No matter how you play out live, and what combination of DJ controller and software you use, your laptop will be the all-important central component. And while a DJ's hardware and software can vary enormously, the requirements of that laptop at the heart of the setup are pretty standard. The best DJ laptops all have certain things in common - decent power, portability, connectivity, and a decent battery life plus, of course, ideally they are good value for money, too.
We discuss all of these important factors in our reviews below, and our tech specs deliver the stats you need for a quick overview of each machine. Our top choices include PCs and Macs across all budgets, although we have not included some of the premium models in both camps as you'll arguably not require all the power - and certainly not the price - that these models deliver. That said, there is enough grunt in all of our choices to run top DJ applications like Serato, Traktor, Ableton, rekordbox, and Virtual DJ with ease.
If you have yet to decide whether to opt for either a PC or Mac, we discuss the pros and cons of each platform in our FAQs area at the bottom of this guide. Here you'll also find more information on all the laptop tech specs you need to know about, along with other buying advice and info on how we test laptops for DJs.
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Our top picks
The Air M3 is now available in two sizes: 13-inch and 15-inch, but for DJing we prefer the extra real estate offered by the 15", and would certainly recommend this machine if you have the funds. The M3 Air is slightly better than the equivalent base model MacBook Pro as it boasts the bigger screen and equal power, but costs less. We also love the overall performance, silent running and sleek design.
Acer's Swift X14 has both a powerful CPU and GPU all squeezed into a slim Ultrabook form. Add a gorgeous OLED screen to this mobility and you have a great laptop DJ option. Considering what this laptop can deliver in terms of the power versus size and that price, we think it's a great value contender.
The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro delivers a similar look and feel to an Apple MacBook, so if you've been tempted by the Apple route but prefer the Windows environment, this could be the DJ laptop for you. Performance-wise, it delivers as much power as the MacBook Air 13" M2 but sits below the Air M3 included in this round-up.
Best overall
✅ Buy if you want a powerful Apple machine that is both portable and well-designed: This is one of the best-designed laptops out there and great for mobile use and any DJ application.
❌ Avoid if you don't have the cash or simply prefer the Windows environment: There are cheaper PC options in this guide that will give you a lot of what this machine delivers, for less outlay.
The Apple Air M3 is now available in two sizes: 13-inch (actually 13.6-inch) and 15-inch (15.3-inch). Having tested a smaller 13-inch M2, we prefer the extra real estate offered by the 15", and would certainly recommend that M3 machine if you have the funds. We also discovered by testing both models that the bigger 15" model has a much better sound than the 13".
We also carried out several benchmark tests between the current Air M2 and this M3, and found that in Ableton Live we got a 25% uplift in performance, so a significant power boost over the older model. That said, both machines will run all the major DJ apps with ease, so if cost is a factor, the Air M2 is still a great choice, although we suspect Apple will discontinue it soon.
We've also included the base-model MacBook Pro in this round-up, and while that machine certainly delivers the storage specs you might need, the M3 Air is a slightly better buy as it boasts the bigger screen and equal power, but costs less.
Combine these factors with the performance, silent running, sleek design and larger screen, and we think the 15-inch Air M3 is one of just two Apple picks for laptop DJs.
Read our full Apple MacBook Air M3 review
Best on a budget
✅ Buy if you want one of the most portable and powerful Ultrabooks around: This is a compact machine to take on the road that delivers a surprising amount of power considering its size.
❌ Avoid if you need battery power: The Swift underperforms in this regard so if this is an important factor for you, there are many here that last longer.
Acer's Swift X14 has both a powerful CPU and GPU all squeezed into a slim Ultrabook form. Add a gorgeous OLED screen to this mobility and you have a great laptop DJ option, and it's among the best Ultrabooks you can get.
The price starts very reasonably but can ramp up depending on the spec. However, considering what this laptop can deliver in terms of the power versus size and that price, we think it's a great value contender. Its only downside is the battery life of around eight hours when running at full power, which is among the lowest in this buyer's guide.
The OLED screen is the real star of the show - especially great for environments that aren't well lit. Performance wise there’s little the Acer Swift X14 can’t do, which is not something you can say about all Ultrabooks.
The Acer Swift X14 is by no means perfect, but the pros outweigh the cons, especially for the DJ who doesn't want to lug a heavy laptop around, and we think it is one of the best compact choices out there.
Best Mac alternative
✅ Buy if you like a MacBook feel but prefer the Windows OS: You might not be able to afford the real Apple deal but this gives you a great MacBook aesthetic in a cheaper Windows body.
❌ Avoid if you want a real Apple: If you prefer the arguably more streamlined Apple approach then save that cash and go for the real thing.
The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro delivers a similar look and feel to an Apple MacBook, so if you've been tempted by the Apple route but prefer the Windows environment, this could be the DJ laptop for you. Performance-wise, it delivers as much power as the MacBook Air 13" M2 but sits below the Air M3 included in this round-up.
You can buy the Galaxy Book4 Pro with both 14" and 16" OLED screens and these are a real bonus, especially in dimly lit clubs, delivering a lovely image quality and 120Hz refresh.
While you won't be using your laptop speakers to play out live, they could help you get your mixes together, and this is the one area where the Galaxy Book4 falls down next to an Apple.
Finally, the 14 hour battery life on the Samsung is decent, but you'll find better performing models here if that is important to you. Overall though, the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro delivers a fantastic pro Apple experience within a Windows world.
Best for storage
✅ Buy if you want some serious MacBook Pro power and storage: This is the more mobile and cheaper Pro, and a great option if you don't want to pay the extra for the larger 16".
❌ Avoid if you are lacking the budget: While the cheapest one we recommend comes in at under £$2k, you are never more than a couple of mouse clicks away from upgrading to a reduced bank balance.
We could have easily included the 16" MacBook Pro in this guide simply because it is one of the best music laptops out there, but unfortunately its cost puts it out of reach for most, and you probably won't need its power for DJing. However, this 14" MacBook Pro represents a cheaper way of getting that mobile power, although you should be careful as you can easily spec it up to a price that gets close to the 16".
The MacBook Pro 14" range can be complicated - there is a spec for everyone - but we'd say aim for the bottom-end 8GB memory model which should suffice for most DJ tasks. The potential storage capacity options are huge (as is their price) so it's there if you need it, although we'd also recommend the cheaper external storage route.
The 14" MacBook Pro is a great machine, but has many options so you will have to work out which one you need with some care. However, whichever one you opt for will easily handle any DJ task you throw at it
Best for ports
✅ Buy if you want one of the latest and greatest PC laptops: It looks great, has an exceptional performance and good mobility, not to mention a fantastic OLED screen.
❌ Avoid if you are looking for something cheaper or longer lasting: The price can easily ramp up and the battery can easily power down.
The latest laptop in Dell's popular XPS line boasts a powerful new processor and amazing OLED display, and we think it looks better than just about any other Windows laptop out there. It's also one of the smaller XPS laptops, so wins out on portability and is great to take from gig to gig.
The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor and the Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics deliver a powerful performance across all tasks - in some cases matching or exceeding a MacBook Pro 14-inch - so will easily handle most DJ applications.
The speakers are also a plus, offering a much better sound than other machines in the XPS range. Ok, this might not be important for gigging but great for creating set lists and auditioning tunes.
Overall, the Dell XPS 14 9440 is a powerful performer with its only letdown being a poor battery life. It's expensive, but one of the best Windows laptops you can buy right now.
Best touchscreen
✅ Buy if you want touchscreen control: It's not a deal-breaker for most DJs, but it's a nice feature if you have the extra budget.
❌ Avoid if you need plenty of storage: Unless you have some cash to splash, the cheaper models lack the storage, coming in at only 256GB for the most budget-friendly configuration.
We’re yet to be convinced by the idea of using one of Microsoft’s 2-in-1 Surface devices for DJing purposes, but the brand’s pure laptop counterpart makes for a solid mid-priced option.
These machines come in a variety of configurations with Intel chips and at least 8GB of RAM, meaning whatever you go for you should be able to comfortably run all major DJ software. The main thing to look out for is storage space – the cheapest models have just a 256GB SSD, which is likely to get full of music fairly rapidly.
Microsoft devices have a great build quality, stylish design and come in at a pleasingly light weight. I/O isn’t the most extensive that you’ll find, but there are both USB-C and USB-A ports here, plus a separate Surface Connect port. Oh, and it’s touchscreen too, which is far from an essential feature for DJs yet still nice to have.
Best for power
✅ Buy if you want gaming-level power: There's more grunt than you'll ever need under the hood of the Razer, making it an ideal one-stop-shop for DJing, music production and any other creative pursuit.
❌ Avoid if you purely want a DJ laptop: You won't need such an almighty machine if you need a laptop mainly for DJing.
Razer are best known for their gaming laptops, which tend to boast powerful specs and often feature eye-catching RGB lights. The Blade 15 Studio Edition is a slightly classier-looking laptop aimed at crossing over into the creative market.
These Windows machines come in a variety of configurations, but they’re powerful across the board, with up to Intel Core i9 chips and at least 32GB of RAM. Even the most basic iteration has a 1TB SSD onboard, plus graphics capabilities that outstrip most machines in this round-up.
There’s certainly more here than most standard DJs need – and you certainly pay for that power. However, if you’re after a PC laptop that can handle the DJ booth, studio and also some serious gaming in the green room, then this is the best DJ laptop for you.
Best 2-in-1
✅ Buy if you want a flexible 2 in 1 machine: The Surface Pro doubles as a tablet so is one of the most flexible devices here, and you can use it for DJing and entertainment.
❌ Avoid if you don't want a touchscreen: You do end up paying a fair bit more for something you might not need.
As one of the most flexible and portable devices in this round-up, the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is a great option for the mobile DJ, and one that can be used equally well on the road as it can for entertainment on your downtime.
The screen is also great thanks to a 120Hz refresh rate, so you won't be missing anything in those dark clubs, although its size doesn't offer the biggest real estate to run those DJ applications.
The 15.5 hours battery life is also very good compared to most laptop PCs here, although you might expect it given the machine's diminutive size.
Overall, this is probably the most flexible laptop here – given that it doesn't have to be just a laptop! However, you will have to judge whether its small screen might be a hindrance. Otherwise it's a great mobile option.
Read our full Microsoft Surface Pro 9 review
FAQs
How to choose the best DJ laptop for you
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So, what makes a good laptop for DJing? Digital DJ setups can vary wildly, depending on the software and style of controller used. Fortunately, the laptop requirements for any DJ setup remain fairly straightforward in most cases.
We’re making a few broad assumptions in this round-up. Firstly we’re basing spec needs on those required for the three most popular DJ software applications – Serato DJ Pro, Traktor Pro and rekordbox DJ. If you intend to use a different application, it’s worth looking up the system requirements before buying, but in general the demands of most DJ applications are at roughly similar levels.
Most of these applications ask for a minimum of 8GB. However, when you’re in the booth and playing to a crowd, reliability and stability are key, so we’d recommend not risking playing out with anything below 16GB.
Most of these applications ask for a minimum of 4GB. However, when you’re in the booth and playing to a crowd, reliability and stability are key, so we’d recommend not risking playing out with anything below 8GB. That said, DJ software on the whole isn’t as demanding on the CPU as a complex music production setup involving numerous plugins, so you can certainly get away with a little less power if you’re not also planning on using your machine in the studio.
Do I need my DJ laptop to be portable?
If you’re using your DJ laptop away from a home setup – regularly travelling to bars, clubs or festivals – then portability becomes a significant factor. Battery life may play a role here too, particularly if you’re likely to spend time in transit preparing for your next set, or simply streaming videos or music to keep yourself entertained on the road.
How much storage and connectivity do I need?
The other major considerations when choosing the best DJ laptop for you are storage and connectivity. While streaming is becoming slightly more common within DJ software, realistically if you’re serious about DJing you’ll likely end up with a hard drive full of downloaded tracks – in larger, higher quality file formats – so a decent sized SSD is a must.
If built in storage is lacking, you can overcome this through USB or SD card ports for external storage. Bear in mind though that you’ll need at least one port to connect a DJ controller or interface. It’s worth planning your setup in advance and making sure your chosen machine has the space and connectivity to cover it.
Should I choose a Mac or PC laptop for DJing?
You'll find just as many people telling you to opt for a PC DJ laptop as you will those insisting that a Mac DJ laptop is the way to go. The truth is that both will serve you well for laptop DJing, and all the big DJ software titles - including Serato, rekordbox, Traktor, Ableton, and Virtual DJ - will run well on both platforms.
Certainly, if money is no object, then the Apple platform offers a slick environment for DJing, and it's an easy leap up to music production if your DJ leanings go that way. And with the latest M-powered processors they will have your power needs covered for the foreseeable future.
However, as good as those machines are - and we have included a couple of Apple models in our guide - we also realise they come with a price tag that might be out of reach for many. And that's why we've made sure to include enough PCs that deliver as good a DJ experience as those more expensive Apples. These PC laptops might have the power but not the Apple price tag, and have other advantages like being able to upgrade the all-important memory so you are also future-proofed.
Really your choice will come down to how much you like the Windows and macOS operating systems used on PC and Mac laptops - as the experience of using Serato, Trakor and the rest, will be similar across both platforms - so we'd certainly advise getting familiar with both before making your choice.
How we choose the best DJ laptops
Here at MusicRadar, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing, creating and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything music gear related, and we draw on this knowledge and experience of using products in live, recording and rehearsal scenarios when selecting the products for our guides.
When choosing what we believe to be the best DJ laptops available right now, we combine our hands-on experience, user reviews and testimonies and engage in lengthy discussions with our editorial colleagues to reach a consensus about the top products in any given category.
First and foremost, we are musicians, and we want other players to find the right product for them. So we take into careful consideration everything from budget to feature set, ease of use and durability to come up with a list of what we can safely say are the best DJ laptops on the market right now.
Find out more about how we test music gear and services at MusicRadar.
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