On a base M5 or M6 MacBook Pro, buy the CalDigit TS4 at $379.99: its ports are Thunderbolt 4, so a Thunderbolt 5 dock costs more for the same 40Gb/s. On an M5 Pro or Max, buy the CalDigit TS5 Plus.
If your MacBook Pro has the base M5 or M6 chip, buy the CalDigit TS4 at $379.99. Apple lists those models with Thunderbolt 4 ports, so a Thunderbolt 5 dock can’t run faster than 40Gb/s on them, and the TS4 already charges at 98W, above the 96W Apple lists for fast charging the 14-inch.
If you have an M5 Pro or M5 Max, the ports are Thunderbolt 5, and the CalDigit TS5 Plus at $499.99 is the dock that uses them: 140W charging, 10Gb Ethernet, and up to three external displays on those chips, according to CalDigit.
How I picked
I haven’t tested any of these docks. My MacBook Pro is a 14-inch with the base M5 chip, and I drive two monitors from it, the Gawfolk GF270J and the Gawfolk GF005, both over DisplayPort. That’s why this guide starts from the ports on your Mac and the inputs on your monitors.
Port and display limits come from Apple’s MacBook Pro spec pages. Dock specs and prices come from the makers’ own US pages, checked on November 7, 2026. Judgments on how each dock behaves come from named reviewers: Cult of Mac on the TS5 Plus and the OWC dock, 9to5Mac on the TS4, and Laptop Mag on the Plugable.
I ranked for a remote workday: one cable that charges the laptop, wired Ethernet for calls, two monitors, and enough USB ports for a webcam, a mic and a drive.
Check your Mac’s ports first
| MacBook Pro chip | Thunderbolt ports (Apple) | External displays (Apple) | Fast-charge wattage (Apple) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14-inch M5 | Three Thunderbolt 4, 40Gb/s | Up to two | 96W or higher |
| 14-inch M6 | Three Thunderbolt 4, 40Gb/s | Up to two | 96W or higher |
| 14-inch M5 Pro or M5 Max | Three Thunderbolt 5, 120Gb/s | Three (Pro), four (Max) | 96W or higher |
| 16-inch M5 Pro or M5 Max | Three Thunderbolt 5, 120Gb/s | Three (Pro), four (Max) | 140W or higher |
Two numbers decide most of the choice. A Thunderbolt 5 dock works on a Thunderbolt 4 Mac, but Cult of Mac’s OWC review notes it “won’t work at its full potential” there. And a 16-inch only fast charges at 140W, so the two 98W docks below charge it, but more slowly. Apple lists 94W as the minimum recommended for the 16-inch M5 Pro.
The picks
| Dock | Price (Nov 7, 2026) | Host link | Laptop charging | Ethernet | Video outputs | Buy it for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CalDigit TS4 | $379.99 | Thunderbolt 4 | 98W | 2.5Gb | 1 DisplayPort 1.4, plus 2 Thunderbolt 4 | A base M5 or M6 MacBook Pro with Thunderbolt 4 ports |
| CalDigit TS5 Plus | $499.99 | Thunderbolt 5 | 140W | 10Gb | 1 DisplayPort 2.1, plus 2 Thunderbolt 5 | An M5 Pro or M5 Max MacBook Pro, three monitors or 10Gb Ethernet |
| OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dock | $329.99 | Thunderbolt 5 | 140W | 2.5Gb | 3 Thunderbolt 5, no HDMI or DisplayPort | Thunderbolt 5 for less, with USB-C or Thunderbolt monitors |
| Plugable TBT4-UDZ | $289.99 | Thunderbolt 4 | 98W | 2.5Gb | 2 HDMI 2.0, 2 DisplayPort 1.2 | Two HDMI or DisplayPort monitors at 4K 60Hz, no adapters |
Prices are from each maker’s US store or product page. OWC’s is from its MacSales store.
Best for a base M5 or M6 MacBook Pro: CalDigit TS4, $379.99
The TS4 is the pick for a base-chip MacBook Pro because it matches the base chip’s Thunderbolt 4 ports and covers a full desk. CalDigit lists 98W of laptop charging, 2.5Gb Ethernet, two spare Thunderbolt 4 ports, eight USB ports at 10Gb/s (three USB-C and five USB-A), SD and microSD readers, and a DisplayPort 1.4 output. CalDigit says base M4 and M5 Macs can run two displays through it; its TS4 page doesn’t name the M6, which Apple lists with the same two-display limit. It ships with a 230W power supply and a two-year warranty.
In its 2022 review, 9to5Mac called it “the best all-around dock for your Mac.” Its main complaint was price, and at $379.99 the TS4 still isn’t cheap. It has no HDMI port, so an HDMI monitor needs an adapter on the DisplayPort or a spare Thunderbolt port. CalDigit also notes that above 4K 60Hz, dual monitors need DSC support on both the monitors and the Mac.
Best for an M5 Pro or M5 Max: CalDigit TS5 Plus, $499.99
The TS5 Plus is the dock to buy if your Mac has Thunderbolt 5 ports and you want everything at once. CalDigit lists 140W charging, which fast charges the 16-inch, 10Gb Ethernet, two spare Thunderbolt 5 ports, 10 USB ports at 10Gb/s with the front USB-C port at 36W, SD and microSD readers, and a DisplayPort 2.1 output. CalDigit says M5 Pro and M5 Max Macs can run three displays through it, and the M5 Max four. Earlier Pro and Max chips, M1 through M4, stop at two through a Thunderbolt dock, according to CalDigit.
Cult of Mac gave it five stars and called it “the Thunderbolt 5 dock to own” if you have the budget. Its listed drawback was heat: the dock “can get hot under load” and has no active cooling.
If you don’t need 10Gb Ethernet or a DisplayPort output, CalDigit’s plain TS5 costs $399.99 and keeps the 140W charging and 2.5Gb Ethernet, with three spare Thunderbolt 5 ports and no DisplayPort.
Cheaper Thunderbolt 5: OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dock, $329.99
The OWC dock is the lower-cost way into Thunderbolt 5, and it works best if your monitors take USB-C or Thunderbolt. OWC lists 140W charging, three Thunderbolt 5 ports, three USB-A ports (two at 10Gb/s, one at 5Gb/s), 2.5Gb Ethernet, SD and microSD readers, and audio in and out. OWC includes a 1-meter Thunderbolt 5 cable, and its MacSales listing shows a two-year warranty. OWC says Apple allows up to two displays per Mac Thunderbolt port.
There’s no HDMI or DisplayPort on it. A monitor like the GF270J, which takes DisplayPort and HDMI only, would need an adapter. Cult of Mac gave it four stars and named the weak power output of its USB ports as its “one major gripe.”
Best for HDMI and DisplayPort monitors: Plugable TBT4-UDZ, $289.99
The Plugable is the pick when your monitors use HDMI or DisplayPort and you want to plug them in without adapters. It has two HDMI 2.0 and two DisplayPort 1.2 outputs, 2.5Gb Ethernet, seven USB ports, SD and microSD readers, and a headset jack. Plugable lists “up to 100W” charging, with 98W reaching the laptop, and a two-year warranty. Laptop Mag gave it an Editor’s Choice badge and said Plugable “blindsided me with serious value for money.”
The catch is refresh rate. Plugable lists two 4K displays at 60Hz on M3, M4, M5 and Pro or Max Macs, and one on base M1 and M2 Macs. If your monitor runs faster than 60Hz, like the GF270J at 160Hz, the Plugable holds it to 60Hz. Laptop Mag’s listed drawbacks included the front-facing host port and a dock that “travels when laid flat.”
Costs and tradeoffs
The gap from the cheapest to the most expensive pick is $210, from $289.99 to $499.99. On a base M5 or M6 MacBook Pro, the extra money for Thunderbolt 5 buys ports your Mac can’t run at full speed and charging it doesn’t need. On a 16-inch Pro or Max, the 140W docks are the only ones here that fast charge.
The cheaper route is no dock at all. A MacBook Pro has enough ports to connect two monitors directly, and the two-monitor setup guide shows which cables to use. A dock is for the day the laptop leaves the desk often enough that plugging in four cables gets old. If a high-refresh monitor drops to 60Hz through any dock, test it on a direct cable first.
My recommendation
Buy the CalDigit TS4 for a base M5 or M6 MacBook Pro. Buy the TS5 Plus for an M5 Pro or M5 Max, especially a 16-inch or a three-monitor desk. Pick the OWC only if your monitors take USB-C or Thunderbolt, and the Plugable only if your monitors run at 60Hz. For the monitors themselves, see the best monitor for a MacBook Pro.
FAQ
Do I need a Thunderbolt 5 dock for a MacBook Pro M5?
No, not for the base M5. Apple lists its three ports as Thunderbolt 4 at up to 40Gb/s, so a Thunderbolt 4 dock like the CalDigit TS4 gives you the same speed for less. The M5 Pro and M5 Max have Thunderbolt 5 ports and get more from a Thunderbolt 5 dock.
Will a Thunderbolt 5 dock work with a Thunderbolt 4 Mac?
Yes. Thunderbolt 5 is backward compatible with Thunderbolt 4. Cult of Mac’s OWC review says the dock won’t reach its full potential on those Macs because of the lower bandwidth.
Can a dock charge a 16-inch MacBook Pro at full speed?
Only a 140W dock. Apple lists fast charging on the 16-inch at 140W or higher, and the CalDigit TS5 Plus, CalDigit TS5 and OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dock all list 140W. The 98W docks still charge it, above Apple’s 94W minimum for the 16-inch M5 Pro.
How many monitors can a MacBook Pro run through a dock?
It depends on the chip. Apple lists two external displays for the base M5 and M6, three for the M5 Pro and four for the M5 Max. CalDigit says M1 through M4 Pro and Max Macs stop at two through a Thunderbolt dock.
Does the CalDigit TS4 have HDMI?
No. It has one DisplayPort 1.4 output and two spare Thunderbolt 4 ports. An HDMI monitor needs a DisplayPort to HDMI or USB-C to HDMI adapter, according to CalDigit.