Best Mac monitors: The Mac compatible displays we recommend
Description
The monitor might be the second-most important part of your Mac’s setup after the Mac, of course–after all, you can’t use any desktop computer without one and even the 16-inch screen on the MacBook Pro is going to feel cramped if you are having a particularly productive morning. Spread your work out by plugging in multiple monitors to your Mac and extending your desktop over a wider space.
Because you’ll spend a lot of time looking at the display, you’ll want to invest wisely. Not only will you want a monitor that provides a pleasing experience, but the quality of the images on the screen can also affect your work.
However, picking a new monitor can be daunting. Not only are there many manufacturers to choose from, but there are also lots of sizes, resolutions, and features to consider–and when we say lots, we mean lots. We’re here to help guide you while you shop, and we have some tips on what to look for in a monitor below.
Best Mac monitors 2025
These are the best desktop Mac monitors we have tested. We round up the best portable displays for Mac separately if you want to take a larger display out on the road or easily store one out of sight when you’re not using it.
We’ve included Apple’s Pro Display XDR and the Apple Studio Display, not because they are necessarily the best choice, but for comparative purposes.
BenQ MA270U or MA270UP – Best budget Mac 4K display
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Pros
- Great image quality
- More affordable than Apple Studio Display
- Glossy option for more vivid image
- Matte Panel cuts down glare and reflections
- Height-adjustable stand
Cons
- 60Hz refresh rate may discourage gamers
- No webcam
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Product
Price
Price comparison from Backmarket
Size: 27-inch
Resolution: 4K (3840×2160 pixels)
Connections: USB-C (90W PD), 5Gbps USB-C (15W), 2x HDMI 2.0, 2x 5Gbps USB-A, audio mini-jack
Webcam: No
Stand: Height, Tilt, Rotation
Orientation: Landscape and portrait
There are two screen options with this affordable 4K display: matte (MA270U) and glossy (MA270UP, available for pre-order now for November sale). If you want the most vivid radiant picture with deeper blacks and brighter whites, go for the Nano Gloss screen. If you want to banish glare and reflections more so than with the pricey Nano texture glass on the Apple Studio Display, got for Nano Matte.
Some displays sell the stand separately so there’s an additional cost consideration, but that’s not the case here as the stand is included. It offers a great range of adjustment: -5 to 20 degrees of tilt, swivels 15 degrees left or right, and 115 mm of height. The display can also pivot 90 degrees to Portrait mode, a far greater range of motion than the Studio Display.
The MA270U/P can connect to a Mac through HDMI or USB-C. The USB-C connection offers 90 watts of power so it can charge your MacBook at the same time. If you want to use the display as a connection hub, you need to connect to the Mac via USB-C. Its built-in spare USB-C port offers 15W of power output and the USB-A 7.5W. There are two HDMI ports so you can connect to another device for multitasking.
The one thing that’s immediately noticeable with the MA270U/P is its impressive image quality. Colors are full of life and the detail is excellent. One standout aspect of the image quality is how sharp text appears. This is great for production and design work, but it can even make it more enjoyable to read and write.
It offers image quality that could satisfy users in a production environment–that’s one way of saying that its quality is better than what general users usually get. You might be able to find a 27-inch 4K display that’s a little cheaper, but it won’t look this good.–Roman Loyola
Read the full BenQ MA270UP Monitor review.
The MA270UP is available for pre-order, with shipments starting in November 2025. The MA270U is available today.
The 27-inch BenQ MA270U/P provides a very affordable alternative to Apple’s expensive 5K Studio Display. The BenQ 32-inch MA320U is slightly more expensive, but as well as providing a larger screen it produces a brighter display with bolder, crisper colors, although also at 4K. Read our review of the 32-inch Ben-Q MA320U.
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