Apple - MacBook Air 13 M4 vs Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M5
Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Apple - MacBook Air 13 M4 | Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M5 |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Battery | 53 Wh | 72 Wh |
| Claimed battery life | 18 h | 24 h |
| Screen size | 13.6 " | 14.2 " |
| Thunderbolt ports | 2 | 3 |
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 / refresh rate. Overall, the MacBook Air 13 M4 scores 60.1 and the MacBook Pro 14 M5 scores 65.3 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The MacBook Pro 14 M5 edges ahead on the Mars Score (60.1 vs 65.3), but the 5.2-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
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. The single most decisive one: Weight — 0.31 kg less. 1.24 vs 1.55.
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. The single most decisive one: Storage — 100.00% more. 512 GB vs 256 GB.
Both ship with comparable ram, cpu cores, backlit keyboard, so those specs do not 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.
Which should you buy: Apple - MacBook Air 13 M4 or Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M5?
Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M5 leads the current Mars Score by 5.2 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare screen size, weight, battery against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Apple - MacBook Air 13 M4 if…
Apple - MacBook Air 13 M4 has the measurable edge on weight kg.
Choose Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M5 if…
Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M5 has the measurable edge on storage gb, refresh rate hz, battery wh.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
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.