Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.
Plugable TBT4-UD5 comes out ahead by a narrow margin (4.4 vs 4.7). The gap is mostly about solo professionals with one external monitor who want CalDigit-like functionality at half the price — 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 TBT4-UD5 is the value pick. Wirecutter's editorial choice — 90% of the CalDigit TS4's functionality at half the price. Best for solo professionals with one monitor and a single laptop dock.
Cheapest pick. Portable form factor. Fewer ports than CalDigit / OWC / Anker 777.
Cheapest premium TB4 pick. Fewer ports than CalDigit TS4. Wirecutter's value choice.
| Spec | Anker 553 USB-C Hub | Plugable TBT4-UD5 |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 8 | 11 |
| Power | 85W passthrough | 85W |
| Display | Single 4K | Single 8K or dual 4K |
| Form | Compact hub | — |
| Ethernet | — | 1GbE |