Head-to-head · Best Thunderbolt 4 Docks

CalDigit TS4 vs Plugable TBT4-UD5

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

The short answer

CalDigit TS4 comes out ahead by a narrow margin (4.8 vs 4.6). The gap is mostly about Power users building a maxed-out, single-cable desk who want the most ports and charging power and do not mind paying for it. — read the strengths below before deciding.

Higher ratedRanked #1 in Best Thunderbolt 4 Docks

CalDigit TS4

4.8

$379.99as of Jun 7

The TS4 is the no-compromise flagship: 18 ports, 98W charging, 2.5GbE and a UHS-II card reader in one driver-free package that reviewers say nothing else matches. TechRadar awarded it a full five stars, Macworld gave it an Editors' Choice and XDA its top 'Best' badge. The only real downsides are the price and the lack of HDMI, but for a maxed-out desk it is the dock to beat.

Strengths

— Class-leading 18 ports, the most of any Thunderbolt 4 dock
— 98W charging to the host through a single Thunderbolt cable
— Native dual-display support plus 2.5GbE networking and UHS-II card reader

Watch-outs

— The most expensive dock here at around $400
— No HDMI ports, so you need DisplayPort cables or adapters
— Only adds a net of one extra Thunderbolt port versus the host

$379.99 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Ranked #2 in Best Thunderbolt 4 Docks

Plugable TBT4-UD5

4.6

$199.95as of Jun 7

The TBT4-UD5 is the value pick that won Wirecutter's Best Thunderbolt Dock award: dual HDMI, 100W charging and certified 40Gb/s speed for around $200. XDA scored it 9/10, calling the price 'kind of amazing,' and Tom's Guide named it the best bang for your buck. It has fewer ports than the flagship docks, but for most desks it covers nearly everything for half the money.

Strengths

— Outstanding value, delivering most of a flagship dock's function for around $200
— Dual HDMI ports built in for single 8K or dual 4K displays
— Thunderbolt certified with reliable 40Gb/s transfer and instant wake

Watch-outs

— Fewer total ports than the CalDigit TS4 or Plugable TBT4-UDZ
— No extra downstream Thunderbolt ports for daisy-chaining drives
— Plastic-heavy build feels less premium than metal rivals

$199.95 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

How they stack up

CalDigit TS4

The most port-dense dock here, beating the Plugable TBT4-UD5, OWC Thunderbolt 4 Dock, Kensington SD5780T and Plugable TBT4-UDZ on sheer connectivity and charging power. The trade-off is price and the absence of HDMI — where the Plugable TBT4-UD5 and Kensington SD5780T include HDMI outputs, the TS4 relies on DisplayPort or its Thunderbolt ports.

Plugable TBT4-UD5

The value alternative to the CalDigit TS4: it gives up some of the TS4's 18-port count and downstream Thunderbolt ports but adds dual HDMI the TS4 lacks, for roughly half the price. It is simpler than the Plugable TBT4-UDZ and Kensington SD5780T but covers the essentials most users need, undercutting the OWC Thunderbolt 4 Dock on price too.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	CalDigit TS4	Plugable TBT4-UD5
Ports	18 total	13 total
Thunderbolt	3x Thunderbolt 4 downstream (40Gb/s)	Thunderbolt 4 (40Gb/s) host
USB	3x USB-C + 5x USB-A (10Gb/s)	4x USB ports
Host Charging	98W Power Delivery	100W (96W certified)
Networking	2.5GbE Ethernet	Gigabit Ethernet
Displays	Single 8K@30Hz or dual 6K@60Hz	Dual 4K@60Hz HDMI or single 8K
Card Reader	SD + microSD (UHS-II)	—
Compatibility	Mac, Windows, Chrome (driver-free)	Windows and Mac
Certification	—	Thunderbolt 4 / Intel Evo certified

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