When compared to Apple MacBook Pro laptops, MacBook Air computers are less expensive, thinner, lighter and better suited to students and average computer users — anybody who wants all of the capabilities that a Mac has to offer, without having to spend top-dollar on the latest processor and a souped-up hardware.

What sets each model apart is the size and type of display, the processor, the amount of memory the laptop has and the storage capacity.

Is the 2023 MacBook Air worth it?

Yes, the MacBook Air is a powerful laptop that caters to specific groups of users. If you fit into one of these user categories, you’ll definitely benefit from having a MacBook Air at your disposal when it comes to handling your everyday computing needs. 

There are three models to choose fromm and each offers a handful ways you can customize its configuration. Depending on the model configuration you choose, the price range for a MacBook Air is between $999 and $2,499.

Pro Tip: Aside from the more affordable price tag, what most users appreciate most about the 13-inch MacBook Air is its size (11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches) and weight (just 2.7 pound). Meanwhile, the 15-inch model measures 13.4 x 9.35 x 0.45 inches and weighs a mere 3.3 pounds. So both versions tend to be thinner and lighter than most Windows laptops, which makes them easier to transport.

Best budget MacBook Air: 2022 13″ MacBook Air (M2 processor)

We recommend this laptop to middle-school and high-school students and computer users on a budget. It’s also a great entry-level MacBook for someone switching from a Windows laptop to a MacBook for the first time. 

It runs using the older Apple M2 processor, but is fully compatible with the latest version of the MacOS operating system, plus all apps that come preinstalled on a MacBook and Apple’s iCloud service.

Apple’s M2 silicone features an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU. The core configuration comes with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD for storage. You can upgrade to an SSD with a 512GB SSD at the time of purchase and pay $1,029 on Amazon. The computer is equipped with a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display and weighs in at a mere 2.7 pounds. 

Housing color options include midnight, silver, space gray or starlight. Battery life is up to 18 hours. While the starting price of this MacBook Air is typically $999, Amazon has it on sale for $829.

Best MacBook Air for average users: 2023 13″ MacBook Air (M3 processor)

This is the mid-range MacBook Air. We recommend it to college students or anybody who needs a bit more computing power than what the MacBook Air running the M2 processor has to offer. 

It’s also an excellent choice for non-tech-savvy computer users who want a laptop with a simple interface and that works seamlessly with the rest of the Apple ecosystem. It has a starting price of $1,099 (although Amazon has it on sale for $999). 

The 2023 13-inch MacBook Air runs using Apple’s latest M3 processor. It takes advantage of an 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine. Choose between a midnight (black), starlight, space gray or silver housing color. By comparison, the more expensive MacBook Pro laptops can be configured with the same M3 processor, or the upgraded M3 Pro or M3 Max processor, which when combined with the higher-end display, make the MacBook Pro laptops significantly more powerful, especially when it comes to tasks like graphic design, video editing and audio production.

The core configuration of the 13-inch MacBook Air with the M3 processor comes with 8GB of unified memory and a 256GB SSD for storage. At the time of purchase, you can upgrade the M3 processor to include an 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU and 16-core Neural Processor. You also have the option to upgrade the unified memory to 16GB or 24GB, as well as the SSD capacity to 512GB, 1TB or 2TB.

This version of the MacBook Air is more than capable of handling the everyday tasks of average users. This includes everything from word processing and spreadsheet management, to photo editing, web surfing, contact management, scheduling, video calling, online shopping and streaming video content (or music). It’s also a great laptop for online gaming, plus it easily runs any game apps from Apple Arcade or that’s available from the Apple App Store.

Best MacBook Air for users needing a larger display: 2023 15″ MacBook Air (M3 processor)

The 2023 15-inch MacBook Air also runs using the Apple M3 processor, but you get the benefit of a larger, 15-inch Liquid Retina Display. The additional on-screen real estate makes multitasking easier. It also provides a more immersive experience when streaming TV shows or movies and when playing games. 

We recommend this version of the MacBook Air to advanced users who want to see more content on the screen at once from a single app, or who want to have an easier time multitasking and quickly switching between apps. Some users find the larger screen size gives them a dramatic productivity boost. 

One benefit of the 15-inch MacBook Air is that it allows users to connect up to two external monitors (with the laptop lid closed). And this laptop supports the Wi-Fi 6E protocol, which is faster than Wi-Fi 6 (what the 13-inch MacBook Air laptops support).

Despite being a bit larger and more powerful, the 15-inch MacBook Air also offers up to an 18 hour battery life. At the time of purchase, choose between 8GB, 16GB or 24GB of unified memory and between a 256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB SSD for storage. The starting price of this MacBook Air is $1,299, although Amazon has it on sale for $1,250.

Why buy a MacBook Air?

For users who want a thin and lightweight computer with a long battery life, who can forego having Apple’s most powerful processor and other advanced hardware, any of the MacBook Air laptops are perfect for handling everyday computing tasks, as well as photo editing, basic video editing, online gaming and more. They’re also more budget-friendly than the latest Apple MacBook Pro laptops, which range in price from $1,599 to $7199 (for a 16-inch model with all possible upgrades).

The latest lineup of Apple MacBook Air laptops come with either a 13.6-inch or 15.3-inch Liquid Retina Display. These displays are able to showcase more than one billion bright and accurate colors. This translates to seeing ultra-sharp text, detailed images and incredibly smooth graphics and video. The choice between the 13.6-inch or 15.3-inch display is a matter of personal preference and what you plan to use the computer for.

All models can be upgraded with up to 24GB of unified memory (RAM) and up to 2TB of internal storage at the time of purchase. Each of the models also has an impressively long battery life — up to 18 hours. Among its security features, you get a TouchID fingerprint sensor that’s used to unlock the computer and confirm online purchases.

Pro Tip: When configuring your MacBook Air, we suggest choosing the middle options when it comes to the amount of unified memory and storage, since this is what most users will find most usual, without over spending for technology they don’t need. 

When it comes to video calls, each MacBook Air model is equipped with a 1080p FaceTime HD camera and a three-microphone array. The 13-inch models have a four-speaker sound system, while the 15-inch model has a six speaker sound system. All come with four USB ports (which includes two Thunderbolt ports). 

All integrate seamlessly with the Apple iCloud service, as well as Apple’s other services like Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Fitness+, Apple Arcade and Apple News. And all MacBooks fit perfectly within Apple’s ecosystem and are able to share data, documents, files, photos and content with an iPhone, iPad, iMac and Apple Watch.

Pro Tip: Regardless of which MacBook Air model you choose, if you want to double the on-screen real estate available to you, we highly recommend connecting a portable monitor to the laptop. There are some really great models to choose from, starting at around $100, as you’ll discover from our roundup of the five best portable monitors for laptops in 2024.

For more help choosing a laptop, be sure to check out our coverage of the five best laptops for 2024, the best laptops for high school grads in 2024, the six best gaming laptops for 2024, the five best laptops for college in 2024, the six best laptops under $500, and the five best budget laptops for 2024. Whether you need to know about the very best laptop computers or any other types of tech, we’re constantly expanding and updating our coverage to offer the most informative, timely and accurate information.