The best Apple Studio Display alternatives you can buy

This 27-inch Samsung  monitor is one of the only other options for macOS users who want the practical but premium perk that comes with a 5K resolution display.

The aesthetics here aren’t as slick as offerings from Apple, but if the 5K resolution is the key selling point for you, then this is a cheaper way to go about getting that. On top of that, you’re getting DCI-P3 99% colour gamut coverage, 600 nits of brightness and a set of Thunderbolt ports that support up to 90W charging via USB-C.

While the Samsung ViewFinity S9 doesn't come with an integrated webcam, there is a 4K one bundled in the box. Under the hood, hardware also runs on the same software powering Samsung's latest big-screen TVs - allowing it to act as an all-in-one entertainment package. Even if it blurs the lines between smart TVs and desktop monitors, the Samsung ViewFinity S9 is a worthy alternative to the Studio Display and one that even those inside the iOS ecosystem might want to consider.

Kogan isn't usually the first brand that comes to mind when you’re looking for high-end desktop monitors. However, the company's curved 5K monitor has a lot to offer content creators in search of a high-resolution display. It’s a little larger than Apple Studio Display, but still delivers the good when it comes to supporting 5K2K Ultra-Wide resolutions, plus 99% of sRGB colour and 65W charging via USB-C.

The Kogan 40-inch Curved Ultrawide WUHD 5K USB-C Monitor is neither the cheapest nor the closest alternative to Apple’s Studio Display, but it’s one worth considering if you’re looking for something that falls along the same lines.

If you’re drawn in by the promise of Apple’s Studio Display, but not necessarily willing to make the jump to macOS needed to make the most of it, Alienware’s first QD-OLED might sate your desire for high-end desktop picture quality in a different.

A gorgeous QN-OLED panel turns specs that would otherwise be routine into something revelatory. It isn’t that much cheaper than the Studio Display, but early hype suggests that it’s currently one of the best-looking monitors out there for gamers and non-gamers alike. 

If the 5K resolution found on Apple’s Studio Display is more of a novelty than a necessity, there’s a decent chance that Samsung’s M8 Smart Monitor might work as a half-decent substitute.

Available in a single 32-inch size, the Samsung M8 Smart Monitor has the brains of a smart 4K TV but the looks of a sleek desktop display. It also comes with a webcam accessory that incorporates similar face tracking and active-framing technology as Apple’s new monitor does. 

If the part of the Studio Display that appealed to you was that Apple made a monitor that offered more than just higher resolutions, Samsung’s Smart Monitor M8 might strike the same chord at a cheaper price. 

It's easy to be thrilled by the futuristic features and pixel-perfect looks of Apple's high-end desktop monitor. It's a little harder to love the price tag that comes attached to the Mac Studio Display.

As with most tech categories, it's well worth breaking down what aspects of Apple's smarter and sleeker Studio Display stand out and make it appealing to you before you drop the cash on one. For some, this will be the 5K resolution. For others, it'll be the smart features and the built-in webcam. For a few, it might even be the Siri integration.

Regardless of whatever your drawcard is, it's well worth doing your research and seeing how the Studio Display compares to other monitors with that feature. It might be hard to find one with all the same bells and whistles as Apple's effort, but tracking one down with some of them at a better price might be easier than you expect.