capabilities when it comes to handling creative and AI workloads, the Razer Blade 16 can comfortably pull double duty as a work laptop when you’re not using it for gaming.”
Read our full Razer Blade 16 review
MacBook Pro alternatives: Comparison
|
Model |
Screen size & resolution |
Color gamut |
CPU |
GPU |
RAM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
16in, 3456 x 2234 |
Wide color P3, True Tone technology |
M4 Pro / M4 Max |
Up to 40-core GPU |
Up to 48GB |
|
|
14in, 3024 x 1964 |
Wide color P3, True Tone technology |
M4 / M4 Pro / M4 Max |
Up to 32-Core GPU |
Up to 36GB |
|
|
16in, 3840 x 2400 / 2880 x 1800 |
100% DCI-P3 |
AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 |
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 – 5070 |
Up to 64GB |
|
|
14in, 3200 x 2000 / 1920 x 1200 |
100% DCI-P3 / 100% sRGB |
Intel Core Ultra 7 155H |
Intel Arc Graphics / Nvidia RTX 4050 |
Up to 32GB |
|
|
16in, 2560 x 1600 |
100% DCI-P3 |
AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 |
Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti – 5090 |
Up to 64GB |
We’ve reviewed the best MacBook Pro laptops and the best video editing MacBooks, so I’ve been pretty picky when selecting these alternatives to the MacBook Pro.
Given that you can only get the latest MacBook Pro in the 14-inch and 16-inch varieties, that’s what I’ve stuck to here.
I’ve specifically chosen laptops with a recent-ish release date, since the M4-powered versions of the MBP came out late last year. Replacements with good graphics and a display was high on my list, given that many MacBook users use the laptop for photo and video editing. They may not perfectly match the beautiful Liquid Retina display on of Apple’s laptop, but each comes with high-resolution configurations and wide color gamut.
I’ve also made sure each option delivered excellent performance during our review, with benchmark test results that match or beat Apple’s mobile workstation in as many ways as possible. You can check out the key specs differences in the comparison table above.
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