Compared to many tech products, Apple devices hold their value extremely well. Of course, they tend to cost quite a bit in the first place, which balances everything out a bit.

This ability to hold value makes Apple products useful even when it comes time to upgrade. The problem comes when you need to decide where to go? The Apple trade-in program, GiveBack, lets you trade devices in for credit toward a new one. On the other hand, a site like Mac of All Trades instead promises cold hard cash.

Which one is right for you? There are a few factors to consider that may help make that decision.

Can You Trust Mac of All Trades?

If Apple didn't give customers a fair deal when they turned in their computers, word of mouth would spread fairly quickly. With a smaller company like Mac of All Trades, we can't entirely rely on word of mouth. Fortunately, the company seems to be on the up and up.

Mac of All Trades has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. The company also has a positive rating of 3.5 stars. Considering far more customers tend to leave reviews if they have a poor experience than a good one, that's not a bad score.

Look at Why You're Selling

Before you decide which company to use to sell your Mac, iPhone, or another piece of Apple hardware, you need to know why you're doing it. The Apple trade-in program is just that: a trade-in option for a new device. Meanwhile, you get more flexibility with Mac of All Trades.

If you're getting rid of your iPhone to trade up to the newest model, it might make more sense to go with Apple. For those considering this path, you might want to instead look at Apple's iPhone Upgrade program, which lets you get your hands on a new model every year. Get a new iPhone and recycle your old one. It's simple.

On the other hand, if you're looking to buy something else or just need cash, Mac of All Trades makes more sense. If you want to sell a MacBook Pro, sell your old iPhone, or sell an Apple Watch, this is also safer than selling on a site like eBay, since you don't have to worry about getting scammed.

How Much Can You Get From Apple?

With the Apple GiveBack trade-in program, you get a gift card to spend in the Apple Store. You can use this for anything, so you don't need to trade in a MacBook Pro to save on a new MacBook Pro, for example. Combining your gift card with Apple hardware discounts can net you some serious savings.

Of course, the value of your gift card depends on what you're trading in. To get specifics, you'll need to know the exact model number and/or specs of what you're trading in. That said, the site provides a rough idea of just how much you can save through the Apple buyback program.

Of course, a computer is the most valuable item you can trade in. Apple will credit you for up to $1,100 on a Mac trade-in. As you can imagine, this would only be for the highest-end hardware the company offers.

An iPhone trade-in will get you up to $500 in gift card credit, while an iPad trade-in can get you as much as $405. As you may imagine, an Apple Watch trade-in is less lucrative, getting you a maximum credit of $191.

For older devices and items like an iPod or Apple TV, you won't get any money, but you can send them in to Apple to recycle them.

How Much Can You Get From Mac of All Trades?

When you head to Mac of All Trades to sell your Mac, you'll actually go to a separate part of the company. This division also has a cute name: Mac Me an Offer.

Compared to Apple, Mac of All Trades accepts a much larger variety of hardware. This means it also potentially offers much more money.

Computers

The trade-in value for a top-of-the-line 2013 Mac Pro is roughly $1,925. Meanwhile, you can sell your iMac Retina 5K for $1,160.

A top-of-the-line MacBook Pro can also get you a lot of cash, with the maxed-out 2018 Core i9 model fetching an estimated $1,680. Even the most recent MacBook Air will fetch a fair price at $655 in perfect working order.

There are some items that Mac of All Trades doesn't accept. An old 17-inch MacBook Pro from 2009 or earlier won't get you anything, for example.

iPhone and iPad

You can sell an old iPhone for a good price too. A 51 GB iPhone XS will get you $880. You probably won't want to sell one of them anytime soon, but even a 256GB iPhone 7 Plus will fetch $270.

Mac of All Trades accepts iPads for a good price too. While the company won't take the original iPad, you can trade in the fairly dated 16GB iPad Air for $100. Looking at a newer iPad, trade-in value for a Wi-Fi-only 512GB 10.5-inch iPad Pro is a respectable $405.

Apple Watch and Accessories

If you're looking to sell your Apple Watch, you'll only get $20 for the Series 1. That said, if you want to sell your Series 3 Apple Watch to upgrade to a Series 4, you can get $125 for it.

Did you recently buy a smart TV and find you're not using your Apple TV much anymore? You won't get rich from it, but you can sell the 64GB Apple TV 4K for $70.

Looking to Buy Apple Products Instead of Sell?

What if you're not selling off old devices, but instead are looking to buy some new or at least nearly new tech? A lot of the same advice here applies to buying just as well as it does to selling.

Both Apple and Mac of All Trades sell refurbished Macs, iPhones, iPads, and even Apple Watches. They often come in such good condition that you can't even tell they were refurbished.

Apple's stock tends to rotate, so you might have to wait a while to get what you're looking for. It's also priced on the higher side. If you're looking to buy a MacBook Pro on the cheap, Mac of All Trades is your best bet. Whichever route you pick, follow our tips for saving money when you buy a MacBook.