The best monitors for MacBook Pro
Create your dream dual-screen setup with one of the best monitors for MacBook Pro.

The best monitors for MacBook Pro are the perfect companion to your Apple laptop, whether you need a laptop for graphic design or something simpler for college work. In so many cases, pairing your MacBook Pro with a great monitor can give you more screen real estate, better picture quality, handy extra features and much more.
Our top choice is the Dell UltraSharp UP2720Q, a superb 27-inch display that boasts fantastic image quality and a 4K resolution. It hits 96.1% of the Adobe RGB space and 95% of the DCI-P3 gamut, and with a built-in colorimeter, it’s ideally placed for your important colour-accurate work.
But there are many other excellent monitors worth considering. We have significant experience reviewing monitors, laptops and more, with anything from the most budget creations to the highest-end wallet-busters coming under our microscope. Keep reading to see which displays gained our seal of approval.
Quick list
We'll start with a quick list of our top options. Click 'Read more' or scroll down to for our full guide.
We highly rate this 4K display for its balance of price and features. With a high pixel density of 163ppi and solid colour coverage (and built-in colourimeter), we found it to be a great option for creative work. Read more below
We love this mid-range option, which balances price and features, with good colour coverage for creative work and USB-C supporting DisplayPort 1.4 and power delivery. Sharp 4K resolution and a dedicated Apple mode sweeten the deal. Read more below
The Studio Display is the best option if you love Apple products and want to balance image quality with price. Its 5K resolution, great colour gamut support and solid build quality make it a great choice. Read more below.
If you don't need 6K resolution but want a premium screen with great colour accuracy for photo editing, we can vouch for the quality of this 32-inch 4K screen. The hood and Hotkey Puck G2 are nice additions. Read more below
We think this OLED gaming monitor is a great option for more screen space. It boasts fantastic colour, a fast response time and a relatively gentle curve, keeping distortion negligible for creative tasks while giving an immersive feel to films and gaming. Read more below
Want a quality 4K monitor without needing to remortgage your home? The Iiyama Prolite 32-inch fits the bill, and it brings high-resolution clarity for a reasonable price, all within a spacious and sturdy 32-inch body. Read more below.
The best monitor for MacBook Pro overall
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
✅ You want the optimum balance between quality and price: This is cheaper than any Apple monitor while providing 4K resolution and great colour coverage.
✅ You want a display for creative work: 99.8% of the sRGB gamut, 96.1% of the Adobe RGB space will have most creatives covered.
❌ You want more space: We think 27 inches is a good size for 4K, but some creatives may want even more space to work across multiple windows.
❌ You don't need a display for creative work: If you're not using your MacBook for art or design work, even this display may be overkill.
🔎 Dell UltraSharp UP2720Q is a pro screen that comes with good connectivity for MacBooks and a very reasonable price tag for the specs provided. ★★★★½
What you need to know:
The Dell UltraSharp UP2720Q is our top pick as the best external monitor for MacBook Pro because we found it to offer great performance and features for a fairly reasonable price.
Design and build: We liked the ergonomic stand, which can swivel, pivot and tilt, as well as adjust vertically, making it very flexible. We also found the connectivity options to be ideal for the MacBook users among us thanks to two Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports and 90W power delivery. The design may not turn heads, but the specs and performance provided make this our pick as the best monitor for MacBook Pro for most creatives.
Display: The 4K screen has a high pixel density of 163ppi. We found that this translates into great detail for creative work, and that was backed up by our test results for colour coverage. We got 99.8% of the sRGB gamut, 96.1% of the Adobe RGB space and 95% of the DCI-P3 gamut. There's also a built-in colourimeter, which should help you calibrate for optimum colour performance.
Pricing: This Dell monitor is our top pick because we think it provides great value. We've tested a lot of monitors, and we think a solid 4K display of this size with great colour control for little over $1,000 / £1,000 is a winner.
Read more: Dell UltraSharp UP2720Q review
Attributes | Notes | Rating |
---|---|---|
Design and build | Practical design and plenty of ports. | ★★★★★ |
Display | Great 4K resolution and excellent colour coverage. | ★★★★★ |
Pricing | Reasonably priced for the specs. | ★★★★ |
The best value monitor for MacBook Pro
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
✅ You want a great value display for creative work and general productivity: We found this monitor to be accurate and well designed, and it's the second-cheapest on our list.
✅ You want an ergonomic design: We liked the C-clamp base that came with our review model.
❌ You need specialist specs for photography: BenQ's PhotoVue monitor below provides higher Adobe RGB coverage and other features designed specifically for photographers.
❌ You want Thunderbolt support: USB-C does the job, but Thunderbolt is faster.
🔎 BenQ DesignVue PD2706UA is a well-priced monitor for creatives and general office use for anyone who doesn't have very specific requirements in terms of colour coverage. You sacrifice extra features and Thunderbolt support, the price is very good. ★★★★½
What you need to know:
We've reviewed a lot of BenQ monitors, and we're big fans. This is one of its more affordable options and occupies a space as a solid mid-range option as a MacBook Pro monitor.
Design and build: We appreciated the ergonomics of the Ergo mount with C-clamp, which our reviewer found helped reduce clutter on her desk to keep thing neat. There are two USB-C ports, one with 65W of power delivery. It's a shame there's no Thunderbolt, but the display did the job to keep our MacBook Pro charged during testing.
Display: We found colour coverage and accuracy to be excellent if not quite up there with BenQ's pro photography monitors (see below). It came out of the box fасtоrу саlіbrаtеd, and асhіеvеd 95% P3, 100% sRGB and 100% Rec.709 and a colour accuracy of Dеltа Е ≤ 3 in our testing, makin it a solid choice for the creative work if you don't need the broader Adobe RGB coverage of a display like the PhotoVue below for print work. Our reviewer appreciated the inclusion of BenQ's signature eye-care technology, using ultra-low blue light and flicker-free technology to offer a more comfortable viewing experience.
Pricing: This is more expensive than our budget pick at number 2 in this list, but it's cheaper than most of the others, making it a solid value option. We think this is a great option for designers and also editors that aren't ready to invest in a display with all the bells and whistles.
Read more: BenQ DesignVue PD2706UA review
Attributes | Notes | Rating |
---|---|---|
Design and build | Ergonomic design and good range of ports. | ★★★★★ |
Display | Great display for the price. | ★★★★ |
Pricing | Good value. | ★★★★ |
The best Apple monitor for MacBook Pro
Specifications
✅ You're a huge Apple fan: If you like the design of your MacBook, you'll surely love this premium display.
✅ You don't mind spending a little extra: While it's nothing on the Pro Display XDR, the Studio Display still costs a pretty penny.
✅ You want nano-texture glass: Apple's anti-reflective treatment is available on the Studio Display.
❌ You need the best that Apple offers: While this is an excellent screen, it's outdone by the Pro Display XDR.
❌ You want more adjustment: Unless you spend extra, the Studio Display can only be tilted, not raised or rotated.
🔎 Apple Studio Display gives you a taste of Apple quality without breaking the bank. The most important element (image quality) is top notch, but we wish it came with HDR and a higher refresh rate than 60Hz. ★★★½
What you need to know:
For anyone looking to edit video or work on immersive 3D design on their MacBook Pro, Apple's own Pro Display XDR is a stunning if eye-wateringly expensive option. hope you're getting a good, screen, and it certainly delivered that when we tested it.
Design and build: If you have a MacBook, you're probably a fan of Apple's engineering, in which case you're certain to love this display. It has the sleek design and finish that we expect from Apple. It comes with one Thunderbolt 3 port, meaning it can go at the end of a Thunderbolt chain, but can't be a Thunderbolt hub. There are three USB-C ports for connecting accessories.
Display: The Studio Display offers solid display performance, with bright, vivid images and wide viewing angles. You can expect 600 nits of brightness and a crisp 5120 x 2880 resolution. It didn't totally wow us, though, due to its lack of HDR support and mediocre 60Hz refresh rate. There are a few tricks up its sleeve, though, like the A13 Bionic chip that powers its webcam and studio mic array, or the (optional) nano-texture glass that does a good job of cutting out reflections.
As for colour spaces, we appreciated the reference modes for colour spaces including DCI P3, sRGB, NTSC, BT.709, and many more. One of those modes is for 'Apple Display', which will make it match a MacBook Pro for brightness, which we found ensured a consistent look with the two displays next to each other.
Pricing: At around $1,500, this is a pricey monitor. Nano-texture glass is another $250, while a height-adjustable stand will set you back another $400.
Read more: Apple Studio Display review
Attributes | Notes | Rating |
---|---|---|
Design and build | Sleek Apple design. | ★★★★★ |
Display | Good but not great. | ★★★ |
Pricing | Pricey but not eye-wateringly so. | ★★★★ |
The best monitor for photo editing on MacBook Pro
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
✅ You want a display for photo editing: Hardware calibration and great colour coverage make this an option for those who print their photos.
✅ You want a large display: 32 inches provides a good amount of space for multitasking or comparing images.
❌ You're on a tight budget: This isn't bad value for a pro display of this size, but it's twice the price of our top pick.
❌ You don't print photos or design work: Those who only create digital work may not need such broad colour coverage and features like Paper Color Sync.
🔎 BenQ SW321C PhotoVue is among the best monitors for photographers using MacBooks, particularly for those who want the colour coverage for accurate prints. It has useful time-saving features and much accessible price tag than other Pro monitors. ★★★★½
What you need to know:
If you need a big, premium 4K screen with the colour accuracy for professional photo editing and video editing, we suggest the BenQ SW321C PhotoVue. After testing this gorgeous monitor in-depth, we can say that if you're a photographer who works on a MacBook Pro, this is one of the best options.
Design and build: This isn't the sleekest-looking monitor, and the bezels are thicker than on some modern displays, but the build feels solid and robust. And while the menu buttons were a bit confusing, the Hotkey Puck control provided makes up for this – we found its wheel and buttons really handy, allowing smooth navigation to select and change inputs and colour modes. We thought the stand could be steadier but we liked the touches of the cable management slot and the place to store the Puck. As for articulation, the display can be swiveled 45 degrees to each side and tilted up to five degrees down and 20 degrees up. It can also be pivoted 90 degrees to portrait orientation.
Display: We tested 99% Adobe RGB and 100% sRGB colour coverage and 95% of the video colour space DCI-P3. We found accurate colour accuracy out of the box, with an impressive average Delta E of 0.9 in our tests. We found the anti-glare coating to be effective, minimising reflections when working in harsh light.
Pricing: This is an expensive display aimed at professionals, but we think it's worth it for those who work in different colour spaces. Additional features like the hood for shading the display and the HotKey Puck help to justify the price.
Read more: BenQ SW321C PhotoVue review
Attributes | Notes | Rating |
---|---|---|
Design and build | Solid if dated design with handy hockey puck. | ★★★★ |
Display | Great colour accuracy out of the box.the price. | ★★★★★ |
Pricing | Relatively expensive, but this is a professional display. | ★★★★ |
The best ultrawide monitor for MacBook Pro
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
✅ You want an ultrawide monitor for your MacBook: A wider display means room to open windows side by side.
✅ You work on two MacBooks: This monitor can display output from two devices at once.
✅ You want a modern-looking design: This monitor looks more contemporary than some of the more utilitarian options on our list.
❌ You don't want a curved screen: Some people feel a curved screen distorts the lines in design work.
❌ You have a small desk: A 34-inch display can dominate a smaller office.
🔎 Philips Evnia 34M2C8600 is a great value ultrawide monitor. It's designed for gaming, which you're not that likely to be doing on a MacBook, but its OLED display and picture-in-picture abilities make it an option for multitasking creatives too. ★★★★½
What you need to know:
The Philips Evnia 34M2C8600 is a premium ultrawide gaming monitor, but we found that it's also great for creative tasks such as video editing, photo editing or graphic design.
Design and build: Sporting various shades of white, this monitory has a very distinctive design, and it's a lot more eye-catching than many of the more function-oriented displays we've picked. Whether you like that will depend very much on your taste, but the gaming touches are relatively low key. The two-pronged stand looks very modern, as do the almost non-existent bezels around the display. We were happy to find a wide range of ports on the back. We would have liked a little more adjustability and a better on-screen display, but this is the best ultrawide monitor for MacBook Pro that we've tested to date one we factor in price.
Display: Our reviewer found that 34-inch OLED panel offered fantastic colour coverage and 175Hz refresh rate. In some curved displays, the curve can create too much distortion for creative work, but we found that the curve wasn't too pronounced while still immersing him impressively well in his gaming endeavours. Our tester was also impressed by the convenience of having three brightness settings available ('Bright', 'Brighter' and 'Brightest'). The latter goes to a maximum 1,000 nits of brightness. That's very bright.
Of course, it’s a boon to multi-taskers as well, especially those dealing with massive spreadsheets or who use several different apps at once. Its picture-in-picture and KVM (keyboard, video and mouse) permit connecting to two devices at once and view them without switching peripheral, which can be handy for multitasking and working across multiple programs.
Pricing: Ultrawide monitors are pricey, but we think this gaming-oriented option from Philips is surprisingly good value at just under $800 / £650.
Read more: Philips Evnia 34M2C8600 review.
Attributes | Notes | Rating |
---|---|---|
Design and build | Good range of ports, but adjustability could be improved. | ★★★★ |
Display | Bright, fast display for gaming. | ★★★★★ |
Pricing | Good value for an ultrawide. | ★★★★ |