A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift 14 is usually less expensive and provides better performance for general use with a good portability score, which makes it suitable for carrying around. Its battery life is adequate for a day's work, but if longer battery life is essential and if you're engaging in graphics-intensive tasks like video editing or 3D modeling, the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) with its superior GPU is a better choice, despite being heavier and more expensive. The MacBook Pro offers a higher quality build and better screen technology that can display more accurate colors and handle fast motion better, making it ideal for professional creative work, though it does not offer the gaming performance some may desire. Both laptops offer backlit keyboards, but the MacBook adds better speaker quality and a higher quality webcam. The Acer Swift could suit those who need a machine for everyday tasks and some engineering software at a more affordable price, while the MacBook Pro caters more to creative professionals needing top-tier display and performance. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Acer Swift 14
- Excellent portability
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
- Very good for engineering and design
- Excellent overall display quality
- Best in class overall build quality
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.6
9.2
14.0in
SIZE
14.2in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
458.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
479.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Acer Swift 14 for general use, AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, the Acer Swift 14 offers a balance between clarity, color, and visibility, with adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks, while the MacBook Pro 14 has a higher resolution and brighter display, resulting in sharper images and more vibrant colors, which is ideal for both daily activities and professional design work. In engineering and design, the MacBook Pro 14 provides superior color accuracy and a wider color gamut, essential for precision in visual work, something the Swift 14 also handles well but not to the same extent. However, for 3D applications that demand quick image refreshing, both laptops fall short with their lower refresh rates, despite their capable resolutions and panel types.
Battery
9.0 Hours
13.5 Hours
The Acer Swift 14 has 9 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Build Quality
7.4
10.0
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Acer Swift 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,400
$1,905
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Swift 14 has a price of $1,400 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) costs $1,905.
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Laptop
Find your new laptop
Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.4
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
458.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
479.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
13.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
9.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and Acer Swift 14 are both very good for general use.
The Acer Swift 14 offers a strong balance of performance features like a high-end CPU and sufficient RAM for smooth multitasking, combined with a high-resolution IPS display for clear and vivid visuals, and its lightweight design and long battery life make it highly portable for general use. The Apple MacBook Pro 14 meshes a powerful M1 Pro chip with ample RAM, an exceptional Mini LED screen with high color accuracy, and longer battery life, providing a robust experience for general usage scenarios, but it is slightly heavier and typically pricier.
Gaming and AI
6.7
6.8
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and Acer Swift 14 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.9
8.2
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) to be very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift 14 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has a higher-performance GPU and a more advanced Mini LED screen with better brightness and a higher contrast ratio, which make it very good for engineering and design tasks, while the Acer Swift 14 offers a competitive CPU and ample RAM, with a decent IPS screen making it suitable for similar tasks, though its GPU and screen quality are less superior compared to the MacBook. In terms of portability, both have similar weight and dimensions, but the MacBook has a slight edge in battery life, speaker, and keyboard quality, which enhances its usability for professionals on the go.
Content Creation
8.2
8.4
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and Acer Swift 14 are both very good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
8.2
8.3
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and Acer Swift 14 are both very good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Portability
Excellent
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.2in
2.6 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.6in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift 14 to have excellent portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Swift 14 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 14 | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,400 | $1,905 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.2'' x 8.4'' x 0.59'' | 12.3'' x 8.7'' x 0.61'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.65 lbs | 3.5 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.22" | 12.31" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 8.71" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | Apple M1 Pro (8C) | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 13.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 69.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 14.2" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 3024 x 1964 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 458 nits | 479 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.1/10 | 8.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 10/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1440p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Swift 14
See more
Dig into reviews and images
Rtings
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, John Peroramas | April 2023
"The Acer Swift 14 is good for school use. Its compact design makes it easy to carry around, and its battery lasts easily through a typical school day. You can configure the laptop with an FHD+ or QHD+ display; both look sharp and get bright enough to combat glare. The keyboard feels tactile but can be a little tiring to type on over an extended period, and while the touchpad is small, it's responsive to all movements and gestures. Its Intel 13th Gen. CPU can handle nearly every type of workload; however, its integrated graphics perform poorly, so it isn't ideal for students in technical fields like 3D graphics."
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | January 2023
"In the Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023, the M2 Pro is slowed down. From the improved 5nm process, the new M2 Pro is a very solid upgrade. Graphics performance has increased by about 25% in tandem with a clear improvement in efficiency. The processor has also seen a performance leap of up to 20%, but this is accompanied by an increase in consumption of up to 25%. Fundamentally, Apple its maintaining its advantage over AMD and Intel, particularly in optimized applications where the results are very good in view of the comparatively low power consumption."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 14 or the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Laptop guides you might be interested in
More comparisons for you
Compare Acer Swift 14 vs. HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
VS
Compare Acer Swift 14 vs. MSI GP66 Leopard
VS
Compare Acer Swift 14 vs. Lenovo Legion 5 Pro
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) vs. ASUS ROG Flow Z13
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) vs. Razer Blade 14
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) vs. ASUS ROG Strix G18
VS
FAQs
FAQs about laptops
Why trust us
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
130,995
Recommendations made
28,383
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.
Featured in
