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Prices checked November 10, 2026Not tested in handNo paid rankingsHow we pick
You give up: Runs Windows on a slower Snapdragon X chip, with half the storage (256GB) and a lower-resolution 1920x1200 screen. It saves only about $150 at HP's $1,349.99 list price; HP's Black Friday sale had it at $779.99 on November 10, 2026.
Short answer: The closest cheaper alternative to the Apple MacBook Air 15" (M5, 16GB/512GB) is the HP OmniBook 5 16" OLED (Snapdragon X, 16GB/256GB), about $1,350 instead of $1,499 (save 10%). What you give up: Runs Windows on a slower Snapdragon X chip, with half the storage (256GB) and a lower-resolution 1920x1200 screen. It saves only about $150 at HP's $1,349.99 list price; HP's Black Friday sale had it at $779.99 on November 10, 2026. The cheapest is the Apple MacBook Neo 13" at about $699. Prices checked November 10, 2026.
Why it's a good swap A bigger 16-inch OLED screen and 16GB of memory in a Windows Copilot+ PC, and HP says Fast Charge reaches 50% in 30 minutes.
You give up: Runs Windows on a slower Snapdragon X chip, with half the storage (256GB) and a lower-resolution 1920x1200 screen. It saves only about $150 at HP's $1,349.99 list price; HP's Black Friday sale had it at $779.99 on November 10, 2026.
Why it's a good swap Cheapest new Mac laptop, running macOS for everyday browsing, schoolwork and streaming.
You give up: Smaller 13-inch screen, an iPhone-class A18 Pro chip with 8GB of memory, and only 256GB of storage.
Why it's a good swap The same 15-inch M5 MacBook Air with 16GB and 512GB, refurbished by Apple with a one-year warranty, for $230 less.
You give up: Stock comes and goes: Apple had it in one color (Starlight) at this price on November 10, 2026, and says refurbished supplies are limited.
Why it's a good swap Same M5 chip, 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage in a smaller, lighter body.
You give up: Smaller 13-inch screen and the base model has an 8-core GPU instead of 10-core.
Typical US prices, checked November 10, 2026. Not live prices; check the listing before you buy.
Looking for a cheaper alternative to the Apple MacBook Air 15" (M5, 16GB/512GB)? It usually sells for about $1,499. Here are 4 cheaper swaps from $699: the HP OmniBook 5 16" OLED (Snapdragon X, 16GB/256GB) is the closest match from another brand, the Apple MacBook Air 13" (M5) is a cheaper option from Apple and the Apple MacBook Neo 13" is the cheapest at about $699. Each one says what you give up for the lower price.
The 15-inch MacBook Air (M5, 16GB/512GB) lists at $1,499, and Apple's refurbished store has had the same model for $1,269. The 13-inch MacBook Air (M5) is $1,299 with the same memory and storage. The Windows pick is the 16-inch HP OmniBook 5 with an OLED screen, 16GB and 256GB, at HP's $1,350 list price. The cheapest pick is the MacBook Neo at $699.
Worth it if you want a big, quiet Mac for all-day work. Apple lists a 15.3-inch 2880x1864 display at 500 nits, six speakers and up to 18 hours of video streaming, and Notebookcheck found the fanless M5 didn't throttle even while gaming.
If you want this exact laptop, Apple's refurbished store has had it for $230 less with a one-year warranty. If you don't need the bigger screen, the Apple MacBook Air 13" (M5) ($1,299) has the same chip, memory and storage. If you want a large screen and are fine with Windows, the HP OmniBook 5 16" OLED (Snapdragon X, 16GB/256GB) ($1,350) has a 16-inch OLED at a lower 1920x1200 resolution, and HP had it on sale well below its list price when we checked.
Compared on their own pages: MacBook Air alternatives
| Option | Type | Typical price | You save | What you give up | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple MacBook Air 15" (M5, 16GB/512GB) | The original | $1,499 | – | – | View ↗ |
| Apple MacBook Neo 13" | Budget pick | $699 | $800 (53%) | Smaller 13-inch screen, an iPhone-class A18 Pro chip with 8GB of memory, and only 256GB of storage. | View ↗ |
| Apple MacBook Air 15" (M5, 16GB/512GB, Apple Certified Refurbished) | Same brand, cheaper | $1,269 | $230 (15%) | Stock comes and goes: Apple had it in one color (Starlight) at this price on November 10, 2026, and says refurbished supplies are limited. | Not on Amazon |
| Apple MacBook Air 13" (M5) | Same brand, cheaper | $1,299 | $200 (13%) | Smaller 13-inch screen and the base model has an 8-core GPU instead of 10-core. | View ↗ |
| HP OmniBook 5 16" OLED (Snapdragon X, 16GB/256GB) | Close match | $1,350 | $149 (10%) | Runs Windows on a slower Snapdragon X chip, with half the storage (256GB) and a lower-resolution 1920x1200 screen. It saves only about $150 at HP's $1,349.99 list price; HP's Black Friday sale had it at $779.99 on November 10, 2026. | View ↗ |
Typical US prices from retailer listings and price trackers, checked November 10, 2026. They are not live Amazon prices and may have changed, so check the listing before you buy.
The Apple MacBook Neo 13", at about $699 (53% less). Cheapest new Mac laptop, running macOS for everyday browsing, schoolwork and streaming. The catch: Smaller 13-inch screen, an iPhone-class A18 Pro chip with 8GB of memory, and only 256GB of storage.
The HP OmniBook 5 16" OLED (Snapdragon X, 16GB/256GB), at about $1,350 (10% less). A bigger 16-inch OLED screen and 16GB of memory in a Windows Copilot+ PC, and HP says Fast Charge reaches 50% in 30 minutes. The catch: Runs Windows on a slower Snapdragon X chip, with half the storage (256GB) and a lower-resolution 1920x1200 screen. It saves only about $150 at HP's $1,349.99 list price; HP's Black Friday sale had it at $779.99 on November 10, 2026.
Yes. The Apple MacBook Air 13" (M5), at about $1,299 (13% less). Same M5 chip, 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage in a smaller, lighter body. The catch: Smaller 13-inch screen and the base model has an 8-core GPU instead of 10-core.
Both use the M5 chip, but Apple lists a bigger 15.3-inch 2880x1864 screen, six speakers instead of four, and a 10-core GPU in the base 15-inch model. The Apple MacBook Air 13" (M5) ($1,299) keeps the same 16GB and 512GB in a lighter 2.7-pound body, versus 3.3 pounds for the 15-inch.
No. Notebookcheck confirms it is fanless, so it stays silent, and it saw no throttling in its gaming tests.
Apple claims up to 18 hours of video streaming and up to 15 hours of wireless web browsing. Tom's Guide measured over 15 hours in its own battery test.
The same laptop refurbished by Apple: the Apple MacBook Air 15" (M5, 16GB/512GB, Apple Certified Refurbished) ($1,269) saves $230 with a one-year warranty, when it is in stock. If a smaller screen is fine, the Apple MacBook Air 13" (M5) ($1,299) has the same chip, memory and storage. The cheapest Mac is the Apple MacBook Neo 13" ($699).
Yes, when Apple has stock. On November 10, 2026 its US refurbished store listed the 15-inch M5 model with 16GB and 512GB at $1,269, against $1,499 new, in Starlight only. Versions with more memory or storage ran from $1,529 to $1,949. Apple covers refurbished Macs with a one-year limited warranty and its 14-day returns policy, and says supplies are limited.
The HP OmniBook 5 16" OLED (Snapdragon X, 16GB/256GB) ($1,350) has a bigger 16-inch OLED screen at a lower 1920x1200 resolution, with half the Air's storage. $1,350 is HP's list price; HP sold it for $779.99 in its Black Friday sale on November 10, 2026. It runs Windows on an Arm chip, so check that your apps support it.
The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 starts at $1,999, $500 more. Apple lists a 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with ProMotion up to 120Hz and up to 1,000 nits of sustained brightness, 1TB of storage, HDMI and an SD card slot, and up to 24 hours of video streaming. The Air has the bigger 15.3-inch screen at 500 nits, weighs 3.3 pounds against 3.4, and Apple rates it for up to 18 hours.
Each swap links to a store that sells it (amazon.com or Apple). Prices are typical US prices checked November 10, 2026 and change often, so check the listing before you buy.
Compared on their own pages: MacBook Air alternatives · MacBook Pro alternatives · MacBook Neo alternatives
Every swap is a product sold in the US that does the main job of the original. Close match is another brand with similar features, Same brand, cheaper is an older, smaller or renewed model from the same maker, and Budget pick is the cheapest thing that still does the job. On each page, Closest match is the close match nearest the original in price, and Lowest price is the cheapest swap. We compare published specs, retailer listings and reviews; we don't test products ourselves.
A cheaper product is cheaper for a reason. Each swap says what you give up, like weaker noise cancelling, a smaller screen or a shorter warranty, so you can decide if the savings are worth it.
Prices are typical US prices from retailer listings and price trackers, last checked October 2026. They are not live Amazon prices, which change often. When a price couldn't be confirmed, the page says “Check price on Amazon” instead of showing a number.
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