MacBook Air M4 Alternatives
Not sold on the MacBook Air M4? These are the alternatives we would consider instead, with the specific reason to prefer each.
Last revised
If the MacBook Air M4 is not quite right, these are the Laptops we would look at instead, and the specific reason you might prefer each one.
Why you might look elsewhere
The most common reason people move on from the MacBook Air M4 is straightforward: only two ports, both on one side. If that is a problem for how you work, one of the alternatives below will suit you better.
The alternatives
| Model | Price | Score | Why choose it instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| HP Spectre x360 14 | £1499 | 4 / 5 | A genuinely usable convertible hinge |
| ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 | £1649 | 4 / 5 | The best keyboard on any laptop |
| Framework Laptop 13 | £1399 | 4 / 5 | Genuinely repairable, with labelled parts and captive screws |
| ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED | £1099 | 4 / 5 | A superb OLED panel for the money |
| Acer Aspire 14 AI | £649 | 3 / 5 | A genuinely low price for 16GB of RAM |
If you want to spend less
The ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED at £1099 saves you £100. You give up some capability, but it delivers a superb OLED panel for the money.
If you can stretch further
The HP Spectre x360 14 at £1499 costs £300 more and adds a genuinely usable convertible hinge.
On the numbers that actually differ
Two devices in the same bracket usually share most of their specification sheet. These are the entries where they genuinely diverge, which is the only part of the comparison worth your time.
| Specification | MacBook Air M4 | HP Spectre x360 14 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,199 | £1,499 |
| Our score | 5 / 5 | 4 / 5 |
| Released | 2025 | 2025 |
| Display | 13.6in, 2560 x 1664, 60Hz | 14in OLED touch, 2880 x 1800, 120Hz |
| Chip | Apple M4 | Core Ultra 7 258V |
| Storage | 512GB | 1TB |
| Battery | 53.8Wh | 68Wh |
| Weight | 1.24kg | 1.44kg |
| Runtime | 16h 20m mixed use | 10h 20m mixed use |
The cost of switching
Changing manufacturer is rarely just the price difference. Budget for the accessories that will not carry over, an afternoon of migration, and a fortnight of not knowing where anything is. On Apple hardware specifically, the things that transfer least well are the settings you configured once and forgot about — they are invisible until they are missing. None of that is a reason to stay put, but it is a reason not to switch over a specification you would struggle to explain to someone else.
When to stay with the MacBook Air M4
It remains the right choice if you are students, writers and anyone who works away from a socket. Nothing in this list beats it on that specific point.
Behind this page
This reference page is written from the same testing notes as the reviews it supports, and it is revised whenever the hardware or the software underneath it changes. Where a figure appears here it has been measured rather than quoted from a specification sheet.
If something on this page no longer matches what you are seeing, it is out of date rather than disputed — tell us and it gets checked again.
Related reading
The reviews this page supports go into the measurements behind these figures, and the knowledge base collects every reference page we keep.
Elsewhere in alternatives: Meross Smart Plug Mini Alternatives, Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen) Alternatives and Nikon Z6 III Alternatives.