This roundup of the best laptops for programming is ideal if you do a lot of coding. All the laptops on this guide combine portability, flexibility and power in a thin and light package. Since modern machines are becoming more powerful every year, they're all capable of managing every complex task you could throw at it.
We've personally tested every single laptop on this page, running tests on speed, performance, power, display and battery life and ensuring every machine meets the standards needed for heavy coding work (see how we test laptops for more). Our vast experience with laptops mean we are perfectly placed to advise you on which laptop is perfect for you – and we've taken price and portability into account where appropriate.
Not sure what you're looking for? We've summed up key information about the specs that make the best laptop for coding and programming at the bottom of the page. After this, check out our guides to the best monitors for programming, and the best keyboard and best mouse.
The best laptops for programming available now
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The release of the new M2 MacBook Pro 16-inch was a blessing for programmers as it combines the incredible power of the new Apple chip with a brilliantly large and bright screen (1,600 nits, if you're asking). This means no squinting at a small screen with zero compromise on power and speed, hurrah. However, if you do want a smaller screen, the M2 MacBook Pro also comes in 13-inch and 14-inch versions, both of which we love.
You'll have more than enough battery to get you through the most intense coding session – this delivers an impressive 22 hours. In our review, we appreciated that there are a bunch of ports including HDMI and a memory card slot, so you can plug a second screen in directly and up your memory, too. There's also ProMotion and HDR (High Dynamic range).
Read our MacBook Pro 16-inch (M2, 2023) review to find out more about why we rate this laptop – and check out the MacBook Pro 14-inch (M2, 20230) review if you'd rather have a smaller machine to carry around.
The Razer Blade 17 is a fantastic laptop for coding on if you're working on games. Razer is a big name in PC gaming, and this laptop comes with Nvidia's latest Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti laptop GPU, which is extremely powerful. This allows you to work with complex 3D games that use cutting-edge tech, like ray tracing, and you'll be able to play your game afterwards to test how it runs.
It's not just a gaming laptop, however, as it's built for creative professionals, and this means if you're a programmer working on heavy-duty projects, this is a laptop well worth considering. It's very expensive, but for your money you're getting some of the best mobile tech available right now. Combined with a great build quality and stunning 17-inch screen, this is a brilliant creative workstation for people who need a lot of power. Read our Razer Blade 17 review for more information.
The Dell Precision 5470 laptop may be smaller than others on the list, but it comes loaded with a huge amount of power for its compact frame. In fact, our testing put its performance close to that of a 14-inch MacBook Pro with Apple’s M2 Pro chip, which is a superb laptop chip for graphic design work. Our reviewer loved it, and she is an official Apple obsessive – so that's saying something!
We got over 12 hours of battery life from Dell’s Precision 5470 in our review, and the comfortable keyboard serves up an enjoyable typing experience. It’s all wrapped up in a superbly well-made chassis that feels well-built and exudes quality. So if you want portable power and are put off by some of the larger laptops on the market, Dell’s offering could be right up your street.
The Asus Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED (2022) offers cutting-edge components, including a 12th generation Intel processor and features an Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti 4GB graphics card, which means it'll manage even the heaviest of your programming projects.
The 14-core processor and 32GB of RAM also means this is an absolute beast when it comes to multitasking, which can seriously speed up your workflow. However, the most eye-catching feature of the Asus Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED (2022) is its dual-screen setup – there’s a 14.5-inch 120Hz OLED mains screen, which looks fantastic, and a 12.7-inch IPS display above the keyboard.
The second screen is a huge positive for programmers as it frees up vital screen space. Think of it as a super-charged Touch Bar, allowing you to move apps and tools to the bottom screen, giving you more space to work with on the main one. You can also use a stylus on the second screen, turning it into a great drawing tablet. It's expensive, and the battery life isn't the best, but it's an incredible machine for working on.
Read more in our Asus Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED (2022) review.
If you're a programmer working on Windows 10 apps in particular, then the Surface Laptop 4 could be the best laptop for you. As it's made by Microsoft, this is a brilliant showcase for Windows 10, so you can be sure your Windows apps run perfectly on the operating system. With Windows 11 now out, you can upgrade for free, and as you'd expect from a Microsoft device, the latest operating system works brilliantly on it.
This model comes with a choice of 11th generation Intel Core processors, or AMD's finest mobile CPUs, as well as up to 32 GB and a speedy SSD, which makes this an excellent laptop for even most intense of programming tasks. Best of all, our testing found that it has one of the longest battery lives we've seen in a laptop, which allows you to work out and about without worrying about being plugged into a wall socket.
See our Surface 4 Laptop review for more details.
The Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022) is a fantastic thin and light laptop for programming on. It comes with a range of improvements over the previous model, including a new 1080p webcam and a larger, brighter screen. In fact, the MacBook Air M2 now comes in a 15-inch size, giving you even more space for programming.
It also packs the new M2 chip from Apple, which is a powerful bit of silicon that makes coding on the MacBook Air a real joy. It's powerful enough to compile code in seconds, and you can run simultaneous emulations and tests at the same time.
Best of all, the MacBook Air (M2, 2022)'s battery life is amazing, lasting over 16 hours in our tests. So, you can work on this throughout the day without worrying about being plugged into a power source.
It's not all good news, though, as it is quite a bit more expensive than the previous model, which means it's not quite as good value for money. The 2020 model, with an M1 chip, is still a fine laptop to program on, and is still on sale. It's definitely worth checking out if the M2 model is too pricey for your budget. Find out more in our full MacBook Air (M2, 2022) review.
This unique laptop brings incredible power to a supremely thin and light form factor. In fact, it might be the most powerful tablet PC we've ever tried. It features a powerful 12th generation 14-core Intel processor, which will handle all your coding needs with ease.
It also comes with an RTX 3050 Ti graphics card, which is handy for anyone who wants to code - and test - games. The 16GB of DDR5 memory also means this is supremely fast, and is ideal for people who want an easily portable laptop to code on.
It has a thin keyboard, but some people may not find it that comfortable to code on for long periods of time, so a larger keyboard may be necessary - which is easy enough to plug in.
This is pricey, but it's a completely unique laptop that could transform how you code.
Also read: Asus ROG Flow Z13 review
While some coders may find having a larger 16-inch or 17-inch screen on their laptop makes programming more comfortable, other people may find those laptops too big and bulky to easily carry around. So, the 14-inch MacBook Pro is a great choice for anyone who wants a powerful laptop for programming on that's also more easily portable.
It's powered by a choice of either the M1 Pro or M1 Max Apple chips, which are the same that come with the 16-inch model, and that means it offers a similar level of performance to the bigger laptop. So, if you want an incredibly powerful laptop for programming, but want something that's easily portable, then you can pick this laptop without sacrificing performance.
The smaller size doesn't mean it misses out on the new design elements Apple added to the 16-inch model, as it comes with the same amount of ports, including an SD card slot, an HDMI port, and three Thunderbolt 4 ports.
To find out more about why we gave this laptop 5/5 stars, read our MacBook Pro 14-inch review (or if you want more screen real estate check out its bigger sibling in our MacBook Pro 16-inch review).
How to choose a laptop for programming
Programming can be done on many different types of machines but many programmers want something more than just a basic laptop. While you don't necessarily need a powerhouse of a laptop to code on, if you need to compile your code, and test out the games you're working on, for example, then you'll want a laptop with plenty of RAM and a modern multi-core processor. They are able to compile code much more quickly. And, the less time you have to spend waiting for your laptop to complete complex tasks, the more time you have to do other things – such as take on more projects.
Screen size is really important when selecting one of the best laptops for programming. You'll get more on a 15-inch screen than a smaller one, for example, so it's easier to read through code and make GUI adjustments. Of course, with a bigger display you sacrifice portability.
Also consider getting an Intel Core i5 processor as a minimum – that level of power isn't exceptional but it will guarantee you enough performance, especially if you're doing things like working with complex website layouts that have a lot of background code. Large, complex programs compile faster with a faster processor.
Graphics can also be key depending on the development work you're doing. If you're working with game development in an environment such as Unreal Engine or Unity then you need to consider the graphical requirements of those apps. Don't miss our round up of the best graphics cards if this is something you might need.
And remember it's a good idea to use an operating system that's aligned with your goals. Want to develop in Xcode for the iPhone, iPad and Mac? Then you're going to need a Mac.
Plus, the faster your laptop can compile code, the less time you'll be spending waiting around, and that can mean you're more productive, and are able to take on more projects.
The best laptops for programming are essential tools for any developer that wants a powerful machine to work on, while also being portable enough that they can take it out and about with them, and work almost anywhere.
Meanwhile, you may also want to see our guide to the best laptops for Photoshop and best laptops for graphic design.
How much RAM do I need for coding?
If you're looking for a laptop for coding on, then you'll want to make sure it comes with plenty of RAM. The more RAM a laptop has, the better it is at multitasking, so you can have multiple apps running at once.
It'll also help you compile your code quickly, while also letting you test and run your apps and games. The faster you can do this, the more productive you'll be.
So, we recommend at least 8GB of RAM for coding on a laptop, but ideally you should go for 16GB, or if your budget can stretch to it, 32GB. That's only necessary for seriously heavy workloads, however.
