A complete desk comparison
CalDigit TS4 vs TS5 vs TS5 Plus: which fits your desk?
Choose the CalDigit TS4 for its bank of USB-A connections and built-in DisplayPort, the TS5 when three downstream Thunderbolt sockets matter more, or the TS5 Plus when a supported desk needs both many ordinary USB sockets and 10 Gb Ethernet. Start with the computer and the devices you will connect at the same time. The newest model name does not settle that choice.
The screen cables can decide the better layout
The TS4 provides DisplayPort and two downstream Thunderbolt 4 sockets. The TS5 provides three downstream Thunderbolt 5 sockets, with no built-in DisplayPort or HDMI output. The TS5 Plus combines DisplayPort with two downstream Thunderbolt 5 sockets. A host connection occupies another Thunderbolt socket on each dock; it is not a spare device connection.
For a desk with a suitable DisplayPort monitor and several ordinary peripherals, the built-in output can simplify cabling. A desk with USB-C or Thunderbolt monitors may benefit from the TS5's three downstream connections. Existing HDMI monitors need the appropriate adapters on these models. In particular, CalDigit specifies an active adapter when converting the TS5 Plus DisplayPort output to HDMI. Include the adapters and their physical space in your comparison.
A downstream Thunderbolt socket used by a directly attached monitor is occupied. On a supported TS5 arrangement with three directly connected screens, those three sockets are not also available for three separate storage devices. Dedicated USB data sockets remain a separate resource. Write down the complete desk before deciding that a connection total is sufficient.
Count the USB-A devices you want to leave plugged in
The TS4 offers five dedicated 10 Gbps USB-A sockets. TS5 Plus also provides five. TS5 has two USB-A sockets, of which one is 10 Gbps and the other is USB 2.0. That slower socket can make sense for a keyboard or mouse, but it does not satisfy the same storage requirement as another 10 Gbps connection.
If two drives need USB-A connections advertised at 10 Gbps, the TS5's ordinary Type-A layout does not provide that pair. Having more Thunderbolt sockets does not change the plug on the cables you intended to use. You may be able to redesign the connection arrangement with suitable equipment, but compare that actual arrangement rather than counting unlike sockets as substitutes.
The dedicated USB-C data sockets are also distinct from display-capable Thunderbolt sockets: three on TS4, three on TS5 and five on the current TS5 Plus specification. These ordinary data sockets do not become monitor outputs. Their 10 Gbps USB specification is not a 20 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 claim, and none of these connection labels is a measured copying speed.
The computer still sets the useful display ceiling
Do not buy a triple- or quad-screen setup solely from the dock's connector layout. CalDigit's current compatibility charts distinguish base, Pro, Max and Ultra Mac chips, the base M3 closed-lid case, and supported Windows Thunderbolt arrangements. A compatible Thunderbolt 4 host does not gain every Thunderbolt 5 display capability by using a newer dock.
For the documented TS5 and TS5 Plus routes, supported M5 Pro arrangements can use three screens. The M5 Max four-screen arrangement requires a suitable Thunderbolt display chain; the fourth screen is not a fourth directly available dock socket. Verify the exact monitors, downstream connections, resolution and refresh rate. A generic USB-C monitor with one input does not supply the missing chain capability.
Use the finder with your actual computer, protocol, screen count and data-port requirements. If the setup requires a qualified Thunderbolt chain, confirm that separately. This keeps a special display arrangement from being presented as an ordinary plug-in promise.
A faster network port has host conditions
TS4 and TS5 provide 2.5 Gb Ethernet. TS5 Plus provides a 10 Gb Ethernet interface. The network at the other end, cabling, computer path and transfer destination still determine the useful result; the port label does not promise that your internet connection or NAS will reach that rate.
PCIe tunneling matters here. CalDigit's ordinary USB-C fallback on TS4 and TS5 does not retain their PCIe-connected Ethernet function. TS5 Plus excludes ordinary USB-C hosts altogether and requires the documented PCIe support on USB4 hosts for its full controller and network arrangement. A Type-C-shaped plug or unspecified USB4 label does not establish that support. Windows TS5 Plus users also need the documented Ethernet driver, which matters on a managed computer where installing software is restricted.
Compare laptop power, not the number on the power brick
TS4 supplies up to 98 W to a suitable laptop. TS5 and TS5 Plus specify up to 140 W. These host limits are different from the total rating of the supplied power adapter and from accessory charging at a downstream socket. A self-powered desktop Mac does not receive laptop charging through its dock cable.
All three are powered desktop arrangements, so allow room for their supply and cable routing. For an existing desk, trace the screen cables, fast drives, card readers, network and laptop charging requirement first. Choose the model that accommodates that complete arrangement with acceptable changes. That is a stronger reason to upgrade than the generation number alone.
Sources: CalDigit TS4 specifications, TS5 specifications, TS5 Plus specifications and the current Mac display charts. This is a comparison of documented arrangements, without hands-on performance or reliability claims.