Air vs Pro resale comparison
Both MacBook lines hold value exceptionally well compared to most Windows laptops, but genuine, measurable differences exist between them worth understanding if you're deciding which to sell, or which to buy used.
MacBook Air
The Air's fanless design and lower original price point make it a popular, easy-to-sell choice, with M-series chip Airs holding particularly strong resale value relative to their original cost, reflecting genuinely strong ongoing demand for a lightweight, capable everyday machine.
MacBook Pro
The Pro line commands higher absolute resale prices, driven by continued demand from professional users who need the additional performance, larger screen options, and Pro/Max chip variants that simply aren't available on the Air at any configuration.
Percentage depreciation is broadly similar
While the Pro retains more money in absolute terms, both lines depreciate at broadly comparable percentage rates over similar timeframes — the Pro simply starts and ends at a higher price point throughout its lifecycle, rather than depreciating meaningfully faster or slower as a proportion of original value.
Which should you sell first?
If you own both and are deciding which to sell now versus later, this depends more on your ongoing practical needs than on depreciation rate alone, since both hold value similarly as a percentage over time. Compare live current prices for your exact models before deciding, since specific chip generation and configuration matter more than the Air-versus-Pro distinction alone.
Age matters as much as tier
Similarly to the iPad comparison, a recent MacBook Air can genuinely hold more resale value than a much older MacBook Pro, so specific age and chip generation matter as much as, or more than, the Air-versus-Pro distinction alone when comparing your own device against the wider market.
Screen size within each line
Both lines now offer multiple screen sizes (13-inch vs 15-inch Air, 14-inch vs 16-inch Pro), and larger screen variants within each line typically command a modest premium over smaller variants of the same generation and chip, so factor in your exact screen size alongside chip generation when comparing your own device's value against the wider market.
Compare MacBook prices across both lines →