The new Mac mini looks lovely, with its sleek shell and small footprint. Just one problem - there are no ports on the front. You can fix that with a dock for your Mac mini. They're like plinths that you can sit your Mac on, and hold all the front-facing ports you could ever want. Some have SSD and HDD mounts on the inside as well, so you can upgrade the storage of your Mac mini without having to take up one of your USB ports with an external hard drive, or like, buy a new one.
There are loads of these docks out there, and working out which ones are the best can be a bit of an ordeal. Worry not - we know our way around a Mac mini dock or two, and we've found the best out there. It's worth mentioning that the new Mac mini is a tiny bit bigger than the old model, so while all these docks will fit, there may be a little overhang. Unfortunately, there aren't any brand-new ones that we can find, but as soon as we spot them, we'll let you know.
Best docks for Mac Mini 2023
You can always trust iMore. Our team of Apple experts have years of experience testing all kinds of tech and gadgets, so you can be sure our recommendations and criticisms are accurate and helpful. Find out more about how we test.
Quick List
Best overall
This dock is made in the same aluminum finish as the Mac mini itself and gives you a bunch of extra ports. There are three extra USB ports for the front a pair of SD card slots, and a USB C port. The cool part is that there are two slots for extra storage underneath. Hidden below there is space for an SSD and a mini hard drive, so you can get a few extra gigs for your files.
Best Vertical
This stand will save you some horizontal space by putting your Mac mini vertically. You also get some extra ports, like three extra USB ports, a USB C port, a headphone jack, and a pair of SD card slots. There's a power button on the side as well, so you won't have to reach around the back of the machine to turn it on. It should help with cooling too.
Best M.2 compatibility
This dock matches the finish of the Mac mini that you'll be plonking on top, and has a specific slot underneath to stick an M.2 SSD drive. The bottom is plastic, and it has little rubber feet to stop it from slipping around on the desk. The divet in the top means that the Mac mini sits properly, and it leaves a line around the bottom so there's still room for cooling.
Slimmest
This dock is a little different, in that it sits on top of your Mac mini rather than the other way round. It comes with a whole bunch of ports, like three USB A ports, SD card slots and a USB C socket. It comes in Space Gray or Aluminum, so there's one to match your Mac. There's even a sneaky little hard drive inside, for some hidden extra storage.
Best for multiple devices
This is another dock that holds the Mac mini in a vertical orientation, but it comes with extra goodies on top of the extra ports and a m.2 SSD slot. There's a spot to put your iPhone, so you only need one stand on your desk. It also means you can plug your iPhone in to charge more easily, and then leave it in standby mode like a desk clock.
Best for mini and Studio
This docking station is designed to be used with both the Mac mini and the bigger Mac Studio. There's an HDMI port here in addition to the USB ports and the now requisite SD card slots. There's also a hard drive cage inside to extend that storage, and the whole thing sits on vibration-dampening rubber feet so there won't be any moving about.
Dock that Mac mini
If you've picked up a Mac mini recently, you'll notice that it doesn't have any ports on the front. There are plenty on the back, but those are a pain to get to when it's sitting on your desk, sometimes slightly out of arm's reach. One of these docks will make it a little easier to plug stuff in, as well as give you more ports.
The best in our minds on this list is the Satechi Dock. It's made of aluminum and has a cooling divet for the Mac mini to sit in. You'll get all the ports you could want, as well as a couple more on the back. You can even add storage with the SSD slot in the bottom. The feet will stop it from sliding around your desk as well, so everything is covered.
There are other docks for the best Macs as well. Maybe you want to find one of the best USB hubs for Mac, or even one of the best USB hubs for the MacBook Pro, so there's one that fits with your MacBook.
Q&A
Can a Mac mini use a docking station?
Yes, it can — thanks to its USB-C ports, it can connect to any USB docking station that support Apple M-series chips. These docks are all designed with the Mac mini in mind, so they use design elements of the machine to work well on your desk and better blend in to your setup.
