PCs and other tech devices are easier to use than ever before. But things can and do go wrong, and the quality of assistance you get can make all the difference in the world. "Spending your time fixing problems comes at too high a cost," says Joe Osborne , PCMag's deputy managing editor for hardware. "Trustworthy manufacturer tech support and product warranties are essential."
"That's what saved an old MacBook Pro of mine many years ago when its logic board needed to be replaced after an unfortunate spill," he adds. "Apple's Genius team handled the replacement while keeping all of my files intact without a single issue during the repair."
Of course, getting that peace of mind doesn't always come free. Mordor Intelligence
reports that the US market for tech support services is worth $10 billion now and will grow to $14.57 billion by 2030. The market for electronic and computer repair services is currently even larger, at $21 billion, according to IBISworld
. But it will decline by 0.9% this year alone, perhaps because some users are opting to buy brand-new tech over repairing existing devices.
Don't roll the dice on the quality of support you'll get once you buy. As part of the Readers' Choice surveys we run throughout the year, we always ask your opinion on the assistance you've received from the brands you use. This story uses those results to shine a light on the companies people prefer when they need tech support or a repair for their PCs, phones, and tablets. If these are important factors for you, our winners should be on the short list for your next major technology purchase.
The Best Brands for Tech Support and Repairs Laptops: Apple Still Tops for Support; MSI Best Choice for Repairs
Our list of consumer laptop makers expands this time beyond the big three PC manufacturers (Dell, HP, Lenovo) and fan-favorite Apple. This year, it also includes Acer, Asus, and MSI. All seven appear in both categories we cover here: tech support and repairs.
Starting with tech support, Apple is once again our winner. Although the support score for MacBooks drops from last year, Apple is still the highest-rated manufacturer for those requiring technical assistance. Only MSI comes close; Apple beats all the rest by more than a point.
On all the charts below, click between the Tech Support and Repairs tabs to see the different scores.
"Apple has one of the most robust tech support suites of any computer vendor," Osborne says. "In addition to selling a comprehensive AppleCare plan for additional coverage—supplementing its one-year standard warranty—Apple has a Genius Bar in all of its stores where you can receive in-person tech support and drop off your faulty hardware for longer-term repairs. You can also receive a similar level of in-person support from Apple's independent repair partners and in some Best Buy stores."
Our hardware team has given high ratings to recent Apple laptops, including the Apple MacBook Air 13-Inch
, an Editors' Choice, and the Apple MacBook Air 15-Inch
. Both feature the latest Apple M4 chip.
As for laptop repairs, MSI
, the big winner in this category two years ago, returns to the top spot with a stellar 8.7 out of 10. That's a full point ahead of any other PC manufacturer on the laptop repairs list. (Our favorite MSI laptop lately is a budget gaming-oriented unit, the MSI Katana 15 HX
.) Lenovo comes in second.
Dell, HP, and Lenovo's tech support scores all drop from last year. The same is true for repairs, though Dell's score is only down a tenth of a point. Of the big three Windows PC manufacturers, Dell's tech support rating is the best; Lenovo's is the highest for repairs. HP comes in third in both those categories.
For more, check out Readers' Choice 2025: Your Favorite Laptop Brands .
Work Laptops: Apple, Asus, and Dell Make Things Easier
This year, workers rate Applethe highest for tech support on work laptops. For repairs, Asus business laptops take the award, just ahead of MSI.
However, IT people lean toward the big three manufacturers. "For corporate customers, scale is the name of the game when it comes to tech support and repairs," Osborne says.
When we ask IT professionals about the brands they believe offer the best tech support and repairs, there's only one choice for both categories: Dell
. Among IT managers, Dell is the only brand to score above 8.0 in both tech support and repairs. HP is behind Dell, with Lenovo in last.
"Dell serves more than 300,000 business customers through its Dell Premier for Business program," Osborne notes. "This remote support suite includes personalized product recommendations for new or upgrading fleets with exclusive pricing, off-site software management, and various forms of direct IT support via Dell's Connect Chat service."
For more, read Business Choice 2025: Your Favorite Laptop Brands for Work .
Desktops: Apple Provides the Best Help, Gamers Look to Alienware
Apple is not as synonymous with desktop PCs as it was in the days of the Mac Classic, but it has no shortage of models, from small Minis to Pro towers. Readers tell us that Apple provides the best support for home desktops. (If you want the top-of-the-line macOS desktop right now, our Editors' Choice is the Apple Mac Studio .) Apple's so good that it's the only brand to get ratings of 9.0 or higher for tech support.
Note that Apple's grade for repairs, however, is over a point lower, at 7.9, and it's outranked by Dell and Lenovo, which tie at 8.0. We're giving Dellthe repairs award; the tie-breaker is its higher tech support rating.
The real high score for repairs belongs to self-built PCs. Our readers feel they're the best at repairing their DIY creations, and rightly so: No one else is going to take better care of your custom rig.
When it comes to all-in-one (AiO) PCs with an integrated monitor, the list of competitors shrinks. Appleis tops for both tech support and repairs here. (Our current top-rated Mac AiO is the 2024 Apple iMac .) Dell and HP can't compete.
Two brands vie for the gaming-specific PCs category: Dell and its subsidiary Alienware. But Alienware comes out ahead in terms of tech support and repairs.
"Gaming enthusiasts find the experts at Alienware are up to the task for troubleshooting and repairs," says PCMag principal hardware writer Matthew Buzzi . "Parent company Dell's scale provides more robust support than smaller gaming vendors can manage, including a range of guides, documentation, and other assistance before you even contact an assistant who can help solve an issue. "
Speaking of Alienware gaming desktops: Earlier this year, we gave four stars to the 2025 edition of the Alienware Area-51 .
Still, the highest scores here go to self-built desktop gaming PCs. DIY readers rank their repairs an impressive 9.1, and their tech support the same as Alienware's.
For more, check out Readers' Choice 2025: The Desktop PC Brands You Like Best and How to Build a PC: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide .
Work Desktops: Users and IT Pros Agree Dell Is Best
The three PC sales leaders are Dell, HP, and Lenovo. Each appears in our charts for work desktops that need tech support and repairs. Dellwins in both categories
Dell and Lenovo actually tie for tech support on work desktops. But we give the award to Dell because in our surveys, it's the brand that's the most likely to be recommended to others.
Desktops managed by the information technology department earn separate consideration here, with ratings from managers themselves. Here, too, Dellis the winner for both tech support and repairs.
Among IT people, Dell won for the best repairs last year, but Lenovo won for tech support. Lenovo's tech support score slips this year, however. Dell's does, too, just not as much. HP, which was in last place for tech support and repairs in 2024, slips even further this year.
"If there's one area Dell is well-versed in, it's support for fleet desktops," Buzzi says. "The company has the scale and experience in servicing the many units rolled out to employees. This is Dell's bread and butter, and readers found they're still the best at fixing busted work desktops."
For more, read Business Choice 2025: The Desktop PC Brands Driving Workplace Performance .
Phones: Apple Finally Dominates Repairs, Still Best for Support
The last couple of years of our phone surveys returned remarkably similar results for tech support and repairs. While Apple always dominated support, Google had it beat for repairs.
No longer. Applegets the same 8.3 out of 10 for support it had last year, but despite a reduction in its repairs score, from 8.0 to 7.5, it still bests Google, which dropped to 7.0 for repairs, putting it behind Samsung.
Samsung takes second place in both categories. Motorola scores the same in both categories as it did last year: dead last.
"Apple's high standards, repair programs, and AppleCare support make it a standout in the smartphone market," says PCMag writer Iyaz Akhtar , who exclusively covers mobile products. "The company ensures its huge user base remains satisfied with its devices for the lifetime of their products. Samsung is essentially the Android equivalent. Its seven-year commitments to its higher-end devices, Samsung Care, and its licensed repair shops make it a great choice, too."
If you're wondering which new iPhone you should get, we compare the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max . (Spoiler: The iPhone 17 is the Editors' Choice winner with a 4.5-star rating.)
For more, check out Readers' Choice 2025: Your Favorite Mobile Carriers, Phone, and Tablet Brands and Is AppleCare+ Worth Buying? Apple's Extended Warranty Explained .
Work Phones: Pick Up an iPhone
Google joins the big names in the US phone market—Apple and Samsung—in this year's chart for tech support at work. Still, Google enters the race in last place. More interestingly, last year's winner for tech support falls to second: Samsung is out after one year at the top. Appleis back as the top tech support provider for work phones.
Apple is also top-ranked for repairs for work phones, leaping from a 6.8 to a 7.6 year over year, as Samsung falls.
But according to Akhtar, all three brands are good bets. "Contacting any of their support services usually leads to speedy solutions," he says. "Each company has proven that it stands behind its products with long-term support, which is great for everyone."
For more, read Business Choice 2025: The Top Mobile Carriers, Phone, and Tablet Brands for Work .
Tablets: iPads Deliver the Best Support and Repairs
Chalk up another couple of wins for Apple. The brand virtually synonymous with tablets, thanks to its line of iPads, earns top scores this year again for tech support and repairs. Both of Apple's numbers are down, but more than high enough to clinch the awards.
Akhtar says that many people don't really need tech support for the iPads anyway. "You've seen videos of babies and even cats interacting with iPads, which gives you an idea of how intuitive they are," he says. "Apple refined its software to the point where people can solve many of their own problems."
None of the brands' repairs earn particularly high ratings. Amazon is at the bottom of the list. Lenovo, which has several tablet lines, like Legion Tab and Yoga Tab, is in the mix for tech support but is at the bottom of the chart, right behind Amazon.
Most of the latest Apple tablets, such as the Apple iPad Pro , Apple iPad Air , and the latest Apple iPad, have earned an Editors' Choice distinction from PCMag Labs. (Even the smaller iPad Mini has four stars.)
For more, check out Readers' Choice 2025: Your Favorite Mobile Carriers, Phone, and Tablet Brands .
Work Tablets: Samsung Emerges Victorious
Apple and Samsung's work-based tablets score the same in terms of tech support. We're giving Samsung the award based on tie-breaker categories: Samsung had the top overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend scores in our Business Choice coverage from earlier this year.
Apple is alone in earning a repair score for work tablets. We don't have an award to give for repairs here since we don't know how Apple measures up against the competition. However, not having a repair score at all is potentially in Samsung's favor—because in theory, few of its work tablets need a fix.
Several Galaxy Tab devices in the last couple of years have earned the PCMag Editors' Choice, including this year's Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ . It comes with seven years of OS and security updates, a step up from five years on previous models.
For more, read Business Choice 2025: The Top Mobile Carriers, Phone, and Tablet Brands for Work .
