Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.
OWC Thunderbolt 4 Dock comes out ahead by a narrow margin (4.4 vs 4.6). The gap is mostly about Mac users who want OWC's specialized Apple Silicon validation — read the strengths below before deciding.
The Anker 553 is the portable pick. $90 hub-format dock for users who don't need 18 ports — adequate for a single laptop dock setup at home + travel. Trade-off is fewer ports and lower display support.
The OWC TB4 Dock is the Mac-validated pick. OWC's specialty is Mac accessories — they validate every TB4 dock SKU on every Apple Silicon Mac. Best for MacBook Pro users who want guaranteed compatibility.
Cheapest pick. Portable form factor. Fewer ports than CalDigit / OWC / Anker 777.
Mac-validated. Includes SD card slot (CalDigit doesn't). 96W charging close to CalDigit. Display support trails CalDigit.
| Spec | Anker 553 USB-C Hub | OWC Thunderbolt 4 Dock |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 8 | 11 (incl. SD) |
| Power | 85W passthrough | 96W |
| Display | Single 4K | 8K@30 or dual 5K |
| Form | Compact hub | — |
| Validated | — | Apple Silicon Macs |