iMac vs MacBook Pro: How to decide between a laptop or desktop

Best Pricing Today for 14-inch MacBook Pro (M3)

We’re comparing the 24-inch iMac with all sizes of Apple’s MacBook Pro here–there’s more to it than a straightforward comparison of desktop versus laptop. For each Apple product, there are variants that suit different customers. Some of you reading this may be hoping for advice about whether to choose a new M3 iMac or an M3 MacBook Pro, while others may be looking for a little bit more power and may be wondering if there is any reason to choose the iMac over the 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro, which have Pro and Max variants.

Comparing iMac and MacBook Pro

Prior to the spring of 2022 Apple also sold a 27-inch iMac and in the past it has also sold an iMac Pro. These Macs are no longer sold by Apple, although you may still be able to buy one from a reseller who still has stock. However, because they are powered by Intel chip rather than the Apple M-series, we would advise against buying one right now. There is a chance that the iMac Pro might be reborn at some point in the future, but so far that is only a rumor.

Historically it’s been the case that a Mac laptop, even if it had comparable specs to a desktop, cost a little more because you are paying extra for the compact form factor. It now seems that the iMac is the Mac with a high price, when compared to a laptop with similar specs. The M3 Pro and Max versions of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro have even higher prices, but the specs are superior and there are some other benefits.

For the latest money-off deals on any of these Macs read: Best iMac deals and Best MacBook Pro deals.

14-inch MacBook Pro M3 vs 24-inch iMac M3

We’ll start by comparing the iMac with the similarly specced M3 MacBook Pro.

	14-inch MacBook Pro	24-inch iMac
System on a Chip model	M3	M3
CPU	8 cores (4 performance, 4 efficiency)	8 cores (4 performance, 4 efficiency)
GPU	10 cores	8 or 10 cores
Unified memory	8GB or 16GB	8GB
SSD	512GB or 1TB	256GB or 512GB
Display	14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display	24-inch Retina display
Ports	2 Thunderbolt/USB 4 3.5 mm headphone jack SDXC card slot HDMI MagSafe	2 Thunderbolt/USB 4 3.5 mm headphone jack gigabit ethernet (mid and upper models only) 2 USB-C (mid and upper models only)
Price	U.S.: $1,599/$1,799/$1,999 U.K.: £1,699/£1,899/£2,099 Canada: $2,099/$2,349/$2,599 Australia: $2,699/$2,999/$3,299	U.S.: $1,299/$1,499/$1,699 U.K.: £1,299/£1,499/£1,699 Canada: $1,699/$1,949/$2,199 Australia: $2,199/$2,499/$2,799

The $1,599 14-inch MacBook Pro and the 24-inch iMac both have M3 chips and are a good place to start.

The 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro was introduced in November 2023. It replaced the 13-inch MacBook Pro with an M2 chip. Read our 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro review. The 13-inch MacBook Pro was the last laptop with the Touch Bar.

The 24-inch iMac design was introduced in May 2021 and it is completely different compared to the previous 21.5-inch model. In November 2023, Apple upgraded the iMac to include the M3 chip. There are three iMacs to choose from with various specs as standard (and many more build-to-order options). Read our 24-inch iMac (M3) review.

Both the 24-inch iMac and 14-inch MacBook Pro have decent specs, for the most part, and both have reasonably priced entry-level models that may mean you don’t have to exceed your budget. We’ll run through price and specs in more detail below.

What do you get for your money?

The 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,599/£1,699/C$2,099/A$2,699 and the iMac at $1,299/£1,399/C$1,699/A$2,199, but they don’t have matching specifications–that entry-level iMac has fewer GPU cores and a smaller SSD. You must pick the $1,699/£1,799/C$2,199/$A$2,799 iMac to get the same specifications as the entry-level M3 14-inch MacBook Pro.

Note that while none of the iMac standard configurations noted here do not include 16GB RAM or 1TB SSD, they are available. A customer can select them as options for an extra fee.

14-inch & 16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro & M3 Max vs 24-inch iMac M3

If you want a more powerful Mac the MacBook Pro offers Pro and Max processor options, currently the iMac only offers the M3 chip.

	14-inch MacBook Pro	16-inch MacBook Pro	24-inch iMac
System on a Chip model	M3 Pro or M3 Max	M3 Pro or M3 Max	M3
CPU	M3 Pro: 11 cores (5 performance and 6 efficiency) 12 cores (6 performance and 6 efficiency) M3 Max: 14 cores (10 performance and 4 efficiency)	M3 Pro: 12 cores (6 performance and 6 efficiency) M3 Max: 14 cores (10 performance and 4 efficiency) 16 cores (12 performance and 4 efficiency)	8 cores (4 performance, 4 efficiency)
GPU	M3 Pro: 14 or 18 cores M3 Max: 30 cores	M3 Pro: 18 cores M3 Max: 30 or 40 cores	8 or 10 cores
Unified memory	M3 Pro: 18GB M3 Max: 36GB	M3 Pro: 18GB or 36GB M3 Max: 36GB or 48GB	8GB
SSD	M3 Pro: 512GB or 1TB M3 Max: 1TB	M3 Pro: 512GB M3 Max: 1TB	256GB or 512GB
Display	14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display	14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display	24-inch Retina display
Ports	3 Thunderbolt/USB 4 3.5 mm headphone jack SDXC card slot HDMI MagSafe	3 Thunderbolt/USB 4 3.5 mm headphone jack SDXC card slot HDMI MagSafe	2 Thunderbolt/USB 4 3.5 mm headphone jack gigabit ethernet (mid and upper models only) 2 USB-C (mid and upper models only)
Price	U.S. M3 Pro: $1,999/$2,399 M3 Max: $3,199 U.K. M3 Pro: £2,099/£2,499 M3 Max: £3,299 Canada M3 Pro: $2,699/$3,249 M3 Max: $4,349 Australia M3 Pro: $3,499/$4,199 M3 Max: $5,599	U.S. M3 Pro: $2,499/$2,899 M3 Max: $3,499/$3,999 U.K. M3 Pro: £2,599/£2,999 M3 Max: £3,599/£4,099  Canada M3 Pro: $3,299/$3,799 M3 Max: $4,649/$5,299 Australia M3 Pro: $4,299/$4,899 M3 Max: $5,999/$6,899	U.S. $1,299/$1,499/$1,699 U.K. £1,299/£1,499/£1,699 Canada $1,699/$1,949/$2,199 Australia $2,199/$2,499/$2,799

If you require a more powerful Mac, and have the budget, then in the past you might have considered the 27-inch iMac, or even the iMac Pro. Apple has discontinued both of these models, introducing the Mac Studio instead. See: Is Mac Studio a worthy replacement for a 27-inch iMac?

The Mac Studio is a great option if you need a powerful Mac, as is the Mac mini with M2 Pro or M2 Max, but if you are looking for a Mac with a built-in display, the Mac Studio lacks one. If a built-in screen is important to you, you may well be considering the iMac due to its 24-inch display and comparing it to the MacBook Pro.

Also read: Mac mini vs Mac Studio.

What you get for your money

For the purposes of this comparison, we’re going to look at the mid- and high-end iMacs, along with the 14-inch M3 Pro MacBook Pro, which is the lowest-priced MacBook Pro with an M3 Pro chip.

• 24-inch iMac, M3, 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Retina 4.5K display, for $1,499/£1,599/CA$1,949/AU$2,499
• 24-inch iMac, M3, 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Retina 4.5K display, for $1,699/£1,799/CA$2,199/AU$2,799
• 14-inch MacBook Pro, M3 Pro, 11-core CPU, 14-core GPU, 18GB RAM, 512GBB SSD for $1,999/£2,099/CA$2,699/AU$3,499

One factor in favor of the iMac (perhaps the only factor) is the (obviously) bigger screen, which is a 4.5K display. The iMac screen is great, but it’s a LED display, which doesn’t produce image quality that’s as nice as the Mini LED displays on the MacBook Pros. If you want more screen space on the MacBook Pro, you can plug in an external display. See our round-up of the best displays for a Mac. 

If you need a powerful machine, then the 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro is the one to choose. The iMac with M3 and MacBook Pro with M3 Pro or M3 Max do not compare very favorably right now. However, that may change if Apple re-introduces a larger, pro-level iMac. Read about what we expect Apple to do with the pro version of the iMac.

Read more about the differences between the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro.

iMac vs. MacBook Pro: Verdict

We recommend all models of the MacBook Pro over the iMac. If you have more to spend and need a powerful machine, then it is worth considering the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro with a M3 Pro or M3 Max chip–these chips are not available on the iMac. Learn more about the differences between the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips in our Mac processor comparison.

However, the MacBook Pro isn’t necessarily the best Mac laptop you could buy – the MacBook Air might do the job just as well for even less money, in which case, read our comparison of the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.

Best prices right now

14-inch MacBook Pro, M3, 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD (MSRP US$1,599/UK£1,699/CA$2,099/AU$2,699)

14-inch MacBook Pro, M3, 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 1TB SSD (MSRP US$1,799/UK£1,899/CA$2,349/AU$2,999)

24-inch iMac, M3, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD (MSRP from $1,299/£1,399/CA$1,699/AU$2,199)

24-inch iMac, M3, 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD (MSRP from $1,499/£1,599/CA$1,949/AU$2,499)

24-inch iMac, M3, 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD (MSRP from $1,699/£1,799/CA$2,199/AU$2,799)

14-inch MacBook Pro, M3 Pro, 11-core CPU, 14-core GPU, 18GB RAM, 512GB SSD (MSRP: $1,999/£2,099/CA$2,699/AU$3,499)

14-inch MacBook Pro, M3 Pro, 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU, 18GB RAM, 1TB SSD (MSRP: $2,399/£2,499/CA$3,249/AU$4,199)

14-inch MacBook Pro, M3 Max, 14-core CPU, 30-core GPU, 36GB RAM, 1TB SSD (MSRP: $3,199/£3,299/CA$4,349/AU$5,599)

16-inch MacBook Pro, M3 Pro, 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU, 18GB RAM, 512GB SSD (MSRP: $2,499/£2,599/CA$3,299/AU$4,299)

16-inch MacBook Pro, M3 Pro, 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU, 36GB RAM, 512GB SSD (MSRP: $2,899/£2,999/CA$3,799/AU$4,899)

16-inch MacBook Pro, M3 Max, 14-core CPU, 30-core GPU, 36GB RAM, 1TB SSD (MSRP: $3,499/£3,599/CA$4,649/AU$5,999)

16-inch MacBook Pro, M3 Max, 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU, 48GB RAM, 1TB SSD (MSRP: $3,999/£4,099/CA$5,299/AU$6,899)

Source : Macworld