Comparison
A bus-powered 8-in-1 hub at 125 g against a powered Thunderbolt 4 dock at 0.64 kg, compared on the recorded ports, Ethernet, charging and power source.
An 8-in-1 bus-powered USB-C hub providing HDMI, Ethernet, SD and microSD readers, USB-A and USB-C data ports and pass-through power delivery.
Full product researchA hub and a dock solve the same problem for a laptop that has too few ports, and they solve it in ways that do not overlap. The Anker 555 is a bus-powered 8-in-1 USB-C hub providing HDMI, Ethernet, SD and microSD readers, USB-A and USB-C data ports and pass-through power delivery. The CalDigit TS4 is a Thunderbolt 4 dock with 18 ports, up to 98 W of laptop charging, 2.5 GbE Ethernet and an external power supply.
The difference that matters first is not the port count. It is where the device lives. The Anker is bus-powered, which means it draws what it needs from the laptop it is plugged into and travels in the same bag. The TS4 needs an external power supply, which means it stays on the desk. Almost every other recorded difference follows from that one.
Every value here comes from the specifications recorded against each product, and each carries the manufacturer page it was read from. Nothing was measured for this page, so there are no claims about transfer speeds in practice, heat, or how many displays a particular laptop will actually drive.
Power source. The TS4 records an external power supply, and powered dock appears in its recorded feature list. The Anker's recorded description calls it bus-powered. A bus-powered hub competes with the laptop for charge, because the laptop's own charger is already dividing power between the screen, the processor and the battery. A dock with its own supply does not.
Ports. The Anker records 8-in-1, which its description expands to HDMI, Ethernet, SD and microSD readers, USB-A and USB-C data ports and pass-through power delivery. The TS4 records 18 ports, and its recorded USB ports specification lists 3 Thunderbolt 4 at 40 Gb/s, 3 USB-C and 5 USB-A at 10 Gb/s. Port count on its own says little about which ports are present, and the gap between eight and eighteen is the gap between a travel kit and a desk.
Display output. The Anker records one HDMI port and states that the hub carries no display over the USB-C ports, and its recorded HDMI output is up to 4K at 30 Hz while the product page lists 4K at 60 Hz, a point the catalogue records as conflicting. The TS4 records up to 8K on one display on compatible Windows computers, up to 6K on macOS, and dual 6K on Apple M1 Pro and M1 Max, with multiple display support in its recorded feature list.
Ethernet and data speed. The Anker records 1 GbE Ethernet with wired Ethernet in its recorded feature list, and a recorded USB data speed of up to 10 Gbps across the USB-C and USB-A data ports. The TS4 records 2.5 GbE Ethernet and the faster Thunderbolt 4 links above. Both handle ordinary office traffic; the difference matters when large files move across the network.
Laptop charging and card readers. The Anker records power delivery pass-through of up to 85 W input, with the recorded note that the laptop charging wattage depends on the hub draw, and a recorded card reader of SD and microSD at UHS-I. The TS4 records laptop charging of up to 98 W and recorded card readers of SD 4.0 and microSD 4.0 at UHS-II. The two charging figures are not directly comparable, because the Anker's number describes an input ceiling and the TS4's describes delivered charging, but a laptop with a larger charger is better served by the dock.
Size. The Anker records 121 by 55 by 15.3 mm and a weight of 4.4 oz, 125 g. The TS4 records 141 by 42 by 113 mm and a weight of 0.64 kg. That is the difference between an accessory and a piece of desk furniture.
Choose the Anker 555 if the laptop travels with you, the set of ports you need is small and known, and you would rather not carry a power brick. Its recorded card reader, its recorded 1 GbE Ethernet and its single recorded HDMI port cover a travelling setup.
Choose the CalDigit TS4 if the laptop lives on one desk, the port count is a daily problem, and you want the dock to charge the laptop at the recorded 98 W while also carrying the recorded 2.5 GbE Ethernet, the recorded Thunderbolt 4 ports and the recorded multiple display support. It is a permanent fixture and should be chosen as one.
It does not settle price, because no price is recorded for either product. It does not settle how many external displays either one will drive with a specific laptop, because that depends on the laptop. It does not settle the Anker's HDMI output, because the catalogue records 4K at 30 Hz against a product page listing 4K at 60 Hz as a conflict. It settles power source, port count, recorded Ethernet speed, recorded charging figures and recorded size, which is enough to decide whether the purchase is a travel accessory or a desk fixture.
Methodology
How the products below were evaluated and chosen.
What this comparison settles
It settles the recorded power source, port count, recorded HDMI and display support, recorded Ethernet speed, recorded charging figures, recorded size and recorded card readers of both devices. It does not settle price, availability, how many displays a particular laptop will drive, or the Anker's HDMI output, because the catalogue records that as conflicting. What it does settle is whether the purchase is a travel accessory or a desk fixture.
At a glance
Values come from the structured product database, not from prose.
| Attribute | Anker 555 USB-C Hub | CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt Station |
|---|---|---|
| Port count | 8-in-1 | 18 ports |
| Display support | One HDMI port. The hub carries no display over the USB-C ports | Up to 8K on one display on compatible Windows computers, up to 6K on macOS, dual 6K on Apple M1 Pro and M1 Max |
| Ethernet | 1 GbE | 2.5 GbE |
| Laptop charging | Up to 85 W input, the laptop charging wattage depends on the hub draw | Up to 98 W |
| Power source | Bus-powered | External power supply |
Scroll the table sideways to see every product.
Differences
The differences that change the buying decision.
Where the device lives: bus powered against an external power supply
The Anker 555's recorded description calls it bus-powered, and the TS4 records an external power supply with powered dock in its recorded feature list. A bus-powered hub competes with the laptop for charge, a dock with its own supply does not, and that difference decides where each one belongs.
Ports: 8-in-1 against 18
The Anker records 8-in-1, which its description expands to HDMI, Ethernet, SD and microSD readers, USB-A and USB-C data ports and pass-through power delivery. The TS4 records 18 ports, including 3 Thunderbolt 4 at 40 Gb/s, 3 USB-C and 5 USB-A at 10 Gbps. The count alone says little, but the gap between eight and eighteen is real.
Display output: one HDMI port against multiple display support
The Anker records one HDMI port and states that it carries no display over the USB-C ports, and its recorded HDMI output is conflicting: up to 4K at 30 Hz while the product page lists 4K at 60 Hz. The TS4 records up to 8K on one display on compatible Windows computers, up to 6K on macOS and dual 6K on Apple M1 Pro and M1 Max.
Ethernet: 1 GbE against 2.5 GbE
Both record wired Ethernet. The Anker records 1 GbE and a USB data speed of up to 10 Gbps across its USB-C and USB-A data ports. The TS4 records 2.5 GbE and 3 Thunderbolt 4 links at 40 Gb/s. Both handle ordinary office traffic; the difference matters when large files cross the network.
Charging: up to 85 W of pass-through input against up to 98 W of laptop charging
The Anker records power delivery pass-through of up to 85 W input, with the recorded note that the laptop charging wattage depends on the hub draw. The TS4 records laptop charging of up to 98 W. The figures are not directly comparable, because one describes an input ceiling and the other a delivered output.
Size: 125 g against 0.64 kg
The Anker records 121 by 55 by 15.3 mm and a weight of 4.4 oz, 125 g. The TS4 records 141 by 42 by 113 mm and a weight of 0.64 kg. That is the difference between an accessory and a piece of desk furniture.
Products
Why it is here: The subject of this comparison. Its recorded bus-powered 8-in-1 port list, 1 GbE Ethernet, 85 W pass-through input and 125 g weight mark it as the portable option, where the TS4 records an external power supply.
Port count: 8-in-1
Why it is here: The desk dock. Its recorded Thunderbolt 4 protocol, 18 ports, 2.5 GbE Ethernet, up to 98 W of laptop charging, multiple display support and 0.64 kg weight mark it as the permanently installed option.
Protocol: Thunderbolt 4
Fit
Each product is matched to the reader who should pick it, and to the reader who should not.
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Context
What bus power costs
Recorded bus power is what lets the hub travel in a laptop bag, and the recorded 8-in-1 list covers the accessories a thin laptop is most often missing. The cost is a shared bandwidth ceiling, a single recorded HDMI port, and a pass-through charging figure that depends on what else the hub is drawing.What an external power supply costs
The recorded external power supply is what makes 18 ports, up to 98 W of laptop charging, 2.5 GbE Ethernet and multiple display support possible at the same time. The cost is that the dock stays on one desk, since it needs a cable to a wall and a place to be plugged in.FAQ
The recorded port list is 8-in-1, which its description expands to HDMI, Ethernet, SD and microSD readers, USB-A and USB-C data ports and pass-through power delivery.
Source:Anker 555 hub page
No. Its recorded description calls it bus-powered, so it draws what it needs from the laptop it is plugged into and travels in the same bag as the laptop.
Source:Anker 555 hub page
The recorded port count is 18 ports, and the recorded USB ports specification breaks them down as 3 Thunderbolt 4 at 40 Gb/s, 3 USB-C and 5 USB-A at 10 Gb/s.
Source:CalDigit TS4 specifications
Yes. The recorded power source is an external power supply, and powered dock appears in its recorded feature list.
Source:CalDigit TS4 specifications
The CalDigit TS4 records 2.5 GbE Ethernet. The Anker 555 records 1 GbE. Both are wired connections, and the difference matters when large files move across the network.
Source:CalDigit TS4 specifications
Up to 98 W. That is the recorded laptop charging figure, and it is the reason the dock records an external power supply.
Source:CalDigit TS4 specifications
Keep researching
The recorded alternative to the Anker 555 is the CalDigit TS4, a Thunderbolt 4 dock with 18 ports, 2.5 GbE and up to 98 W of laptop charging, which.
No. The Anker 555 carries display over HDMI only, and the manufacturer states that the USB-C ports do not carry a display signal.
The Anker 555 USB-C Hub is an 8-in-1 bus-powered hub with HDMI, Ethernet, SD and microSD readers and up to 85 W of power pass-through.
