I tested the best MacBook alternatives and found 7 worthy rivals
The best MacBook alternatives for 2026 include the Asus Zenbook A14, the Dell XPS 14, and the Acer Aspire 16 AI.
IMO, a Windows laptop or Chromebook is doing a good MacBook impression if it has above-average performance, battery life, and build quality. (Again, those are the main hallmarks of a modern Apple laptop.) I'll add some extra qualifiers depending on the exact Mac model:
MacBook Air alternatives should be super lightweight and portable
MacBook Neo alternatives should cost well under $1,000
MacBook Pro alternatives should have a crisp, rich 120Hz display and enough power for intensive tasks like video editing
I've been reviewing laptops for Mashable since 2023, so in compiling this guide, I combed through my testing database to see if any recent models fit the bill. I also called in several newer releases that looked promising and spent several weeks reviewing them this spring.
In the end, I selected six options from Asus, Acer, and Dell that make the best MacBook alternatives for 2026 buyers. I also included a fallback for those who want to stay within the Apple ecosystem.
Other contenders to consider
The Asus ExpertBook Ultra is so pretty — and sooo expensive.
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable
The Asus ExpertBook Ultra is a stunning and shockingly thin ultraportable. It has tons of ports, an 18.5-hour battery life, and MacBook Air-level multi-core performance (with incredibly quiet fans). It also has the best display I've ever seen on a Windows laptop: It's a 14-inch 2.8K OLED touchscreen with a 30 to 120Hz refresh rate, 1,400 nits of peak HDR brightness, and a matte finish. So what's the issue? It costs $3,599.99 (!) with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, and its build quality doesn't match its premium price. When I gently squeezed the right side of my review unit's base, it made a questionable clicking noise.
Not giving the ProArt GoPro Edition a 120Hz display was an odd choice on Asus' part.
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable
The special-edition Asus ProArt GoPro Edition bundles MacBook Pro-rivaling multi-core performance and 128GB of RAM in a rugged convertible design. But at $2,999.99, it's expensive for a creator laptop without a 120Hz display and dedicated graphics (though its iGPU is pretty powerful). A standard Asus ProArt PX13 with the same processor but half the RAM retails for $2,799.99, which is still a hard sell compared to your other options. Fingers crossed that both models go on sale for way cheaper later this year.
I haven't tested it yet, but the new Framework Laptop 13 Pro is a repairable MacBook Pro alternative. I'll update this story once I or one of my colleagues try it.
