CalDigit TS4 vs OWC Thunderbolt 4 Dock — TB4 Comparison 2026

CalDigit TS4 vs OWC Thunderbolt 4 Dock: Finding the Right Balance of Features and Price

The CalDigit TS4 and OWC Thunderbolt 4 Dock are both Mac-friendly, driver-free Thunderbolt 4 docks from brands that have earned deep loyalty among creative professionals. But they occupy different positions in the market: the CalDigit TS4 at $379.99 is the premium option packed with 18 ports and every feature you could want, while the OWC Thunderbolt 4 Dock at $249.00 delivers the Thunderbolt 4 essentials at a significantly lower price point.

The short verdict: The CalDigit TS4 wins this comparison on features and overall capability. With 18 ports, 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, a dedicated DisplayPort output, and more USB connectivity than any other Thunderbolt 4 dock, it earns its premium price. But the OWC Thunderbolt 4 Dock is far from outclassed — it offers three Thunderbolt 4 downstream ports, 96W charging, and a UHS-II SD reader at $130 less, making it the smarter buy for users who do not need every possible port.

Not sure if Thunderbolt 4 is the right choice for your setup? Read our USB-C vs Thunderbolt docking stations guide for a clear breakdown.

Quick Specs Comparison

Design and Build Quality

CalDigit TS4

The CalDigit TS4 is encased in a full aluminum shell that serves as both a design statement and a functional heat sink. The dock runs cool and quiet under heavy load, with no fans. The form factor is a compact horizontal rectangle — roughly the size of a thick novel — with ports logically distributed between front (daily-use ports) and rear (semi-permanent connections). The anodized finish is available in a single color that complements space gray and silver laptops equally well. CalDigit includes a 0.8m Thunderbolt 4 cable and an external power brick.

OWC Thunderbolt 4 Dock

The OWC Thunderbolt 4 Dock has a compact, rounded-rectangle design with an aluminum top panel and a darker bottom housing. It is noticeably smaller than the TS4, making it a good choice for space-constrained desks. One design quirk is that the host Thunderbolt 4 port is on the front panel, which means the cable connecting to your laptop runs forward rather than neatly tucking away behind the dock. The three Thunderbolt 4 downstream ports and Ethernet are on the rear, while the SD reader, audio jack, and one USB-A port sit up front. OWC includes a 0.8m Thunderbolt 4 cable and an external power adapter.

Design winner: CalDigit TS4. The full aluminum enclosure, superior thermal design, and more logical port layout (host connection on the rear) give the TS4 a clear design advantage. The OWC dock is more compact, which may matter in tight spaces.

Port Comparison: 18 vs 11 — Does It Matter?

The raw port count — 18 on the CalDigit TS4 vs 11 on the OWC Thunderbolt 4 Dock — is the headline difference, but the story is more nuanced than numbers alone suggest.

Thunderbolt 4 Downstream

Both docks include three Thunderbolt 4 downstream ports capable of 40 Gbps data transfer, 15W device charging, and video output. This is a tie, and it means both docks are equally capable for Thunderbolt daisy-chaining — connect an external Thunderbolt SSD array, a Thunderbolt display, or another dock in series. For many creative professionals, these three ports are the single most important feature of any Thunderbolt dock.

USB-C (Non-Thunderbolt)

Here is where the CalDigit TS4 starts to pull away. In addition to its three TB4 ports, the TS4 includes three additional USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports (7.5W each). These are ideal for connecting USB-C peripherals that do not need Thunderbolt bandwidth — think USB-C cables for phones, tablets, webcams, or USB-C storage drives.

The OWC Thunderbolt 4 Dock has no USB-C ports beyond the three Thunderbolt 4 ports. If you want to connect a USB-C device, you must use one of the Thunderbolt 4 ports (which works, but uses a premium port for a basic task) or a USB-C to USB-A adapter.

USB-A

The CalDigit TS4 has five USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports at 7.5W each. The OWC dock has three USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports at 4.5W each, plus one USB-A 2.0 port at 7.5W. The TS4 wins on both count and per-port charging power. The OWC’s USB-A ports deliver less charging current, which means some power-hungry USB devices (like certain external drives or device chargers) may not charge as quickly.

Video Outputs

The CalDigit TS4 includes a dedicated DisplayPort 1.4 output on the rear panel, giving you a direct connection to a DisplayPort monitor without any adapters. The OWC dock has no dedicated video outputs — you connect monitors via the Thunderbolt 4 downstream ports using USB-C to HDMI or USB-C to DisplayPort adapters.

This is a meaningful practical difference. With the CalDigit, you can connect one monitor to DisplayPort and another via Thunderbolt 4 downstream, using only one adapter. With the OWC dock, both monitors require adapters. Good USB-C to HDMI adapters cost $10-15 each, so factor in an extra $20-30 for the OWC setup.

Networking

The CalDigit TS4 features 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, while the OWC Thunderbolt 4 Dock has 1 Gigabit Ethernet. For users with a 2.5GbE switch or router and a NAS, the CalDigit’s faster networking translates to noticeably quicker file transfers over the local network. For general internet use, 1 Gbps is more than enough since most home internet connections do not exceed 1 Gbps anyway.

Card Readers and Audio

The CalDigit TS4 includes both an SD and microSD card reader at UHS-II speeds (312 MB/s). The OWC dock includes one SD card reader at UHS-II speeds but no microSD slot. If you work with microSD cards (common with action cameras, drones, and some cameras), you will need a separate adapter with the OWC dock.

On audio, the CalDigit TS4 offers a 3.5mm combo jack, a dedicated headphone output, and a dedicated microphone input — three separate connections. The OWC dock has a single 3.5mm combo jack. For podcasters, musicians, or anyone using separate headphones and a wired microphone, the CalDigit’s triple audio configuration is a real advantage.

Port winner: CalDigit TS4. More USB-C ports, more USB-A ports with higher charging power, faster Ethernet, a dedicated DisplayPort, a microSD reader, and triple audio jacks. The OWC matches the TS4 on Thunderbolt 4 downstream ports and SD reader speed, but trails in every other port category.

Display Support

Both the CalDigit TS4 and OWC Thunderbolt 4 Dock deliver equivalent display support:

• Dual 4K@60Hz via Thunderbolt 4 (requires M1 Pro/Max or later on Mac)
• Single 8K support (8K@30Hz on the CalDigit via DisplayPort, 8K@60Hz on the OWC via Thunderbolt 4 with DSC)
• Single 4K@120Hz on the OWC (via Thunderbolt 4 downstream port with a compatible display)
• Base M1/M2/M3 Macs limited to one external display on both docks

The OWC dock’s 8K@60Hz spec and 4K@120Hz support via Thunderbolt 4 are technically impressive, though the number of users with 8K or 120Hz monitors is still small. For the vast majority of users running dual 4K@60Hz, both docks are identical.

The practical difference is connector convenience. The CalDigit TS4’s built-in DisplayPort 1.4 means one fewer adapter for a dual-display setup. The OWC dock requires two adapters for two monitors.

For more on multi-display configurations and which docks handle them best, see our best docking stations for dual monitors roundup.

Display winner: Tie on capability. CalDigit TS4 on convenience (built-in DisplayPort means fewer adapters).

Power Delivery

The CalDigit TS4 delivers 98W via USB-C Power Delivery. The OWC Thunderbolt 4 Dock delivers 96W. That 2-watt difference is functionally irrelevant — both are sufficient to charge a 16-inch MacBook Pro during normal use, and both will keep most Windows Thunderbolt laptops charged throughout the workday.

For reference, the 14-inch MacBook Pro requires 67-70W for full-speed charging, and the 16-inch requires 96W. Both docks meet or exceed these thresholds. Apple’s 140W MagSafe fast charging is only available via MagSafe, not USB-C PD, so no dock can match that speed.

Power delivery winner: Tie. 98W vs 96W is a negligible difference in real-world use.

Mac Compatibility: Two Mac-First Brands

This is one comparison where both contenders are genuinely excellent. CalDigit and OWC are the two most trusted names in Mac accessories, and both docks reflect years of Mac-focused development.

CalDigit TS4

CalDigit has built its reputation on Mac-first engineering. The TS4 receives firmware updates ahead of new Apple hardware launches, ensuring day-one compatibility with every new MacBook model. CalDigit provides a macOS firmware update utility (CalDigit Docking Station Utility) and offers Mac-specific technical support. User reviews consistently highlight the TS4’s seamless Mac experience as a major differentiator versus docks from brands like Dell or Plugable.

OWC Thunderbolt 4 Dock

OWC (Other World Computing) has been a Mac accessory staple for decades, known for Mac memory, storage, and docking solutions. The Thunderbolt 4 Dock benefits from OWC’s deep Mac expertise, and it works reliably with macOS Big Sur and later. OWC provides the Dock Ejector utility for macOS, which allows you to safely eject all connected drives with a single click before disconnecting the dock — a thoughtful Mac-specific feature that CalDigit does not offer. OWC also provides firmware updates through the Dock Ejector and Innergize utilities.

Both docks are plug-and-play on Mac with no drivers needed. Both support dual 4K@60Hz on M1 Pro/Max and later. Both handle macOS sleep/wake cycles well, though occasional display reconnection issues after sleep have been reported for both (a common Thunderbolt dock behavior on macOS).

Mac compatibility winner: Tie. Both brands deliver outstanding Mac support. CalDigit has a slight edge in firmware update speed; OWC offers the Dock Ejector utility. Either dock will serve Mac users exceptionally well.

Windows and Cross-Platform Compatibility

Both docks work on Windows 10 and later without drivers. Neither dock is specifically optimized for Windows enterprise environments the way Dell or Lenovo docks are, but both function reliably.

The CalDigit TS4 also supports ChromeOS (on Thunderbolt-equipped Chromebooks) and Linux, with broad community-reported compatibility. The OWC dock similarly supports ChromeOS and has basic Linux functionality, though OWC does not officially support Linux.

Windows/cross-platform winner: Tie. Neither dock is Windows-optimized, but both work well across platforms.

Pricing and Value

This is where the decision gets interesting. The CalDigit TS4 at $379.99 MSRP is $130.99 more than the OWC Thunderbolt 4 Dock at $249.00. That is a 53% price premium. Is it justified?

What You Get for the Extra $131

• 7 additional ports (18 vs 11)
• 3 USB-C 3.2 ports (the OWC has none beyond TB4)
• 2 additional USB-A 3.2 ports with higher charging power
• 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet vs 1 Gigabit
• A dedicated DisplayPort 1.4 output (saves ~$15 on an adapter)
• A microSD card reader (saves ~$10 on an adapter)
• 2 additional audio jacks (dedicated headphone + mic outputs)
• A full aluminum enclosure vs partial aluminum

What the OWC Dock Delivers at $249

• Three Thunderbolt 4 downstream ports (same as the TS4)
• 96W Power Delivery (virtually identical to the TS4’s 98W)
• UHS-II SD card reader at 312 MB/s
• Dual 4K@60Hz display support
• Gigabit Ethernet
• 3.5mm combo audio jack
• OWC Dock Ejector utility for Mac
• Compact form factor

If you look at it from a per-port perspective: the CalDigit TS4 costs about $21 per port, while the OWC dock costs about $22.64 per port. The TS4 actually delivers slightly better per-port value despite the higher total price.

Both docks go on sale regularly. The CalDigit TS4 often drops to $299-329, and the OWC dock can be found for $199-219. At sale prices, the gap narrows to $80-110, making the TS4 an even more compelling upgrade.

For another comparison in this price range, see how the CalDigit TS4 stacks up against the enterprise-focused Dell WD22TB4.

Value winner: Both have strong value propositions. The OWC dock is the better buy if you primarily need Thunderbolt 4 connectivity with essential ports at a lower price. The CalDigit TS4 is the better buy if you need a fully loaded dock and will use the extra ports, faster Ethernet, and additional card reader.

Verdict: CalDigit TS4 Wins, But the OWC Is No Slouch

The CalDigit TS4 is the better dock overall. It offers significantly more ports, faster Ethernet, better audio connectivity, a dedicated video output, and a microSD reader — all wrapped in a premium aluminum chassis. It is the most complete Thunderbolt 4 dock you can buy, and it earns our top recommendation for anyone who wants the best single-cable desktop experience.

But the OWC Thunderbolt 4 Dock deserves serious consideration. It matches the TS4 on the features that matter most to many users — three Thunderbolt 4 downstream ports, near-identical power delivery, a UHS-II SD reader, and outstanding Mac compatibility — at $130 less. For users who connect a keyboard, a mouse, one or two monitors, and maybe an external drive, the OWC dock has everything they need without paying for ports they will never use.

Choose the CalDigit TS4 if:

• You want the maximum number of ports in a single dock
• You need 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet for NAS or fast LAN transfers
• You use microSD cards (drones, action cameras, some smartphones)
• You want dedicated headphone and microphone jacks
• You prefer a built-in DisplayPort to avoid adapter shopping
• You want the most premium build quality available

Choose the OWC Thunderbolt 4 Dock if:

• You want strong Thunderbolt 4 connectivity at a lower price
• Three TB4 downstream ports and 96W charging meet your needs
• You do not need 2.5GbE, microSD, or extensive USB-C connectivity
• You prefer a more compact dock for a smaller desk
• You want the OWC Dock Ejector utility for easy Mac drive management
• You are saving the $130 difference for other desk accessories (like monitor adapters or a better keyboard)

For the full individual breakdowns, read our CalDigit TS4 review and OWC Thunderbolt 4 Dock review. To explore all the docking stations we cover and find the best fit for your setup, visit our homepage or browse our docking station buying guide.