For a home office, the best docking station for a laptop running Windows is the Anker Prime 14-in-1 if you use dual monitors, or the Selore if you use 3 monitors. If you want 2 separate screens on a Mac, or your laptop’s USB-C port carries no video, get the Plugable UD-3900, which runs your screens through a driver instead.
| Dock | Screens | On a Mac | Laptop port it needs | Also needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anker Prime 14-in-1 Laptop Docking Station | 2, through HDMI | Both external screens show the same picture | USB-C with video (DisplayPort Alt Mode) | Nothing: the power supply is built in |
| Selore Triple-Display Docking Station | 3 on Windows | Every external screen shows the same picture | USB-C with video, or Thunderbolt | A charger rated 87W or more |
| HODO USB-C Dual Monitor Docking Station | Up to 4, all at 1080p when 4 are connected | Every external screen shows the same picture | USB-C with video (DisplayPort Alt Mode) | A USB-C charger rated 65W or more |
| Plugable USB 3.0 Universal Docking Station | 2, through HDMI | Separate screens, through the DisplayLink Manager app | Any USB-A or USB-C port | A driver, plus your laptop’s charger |
Each dock is for a different setup: dual monitors on Windows, 3 monitors, 4 screens at 1080p, or 2 screens on a Mac.
These four docks get video to your screens in one of two ways. The Anker, HODO and Selore use DisplayPort video from the laptop. The Anker and the HODO both need the laptop’s USB-C port to carry that video. For its 3 screens, the Selore uses MST (Multi-Stream Transport), a DisplayPort feature for running multiple monitors. The Plugable uses DisplayLink instead. That method uses a driver to send each screen’s picture over ordinary USB to a chip in the dock, so the laptop’s port only has to carry data.
Will a docking station get video from your laptop’s USB-C port?
Only if that port carries video. Not every USB-C port does. DisplayPort Alt Mode is the feature that sends video out through a USB-C connector, and VESA, the standards group behind DisplayPort, calls it an optional capability of USB-C. So a USB-C port can charge your laptop and move files without sending any video. Plug a dock such as the HODO into a port like that, and your screens will stay blank.
How can you tell if a USB-C port carries video?
Look beside the port for a DisplayPort logo, which VESA says marks certified DisplayPort Alt Mode support. A Thunderbolt port works too, because Thunderbolt carries DisplayPort video. If you find no DisplayPort logo and the port isn’t Thunderbolt, look it up on the laptop maker’s spec page. You want to see video or DisplayPort output listed for that port.
The Anker Prime 14-in-1 supports USB4 and Thunderbolt connections, and Selore lists Thunderbolt laptops alongside USB-C ones. If your laptop’s USB-C port has no video, or the laptop only has USB-A ports, the Plugable UD-3900 can still run 2 screens. That route needs a driver, though.
How many screens can a laptop run from a docking station?
It depends on the laptop’s graphics, which can support fewer screens than a docking station offers. Microsoft notes that a Windows laptop may not be able to run more than one external monitor. It tells you to ask the maker of your laptop’s graphics chip how many monitors the chip can drive. An HDMI splitter won’t get around that, since Microsoft says it copies one signal rather than making two independent ones.
Apple publishes how many external displays each Mac supports. The MacBook Air with M1 or M2, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1 or M2, and the MacBook Neo are each limited to one external display. For newer MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models, Apple says a hub doesn’t raise the number of displays the Mac supports.
If you only need one screen and a few extra ports for your laptop, read our USB-C hub vs docking station guide first. A hub may be enough for your desk.
Anker Prime 14-in-1: dual monitors on a Windows laptop
The Anker Prime 14-in-1 Laptop Docking Station is the one to get for a Windows laptop whose USB-C port carries video. Anker sells it as the Anker Prime Charging Docking Station (14-in-1, Dual Display, 160W). Its power supply is built in, so it plugs straight into the wall. One USB-C cable from the dock charges the laptop at up to 100W and carries the connections for your screens, network and accessories.
Its 2 HDMI 2.0 ports run dual monitors, and how sharp they look depends on your laptop’s DisplayPort version. A DP 1.4 laptop gets both screens at up to 2K at 60Hz, though Anker doesn’t define 2K in pixels. Anker’s user guide adds that on Windows, both screens can run 4K at 60Hz if the laptop also supports DSC (Display Stream Compression), but the guide doesn’t say how to check. On a DP 1.2 laptop, each screen drops to 1080p at 60Hz.
Anker’s rule of thumb ties the DP version to the processor. Intel 11th-generation or newer processors give DP 1.4, and so does a workstation laptop with NVIDIA graphics. Intel 10th-generation or older chips give DP 1.2. That’s only a rough guide, and it leaves out AMD, Qualcomm and Apple chips. If yours isn’t covered, check your laptop’s spec page.
What does the Anker Prime do on a Mac?
On a Mac, the Anker Prime shows the same picture on both monitors. Anker says macOS can send the dock only one video stream, so the 2 monitors mirror each other. Anker’s user guide shows that the 2 monitors can still differ from the MacBook’s built-in screen. On Windows, by contrast, the laptop screen and both monitors can each show something different.
Which other ports does the Anker Prime have?
Besides the 2 HDMI ports, it has 3 data ports at 10Gbps: 2 USB-C and 1 USB-A. It adds 3 USB-A ports at 480Mbps, Gigabit Ethernet and an audio jack. The USB-C data ports don’t charge or carry video. Two more USB-C ports charge phones and tablets at up to 100W each, and a USB-A charging port gives 12W.
When a phone charges from one of those USB-C ports while the laptop is charging, the two share 160W. Anker doesn’t say how the dock splits the power. A built-in display shows the charging power and data status of each port. Anker’s Dock Manager app for Windows and macOS updates the dock’s firmware. The app also lets you customize how the power is shared, Anker says.
The dock stands upright, measures 5.51 x 3.82 x 1.85 inches and weighs 1.96 pounds. It doesn’t work with Linux.
Who it’s for: a Windows laptop owner who wants dual monitors, laptop charging and fast ports over one cable, with no separate charger on the desk. Skip it if you want 3 monitors, 2 separate screens on a Mac, or Linux support.
Selore Triple-Display Docking Station: 3 monitors on a Windows laptop
If your Windows laptop has to run 3 monitors, get the Selore Triple-Display Docking Station. It runs the first 2 screens at 4K and 60Hz, and the third at 4K and 30Hz. The dock has 3 HDMI ports and 2 DisplayPort ports, and Selore recommends particular sets of ports for 3 screens. Use HDMI 1, 2 and 3. Or use HDMI 1, HDMI 2 and DisplayPort 2. The last set is HDMI 1, DisplayPort 1 and HDMI 3. Plug the monitors you look at most into the first 2 ports of your set, since those are the ones that get 60Hz.
The 3-monitor setup is Windows only. On a Mac, every external monitor shows the same picture. So on a MacBook, this docking station gives you at most one extra desktop, even with 3 monitors attached.
Power comes from your own USB-C charger rated 87W or more, because the box doesn’t include one. The dock takes up to 100W from it and passes about 85W to the laptop. That means at full input, roughly 15W never reaches the laptop.
What else is on the Selore?
The dock has 17 ports in all, and the rest cover USB at 10Gbps and 5Gbps, plus Gigabit Ethernet. Its SD and microSD card slots run at up to 104MB/s. A small screen on the dock shows the time and the charging status. The dock also pulls in the local weather through its built-in Wi-Fi. Double-press the power button and every external monitor turns off at once, which is handy when you step away. The dock stands upright on a silicone suction base.
Who it’s for: a Windows laptop owner who needs a docking station for 3 monitors, especially if 2 of them are 4K. Skip it if you use a Mac, or if you don’t already own a USB-C charger rated 87W or more.
HODO 8-in-1: up to 4 screens from a small adapter
The HODO USB-C Dual Monitor Docking Station weighs only about 4.6 ounces (0.13 kg). HODO’s listing calls it an 8-in-1 USB-C docking station. Its 4 video outputs are 2 HDMI ports, a DisplayPort port and a VGA port. One HDMI port is rated 4K at 60Hz and the other 4K at 30Hz. The DisplayPort port reaches 4K at 60Hz, and the VGA port 1080p.
The HODO can run up to 4 screens, but each one drops to 1080p at 60Hz when all 4 are connected. Plugging anything into the VGA port also caps every screen at 1080p. So keep VGA for an older monitor you don’t mind running at that resolution. HODO also asks you to make sure your laptop supports DP 1.4 output. On a Mac, every external screen shows the same picture, even in extended mode.
Beyond video, it has 3 USB 2.0 ports at 480Mbps, fine for a keyboard and mouse but slow for a drive. Don’t rely on HODO’s compatibility list. It lists the Dell Latitude 3440 and 3340 as compatible, and also as laptops whose USB-C ports carry no video. Go by your own laptop’s spec page, not HODO’s list.
What does the HODO need to charge a laptop?
It needs your own USB-C charger rated at least 65W, since neither a charger nor a power cord comes in the box. Your laptop’s USB-C port also has to support USB Power Delivery. The dock takes up to 100W and passes up to 87W to the laptop. That means 13W never reaches the laptop at full input. HODO will refund or replace the dock if it proves defective within 1 year.
Who it’s for: a Windows laptop owner whose USB-C port carries video and supports USB Power Delivery, and who wants to drive older VGA monitors or up to 4 screens at 1080p. Skip it if you need wired Ethernet, fast USB ports or a built-in power supply.
Plugable UD-3900: 2 screens on a Mac or on a laptop without USB-C video
The Plugable USB 3.0 Universal Docking Station is the one to get for dual monitors on a Mac. This model is the UD-3900, which Plugable now calls the Universal Dual Monitor Docking Station. It runs your screens with DisplayLink. So it works from any free USB-A or USB-C port, even one that carries no video. A 2-in-1 cable with USB-A and USB-C plugs comes in the box.
DisplayLink takes a driver. Windows 11 and 10 install it through Windows Update. A Mac on macOS 14 or later needs the DisplayLink Manager app installed by hand. A Chromebook on ChromeOS 100 or later needs nothing. The dock doesn’t work with Linux.
How does the Plugable work on a Mac?
On a Mac, DisplayLink Manager has to be running, with the Screen Recording permission turned on in System Settings. DisplayLink says that permission lets the app capture the extended or mirrored screen and send it over USB. DisplayLink adds that the app sends no data back to the company. On MacBooks with Apple’s own chips, macOS also asks you to allow new USB accessories, DisplayLink ones included, before they work.
Synaptics, which makes the DisplayLink chips, says DisplayLink removes the limit a lot of laptops have on external displays. Plugable says that to use a MacBook on the dock with its lid closed, the Mac needs external power plus an external keyboard and mouse.
What do you give up with a DisplayLink docking station?
With the UD-3900, you give up 4K, gaming and protected video. Dual monitors top out at 1920×1200 at 60Hz, and a single screen at 2560×1440 at 50Hz. It doesn’t support copy-protected (HDCP) video, such as Netflix streams. On a Mac, DisplayLink says some protected video may go black on every screen once any DisplayLink monitor is plugged in. The audio keeps playing. DisplayLink’s workaround is to unplug the DisplayLink monitors for the moment, switch browsers or turn off hardware acceleration in your browser. On Apple’s M-series Macs, some HiDPI or Retina resolutions may be missing from the list you can choose from.
The UD-3900 doesn’t charge your laptop, so the laptop’s charger stays plugged in. The dock runs on the 20W power adapter in the box. For accessories, it has 2 USB-A 3.0 ports at 5Gbps on the front and 4 USB 2.0 ports on the back. There’s also Gigabit Ethernet, plus front headphone and microphone jacks. Plugable covers it for 2 years.
Plugable has sold two versions under the UD-3900 name. The current one, from February 2025, has 2 HDMI ports. If yours has a white DVI port beside a single HDMI port, it’s the older version.
At the makers’ own US stores, the Anker Prime 14-in-1 costs more than the Plugable. The extra cost buys laptop charging at up to 100W, screens that need no driver and 10Gbps ports. If your laptop’s charger can stay on the desk and 1920×1200 is sharp enough, the Plugable does the job for less.
Who it’s for: a Mac owner who wants 2 separate screens for office work, or anyone whose laptop has no video over USB-C. Skip it if you stream protected video, play games or want 4K.
Docking station questions
Will a docking station work with a Chromebook?
Yes, a dock can work with a Chromebook, within limits the Chromebook sets. Google says a Chromebook can connect 1 to 3 external monitors through a docking station, depending on the model. Anker, Selore and Plugable all list ChromeOS support for their docks.
Which of these docks work with a DisplayPort monitor?
The Selore and the HODO work with a DisplayPort monitor, because they’re the two with DisplayPort outputs. The Anker Prime has only HDMI ports for screens, and the Plugable doesn’t support DisplayPort monitors. With the Anker Prime or the Plugable, use an HDMI monitor. On the Plugable, an HDMI-to-DVI or HDMI-to-VGA cable works too.
Can a MacBook with an M3 chip run 2 monitors?
A MacBook Air or MacBook Pro with the base M3 chip can run 2 external monitors, but only with its lid closed. Apple also asks for a separate keyboard, a mouse or trackpad and a power connection. The Air needs macOS Sonoma 14.3 or later, and the Pro 14.6 or later.