Apple - MacBook Air 13 M4 vs Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M5
Between the MacBook Air 13 M4 and MacBook Pro 14 M5, the MacBook Air 13 M4 comes out ahead in weight, while the MacBook Pro 14 M5 wins on storage and refresh rate. Overall, the MacBook Air 13 M4 scores 52.8 and the MacBook Pro 14 M5 scores 61.8 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The MacBook Pro 14 M5 is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 9.0 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the MacBook Air 13 M4 if you carry the device everywhere and weight or thickness has been the deciding factor before. The biggest gaps in its favor are weight.
Pick the MacBook Pro 14 M5 if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. Its strongest claims are storage, refresh rate, battery, among others.
Both ship with comparable ram, cpu cores, backlit keyboard, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the MacBook Pro 14 M5 is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Apple - MacBook Air 13 M4 wins
- ▲Weight — 0.31 kg less. 1.24 vs 1.55.
Why Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M5 wins
- ▲Storage — 100.00% more. 512 GB vs 256 GB.
- ▲Refresh rate — 100.00% more. 120 Hz vs 60 Hz.
- ▲Battery — 35.85% more. 72 Wh vs 53 Wh.
- ▲Claimed battery life — 33.33% more. 24 h vs 18 h.
- ▲Screen size — 4.41% more. 14.2 " vs 13.6 ".
- ▲Thunderbolt ports — 1.00 more. 3 vs 2.
- ▲Panel type: Mini-LED (vs IPS).
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - MacBook Air 13 M4 | Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M5 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.24 kglead | 1.55 kg |
| Thickness | 11.3 mmlead | 15.5 mm |
| Build material | aluminum | aluminum |
| Backlit keyboard | true | true |
| Fingerprint reader | true | true |
Display
| Spec | Apple - MacBook Air 13 M4 | Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M5 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 13.6 " | 14.2 "lead |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 60 Hz | 120 Hzlead |
| Panel typeⓘ | IPS | Mini-LEDlead |
Performance
| Spec | Apple - MacBook Air 13 M4 | Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M5 |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Apple M4 | Apple M5 |
| CPU cores | 10 | 10 |
| GPUⓘ | Apple M4 10-core GPU | Apple M5 10-core GPU |
| RAMⓘ | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Storageⓘ | 256 GB | 512 GBlead |
| Storage typeⓘ | SSD | SSD |
Battery & Ports
| Spec | Apple - MacBook Air 13 M4 | Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M5 |
|---|---|---|
| Batteryⓘ | 53 Wh | 72 Whlead |
| Claimed battery life | 18 h | 24 hlead |
| USB-C ports | 2 | 3lead |
| Thunderbolt portsⓘ | 2 | 3lead |
| HDMI | false | truelead |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery life, MacBook Air 13 M4 or MacBook Pro 14 M5?+
MacBook Pro 14 M5 claims up to 24 hours — 18h vs 24h.
Which is lighter, MacBook Air 13 M4 or MacBook Pro 14 M5?+
MacBook Air 13 M4 is lighter at 1.24 kg vs 1.55 kg.
Which has an OLED display, MacBook Air 13 M4 or MacBook Pro 14 M5?+
Neither model has an OLED display.
Spec-level deep dives
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