The MacBook Pro 14 (2021) generally costs more than the MacBook Pro 13 (2020) but offers improvements such as a larger, more vibrant Mini LED display, higher max refresh rate, better speakers, and more powerful M1 Pro processor with additional GPU cores, which translates to enhanced performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering applications. It also has a larger battery capacity. However, it is slightly heavier, which could affect portability. Choose the MacBook Pro 13 (2020) for a more compact and potentially quieter experience due to its fanless design, or opt for the MacBook Pro 14 (2021) if improved performance and a better display are worth the extra cost and slight sacrifice in portability. 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 Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020)
Best in class battery life
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Key differences
General Use
7.7/10
8.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
491.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
479.0 nits
20.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
13.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good.
The MacBook Pro 13 (2020) offers a solid balance of performance with its M1 chip and sufficient RAM for everyday tasks, a high-quality IPS screen, and exceptional battery life, all packed into a lightweight, highly portable design with silent operation.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
8.2/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) offers increased RAM, a more powerful CPU and GPU configuration, and superior screen quality with a higher resolution and Mini LED technology compared to the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020), thus enhancing performance for engineering and design tasks. However, the MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is lighter, offers longer battery life, and has a fanless design for silent operation, making it more suitable for users who prioritize portability and minimal operating noise.
Content Creation
7.8/10
8.4/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for content creation, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good.
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
7.8/10
8.3/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for software development, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good.
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.
Screen Quality
7.6/10
9.2/10
13.3in
SIZE
14.2in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
479.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Pro 13 for general use, AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) excels in screen quality for general use and engineering due to its high-resolution Retina display with bright, vibrant colors and support for wide color gamuts, ensuring crisp and accurate visuals for tasks like document editing, web browsing, and precision design work. The newer Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) improves upon this with an even higher-quality Liquid Retina XDR display, offering deeper blacks, more brightness, and a wider color range, making it particularly suited for professionals in engineering and design who require the utmost color accuracy and image detail. However, both models have a standard refresh rate, which is less ideal for 3D applications where a higher refresh rate is critical for smoother rendering of fast-moving images and animations.
Battery
20.0 Hours
13.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 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.
Cost
$1,249
$1,905
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) costs $1,905.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) 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.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
13.3in
SIZE
14.2in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) both have best in class build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) compare to other laptops
"The MacBook Pro 13 is still a very good subnotebook. The 2022 MacBook Pro 13 might look like recycling at first, because the device is completely identical to the old model expect for the new M2 SoC. We have to admit that we were surprised to see another iteration of the MBP 13 as well. The laptop is obviously familiar, but this does not change the fact that it is still a very good subnotebook. You get an excellent chassis with good stability, a very good display, good input devices and the new M2 chip is very powerful and efficient."
"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 Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
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.
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.
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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
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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.
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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.