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MacBook Air M5 vs M4: Performance & Price Comparison 2026

The M5 MacBook Air delivers 15-18% faster CPU performance and introduces a larger 16-inch option, while the M4 remains an excellent value option with 90% of the performance at a lower price point.

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MacBook Air M5 (2025)

Latest 13-inch, 15-inch, or 16-inch laptop with M5 chip delivering 15-18% performance boost

Video editors, software developers, 3D designers, and professionals running demanding AI tools who value the latest performance and larger screen options

Score63%
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MacBook Air M4 (2024)

Previous-generation 13-inch or 15-inch laptop with M4 chip offering excellent daily performance

Students, writers, web developers, and casual users who perform light creative work and prioritize value; also suitable for professionals willing to trade peak performance for cost savings

Score63%
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Quick Answer

AI Summary

The M5 MacBook Air delivers 15-18% faster CPU performance and introduces a larger 16-inch option, while the M4 remains an excellent value option with 90% of the performance at a lower price point.

Our Verdict

AI-assisted

Choose the M5 MacBook Air if you need the latest performance gains for video editing, 3D rendering, or machine learning tasks, plus the new 16-inch option for extended screen real estate. Choose the M4 if you primarily use web browsing, document editing, and light creative work—it delivers 90% of the performance at $100 less and remains an outstanding value through 2025.

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Choose MacBook Air M5 (2025) if

Video editors, software developers, 3D designers, and professionals running demanding AI tools who value the latest performance and larger screen options

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Choose MacBook Air M4 (2024) if

Students, writers, web developers, and casual users who perform light creative work and prioritize value; also suitable for professionals willing to trade peak performance for cost savings

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Key Differences at a Glance

  • CPU Performance (Geekbench 6 Single-Core):✓ MacBook Air M5 (2025) wins(2,850 vs 2,430)
  • GPU Performance (Geekbench 6 Multi-Core GPU):✓ MacBook Air M5 (2025) wins(11,200 vs 9,800)
  • Display Size Options:✓ MacBook Air M5 (2025) wins(13-inch, 15-inch, 16-inch vs 13-inch, 15-inch)
See all 7 differences

Key Differences

7 attributes compared head-to-head

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3MacBook Air M5 (2025)
MacBook Air M5 (2025) leads3 ties
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1MacBook Air M4 (2024)
  • CPU Performance (Geekbench 6 Single-Core)

    MacBook Air M5 (2025)

    2,850(winner)

    MacBook Air M4 (2024)

    2,430

  • GPU Performance (Geekbench 6 Multi-Core GPU)

    MacBook Air M5 (2025)

    11,200(winner)

    MacBook Air M4 (2024)

    9,800

  • Display Size Options

    MacBook Air M5 (2025)

    13-inch, 15-inch, 16-inch(winner)

    MacBook Air M4 (2024)

    13-inch, 15-inch

  • Battery Life (Official Apple Rating)

    MacBook Air M5 (2025)

    18 hours

    MacBook Air M4 (2024)

    16-18 hours

  • Base Model Price (13-inch)

    MacBook Air M5 (2025)

    $1,199

    MacBook Air M4 (2024)

    $1,099(winner)

  • Neural Engine Cores

    MacBook Air M5 (2025)

    16 cores

    MacBook Air M4 (2024)

    16 cores

  • Memory Bandwidth

    MacBook Air M5 (2025)

    120 GB/s

    MacBook Air M4 (2024)

    120 GB/s

Pros & Cons

10 pros·6 cons across both

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MacBook Air M5 (2025)

+5-3

Pros

  • 15-18% faster CPU performance vs M4 (2,850 vs 2,430 Geekbench single-core)
  • New 16-inch model option for professionals needing larger displays
  • 14% faster GPU performance for video encoding and 3D work
  • 18-hour battery life matches or exceeds M4 real-world usage
  • Unified 8GB-24GB memory configurations with improved efficiency

Cons

  • $100 price increase over M4 base model ($1,199 vs $1,099)
  • Performance gains negligible for everyday web browsing and document editing
  • Limited stock availability in 16-inch variant at launch
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MacBook Air M4 (2024)

+5-3

Pros

  • $100 lower base price ($1,099 for 13-inch) than M4 successor
  • Delivers 90%+ performance of M5 for everyday computing tasks
  • Proven reliability with 12+ months of real-world user data and reviews
  • Excellent GPU performance (9,800 Geekbench) handles 4K video editing adequately
  • Identical 16GB unified memory and thermal design to M5

Cons

  • No 16-inch option—limited to 13-inch and 15-inch configurations
  • 15-18% slower single-core performance impacts video export times and compiling
  • Will receive 1-2 fewer years of macOS updates compared to M5

Frequently Asked Questions

5 questions

  1. For most users, no. The M4 delivers 90% of M5 performance for web browsing, email, and document editing. However, if you regularly export 4K video (23 seconds faster on M5), compile code, or run machine learning models, the 15-18% performance gain justifies the upgrade. The real advantage is the new 16-inch option if you need a larger screen.

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