Anker 575 vs Anker 577 - USB-C vs Thunderbolt 3 Dock Comparison 2026

Anker 575 vs Anker 577: The Most Common Anker Docking Station Question

The Anker 575 and Anker 577 look nearly identical on the spec sheet - both are 13-port docking stations, both charge your laptop at 85W, both include SD and microSD card readers, and both cost less than $300. But the choice between them can make a real difference depending on your laptop and workflow.

The fundamental split is this: the Anker 575 uses USB-C at 10 Gbps and works with almost any modern laptop. The Anker 577 uses Thunderbolt 3 at 40 Gbps and requires a laptop with a dedicated Thunderbolt port. That single difference cascades into everything else: display count, card reader speed, and who can actually use each dock.

The short verdict: The Anker 575 wins for most users because it is compatible with a broader range of laptops, supports triple display on Windows, and costs $50 less. The Anker 577 is worth the premium only if you have a Thunderbolt laptop and genuinely need the higher bandwidth or UHS-II card reader speeds.

If you are unsure whether your laptop has Thunderbolt, check for the lightning bolt icon next to the USB-C port, or consult your laptop’s spec sheet.

Quick Specs Comparison

Design and Build Quality

The Anker 575 and Anker 577 share a very similar physical design. Both use a rectangular plastic chassis roughly the size of a thick paperback. Both place frequently used ports (card readers, front USB-C) within easy reach. Both sit horizontally on your desk without a stand. The aesthetic is functional rather than premium - no aluminum enclosure, no subtle design touches, just a solid plastic box that gets the job done.

The main physical difference is size and weight. The Anker 577’s 180W external power brick is noticeably larger than the 575’s 135W adapter, which matters if you plan to travel with either dock. The 577’s included Thunderbolt cable is also shorter at 0.7m versus the 575’s 1m USB-C cable, which can be a constraint if your laptop sits more than a foot from the dock.

Both docks generate warmth under load, particularly when charging a laptop at 85W simultaneously. This is normal for docking stations at this power level and not a reliability concern. Neither dock includes a fan, so cooling is passive.

Design verdict: Tie. The docks are nearly identical in form factor and build quality. The 575’s longer included cable is a minor convenience win.

Connection Standard: Where the Real Difference Lives

This is the most important section of this comparison. The choice between USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 determines whether the Anker 577 is even an option for your laptop.

Anker 575: USB-C, Broad Compatibility

The Anker 575 connects via USB-C at 10 Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen 2). This is the same port type found on virtually every laptop released in the past five years - Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Surface. As long as your laptop supports USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode, the 575 will work. No Thunderbolt hardware required. No Intel chip required. No certification check.

The 10 Gbps bandwidth is shared across all ports simultaneously. This means if you are running two displays, Ethernet, and a fast USB-C SSD at the same time, those devices are all competing for the same 10 Gbps pipe. For typical office use - two monitors, a keyboard, mouse, and webcam - this is not a problem. For heavy data transfers alongside multi-monitor setups, you may notice slowdowns.

Anker 577: Thunderbolt 3, Four Times the Bandwidth

The Anker 577 connects via Thunderbolt 3 at 40 Gbps - four times the bandwidth of the 575. This extra headroom means displays, fast storage, and peripherals can all operate at full speed simultaneously without competing for bandwidth. A Thunderbolt 3 NVMe SSD can transfer files at full speed while two 4K monitors are actively rendering, something the 575 cannot guarantee.

The catch: Thunderbolt 3 requires an Intel processor with Thunderbolt support, or a laptop with a dedicated Thunderbolt 4 chip. Most business-class laptops from Dell, Lenovo, HP, and Apple (Intel era) qualify. But USB-C only machines - budget Windows laptops, many older MacBooks, Chromebooks - cannot use the Anker 577 at all.

Connection verdict: Depends on your laptop. If you have Thunderbolt, the 577’s 40 Gbps is genuinely superior. If you do not, the 577 is not an option at all.

Display Support

Display output is where the 575 and 577 take genuinely different approaches.

Anker 575: Triple Display on Windows

The Anker 575 uses MST (Multi-Stream Transport) to drive up to three external displays on Windows. You can connect monitors to both HDMI 2.0 ports and the DisplayPort 1.4 output simultaneously for a triple-monitor desk setup. Each HDMI port supports 4K@60Hz when used alone, and the combination supports up to triple 1080p@60Hz or triple 4K at reduced refresh rates when all three are active.

On macOS, MST is not supported, so you are limited to a single extended display. The second and third outputs will mirror the first rather than extend your desktop.

Anker 577: Dual Display, But Up to 5K

The Anker 577 supports a maximum of two external displays. You can connect one monitor to the HDMI 2.0 port (4K@60Hz) and another to the downstream Thunderbolt 3 port (up to 5K@60Hz or 4K@60Hz). This covers the most common dual-monitor setup well. If you have a single 5K monitor - an Apple Studio Display, for example - the Thunderbolt 3 downstream port can drive it at full 5120x2880@60Hz resolution, something the 575’s HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 cannot match.

However, there is no triple-display option with the 577. If you need a third monitor, the 575 is the only Anker option.

On Mac, the 577 is officially supported only on Intel MacBooks with Thunderbolt 3. Apple Silicon MacBooks are not officially supported, and while they may work for basic connectivity and a single display, Anker does not guarantee it.

Display verdict: 575 wins for Windows triple-monitor users. 577 wins for single 5K display users. Tie for dual 4K.

Card Reader Speed: UHS-I vs UHS-II

Both docks include SD and microSD card readers, which is a differentiator that many competing docks at this price range omit entirely. But the speed difference is significant.

The Anker 575 uses UHS-I card readers, limited to approximately 104 MB/s. This is adequate for reading and writing most SDHC and SDXC cards used in entry-level and mid-range cameras.

The Anker 577 uses UHS-II card readers at up to 312 MB/s - three times faster. If you shoot with a camera that writes to UHS-II cards (Sony Alpha series, Nikon Z series, Fujifilm X-T or X-S series, and most recent mirrorless cameras), the 577 will transfer a full card of RAW files in roughly a third of the time the 575 would take.

For photographers and videographers, this is a meaningful real-world difference. For users who never touch the card reader, it is irrelevant.

Card reader verdict: Anker 577, clearly. UHS-II at 312 MB/s vs UHS-I at 104 MB/s is a 3x speed advantage.

USB Ports

The USB port breakdown is nearly identical between the two docks, with one notable difference.

The Anker 575 provides 2x USB-C 3.2 (one with 18W PD, one data-only) and 3x USB-A 3.1 (one with 7.5W charging). Total of 5 USB ports aside from the host connection.

The Anker 577 provides the same 2x USB-C 3.2 (one with 18W PD, one data-only) and 4x USB-A 3.1 (one with 7.5W charging) - one more USB-A port than the 575. Both docks have the same 1x Thunderbolt 3 downstream video port that also carries USB 3.1 data.

The extra USB-A on the 577 is a minor but welcome bonus if you have a keyboard, mouse, USB audio interface, and other peripherals that all want a port. The 575’s three USB-A slots can feel tight in a fully-equipped desk setup.

USB verdict: Anker 577 by one USB-A port. Minor advantage, but it adds up in a crowded desk setup.

Power Delivery

Both docks deliver exactly 85W to the host laptop through the cable. This is enough to charge most 13-15 inch laptops at full speed. Larger laptops such as 16-inch MacBook Pros or 15-inch gaming laptops may charge slowly under heavy CPU/GPU load since they can consume more than 85W.

Neither dock has an advantage here. Both include power adapters with sufficient headroom: the 575 ships with a 135W brick, the 577 with a 180W brick (the extra wattage in the 577’s adapter goes toward powering the Thunderbolt 3 circuitry and the downstream port).

Power delivery verdict: Tie. Both deliver 85W to the laptop.

Ethernet

Both docks include a single 1 Gigabit Ethernet port. There is no difference here. Neither dock offers the 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet found in premium options like the CalDigit TS4 or Kensington SD5780T.

Ethernet verdict: Tie. Standard 1 GbE on both.

macOS Compatibility

Neither the Anker 575 nor the Anker 577 is ideal for Mac users, but the reasons differ.

The Anker 575 officially supports macOS down to Sierra. It will work on Intel and Apple Silicon MacBooks alike. The limitation is that you only get a single extended display on any Mac - additional monitors mirror the first. For Mac users who only need one external display, the 575 is functional and driver-free.

The Anker 577 officially supports only Intel MacBooks with Thunderbolt 3. Anker explicitly lists Apple Silicon MacBooks (M1 and later) as not compatible. In practice, M-series MacBooks can connect to the 577 and use peripherals, Ethernet, and a single external display, but Anker provides no support or firmware updates for this configuration. Dual display does not work on Apple Silicon regardless of dock.

For Apple Silicon Mac users: neither dock is a good choice. A Thunderbolt 4 dock like the CalDigit TS4 paired with an M1 Pro or M1 Max chip is the correct path to dual external displays.

macOS verdict: Anker 575 for Mac users. Broader official compatibility, works on Apple Silicon. Still limited to single display.

Pricing and Value

The Anker 575 retails at $249.99 and the Anker 577 at $299.99 - a $50 difference. Both regularly go on sale and can often be found for $180-220 (575) and $220-260 (577) on Amazon.

Is the $50 premium worth it for the 577? The 577 gives you:

• Thunderbolt 3 at 40 Gbps (vs 10 Gbps)
• UHS-II card readers (vs UHS-I)
• One extra USB-A port
• 5K display support via downstream Thunderbolt 3

The 575 gives you:

• Works with USB-C only laptops (577 requires Thunderbolt)
• Triple display on Windows (577 tops out at dual)
• Better macOS compatibility (577 not official for Apple Silicon)
• $50 cheaper

If you have a Thunderbolt laptop and shoot with UHS-II cards or need to push high-bandwidth devices, the 577’s premium is justified. For everyone else, the 575 delivers more versatility for less money.

Value verdict: Anker 575. Broader compatibility, triple display on Windows, and $50 less.

Verdict: Anker 575 Wins for Most Users

The Anker 575 is the better docking station for the majority of buyers. Its USB-C connection works with virtually any laptop, its triple-display support on Windows covers more setups than the 577’s dual-display ceiling, and it costs $50 less. For Mac users, it offers better official compatibility than the 577, even if display options remain limited.

The Anker 577 is the right choice in a specific scenario: you have a Thunderbolt 3 or 4 laptop, you regularly use UHS-II SD cards, and you want the additional bandwidth headroom for demanding peripherals. For photographers working with modern mirrorless cameras, the 3x faster card reader alone may justify the premium.

Choose the Anker 575 if:

• Your laptop has USB-C but not Thunderbolt
• You need triple display output on Windows
• You use a Mac (any generation) and need official compatibility
• Budget matters and you want the best value
• You do not shoot UHS-II cards regularly

Choose the Anker 577 if:

• Your laptop has a Thunderbolt 3 or 4 port (confirmed by the lightning bolt icon)
• You shoot with cameras that use UHS-II SD cards and care about transfer speed
• You run fast Thunderbolt storage devices alongside displays
• You want to drive a single 5K monitor at full resolution
• You need the extra USB-A port in your setup

For more context on Anker’s full docking station range, see our Anker 575 review and Anker 577 review. If you are deciding between USB-C and Thunderbolt docks more broadly, our guide on USB-C vs Thunderbolt Docking Stations explains the key trade-offs in detail.