Side-by-side comparison based on expert reviews and community consensus.
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4, 2025)
Best OverallFramework Laptop 13
Most UpgradeablePrice
$1,099-$1,299
$799-$1,049
Summary
The unanimous community and expert pick for best ultrabook. Unmatched battery life, fanless silent operation, and M4 performance in a sub-3-pound chassis.
The best ultrabook for users who hate planned obsolescence. Modular design lets you swap ports, upgrade RAM and storage, and even replace the motherboard years down the line.
Pros
- M4 chip delivers class-leading performance for productivity and creative tasks
- All-day and beyond battery life — consistently praised across all sources
- Fanless design means completely silent operation under most workloads
- More starting memory at a lower price than previous generations
- Exceptionally sturdy and sleek build quality
- Fully modular design — swap ports, upgrade RAM, storage, and motherboard
- Latest AMD Ryzen AI 300 processor delivers strong performance
- Long battery life up to 14 hours
- DIY Edition offers excellent cost-effectiveness
- Best-in-class repairability and sustainability credentials
Cons
- macOS ecosystem lock-in — not suitable for Windows-only software users
- No touchscreen
- Limited to two Thunderbolt ports on base model
- No significant design redesign from previous Air generations
- Heavier and thicker than competing ultrabooks at similar price points
- Display quality lags behind OLED competitors
- Requires more technical comfort for DIY assembly and upgrades
- Smaller community and ecosystem compared to major brands
Our take
If you don't need Windows, this is the no-brainer answer. Reddit threads consistently call it foolish to overlook, and rtings.com backs that up with a top testing score.
No other ultrabook lets you future-proof your investment like the Framework 13 — the latest AMD Ryzen AI 300 version proves you don't have to sacrifice performance for repairability.
Buy
