Home / Comparisons / MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro
MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: same M5 speed, so what does the Pro add?
MacBook Air 13″ (2026) M5 at $1099 vs MacBook Pro 14″ (2025) M5 at $1599.
CPU
203
GPU
220
MacBook Pro
MacBook Pro 14″ (2025)
M5 (10-CPU/10-GPU), 16GB, 512GB · $1599
CPU
203
GPU
253
MacBook Pro vs MacBook Air:
CPU same
GPU +15%
Price +$500
Scores are relative: 2020 M1 MacBook Air = 100, so 200 is about twice as fast. How we score
Verdict
- Most people
- MacBook Air. Same M5 CPU as the base 14″ Pro, silent fanless design, and $500 less.
- Long exports and renders
- 14″ MacBook Pro. Its fan keeps the chip at full speed for longer — something short benchmark scores do not show.
- Need more power
- Only the Pro offers M5 Pro and M5 Max: up to about 66% more CPU than any Air.
- Screen and ports
- The Pro adds a brighter ProMotion display, HDMI and an SD card slot.
Configurations to compare
| Model | Configuration | CPU | GPU | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Air 13″ (2026) | M5 (10-CPU/8-GPU), 16GB, 512GB | 203 | 220 | $1099 |
| MacBook Air 15″ (2026) | M5 (10-CPU/10-GPU), 16GB, 512GB | 203 | 253 | $1299 |
| MacBook Pro 14″ (2025) | M5 (10-CPU/10-GPU), 16GB, 512GB | 203 | 253 | $1599 |
| MacBook Pro 14″ (2026) | M5 Pro (15-CPU/16-GPU), 24GB, 1TB | 300 | 411 | $2199 |
| MacBook Pro 14″ (2026) | M5 Max (18-CPU/32-GPU), 36GB, 2TB | 337 | 629 | $3599 |
FAQ
Is the MacBook Pro faster than the MacBook Air?
With the same chip, scores are identical. The Pro pulls ahead in long sustained workloads thanks to its fan, and with M5 Pro or M5 Max chips the Air does not offer.
Does the Air have the same GPU as the base Pro?
The base 13″ Air has an 8-core GPU (220); the base 14″ Pro has 10 cores (253). The 15″ Air and the upgraded 13″ Air match the Pro.
What do the scores mean?
Every Mac is scored against the 2020 M1 MacBook Air = 100. A score of 200 means about twice as fast. These are MacDiff's own relative scores, not Geekbench points.