512GB is the minimum for a MacBook Air today.

Probably not. 256GB fills up fast once you install modern apps, macOS updates, and any files. Unless you live entirely in the cloud and never download anything, you’ll be fighting for space within a year.

Apple’s 256GB SSD is also noticeably slower than the 512GB drive on the Air. It’s not just capacity – the 256GB uses fewer NAND chips, which means lower read/write speeds. You lose performance and space.

If budget is the issue, consider an external SSD or cloud storage later. But the $200 upgrade now saves you headaches down the road. You can’t upgrade the internal storage after purchase.

Future you will thank you for the extra room.