Air book vs MacBook Pro for 2025: Which suits you better?

As someone who toggles between lightweight and powerhouse devices every day—whether for writing, editing, or project management—I know how challenging it can be to choose the right MacBook, especially if you're a student, remote worker, or creative professional. Apple’s 2025 lineup makes things interesting with more variety than ever—but also more decisions. This guide is my personal take on each model, built on real-world use. Whether you’re a student, remote worker, or digital creative, I’ll help you find the MacBook that fits you best.

Part 1: MacBook Air (13-Inch, M4) — Best for Most People

I’ve tested plenty of lightweight laptops over the years, and the MacBook Air 13" M4 is one of the best for everyday users who want speed, simplicity, and long battery life without breaking the bank. It’s sleek, light, and packed just enough punch to handle my daily workload. I used it for everything from streaming to WPS Office document editing and even basic video trimming. Battery life that lasts up to 18 hours kept me going across two full workdays without plugging in.

Key Features：

Powered by the Apple M4 chip with up to a 10-core GPU, the 13.6-inch MacBook Air features a bright Retina display and a completely fanless, silent design. It consistently gave me up to 18 hours of battery life, making it perfect for long days of travel or back-to-back meetings.

Pros:

• Ultra-portable: Just 2.7 pounds—perfect for my work trips

• Long-lasting battery: I wrote and edited for two days unplugged

• Excellent for everyday tasks and office work

Cons:

• Only supports one external display

• Not ideal for editing 4K videos or 3D renders

If you want a sleek, no-fuss machine that handles WPS documents, spreadsheets, and web apps like a champ, this is it.

Part 2: MacBook Pro (14-Inch) — Best for Creative Pros on the Go

I’ve tested a wide range of performance laptops, and the MacBook Pro 14" stands out as a mobile powerhouse for creatives. Whether you’re editing high-res footage, rendering scenes in Blender, or juggling 20 browser tabs with WPS Office running—this MacBook doesn’t flinch. I ran all of the above side-by-side and didn’t experience a single slowdown. The M3 Pro chip paired with the 120Hz XDR display makes it a dream machine for creative professionals.

Key Features：

This model comes with your choice of an M3 Pro or M3 Max chip, combined with a stunning 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with ProMotion technology. With support for up to 96GB of unified memory, it tackled every creative tool I threw at it without a hiccup.

Pros:

• Top-tier speed: Rendering and multitasking were seamless

• Gorgeous screen: Perfect for color grading and media

• Ports! HDMI and SD card slot made my workflow easy

Cons:

• Weighs more than the Air

• Entry-level pricing is steep

If you're a pro editor, designer, or dev who works on the move, this machine earns every penny. I exported 4K video projects in Final Cut Pro twice as fast as on my older Pro model, ran multiple layers in Photoshop without lag, and used WPS AI tools with zero slowdowns. The high refresh rate and sharp color calibration on the XDR display made a noticeable difference in my editing workflow.

Part 3: MacBook Air (15-Inch, M4) — Best Budget Big-Screen Option

I’ve always looked for that perfect balance between screen size and portability, and the MacBook Air 15" M4 really nails it. It’s big enough for multitasking yet still light enough to carry around easily. I used it extensively for writing articles in WPS Writer while keeping spreadsheets and research tabs open. The extra screen space boosted my productivity without adding strain to my backpack.

Key Features：

The MacBook Air 15" uses the same M4 chip as its smaller sibling, but upgrades you to a 15.3-inch Retina display. It maintained the same impressive 18-hour battery life during my workflow of editing, research, and multitasking on the go.

Pros:

• Large screen, light body: Only 3.3 lbs

• Great for multitasking

• Cheaper than a Pro, but still premium

Cons:

• Still no multiple external displays

• Not built for GPU-heavy tasks

If you want a MacBook with a big display and excellent battery life without paying Pro prices, this is the sweet spot.

Part 4: MacBook Pro (16-Inch) — Best for Peak Performance

I’ve reviewed some serious computing machines, but the MacBook Pro 16" M3 Max is in a league of its own. Built for pros who demand high-end performance, it handled my 3D rendering workflows, massive video exports, and AI model testing with ease. The 16.2-inch screen and up to 96GB RAM make it ideal for anything from architecture modeling to large-scale development. It’s the most powerful laptop I’ve ever touched.

Key Features：

Equipped with the mighty M3 Max chip, the 16.2-inch MacBook Pro features a Liquid Retina XDR display, up to 96GB of RAM, and an astonishing 8TB of SSD storage. During testing, it delivered up to 22 hours of battery life—even while handling 3D models and heavy AI workflows.

Pros:

• Desktop-level power in a (just barely) portable shell

• Ideal for pro-level editing and development

• Amazing sound and display

Cons:

• Very heavy (4.8 lbs)

• Premium pricing starts at $2,499

For creators, engineers, and power users who push machines to the limit—this is your dream rig.

Part 5: MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro — 2025 Comparison Table

After hands-on experience with each model, I found that performance, weight, and display size play major roles in choosing the right MacBook. Here’s a quick comparison table based on those key features and my usage experience:

To help you make a quick decision, here’s a simple side-by-side comparison. If you're a student or casual user, the Air models offer portability and excellent battery life. Creative professionals or developers will benefit more from the Pro lineup, especially when handling large files or multiple apps simultaneously.

No matter which MacBook you choose, they all work seamlessly with WPS Office—my everyday productivity hub. Whether I was building slides on the Pro 14" or editing documents on the Air 13", WPS Office stayed responsive and smooth. Now, let’s take a closer look at why WPS deserves a spotlight of its own.

Part 6: WPS Office — Fully Compatible with All MacBooks

I’ve been using WPS Office on these MacBooks, and it’s flawless. Here’s why it’s my favorite alternative to Microsoft Office:

• 100% Free: Includes Writer, Spreadsheet, Presentation, and PDF tools.

• Fully Compatible: Works perfectly with DOCX, XLSX, PPTX.

• Lightweight & Fast: Starts quicker and uses less memory than Office.

• Cross-Version Compatibility: Runs smoothly on Macbooks.

Top WPS Tools You Should Try (Click the following links and try them right now):

• AI Resume Assistant: I built a sharp resume in minutes—smart formatting and phrasing suggestions made it a breeze. Perfect for job hunting on any version of Windows.

• AI Spell & Grammar Check: Catches my typos instantly and tweaks awkward sentences—I used it to polish this article fast.

• Academic Writing Support: Helped me organize a research paper once—students, this is a game-changer for deadlines.

• AI Writing Assistant: I fed it prompts and got solid drafts for reports. It’s like having a co-writer on all versions of Windows.

• AI Slides Creator: Turned my notes into a slick presentation in seconds—I demoed it on my Windows 11, and it wowed me.

• Smart PDF Tools: Summarized a 30-page PDF in a snap—I’ve relied on this for quick insights across all versions of Windows.

I was particularly impressed by how well WPS handled multitasking on the MacBook Air 13" and the MacBook Pro 14". No lags, no freezes—just efficient, smart tools that made my workday easier. Whether you’re a student, remote worker, or business pro, WPS Office is an ideal match for macOS.

Download it at wps.com and turn your Macbook experience into a powerful, AI-enhanced productivity setup you’ll actually enjoy using.

FAQs

Which MacBook is best for students or remote workers?

I’d go with the MacBook Air 13" or 15". They’re light, long-lasting, and perfect for WPS Office, Zoom, note-taking, and presentations. I used mine every day for writing and classwork.

Is WPS Office compatible with all 2025 MacBook models?

Absolutely. I’ve run WPS Office on every 2025 MacBook featured here. Whether it was macOS Ventura or Sonoma, the experience was seamless.

Can I use WPS AI tools on the MacBook Air?

Yes! I ran Resume Builder and the AI Slides Generator on the 13" Air—it handled them smoothly without a hitch.

Why choose a MacBook Pro over a MacBook Air?

If you work in creative or technical fields—think video editing, music production, or development—the Pro models give you the power and ports you need. I appreciated the extra screen quality and speed for high-end projects.

Summary

Choosing the best MacBook in 2025 boils down to your daily needs. If portability and solid performance matter most, the MacBook Air 13" or 15" are excellent. If you need professional-grade horsepower, the MacBook Pro 14" or 16" step up with serious muscle.

Whichever you choose, pairing it with WPS Office gives you an edge. I use WPS for everything from resumes and spreadsheets to PDFs and presentations, and it never disappoints. Its AI tools alone save me hours weekly—and it’s free!

Ready to boost your productivity? Download WPS Office at wps.com and see why it’s my go-to tool on every Mac I test.