For a long time, supporters of Framework laptops always had to say things like “But…it is more expensive than the same specs from other manufacturers.” And there were plenty of reasons for that. Real reasons that were worth paying money for. No bloatware, no deals with Microsoft to get cheaper Windows at the cost of Microsoft getting to control the machine (forcing a Windows key and CoPilot key, forcing Windows branding and marketing, etc.), no egregious license agreement or accounts needed to use the machine, industry leading repairability and upgradeability, expansion card system, and actively supporting real ownership of the device. All that stuff is worth something to me, and probably to a lot of other Framework laptop owners.
But with the pre-order launch of the Framework 13 Pro, I think that may be changing. I’m sure it’s mostly just due to the insane stuff going on and the ridiculous laptop pricing it’s causing. But right now, two of the closest, popular, “premium” laptops that seem to be direct competition to the Framework 13 Pro are arguably the Dell XPS 14 and the Asus Elitebook. Both have standard configurations remarkably similar to one possible configuration of the Framework 13 Pro. Intel X7 358H processor, haptic touchpads, similar resolution touchscreens, 1 TB SSD, 32GB RAM, machined aluminum chassis, backlit keyboards, etc. The big difference is that the Dell and Asus both have OLED panels. That should account for some cost, especially with the Asus, which has a fairly bright, HDR panel.
But right now, the Dell is nearly $1,000 more than the Framework, and the Asus is over $2,000 more! And yes, they have OLED panels, and some would argue they have better firmware/driver support, etc. (they are massively larger companies). But all the other advantages of the Framework still apply.
I haven’t personally owned an Asus laptop, but I have owned one of their motherboards. I used it in a new PC build years ago, and it automatically installed Asus software that was practically malware the first time I booted the machine. I tried uninstalling it, but it was a nightmare. It ended up being easier to find the cryptic setting in the BIOS that would prevent it from happening and then wipe the drive and re-install Windows. Dell laptops are better than some (*cough, HP, *cough). But they still have some bloat (freaking Mcafee AV), and they have a ton of Dell branded “utilities” that constantly run and pop up to tell you they found updates (that end up getting found and done through Windows update anyway), etc. I’m not sure about the Asus, but the Dell doesn’t even have a privacy shutter for the webcam, much less the hardware disable switches for the cam and mic that the FW has. And then obviously Framework is repairable, upgradeable, has official Linux support, and just generally supports fully owning the devices we purchase.
Maybe this will all change at some point. Heck, it could change by the time I’m done typing this sentence, lol. The Dell was actually a similar price to the Framework just a couple weeks ago, but it shot up in price since then. The Asus was just released, so maybe it will come down in price. Or maybe Framework will have to increase the price for the FW 13 Pro. Who knows. But I just thought it was interesting that right now, the Framework 13 Pro is a straight-up good value in comparison to some of the direct competition out there. There are a couple cheaper machines with similar specs in terms of processor, RAM, and SSD, but they lack in other ways like a less premium build, worse displays, etc. So right now, if you want a premium, Intel Core Series 3 machine, the Framework 13 Pro is one of the cheapest ways to get it. Again, in this moment, mid May, 2026.
Edit: Just to be clear, I’m not arguing that any of these machines is a “good value” in general. Maybe they will be to some people, and that could be a different discussion. I’m just talking about right now, for a machine with the specific specs of the Framework 13.
