Buying Guide
The Best Thunderbolt 4 Docking Stations, and When a USB-C Dock Will Do
Seven docks compared on Thunderbolt certification, displays, charging and ports, including DisplayLink alternatives for three monitors.
By Jamie Cole, Lead Product Researcher
10 min read7 products evaluated
A Thunderbolt 4 port accepts many docks, but only certified Thunderbolt 4 docks are tested to Intel's requirements for bandwidth, displays and daisy-chaining. In this guide, two docks are Thunderbolt 4 certified (Plugable TBT-UDM, Dell SD25TB4) and one is Thunderbolt 5; the other four are USB-C or DisplayLink docks that also work from a Thunderbolt port.
Those alternatives aren't worse by default. DisplayLink docks can drive three displays from laptops that natively support fewer, at the cost of a driver and some processor load, and USB-C docks can cost less for everyday use.
Our comparison is based on published specifications, not hands-on testing. Check your laptop's display support and charger wattage before choosing.
Quick Picks
Our 7 recommendations at a glance. Tap a pick for the full verdict.
Best Certified Thunderbolt 4 Dock
Plugable Thunderbolt 4 Dock (TBT-UDM) for M4/M5 MacBook
A Thunderbolt 4 certified dock with 100W, dual 4K HDMI or single 6K, 6 USB, SD and Gigabit Ethernet.
Best for: Mac or Windows Thunderbolt laptops with two monitors.
Our take Check price for Plugable Thunderbolt 4 Dock (TBT-UDM) for M4/M5 MacBook (opens in a new tab)
Best for Dell Laptops
Dell Pro Thunderbolt 4 Smart Dock (SD25TB4)
Dell's certified Thunderbolt 4 dock with 130W, up to 4 displays, 2.5GbE and Wi-Fi.
Best for: Dell Pro laptops, including higher-power models.
Our take Check price for Dell Pro Thunderbolt 4 Smart Dock (SD25TB4) (opens in a new tab)
Thunderbolt 5 Option
Anker Prime TB5 Docking Station (14-in-1)
A 14-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 dock with 140W charging, up to 8K output and active cooling.
Best for: Buyers planning a Thunderbolt 5 laptop.
Our take Check price for Anker Prime TB5 Docking Station (14-in-1) (opens in a new tab)
Best Non-Thunderbolt Alternative
Anker Prime Docking Station, 14-Port 160W
A 14-port dock with 160W total output, dual 4K, 10Gbps data, Ethernet and audio; not Thunderbolt certified.
Best for: Many USB peripherals without Thunderbolt devices.
Our take Check price for Anker Prime Docking Station, 14-Port 160W (opens in a new tab)
Lower-Cost Triple Display
Plugable USB C Triple Display Docking Station
A USB-C dock with 100W and three displays: one 4K at 30Hz and two 1080p at 60Hz.
Best for: Three 1080p monitors on a budget.
Our take Check price for Plugable USB C Triple Display Docking Station (opens in a new tab)
Best Triple-Display Dock for Macs
Plugable USB-C Triple Monitor Docking Station (UD-ULTCDL)
A 13-in-1 DisplayLink dock with triple HDMI, 100W, Ethernet and SD; driver required on Mac.
Best for: Macs that need more monitors than they support natively.
Our take Check price for Plugable USB-C Triple Monitor Docking Station (UD-ULTCDL) (opens in a new tab)
Best Triple 4K Dock (Windows)
Anker Prime Docking Station (DL7400), 14-Port Triple Display
A 14-port DisplayLink dock with triple 4K at 60Hz, 140W output and a cooling fan.
Best for: Windows laptops driving three 4K monitors.
Our take Check price for Anker Prime Docking Station (DL7400), 14-Port Triple Display (opens in a new tab)
Our Picks
Best Certified Thunderbolt 4 Dock1 of 7
Plugable Thunderbolt 4 Dock (TBT-UDM) for M4/M5 MacBook
The Plugable TBT-UDM is the straightforward certified Thunderbolt 4 choice: 100W charging, dual 4K over HDMI or a single 6K display, six USB ports, an SD reader and Gigabit Ethernet, driverless on macOS and Windows.
Best for
- Mac or Windows Thunderbolt laptops with two monitors.
Skip if
- You use a Dell Pro laptop; the SD25TB4 is designed for it.
Why we like it
It has fewer display outputs than the Dell, and dual display depends on your laptop's support.
Key specs
- Certification
- Thunderbolt 4
- Charging
- 100W
- Displays
- dual 4K HDMI or single 6K
- Ports
- 6x USB, SD, Gigabit Ethernet
- Driverless
- macOS, Windows
Pros
- Certified Thunderbolt 4
- Driverless
- Good port mix
Cons
- Two displays maximum
- 100W, less than the Dell
- HDMI only for dual
Best for Dell Laptops2 of 7
Dell Pro Thunderbolt 4 Smart Dock (SD25TB4)
The Dell SD25TB4 is built around Dell's Pro laptops, with 130W charging, support for up to four displays across two DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.1 outputs, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, 2.5GbE Ethernet and Wi-Fi.
Best for
- Dell Pro laptops, including higher-power models.
Skip if
- You don't use Dell; the Plugable is the brand-neutral choice.
Why we like it
Four displays and full integration depend on a compatible Dell laptop; check Dell's compatibility list.
Key specs
- Certification
- Thunderbolt 4
- Charging
- 130W
- Displays
- up to 4 (2x DP 1.4 + HDMI 2.1)
- Networking
- 2.5GbE + Wi-Fi
- Ports
- 2x Thunderbolt 4
Pros
- 130W charging
- Up to four displays
- 2.5GbE
Cons
- Best on Dell laptops
- Costs more than the Plugable
- Display count depends on laptop
Thunderbolt 5 Option3 of 7
Anker Prime TB5 Docking Station (14-in-1)
The Anker Prime TB5 is a Thunderbolt 5 dock, up to 120Gbps, with 140W charging, up to 8K output with dual display support and active cooling.
Best for
- Buyers planning a Thunderbolt 5 laptop.
Skip if
- You'll stay on Thunderbolt 4; the Plugable costs much less.
Why we like it
On a Thunderbolt 4 laptop it runs at Thunderbolt 4 speeds.
It costs considerably more than the Thunderbolt 4 docks at the time of writing; it's worth considering if your next laptop will have Thunderbolt 5.
Key specs
- Connection
- Thunderbolt 5, up to 120Gbps
- Charging
- up to 140W
- Displays
- up to 8K, dual support
- Cooling
- active
- Backward compatible
- Thunderbolt 4/3
Pros
- Thunderbolt 5 headroom
- 140W
- Active cooling
Cons
- Expensive
- Extra bandwidth unused on Thunderbolt 4
- Fan may be audible
Best Non-Thunderbolt Alternative4 of 7
Anker Prime Docking Station, 14-Port 160W
The Anker Prime 14-port works from a Thunderbolt 4 port but isn't Thunderbolt certified.
Best for
- Many USB peripherals without Thunderbolt devices.
Skip if
- You use Thunderbolt drives or displays; a certified dock suits that.
Why we like it
It offers 14 ports, 160W total output shared across devices, dual 4K, 10Gbps data, Ethernet and audio.
It costs less than the certified docks at the time of writing. It lacks certified Thunderbolt bandwidth and daisy-chaining.
Key specs
- Certification
- none (USB-C/USB4-class)
- Ports
- 14
- Total output
- 160W
- Displays
- dual 4K
- Data
- 10Gbps
Pros
- Many ports
- Lower price than certified docks
- Power for peripherals
Cons
- Not Thunderbolt certified
- No daisy-chaining
- Laptop charging limited by USB PD
Lower-Cost Triple Display5 of 7
Plugable USB C Triple Display Docking Station
The Plugable triple-display dock drives three monitors with 100W charging and six 5Gbps USB ports, and supports Windows, macOS and ChromeOS.
Best for
- Three 1080p monitors on a budget.
Skip if
- You want three 4K 60Hz displays; the Anker DL7400 offers that.
Why we like it
Its display split is one 4K at 30Hz and two 1080p at 60Hz, so it suits three modest monitors better than 4K screens. It isn't Thunderbolt certified.
Key specs
- Displays
- 1x 4K@30Hz + 2x 1080p@60Hz
- Charging
- 100W
- USB
- 6x 5Gbps
- OS
- Windows, macOS, ChromeOS
Pros
- Three displays
- Lower price
- ChromeOS listed
Cons
- 4K only at 30Hz
- Not Thunderbolt
- 1080p limit on two outputs
Best Triple-Display Dock for Macs6 of 7
Plugable USB-C Triple Monitor Docking Station (UD-ULTCDL)
The Plugable UD-ULTCDL uses DisplayLink to drive three HDMI displays, including from Macs that natively support fewer, with 100W charging, a 20W USB-C output, Gigabit Ethernet, an SD reader and four more USB ports.
Best for
- Macs that need more monitors than they support natively.
Skip if
- Your laptop supports your monitors natively; the Plugable TBT-UDM avoids the driver.
Why we like it
It needs the DisplayLink driver on Mac, which adds some processor load and is less suited to video playback of protected content or gaming.
Key specs
- Displays
- triple HDMI via DisplayLink
- Charging
- 100W (+20W USB-C output)
- Ethernet
- Gigabit
- SD reader
- USB
- 4 additional ports
Pros
- Three displays on Macs
- 100W
- Ethernet and SD
Cons
- DisplayLink driver required
- Processor load
- Not Thunderbolt
Best Triple 4K Dock (Windows)7 of 7
Anker Prime Docking Station (DL7400), 14-Port Triple Display
The Anker Prime DL7400 drives three 4K displays at 60Hz through DisplayLink, which is uncommon, with 140W total output, a built-in cooling fan and a display status indicator.
Best for
- Windows laptops driving three 4K monitors.
Skip if
- You use a Mac; the Plugable UD-ULTCDL lists Mac support.
Why we like it
Anker lists it for Windows laptops with the latest DisplayLink driver installed. It isn't Thunderbolt certified.
Key specs
- Displays
- triple 4K@60Hz via DisplayLink
- Output
- 140W max
- Cooling
- built-in fan
- Ports
- 14
- OS
- Windows (driver required)
Pros
- Three 4K 60Hz displays
- 140W
- Cooling fan
Cons
- Driver required
- Windows-focused
- Fan may be audible
How We Chose These Thunderbolt 4 Docking Stations
Each pick was assessed across 4 criteria weighted for real-world use.
- Certification
- We separated certified Thunderbolt docks from USB-C and DisplayLink docks.
- Displays
- We compared display counts, resolutions and refresh rates.
- Charging and ports
- We compared power delivery and connectivity.
- Price
- We compared prices at the time of writing.
What to Look for in a Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station
Key buying criteria so you get the right fit the first time.
Decide whether you need certification
Certified Thunderbolt 4 docks (Plugable TBT-UDM, Dell SD25TB4) guarantee bandwidth and daisy-chaining; others work but without those assurances.
Check display needs against your laptop
Native docks can't exceed your laptop's display limit; DisplayLink docks can, with a driver.
USB C hub with card reader and USB ports connected to a laptop on a wooden desk Match charging
Charging here runs from 100W to 140W; compare with your laptop's charger.
Consider Thunderbolt 5 only for the future
On a Thunderbolt 4 laptop, a Thunderbolt 5 dock runs at Thunderbolt 4 speeds.
How to Choose a Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station
By need
| Need | Consider |
|---|---|
| Certified TB4, any brand | Plugable TBT-UDM |
| Dell Pro laptop | Dell SD25TB4 |
| Future Thunderbolt 5 | Anker Prime TB5 |
| Many ports, no TB devices | Anker Prime 14-port |
| Three 1080p monitors | Plugable Triple Display |
| Three monitors on a Mac | Plugable UD-ULTCDL |
| Three 4K monitors on Windows | Anker Prime DL7400 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is every dock that fits a Thunderbolt port a Thunderbolt dock?
No. Many USB-C and DisplayLink docks work from a Thunderbolt port without Thunderbolt certification.
Does certification matter?
It matters most for Thunderbolt storage, displays and daisy-chaining. For basic peripherals, a USB-C dock can suffice.
Can I run three monitors from a Mac?
Depending on the chip, often only via DisplayLink, as with the Plugable UD-ULTCDL.
Is Thunderbolt 5 worth buying now?
Only if you'll use a Thunderbolt 5 laptop; otherwise it runs at Thunderbolt 4 speeds.
Do DisplayLink docks need drivers?
Yes, the DisplayLink driver must be installed.
Bottom Line
For a certified Thunderbolt 4 dock, the Plugable TBT-UDM is the brand-neutral choice and the Dell SD25TB4 the pick for Dell Pro laptops, with 130W and up to four displays.
For three monitors, the DisplayLink docks are the route: the Plugable UD-ULTCDL for Macs, the Anker DL7400 for three 4K screens on Windows. The Anker Prime TB5 is only worth it with a Thunderbolt 5 laptop in view.