The price of a Macbook these days towers over just about every other laptop on the market and the PC versus Mac rivalry can be a heated debate. This year, though, stunning alternatives to the Macbook arrived on the scene this year in just about every size, shape, and price.

The best alternative to a Macbook this year is Dell’s XPS 13. Going toe to toe with the Macbook on almost all specs, it delivers speed and performance while staying relatively lightweight. While it may not be as sleek as the Macbook, if you don’t mind not having that shiny metal shell, it does great. But, there are a few more options below in our list of the best alternatives to a MacBook this year.

The best MacBook alternatives

The best

Dell XPS 13

Unlike Apple’s current MacBook Pro, Dell’s latest XPS 13 model is based on tenth-generation Core i5 and i7 processors. However, both have a nearly identical thickness while Apple’s 13.3-inch solution is slightly heavier at 3.02 pounds versus 2.65 pounds seen with the XPS 13. It’s almost slightly better suited as a MacBook Air competitor, though its $1,249 starting price is slightly more expensive than the Air’s starting point.

Under the hood, you get similar features like up to 16GB of system memory and up to 2TB of storage. Dell’s laptop provides more connectivity, however, with two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a microSD card slot, and a 3.5mm audio jack. It even ships with a USB-C to USB-A adapter so you can connect an external keyboard or mouse. Some configurations include touch-based screens with a UHD+ resolution as well.

If you want an alternative to Apple’s larger 16-inch MacBook Pro, Dell’s XPS 15 is a good match. Starting at $1,099, the 15.6-inch 7590 model features ninth-generation Intel core i5 and i7 processors, up to a GeForce GTX 1650 discrete graphics chip, up to 16GB of system memory, and up to a 2TB on PCIe-based SSD. Apple’s 16-inch MacBook Pro starts at $2,399.

The rest

Asus Zenbook UX333

Another good alternative to the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro is this laptop from Asus. Available in Royal Blue or Icicle Silver, it’s based on a single eighth-generation Intel core i5-8265U chip and a discrete Nvidia GeForce MX150 graphics chip. Meanwhile, Apple’s MacBook Pro doesn’t offer a stand-alone GPU, but there are configurations with an eighth-generation Core i7 CPU, resulting in four CPU choices across Apple’s two 13.3-inch models.

The ZenBook 13 UX333 doesn’t offer the same high resolutions, presenting a Full HD screen. It makes up for this lower pixel count by providing one USB-C 3.1 Gen2 port, two USB-A ports (3.1 Gen 1 and 2.0), HDMI output, and a 3.5mm audio jack. It’s thicker too at 0.67 inches, but its $850 starting price is a lot more attractive than Apple’s $1,300 for the current 13.3-inch MacBook Pro.

ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 7)

Here’s another MacBook Pro alternative with a slightly larger screen than Apple’s current 13.3-inch model. You’ll find seven set configurations based on eighth and tenth generation Intel CPUs along with IPS screens with Full HD, QHD, or UHD resolutions. By comparison, the current 13.3-inch MacBook Pro locks configurations down to eighth-generation Intel CPUs and a maximum 2,880 x 1,800 resolution.

Like the others on this list, connectivity is a major difference. Lenovo’s laptop provides two Thunderbolt 3 ports, two USB-A 3.1 Gen 1 ports, an HDMI 1.4 port, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a WWAN slot on specific models. The MacBook Pro only supplies a single 3.5mm audio jack and either two or four Thunderbolt 3 ports, requiring adapters or a dock for HDMI and peripheral compatibility. Both the MacBook Pro and Lenovo’s alternative measures 0.59 inches thin.

Surface Laptop 3

The 13.5-inch Surface Notebook 3 is Microsoft’s answer to the MacBook Air. Microsoft’s super-slim notebook is even slightly thinner than Apple’s competing laptop. The 3 measures 0.57 inches versus the MacBook Air’s 0.61 inches. The weight, however, is a different story. The Air weighs in at 2.75 pounds while the Surface ranks at either 2.79 or 2.84 pounds, depending on the configuration.

The Surface Notebook 3 features tenth-generation Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, too. In contrast, the current Air model remains stuck with a single eight-generation Core i5-8210Y chip. Microsoft’s solution doesn’t revolve around an all-Thunderbolt design either. You’ll find one USB-C port, one USB-A port, a Surface Connect port, and a 3.5mm audio jack on board the Surface. To the frustration of many users, the MacBook Air only includes two Thunderbolt 3 ports and a 3.5mm audio jack. To connect most accessories, you’ll require adaptors or a dock.

If you want something bigger than a Surface Notebook 3, Microsoft offers a 15-inch model, too. Third-generation Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7 APUs power the larger laptop, a big win for AMD. Other goodies include integrated Radeon “Vega” graphics and a 2,496 x 1,664 resolution. You may also appreciate the facial recognition for Windows Hello — but the feature list is far too long to cover every aspect here.

When you want the performance and maybe even the styling of a MacBook, it can be tough to find a decent compromise. But in terms of budget and features, we’d hardly say you were settling if you chose one of these alternatives.

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