The best laptops for programming offer a lightweight and slim design for easy mobility, yet pack enough power to handle demanding development tasks on the go. That makes it easy for you to throw them into a bag and take them everywhere you go, without compromising on performance.
There are so many options these days, though, that’s it’s easy to get lost in the weeds. So our experts have meticulously evaluated and narrowed down the current crop of laptops to a curated selection. These are, in other words, the absolute best laptops for programming programmers’ needs. We’ve tested these laptops for factors including speed, performance, power, display quality and battery life to ensure they’ll deliver the performance you need throughout long coding sessions.
Note, if you’re a more stationary, at-home programmer, it’s worth looking into our roundup of the best monitors for programming.
Quick list
We’ve lined up our top 3 picks ready for your perusal, with a quick insight into why they made the cut. Simply click on ‘read more below’ to get even more information, including links to our reviews.
This incredibly powerful M3 16-inch MacBook Pro has a brilliantly large and bright screen but also comes in two smaller sizes if you don’t need so much space. It’s got great battery life, and plenty of ports too. Read more below
Despite its low price, this beautifully thin and light Chromebook sports its gorgeous touchscreen QHD+ display and some excellent specs and features. The payoff is that you’re basically doing everything in a web browser. Read more below
As a big name in PC Gaming, Razer naturally makes a great laptop for game development. The powerful Razer Blade 18 comes with Nvidia’s latest Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 laptop GPU, and can also handle heavy-duty programming projects. Read more below
The Dell Precision 5480 is small but mighty, offering comparable performance to a 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro. It’s got great battery life, a comfortable keyboard, and a superbly well-made and well-built chassis Read more below
This revolutionary laptop comes with two screens, so you can run your code editor on one screen and have documents or your program running on the other. Our benchmarks showed impressive performance, too. Read more below
If you’re a programmer working on Windows 10 apps in particular, then the Surface Laptop 5 could be a good choice for you. As it’s made by Microsoft, this is a brilliant showcase for Windows 11. Read more below
✅ You need top-tier performance: The M3 Max chip offers incredible speed. ✅ You value battery life: During our battery tests, the 2023 MacBook Pro ran for a solid 10 hours. ✅ You prize display quality: The beautiful Liquid Retina XDR display will help reduce eye strain
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You’re on a budget: This high-performance laptop is certainly costly. ❌ You need Windows-specific software: Some programming applications may be limited or not have Mac versions. ❌ You want easy upgrades: The unified memory and storage aren’t user-upgradeable.
The bottom line
🔎 The MacBook Pro M3 Max (2023) is a simply fantastic laptop, balancing performance and portability with beautiful design. It’s a fantastic all-rounder and great for programmers wanting a do-it-all machine. ★★★★½
What you need to know: With its 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display and powerful chipset, the MacBook Pro M3 Max uses Apple‘s powerful M3 Max chip, which combines CPU and GPU cores for exceptional performance.
Design: There are no surprises with the MacBook Pro M3 Max; much like its predecessors, the design is professional and sleek, balancing sophisticated hardware with its elegant chassis. Its 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display, offers 3456×2234 resolution with up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness for HDR content, and while these specs might be slightly overkill on the surface, the screen must be as clear and bright as possible for long coding sessions. The keyboard and trackpad are comfortable and responsive, and there are a variety of ports on offer, including Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, and an SD card slot.
Performance: Excelling across the board in our benchmark testing, the MacBook Pro M3 Max, especially in GPU-accelerated tasks. It offers up to 128GB of unified memory, depending on your configuration and, of course, all MacBooks have the advantage of being able to compile iOS apps and have a Unix-style terminal, though it’s also true that for some coding workflows, Windows is essential.
Battery: You’ll have more than enough battery to get you through the most intense coding session – the 100-watt-hour battery delivers an impressive 22 hours of media playback. Our reviewermanaged to work for 10 hours using demanding 3D software before it ran flat.
Price: Starting at around $3,499 for the M3 Max configuration, it’s a costly laptop, to be sure, but given that its performance is so tremendous and its display specs result in such a beautiful screen, it’s a reasonable ask, at least. To learn more, read our MacBook Pro M3 review.
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Test results
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Price
Premium pricing, as per Apple’s modus operandi
★★★★½
Design
Stylish and sleek, with Liquid Retina display
★★★★★
Performance
Fantastic, powered by Apple Silicon
★★★★½
Battery life
Up to 10 hours intensive use, 22 for media playing
✅ You want a solid enterprise option: The security features and connectivity options make this a solid choice. ✅ You value good design: The Elite Dragonfly Chromebook is a thing of beauty. ✅ You want a 5G capable Chromebook: With the option for 5G/LTE connectivity, this is great for mobile workers.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You’re on a tight budget: Despite holding our budget spot, it’s still easily the most expensive Chromebook out there. ❌ You need Windows-specific software: You’ll be limited to web-based platforms. ❌ You need a lot of battery life: It’s pretty limited in the battery department, especially if you work on-the-go.
The bottom line
🔎 The HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook offers incredible performance, it’s well-designed, and has a decent enough battery life to deliver your programming needs – though it is pricey. ★★★★★
What you need to know: With its gorgeous touchscreen QHD+ display made of Corning Gorilla Glass 5, this beautifully thin and light laptop boasts some excellent specs and features.
Design: Gorgeous inside and out, the HP Elite Dragonfly has a beautiful touchscreen QHD+ display made of Corning Gorilla Glass 5, making it a great choice if you like to get hands-on with your code.
Performance: It hosts 12th-gen Intel processors paired with 32GB RAM, allowing it to reach blistering speeds, plus there’s 128GB storage for all of your projects. It also comes with some excellent additional security measures, so if you’re of the paranoid ilk or are working for a particularly nervy client, you can rest assured that your files will be safer on this Chromebook than some other devices. It even has optional 5G/LTE connectivity, making it even better for programmers on-the-go.
Battery: Arguably its weakest attribute, the Dragonfly lasts for about six hours when playing HD movies, which is pretty poor compared to other chromebooks. You can only squeeze out up to eight hours for less power-hungry tasks, but thankfully the laptop utilizes quick charge technology.
Price: At its cheapest configuration it’s still a whopping $1,000 / £1,000, which climbs to the astonishingly high $3,000 / £3,000 at its highest specs. The tradeoff here is that you’re not getting either a Windows or macOS operating system, so you’re basically doing everything in a web browser. But as that’s pretty much what most programmers do these days anyway, that probably won’t seem much of a sacrifice.
✅ You want a top performer: The Razer Blade 18 is incredibly powerful. ✅ You want a gaming laptop without gamer design: Opting for a more subtle look, the Razer Blade 18 is subtle and slick. ✅ You want choice of display: You can choose between UHD+ 240 Hz LCD or QHD+ 300 Hz Mini-LED screen.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You value portability: This is a hefty clamshell with poor battery performance, meaning it’s not great for programming on the move. ❌ You’re on a budget: The Razer Blade 18 is very pricey, owing to its top-notch hardware. ❌ You need a lot of battery life: Especially when running more intensive tasks, the battery of this laptop could be improved.
The bottom line
🔎 The Razer Blade 18 offers top-of-the-line performance, offers solid build quality, and while its battery life suffers and the price is high, there’s no better choice for game developers ★★★★½
What you need to know: The Razer Blade 18 is the latest version of Razer’s top-spec laptop, and it’s better than ever with a larger screen, smaller bezels, and the latest Intel and Nvidia chips. It’s a fantastic laptop for coding, but especially if you’re working on games.
Design: With a great build quality, that stunning 18-inch screen and ample ports, the Razer Blade 18 has the makings of a great laptop for programming. Its size does, however, come at the expense of portability, which will be a necessity for many programmers.
Performance: Featuring the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090, one of the fastest laptop GPUs on the planet, and the latest Intel 13th Gen CPUs the Razer Blade 18 allows you to work with complex 3D games that use cutting-edge tech, like ray tracing, and you’ll be able to play your game afterward to test how it runs.
Battery: Just like the HP Elite Dragonfly above, the Razer Blade 18 suffers in the battery department. However, it fares worse, lasting just a few hours under duress. It’s not uncommon for larger 18-inch laptops to have such a fate, but even so.
Price: It’s very expensive, but for your money, you’re getting some of the best performance available right now. Combined with a great build quality, that stunning 18-inch screen, and the latest Intel 13th Gen CPUs, this is a brilliant creative workstation for people who need a lot of power.
✅ You want something portable: The Dell Precision 5470 is petite and lightweight. ✅ You’ll be working away from a power outlet: Offering a whopping 12 hours of media streaming, it’ll see you through the working day and then some. ✅ You want a powerful but petite clamshell: It’s also very capable of creative tasks.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You need maximum power: Its size limits it power. ❌ You have a number of peripherals: There are limited ports. ❌ You value display specs: It’s far from poor, but its FHD+ (1920 x 1200) anti-glare display might leave you wanting.
The bottom line
🔎 The Dell Precision 5470 is a petite mobile workstation, balancing top-quality build, super power and battery life, all packed into a slick 14-inch design. ★★★★½
What you need to know: The definition of small but mighty, the Dell Precision 5470 is unassuming to look at, but its compact design, excellent battery life and incredible power make it a fantastic mobile workstation.
Design: Sure, it isn’t the biggest at 14-inches but it’s the price you pay for portability.Plus, our reviewer compared it to her MacBook Air and felt that the extra half inch really made a big difference. All of this is perfect for programmers as it ensures your eyes don’t strain on a small screen. The colours are also highly accurate.
Performance: The Dell Precision 5470 laptop may be smaller than some others on the list, but it comes loaded with a huge amount of power for its compact frame. In fact, our testing put its performance close to that of a 14-inch MacBook Pro with Apple’s M2 Pro chip, and if you want the even newer 5480 model, it’s physically the same but runs an even faster 13th Gen Intel chip.
Battery: It’s brilliant for programming because of the excellent battery life (we got 12 hours in our media replay tests).
Price: It’s a pricey piece of kit, but as our reviewer highlighted, you’d be hard pushed to find a quality mobile workstation, with as much power, battery life and portability for less. It’s robust, too, meaning it should be considered an investment piece that will see you through a few years.
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Test results
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Price
It’s expensive, but not unreasonably so.
★★★★
Design
It’s wonderfully compact, though lacking a little in the display department.
★★★★
Performance
For its size, it’s fantastically powerful.
★★★★★
Battery life
Though it’s not breaking any records, battery life is solid.
Ports: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 2x Thunderbolt 4, 1x HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm combo jack
Reasons to buy
+
Fabulous dual screen tech
+
Excellent connectivity
+
Powerful
Reasons to avoid
–
Unusual ergonomics
Buy it if
✅ You want flexibility: Dual-screen setup offers fantastic workspace versatility. ✅ You value portability: It’s a 2-in-1 without the consessions of a 2-in-1, basically! ✅ You need a high-quality display: Both OLED screens offer excellent clarity.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You need long battery life: Especially with both screens in use, the battery drainUsing both screens can drain the battery quickly. ❌ You’re on a tight budget: It’s not a cheap device, but it’s a premium one. ❌ You require dedicated graphics: If you need to do any rendering, this isn’t the laptop for you.
The bottom line
🔎 Asus ProArt Studiobook OLED is a innovative dual-screen laptop that offers unique flexibility for CAD work, with powerful internals and high-quality OLED displays, though at a premium price point. ★★★★★
What you need to know: The ASUS Zenbook Duo OLED 2024 breaks the mold with it a groundbreaking laptop featuring two 14-inch OLED touchscreens, allowing for unparalleled versatility on your workstation. Powered by Intel’s latest Core Ultra 9 processor, it comes with plenty of RAM and storage, to boot.
Design: Of course, the real hero of this clamshell are its dual-screens, with both displays offering 2880×1800 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. These configurable screens are excellent if you need to spread your applications and windows out while programming and the detachable keyboard only adds to its versatility.
Performance: Loaded with the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor and integrated Intel Arc Graphics, it may not match dedicated GPUs for more intensive tasks, but it’s plenty capable for programming and testing. Plus, there’s 32GB of RAM to ensure smooth multitasking. During our testing, the Zenbook Duo OLED put in a score that’s between the Apple M1 and M1 Max, making it on the higher end of power and performance, but not quite the beefiest option out there.
Battery: On the one hand, we found the Zenbook Duo OLED’s battery life impressive when using a single screen, reaching over 12 hours during our testing. However, using both screens at once will eat up battery life much quicker, so it’s wise to keep it close to an outlet while using the laptop to its full potential.reen sessions.
Price: The ASUS Zenbook Duo OLED 2024 is comparable to the MacBook Pro M3 listed above, starting at £1,699 and going up to around £2K. While its performance isn’t as impressive, its form factor is almost entirely unique. Read more: ASUS Zenbook Duo OLED 2024 review
Screen: 13.5-inch PixelSense (2,256 x 1,504) touch
Storage: 256GB – 1TB SSD
Reasons to buy
+
Comfortable keyboard
+
Beautiful screen
Reasons to avoid
–
Not enough ports
–
Slightly dated by large bezels
Buy it if
✅ You want a solid all-rounder: As a simple workstation or for general use, it’s a solid choice. ✅ You work from home: Armed with Windows Hello Face Authentication, this device handles conference calls well ✅ You value versatility: Benefit from touch screen features and Windows 11 software.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You value contemporary design: The Surface Laptop 5 looks just like its older siblings. ❌ You’re on a tight budget: It’s not a cheap device. ❌ You need a powerful device: Its higher configurations get pretty pricey, and it’s otherwise not suitable for power-hungry tasks.
The bottom line
🔎 Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 is a capable workhorse, but not great for multitasking – especially when it comes to more intensive apps. Its higher configurations rapidly scale in price, too. ★★★★
What you need to know: If you’re a programmer working on Windows 10 apps in particular, then the Surface Laptop 5 could be a good choice. As it’s made by Microsoft it showcases Windows 11 brilliantly, so you can ensure your Windows apps run perfectly.
Design: It’s not reinventing the wheel, borrowing the core design principals from previous Surface Laptops, which makes it feel a little dated. The PixelSense touchscreens also offer excellent pixel density of 201DPI, matching Apple’s Retina displays and ensuring gorgeous text rendering for long coding sessions, but adding touch input into the mix.
Performance: This latest Surface Laptop comes with 12th-generation Intel Core processors. They’re not the absolute latest technology, but the newer 13th Gen chips are only slightly faster. The 13.5-inch model is limited to 16GB, but if you need 32GB, the 15-inch version gives you that option. You get a speedy SSD, making this an excellent laptop for even the most intense programming tasks.
Battery: Microsoft says the Surface Laptop 5 has a 17 to 18 hour battery life, but on test our reviewer found it topped out at around 10 hours (tested with the Intel i7 chip).
Price: It’s a little overpriced in all configurations, but that’s certainly more noticeable at the lower-end of the product line. Read more: Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 review
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Test results
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Price
Premium price belies its power.
★★★½
Design
Looks almost identical to its predecessor.
★★★★
Performance
Good enough for programming needs, but struggles multitasking.
Screen: 13.6-inch (diagonal) 2,560 x 1,664 LED-backlit display with IPS technology
Storage: 256GB – 2TB SSD
Dimensions: 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches (30.41 x 21.5 x 1.13cm; W x D x H)
Reasons to buy
+
Great new design
+
Excellent battery life
Reasons to avoid
–
More expensive than previous model
–
Gets hot when under pressure
Buy it if
✅ You want the Apple experience on a budget: While the MacBook Pro we’ve listed above ranks highly for us, this is a more affordable option. ✅ You want portability: The M2 MacBook Air is delightfully lightweight and slim. ✅ You need all-day battery life: 16 hours of juice? Yes please.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You’re on a budget: Especially at its new, higher price point, the MacBook Air is pricey. ❌ You want to keep cool: Devoid of internal fans, this laptop can run hot. ❌ You need Windows-specific software: Some programming applications may be limited or not have Mac versions.
The bottom line
🔎 Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022) is wonderfully portable and beautiful both in design and performance, but it’s costly and tends to run hot when under pressure ★★★★
What you need to know: The Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022) is a fantastic ultra-portable laptop for programming on. In fact, the MacBook Air M2 now comes in a 15-inch size, giving you even more space for programming.
Design: Ditching the wedge design of previous MacBook Air devices, the M2 2022 Air is attractive and thinner and lighter than ever before. The real win is that the display is actually larger than previous models at 13.6-inches screen, compared to the M1 Model’s 13.3-inch display, and to avoid any drop in image sharpness, the resolution has also been increased from 2,560 x 1,600 to 2,560 x 1,664.
Performance: It’s powerful enough to compile code in seconds, and you can run simultaneous emulations and tests at the same time. Sure, it isn’t as powerful as the M3, but it’s more than enough whack for most.
Battery: Best of all, the MacBook Air (M2, 2022)’s battery life is amazing, lasting over 16 hours in our tests. So, you can work on this throughout the day without worrying about being plugged into a power source.
Price: It’s a little overpriced in all configurations, but that’s certainly more noticeable at the lower end of the product line. Read more:MacBook Air (M2, 2022) review
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Test results
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Price
Apple’s new MacBook Air pricing makes them less of a value purchase.
★★★½
Design
Slimmer and lighter but also with a larger display.
✅ You want a high-performance tablet PC: Look no further, the Asus ROG Flow Z13 is the best you can get. ✅ You value build quality: Broadly speaking, it’s very robust. ✅ You want gaming on-the-go: While its docked performance is better, it’s very capable as a gaming tablet PC.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You’re on a budget: Innovative? Yes. Costly? Absolutely. ❌ You value ergonomics: This tablet PC is a bit chaotic to have and hold. ❌ You plan to use it away from a power source: Its battery life will leave you wanting.
The bottom line
🔎 The Asus ROG Flow Z13 is an astonishing technical achievement, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s playing in the same league as the workstations listed above. Still, if it’s something different you want, this is it★★★½
What you need to know: The Asus ROG Flow Z13 positions itself as tablet PC with true desktop replacement performance, and by and large delivers; but it’s not without its drawbacks, like the skewed ergonomics and performance issues. If you want to try something new, this is it; but it won’t be perfect.
Design: The chassis itself is beautiful, albeit thicker than other tablets at 1.2cm. Our reviewer called the ROG Flow Z13 “ergonomically a bit of a mess”, which does mean it’s less than ideal for programming on some fronts. It has a thin keyboard, but some people may not find it that comfortable to code on for long periods of time, so a larger keyboard may be necessary – which is easy enough to plug in.
Performance: This unique laptop brings incredible power to a supremely thin and light form factor. In fact, it might be the most powerful tablet PC we’ve ever tried. It features a powerful 12th-generation 14-core Intel processor, which will handle all your coding needs with ease. It also comes with an RTX 3050 Ti graphics card, which is handy for anyone who wants to code – and test – games. The 16GB of DDR5 memory also means this is supremely fast, and is ideal for people who want an easily portable laptop to code on.
Battery: It should come as no surprise that a laptop with this form factor and these components isn’t going to win any prizes for its battery life. On test, it lasted roughly seven and a half hours of video playback with the screen at around half brightness.
Price: This is pricey- the configuration we used costs $3,299 / £2,999 – but it’s a unique laptop that could transform how you code.
The above may be our top picks for programming, but there are an abundance of laptops that fit the bill. Below you’ll find some other laptops we’ve tested that are also well-suited for programming, which may be better suited to your particular needs and budget.
ASUS ProArt Studiobook 16 OLED If you also need a real creative powerhouse for art and design, this is a must-have. During our testing we loved its power and performance, and its glorious, glasses-free 3D screen. It can handle demanding creative software with ease, meaning speedy rendering times and no lag. Read our 4.5-star review.
MSI Creator Z17 HX StudioAnother option that’s great for creatives, this clamshell is particularly good for artists thanks to its16:10 display supporting a stylus. During our testing, we found it was great for multitasking even while running creative apps, though we’d have liked to see better battery life. Read our 4-star review
If you’re looking for a laptop for coding on, then you’ll want to make sure it comes with plenty of RAM. The more RAM a laptop has, the better it is at multitasking, so you can have multiple apps running at once.
It’ll also help you compile your code quickly, while also letting you test and run your apps and games. The faster you can do this, the more productive you’ll be.
So, we recommend at least 8GB of RAM for coding on a laptop, but ideally you should go for 16GB, or if your budget can stretch to it, 32GB. That’s only necessary for seriously heavy workloads, however.
Does the keyboard matter?
Yes! You should be looking for a backlit keyboard with good key travel for comfortable typing during long coding sessions. That said, if you find an affordable laptop that does everything you need other than having a good keyboard, it may well be more economical to buy an external keyboard.
Either way, there are several key factors to consider in terms of keyboard.
Firstly, consider the feel of the keys, and which one suits you best. Within mechanical keyboards, there are three main switch feels: tactile (a bump on keypress for a good balance of feedback and noise), clicky (audible click for strong feedback but can be noisy), and linear (smooth keypress with minimal feedback for fast typing).
Secondly, think about keyboard layout. Full-size keyboards include a dedicated number pad and function keys, which means more functionality but that also makes them less portable. Tenkeyless (TKL) keyboards remove the number pad for a more compact design, which is useful if you’re short of desk space.
Other features like backlighting (great for low-light coding) and a wrist rest (improves comfort during long sessions) can further enhance your experience. Programmable keys are not essential but can be a plus for creating macros or shortcuts to boost coding efficiency.
What’s better: HDD or SSD?
When looking at storage, SSDs outperform HDDs in nearly every aspect. They access data much faster, so your programs will launch more quickly, your files will open faster, and your system will be speedier and more responsive overall.
Programming can be done on many different types of machines but many programmers want something more than just a basic laptop. While you don’t necessarily need a powerhouse of a laptop to code on, if you need to compile your code, and test out the games you’re working on, for example, then you’ll want a laptop with plenty of RAM and a modern multi-core processor. They are able to compile code much more quickly. And, the less time you have to spend waiting for your laptop to complete complex tasks, the more time you have to do other things – such as take on more projects.
Screen size is really important when selecting one of the best laptops for programming. You’ll get more on a 15-inch screen than a smaller one, for example, so it’s easier to read through code and make GUI adjustments. Of course, with a bigger display you sacrifice portability.
Also consider getting an Intel Core i5 processor as a minimum. That will guarantee you enough performance, especially if you’re doing things like working with complex website layouts that have a lot of background code. Large, complex programs compile faster with a faster processor.
Graphics can also be key depending on the development work you’re doing. If you’re working with game development in an environment such as Unreal Engine or Unity then you need to consider the graphical requirements of those apps. Don’t miss our round up of the best graphics cards if this is something you might need. And remember it’s a good idea to use an operating system that’s aligned with your goals. Want to develop in Xcode for the iPhone, iPad and Mac? Then you’re going to need a Mac.
Coding presents a quite specific remit for any laptop. High on the list of priorities is a decent screen that redenders nice, crisp text. It’s so important for long coding sessions. In particular we consider pixel density and contrast, though support for touch is less of a priority.
Performance wise, you’ll want a modern Intel or AMD CPU with at least 16GB of RAM, which will provide sufficient performance for serious coding. On the graphics side of the equation, it will depend on the type of applications you’re coding. Some are more graphically demanding than others. But in all cases we assess GPU performance to provide that important context.
Plenty of fast storage is also important, so we test both sequential throughput and random access. Keyboard quality is another super vital element for any serious coding session. So, we’re looking for feel, comfort and responsiveness.
We also assess ergonomics, build and usability, chassis rigidity, trackpad response and more to build up a practical picture of how well a laptop performs in the real world rather than merely benchmarks.
Finally, battery life is surely critical, especially if you’re coding on the move. Battery life is also an area where laptops can diverge dramatically. So, we careful evaluate just how long each model can survive away from mains power.
Best overall
Best budget
Best game dev
Best compact
Best dual-screen
Best Microsoft 
