10 M6 MacBook Pro Alternatives (From Every Price Point)

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The M6 MacBook Pro is shaping up to be a promising new development for the MacBook Pro. Keeping in line with the new-generation MacBook Air scrapping the 256GB tier for a higher 512GB baseline, this new-generation MacBook Pro keeps 1TB SSDs as the standard for entry-level MacBook Pros. Network connectivity has also been improved to support both Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 to make wireless connections more stable than before. As always, battery life is stellar on the MacBook Pro, with Apple rating it for up to 24 hours.

For $1,999, the M6 MacBook Pro is a good option if you're in the market for a powerful portable PC. However, some people prefer to stick to Windows, especially if they aren't a part of the Apple ecosystem. There are several excellent MacBook Pro alternatives worth getting your hands on if you need a laptop with great performance, sleek looks, and the ability to multitask efficiently. The final decision will depend on your budget — relatively budget-friendly options have some caveats but are worth considering, while people who want their work laptop to double as a gaming machine may have to spend extra for that.

Seeing Dell bring the XPS brand back from the dead is a treat for long-time Dell fans. However, for $1,699, the Dell XPS 14 needs to do a whole lot more than just cater to its fans' sense of nostalgia to justify an investment in this laptop. With a slim aluminum build and a weight of just three pounds, people who want a sleek laptop that hits the sweet spot between the MacBook Air and Pro's design will like the XPS 14's bold look. The Intel Core Ultra Series 3 performs very well, with multiple reviewers appreciating the processing power of this CPU. However, people who assume that this laptop's performance exceeds that of the MacBook Pro will be in for a rude awakening — CNET noted that this laptop's performance couldn't overtake the M5 MacBook Pro in their benchmark tests.

That said, people who want a laptop that handles demanding workloads with a similar level of finesse as the MacBook Pro won't be disappointed. Don't dismiss the capabilities of the Intel Arc B390 — it may be an integrated GPU, but Notebookcheck noted that this GPU could come close to the gaming performance of an RTX 4050. The Tandem OLED display was the subject of much praise from critics, as was the 10-watt quad speaker system, which came as a pleasant surprise for some. As is the case with recent Dell XPS laptops, this does use a lattice-free keyboard design. If you're more used to keyboards with deeper key travel, typing on this shallow keyboard can be a bit of a challenge.

Another laptop with a quality Tandem OLED screen praised by critics, the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Gen 11 Aura Edition is a performance beast. With an Intel Core Ultra 9 386H processor, 64GB RAM, a 1TB SSD, and an RTX 5070, this laptop is more powerful than the MacBook Pro. People seeking out a valid MacBook Pro alternative may find their eyes watering at its steep $4,199.99 price tag, but the good news is that it's retailing for $3,599.99 at the time of writing. Two tweeters and four woofers comprise a powerful six-speaker system that was praised by most critics.

The large glass ForcePad that comes with this laptop was also the subject of widespread praise from critics, who noted how digital artists can use it as a sketchpad. The BIOS has a bunch of useful options, such as an Ultra Quiet mode and an iGPU-only mode. The 92Wh battery was praised by UltrabookReview.com, as it ran for up to 14 hours in the outlet's tests. Unfortunately, the reviewer wasn't as elated about the high temps generated by this laptop over time. The display's glossy finish was also unpleasant for them, although this is more of a subjective gripe.

An enterprise-grade laptop that cuts little to no corners, the Dell Pro Max 18 Plus is a very expensive system that should be chosen by people who utilize AI heavily in their work and need a laptop with high-end performance. Starting at $4,190, this laptop is a substantial investment, but its configuration should make the reason for its high price apparent. Unlike the RTX GPUs that usually come with tablets, the Pro Max 18 Plus uses the Blackwell series, with the highest-grade configuration equipping this laptop with an NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell with 24GB of VRAM. This extravagant upgrade approach stretches to both storage and RAM as well — this laptop comes with four M.2 NVMe SSD slots and the capability to upgrade to a total of 256GB RAM.

Suffice it to say, for people with the funds to spare, this laptop can outclass the MacBook Pro in terms of graphics performance, per Digital Trends. Dell didn't skimp when it comes to battery life, either — Notebookcheck noticed a battery life of more than nine hours, which impressed them. This sentiment extends to the 280-watt USB-C AC adapter that comes with this device, providing it with the power it needs to run its ultra-high-end hardware. One area where this laptop scales things back is the display — you can only opt for a QHD+ screen at best. There are no OLED displays or 4K resolutions to be found here. Critics also noted that this laptop could get hot and loud under heavy loads, which is to be expected from a laptop housing such powerful hardware.

If you want a great laptop for video editing and content creation, check out the Asus ProArt P16. Its hardware speaks for itself — the highest-tier laptop comes with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, 64GB RAM, an RTX 5090, and a 4TB SSD. Editing and storing large files shouldn't be a problem. The 16-inch Lumina Pro 4K OLED touchscreen is another stellar part of the package praised by multiple reviewers, boasting a refresh rate of 120Hz. People who love the sleekness of the MacBook Pro will appreciate this laptop's sleek, durable chassis, with its 0.68-inch thinness earning much praise from critics. Just like the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i, this laptop comes with two tweeters and four woofers for a solid six-speaker array that many reviewers were positive about.

The ProArt P16 is a very expensive laptop, with the top-tier configuration's $5,499.99 price tag proving to be quite eye-watering. PCMag also noted high temps when this device was under heavy load, which is expected from a laptop that packs so much hardware into a slim body. One unique thing about the ProArt P16 is the inclusion of a DialPad in the top-left corner of the touchpad, which can be customized to accomplish a range of functions across multiple apps. Mashable found it a bit cumbersome to set up, but using this DialPad to scroll through video timelines and switch tabs quickly is a fun touch.

Who said gaming laptops need to be bulky and heavy contraptions that are a nightmare to carry around and work on? Anyone who hates the limited gaming potential of macOS will love what the Razer Blade 14 brings to the table. $2,699.99 is a hefty price to pay for this machine, although it's currently listed at a discounted rate of $1,771.46 on Micro Center. At this price, it'll be easier to appreciate the Blade 14's 3K OLED screen with a refresh rate of 120Hz. A 2.0GHz AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 CPU, an RTX 5070, and 32GB of RAM make this device apt for most heavy-duty rendering work.

Keep in mind that the laptop's thickness — or lack thereof, in this case — of 0.64 inches and a 3.6-pound weight come at a cost. In a bid to become a slim and lightweight gaming laptop, this device has limited thermal headroom. This is a problem PCMag highlighted, which acknowledged that you could get bigger and heavier laptops in the same price range to enjoy better GPUs. On the bright side, critics praised the battery life of this device — something rarely seen in a gaming laptop. PCMag saw this laptop run for more than 11 and a half hours in its battery tests, making it a great all-rounder machine for both work and gaming purposes.

A stellar work machine that both looks and feels premium, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition gets its performance from the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor and 32GB of RAM, which was praised by reviewers. The lack of a 64GB option for RAM does sting, though. If you want a machine with a battery life comparable to the MacBook Pro, then PCMag has some good news for you here. The ThinkPad X1 lasted for almost 20 hours in its tests, which is why some critics praised it for its efficiency. Portability is another area where reviewers were impressed. The laptop has a thickness of just 0.56 inches and weighs a little over two pounds, which makes it very easy to carry around.

In terms of I/O ports, this laptop managed to win over reviewers once again. It comes with two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, a pair of USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, and even a nano SIM slot if people want mobile broadband on this laptop. If the ThinkPad X1 came with an SD card reader of any kind, it would've been perfect in that department. The 1080p webcam failed to impress Notebookcheck, which also wasn't a huge fan of how the SSD throttled under heavy load. Slower transfer speeds can be a pain to deal with for people who need this laptop for intense workloads.

One of the biggest problems plaguing modern laptops is how the RAM and GPU are usually soldered onto the motherboard itself, completely eliminating the possibility of upgrading the machine further down the line. It's one of their biggest drawbacks and a huge reason why many people opt for an easily upgradeable desktop instead. This is why the Framework Laptop 16 is such an appealing machine — its RAM, storage, and even GPU can be swapped out. With a base price of $1,249 (before memory, storage, and OS), it's also the cheapest machine on this list. However, the catch is that you'll have to set up this laptop yourself. Opt for a pre-built model, and the cost shoots up to $1,839. Upgrade the base model, and your laptop's cost can shoot up past the $3,000 price point.

For what it's worth, this cost is easier to pay since you know that this laptop is essentially future-proof. You can even customize the keyboard deck to include an RGB backlight, although Gizmodo found its build quality to be somewhat flimsy. PCMag found the laptop's battery to be a bit lacking as well, lasting for about seven hours in its test. However, this is a price most people will be willing to pay for what may be the last laptop they ever buy. No matter how great the M6 MacBook Pro may be, it'll eventually become obsolete — a problem that Framework wants to solve with its modular laptops.

Let's address the elephant in the room first — at $5,999.99, the Razer Blade 18 is the most expensive laptop on this list. Sure, it's on sale at the time of writing for $5,699.99, but that's still a ridiculously high amount. The specs make it clear why this laptop is so expensive, with its 1.8GHz Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus CPU, an RTX 5090 with a whopping 24GB of VRAM, a 2TB SSD, and 64GB DDR5 RAM speaking for themselves. Another excellent addition is a dual-mode 18-inch screen that switches between 240Hz UHD+ and 440Hz FHD+ modes. It's a shame that the display itself doesn't make the most of this feature, coming in an unremarkable IPS panel that was criticized by some reviewers for its middling quality and low contrast.

Another thing to note is that this high-end gaming laptop lacks support for a PCIe 5 SSD connection, which is very odd. Critics mentioned that this laptop could get very hot over time — a regular problem with gaming laptops that opt for a slim build. One area where the Blade 18 attained a lot of praise from reviewers was the collection of I/O ports. The laptop comes with two USB-C connections (one Thunderbolt 4 and one Thunderbolt 5), three USB-A connections, ports for your HDMI 2.1 or Ethernet cable, and an SD card slot. There's even a Kensington lock slot for people who need a way to keep their laptops secure. The built-in audio speakers of this laptop are so great that you won't even need external speakers.

If you want a laptop that's cheaper than the M6 MacBook Pro, the Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED is a good option. A price of $1,641.90 is still on the expensive side, but it's still cheaper than Apple's latest MacBook offering. For this price, you'll get a beautiful 3.2K OLED display that has been the subject of widespread praise from reviewers. Performance is another area where this laptop won over critics, courtesy of its Intel Core i9 CPU, an RTX 4060, and 16GB of RAM. People who love the MacBook Pro's portability will find similar things to praise in this device, with the Vivobook Pro 16X's 0.86-inch thickness and 4.19-pound weight making it just portable enough for most working professionals.

For all the praise it received, reviewers were equally critical of its 90Whr battery, which lasted just under six hours before going into standby mode in PCWorld's tests. The build quality and design also elicited mixed responses — TechRadar didn't appreciate the plastic build on the chassis, PCWorld wasn't a huge fan of the industrial design, and UltrabookReview.com noted some flex in the lid and chassis to be up to its build quality standards. Thankfully, the conversation regarding the Vivobook Pro 16X's I/O ports was far more positive. With two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, an RJ-45 Ethernet port, and an SD card reader, this laptop has everything covered.

With a 3.2K 16-inch OLED display that won over reviewers, the Dell XPS 16 makes a strong first impression. Adding to this tantalizing package are a 4K webcam and a long battery life of just over 13 hours, as per Tom's Hardware. All of this will almost make you forget about the XPS 16's high $3,099.99 price, which is the biggest barrier to entry for people seeking out a system that is comparable to the M6 MacBook Pro. The device's metal body is designed to make it look ultra-stylish and sleek, which is yet another aspect of this laptop that reviewers raved about.

Still, for a laptop that costs more than $3,000, people would expect a whole lot more. Unfortunately, the XPS 16 falls short in two major areas — connectivity and upgradeability. The fact that this device only has Type-C ports makes the former issue clear as day. Meanwhile, the fact that its RAM can't be upgraded is a major bummer, and while the SSD can be swapped out, it takes some effort. On top of this, the laptop comes with an integrated GPU, even though it should ideally come with a dedicated RTX GPU at this price point.

All the laptops on this list are capable alternatives to the M6 MacBook Pro, even though some of their hardware may be lagging behind. These devices cover a wide price range between $1,249 and $5,999.99 to cater to everyone from high-end users to budget-conscious users seeking out performance comparable to that of a MacBook Pro.

To ensure that the laptops on this list are the cream of the crop, only laptops with good review scores — such as a 4 out of 5, 8 out of 10, or 80 out of 100 — from three or more reputable outlets have been deemed worthy of a mention. These online publications include Engadget, PCWorld, TechRadar, Tom's Hardware, CNET, PCMag, Digital Trends, TweakTown, Notebookcheck, ITPro, High Performance Laptops, Mashable, PC Gamer, Tom's Guide, UltrabookReview.com, and Laptop Mag.