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Buying a laptop doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. In a world where we spend a lot of our online time on smartphones and tablets, a laptop may not need to be the most important or most expensive device you own. A good budget laptop can do most of the things you need a computer to do, for much less than a thousand dollars.
Budget laptops vary in definition, but generally they’re laptops that cost between $200 and $600. They don’t have the highest-quality screens, and they don’t have the latest or fastest processors. Most ship with low amounts of memory and storage. But they can be enough to browse the web, write emails, use Google Docs or Office, and stream videos or shows. Given enough memory, some can be almost as good as a mainstream laptop.
The BestReviews Testing Lab checked out several sub-$1,000 laptops, putting them through a series of tests to nail down exactly what to expect from this class of computer. Our top editors’ pick is the HP 15.6-Inch Touchscreen Laptop, offering a solid amount of performance at an attractive price.
Editors’ Favorite
RAM: 8GB | Storage: 512GB | Processor (CPU): AMD Ryzen 5 | Display: 15.6-inch touchscreen HD (1366 x 768) LCD | Battery Life: 10 hrs
Our editors’ pick as the best budget laptop goes to the HP 15.6-inch Laptop with the Ryzen 5 processor and a touchscreen display. It’s got enough built-in memory, storage and processing power to be a worthwhile mid-tier laptop for anyone on a constrained budget.
From HP’s 15-fcxxxx family, it runs on a four-core AMD Ryzen 5 processor, which is powerful enough for most everyday computing tasks. Multi-tabbed browsing, word processing and using other office software, and media consumption are no issue. It comes with 8GB of memory, an acceptable baseline, and 512GB of storage, good for TV and other video downloads.
The HP 15 has a wide touchscreen with HD resolution, so you don’t actually get a lot of real estate to work with, just bigger text. Having a touchscreen can be convenient, however, and it’s reasonably bright at 250 nits maximum. HP promises more than 10 hours of battery life per charge, or enough for a full day’s work.
Great Value
RAM: 16GB | Storage: 384GB | Processor (CPU): Intel N150 | Display: 14-inch HD (1366x768) LCD | Battery Life: 11 hr
The old adage about computers is true: The more memory it has, the better it runs. We reconfirmed that when we tested the HP N150 14-Inch Laptop for this buying guide. Our review model, souped up with 16GB of memory, was what we’d consider a solid baseline for a usable modern budget computer.
The HP Laptop 14 (model 14-dq6011dx — HP is not known for poetic model names) is a barebones budget computer with an Intel N150 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 128GB eMMC storage module. You can, however, get them maxed out with 16GB of RAM and an additional SDXC memory card for storage, like we did. Doing so provided us with a fully functional budget device. It comes with Windows 11 in S mode.
We found the HP Laptop 14 to make the most of its basic, plasticky build, with an appealing black bezel around the 14-inch HD display. Battery life is estimated at 11 hours, but we only got 7.5 hours during our battery drain test. We could multitask reasonably well, with six tabs open in Chrome plus Word, Outlook and File Explorer. It isn’t an outstanding machine by any means, but it’s small, usable and impressively low in price, making it a great choice for a budget laptop.
Best for Students
RAM: 8 GB | Storage: 256 GB | Processor (CPU): AMD Ryzen 3 | Display: 15.6-inch touchscreen HD (1366 x 768) LCD | Battery Life: 12 hrs
A slightly junior model to our top pick, the HP 15.6-Inch Laptop with the Ryzen 3 processor provides enough power for students to use in conducting web research and writing papers, while managing not to strain their budgets or parents’ wallets.
This model HP laptop (model 15-fc0399nr) is the same in many respects as our top pick, except with an AMD Ryzen 3 processor that’s slightly slower and less agile than the Ryzen 5, and lower built-in storage at 256GB. It has the same 15.6-inch LCD touchscreen at HD resolution, so not the sharpest or most generous, but convenient and affordable.
Battery life is longer than the Ryzen 5 model, at 12 hours compared to 10 hours, great for pulling all-nighters before midterms or finals. Both models have USB 3.0-speed ports for flash drives and accessories, and both have HD 720p webcams for videoconferencing or streaming.
RAM: 8 GB LPDDR5 | Storage: 128 GB NVMe SSD | Processor (CPU): AMD Ryzen 3 7320U (quad core) | Display: 15.6″ Full HD IPS | Battery Life: 9 to 11 hours typical use
The Acer Aspire 3 A315-24P is a budget-friendly gem that refuses to act cheap. With a Ryzen 3 chip and 8 GB of LPDDR5, it handles web browsing, Office work, and Zoom calls with confidence. The 15.6″ IPS screen brings crisp colors and comfortable viewing, though it won't impress creative professionals.
Battery life is a pleasant surprise, often stretching through a full workday. The chassis is simple and lightweight, though the plastic build feels basic. The keyboard is comfortable, and the port selection is practical and sufficient. It’s the kind of laptop that proves you don't need to overspend to get something dependable and capable.
Best Big-Screen Laptop
RAM: 16GB | Storage: 512GB | Processor (CPU): AMD Ryzen AI 5 | Display: 16-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) LCD | Battery Life: 9 hr
Budget laptops, even those with 15-inch screens, can feel a little cramped due to the lower resolutions and high default zooms they offer. Not so the ASUS Vivobook 16. This all-around winner offers a roomy yet affordable FHD display that gives you plenty of workspace for all your apps.
The ASUS Vivobook 16’s display isn’t OLED, and its color accuracy is only 45% NTSC, so it’s not great for color accurate work. But it’s bright, sharp and spacious, and we had no issues with its performance during testing. Its Ryzen AI 5 processor with 50 TOPS handled Copilot requests and image generation with reasonable speed, and it shipped with a working preview of Microsoft’s Recall backup feature.
We found the Vivobook 16 to provide just over 9 hours of battery life in our battery drain test. It’s sturdily built and nimble enough for most productivity tasks, but not for any high-end gaming.
Best for Working from Home
RAM: 32GB | Storage: 1TB | Processor (CPU): Intel Core Ultra 9 | Display: 16" WQXGA+ (2880 x 1800) OLED | Battery Life: 8 hrs
It may be a stretch to call the Acer Swift Go 16 a budget laptop, considering our fully-outfitted model breaks the thousand-dollar mark. But its benefits and capabilities are readily apparent. It’s an excellent mainstream computer for anyone looking for a Windows laptop.
The Swift Go 16 family features Intel i5, Ultra 5 and Ultra 9 processors, with 10 to 16 cores each, and memory from 8 to 32GB, so there is plenty of power for almost any productivity app. In fact, in our testing, the only thing it couldn’t do particularly well was run a high-end game. Everything else, it handled capably. A Copilot PC, it offers 99 TOPS. Among its built-in AI capabilities was an effective noise-reduction feature for chatting.
Our test machine was equipped with a dazzling 16-inch OLED screen, the best we’d seen in this round of testing, with the truly dark blacks and infinite contrast only an OLED panel can provide. All this power and screen size came at a price: During a battery drain test, our Swift Go 16 could only manage 5.5 hours of nonstop video playback.
Best for Portability
RAM: 32 GB | Storage: 1 TB | Processor (CPU): Intel Core i3 11th-gen | Display: 15.6-inch HD (1366x768) touchscreen LCD | Battery Life: 11 hrs
A great way to get value in a budget laptop is to check out third-party sellers who soup up the products they buy. The HP Pavilion 15.6-Inch HD Anti-Glare Laptop is a great example, with 32GB of memory and 1TB of storage for less than $600.
This HP laptop sports a 15.6-inch touchscreen with HD (1366 by 768 pixels) resolution, nothing particularly impressive but solid and convenient, and comes in an antiglare option for added comfort and visibility. It runs on an 11th-generation Intel core i3 processor, which is ideal for basic everyday tasks. A light-colored keyboard with numeric keypad makes it suitable for light bookkeeping and basic business tasks as well.
Its added memory and storage let it work much better than its hardware would indicate. It comes with an 11-hour battery life, and it’s preinstalled with Windows 11. It weighs less than 4 pounds.
Best 2-in-1 Laptop
RAM: 8 GB | Storage: 512 GB | Processor (CPU): Intel Core i5 | Display: 14-inch WUXGA+ (1920 x 1200) touchscreen LCD | Battery Life: 9 hrs
A convertible laptop, that transforms from a conventional laptop to a tablet, doesn’t have to be one that’s expensive. There are many budget-priced convertible laptops, including the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i.
The IdeaPad Flex 5i runs on a 10-core, 12-thread Intel Core i5 processor. It’s equipped with 8GB of memory, and this model comes with a roomy 512GB of storage. Its defining feature, of course, is its glossy, 14-inch WUXGA+ touchscreen display, which flips all the way around to act as a full-fledged tablet surface when necessary. Aside from tablet and standard mode, you can use it in stand mode for video watching, or tent mode for presentations.
The Flex 5i has a backlit keyboard, Thunderbolt 4 and USB 3.2-speed ports, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2, so it’s up to date on many standards. This model comes with a stylus to take advantage of its tablet capabilities. Note that it ships in Windows 11 S mode, which limits software installs.
Best Chromebook
RAM: 8 GB | Storage: 128 GB | Processor (CPU): Intel core i3 | Display: 16-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) LCD | Battery Life: 12 hrs
Chromebooks have come a long way from their rather rudimentary beginnings, but they still run fast and lean on the web-based ChromeOS platform. Acer’s Chromebook Plus 516, with its big screen and impressive internals, is almost more machine than ChromeOS needs.
The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 runs on an Intel Core i3 processor and comes with 8GB of memory. That’s a baseline setup for a Windows machine, but on ChromeOS it’s plenty. We had as many as 20 tabs open simultaneously in the main Chrome window, including media-heavy sites with both Google Docs and web-based Office on, and we noted no slowdowns or lag.
Its FHD (1920 by 1200 pixels) display was roomy and sharp, although the colors were somewhat oversaturated. We had no trouble using ChromeOS to copy and play media files or do other desktop-style housekeeping tasks. Battery life is rated at 12 hours, but we got nine hours in our battery drain test.
Gemini, Google’s AI, was integrated into the Chromebook Plus 516, and we had no trouble using it to generate text and images, answer queries and do background editing in Google Photos. The only drawback to this machine, in fact, is that it’s still a Chromebook, so it won’t run non-Web apps. But if you can get away with using only Chrome or Web versions of apps, it’s a great midtier, low-cost option.
Best Affordable MacBook
RAM: 16 GB | Storage: 256 GB | Processor (CPU): Apple M4 | Display: 13.6-inch Liquid Retina (2560-by-1664) IPS LCD | Battery Life: 15 hrs
Apple Macs have a reputation of being the opposite of “budget” computers, but in recent years, the MacBook Air has dipped below the $1,000 mark while upping performance at the same time. The 2025 model of the MacBook Air runs on the M4 processor and comes in an alluring new Sky Blue colorway.
Like every Macintosh that runs an Apple M-series processor, the 13-inch 2025 MacBook Air was hardly fazed by anything we threw at it. Its 16GB of RAM was more than enough for Chrome, Safari, Apple apps, Microsoft apps, Adobe apps and more, and only struggled when we tried to run a graphics-intensive game on Steam in emulation. It can run Apple Intelligence, which can be more helpful than you think, especially if you integrate it with ChatGPT.The MacBook Air’s Liquid Retina screen isn’t OLED, but it’s close, and we can’t fault its color accuracy or sharpness. Its only fault is its size: we found 13 inches a little too small for a full workload with multiple windows and tabs. It also has the same fault as all other MacBooks: limited expansion, with only two USB-C ports and no after-purchase options to increase memory or storage.Other budget laptops we considered
RAM: 16 GB DDR4 | Storage: 1 TB PCIe SSD | Processor (CPU): AMD Ryzen 3 7330U (quad core, up to 4.5 GHz) | Display: 15.6″ Full HD (1920×1080) | Battery Life: Up to 10 hours
The HP 255 G10 is a well-rounded workhorse built to balance business tasks and everyday browsing without breaking a sweat. With 16 GB of RAM and a full terabyte of fast SSD storage, this laptop doesn’t flinch at multitasking or loading large files. The Ryzen 3 7330U processor delivers zippy performance that comfortably edges out older Intel i5s in real-world use.
The 15.6-inch Full HD display is crisp and comfortable for long sessions, though brightness could be stronger in sunny settings. At just under an inch thick, it travels well, and the inclusion of Windows 11 Pro makes it a solid pick for professionals. It’s not flashy, but if you want a reliable daily driver with serious storage and speed, this one is a smart bet.
RAM: 16 GB DDR4 | Storage: 64 GB eMMC + 256 GB SD Card | Processor (CPU): Intel Celeron N4120 (quad core, up to 2.6 GHz) | Display: 14″ HD (1366 × 768) | Battery Life: Up to 10 hours
The HP 14-Inch Premium Laptop keeps things practical with just enough power for students, casual users, or those working on a budget. With 16 GB of RAM and a combo of eMMC and SD storage, it offers more multitasking headroom than many entry-level laptops. The HD display is serviceable for web browsing and videos, though the resolution and brightness may feel limiting for heavy visual work.
The Celeron N4120 chip handles basic computing tasks like document editing, streaming and online classes well enough. Setup is easy, and the inclusion of Office 365 is a welcome bonus. It’s not going to win any speed contests, but if you want something light, affordable, and functional, this HP gets the job done for everyday needs.
RAM: 64 GB DDR4 | Storage: 2 TB PCIe SSD | Processor (CPU): Intel Core i5 (10 cores, up to 4.4 GHz) | Display: 15.6″ HD Touchscreen (1366 × 768)
The HP 15.6-Inch Touchscreen Laptop packs enough firepower to handle serious multitasking, creative workflows, and everyday productivity without flinching. With 64 GB of RAM and a massive 2 TB SSD, it chews through heavy browser sessions, video editing, and office software like a champ. The 10-core i5 processor delivers excellent responsiveness, and Windows 11 Pro keeps everything feeling modern and secure.
While the HD resolution on the touch screen won’t win over graphic designers, it’s perfectly fine for spreadsheets, web work and media. Added features like the numeric keypad, camera privacy shutter, and included Office suite make it even more appealing for students or professionals who want a well-rounded machine. If you're looking for a high-capacity laptop that won't blink when pushed, this one brings a lot to the table.
RAM: 36 GB DDR4 | Storage: 512 GB SSD + 1 TB Cloud Storage | Processor (CPU): Intel Pentium Silver N6000 (quad core, up to 3.0 GHz) | Display: 15.6″ Full HD (1920 × 1080)
The Lenovo Essential IdeaPad is built for users who value space and multitasking without stretching their wallet. With a hefty 36 GB of RAM and a combination of 512 GB SSD plus 1 TB of cloud storage, it offers impressive capacity for everything from spreadsheets to schoolwork. The 15.6-inch Full HD display is crisp enough for most tasks, though not touch-enabled, which may be a deal-breaker for some.
The Intel Pentium Silver processor handles light-to-moderate workloads comfortably, but it's best suited for web browsing, Office apps, and streaming rather than demanding software. Features like Wi-Fi 6, a USB-C port, and Dolby Audio speakers round out a solid value package. It's not flashy, but if you're after storage, memory, and daily usability on a budget, this IdeaPad checks the right boxes.
RAM: 16 GB | Storage: 128 GB eMMC | Processor (CPU): Intel Celeron N4120 | Display: 14″ HD BrightView (1366×768) | Battery Life: Up to 11 hrs video playback (9.5 hrs streaming)
The HP Stream BrightView 14-Inch Laptop is a wallet-friendly workhorse that covers all the basics without fuss. With 16 GB of RAM and 64 GB of speedy eMMC storage, it feels surprisingly snappy when loading apps, hopping between browser tabs, and streaming your favorite shows. The 14″ HD screen shines at everyday brightness, though it won’t rival higher-end displays.
Battery life is solid at around 10 to 11 hours, making it dependable for a school or workday away from a charger. Ports are generous for its class, and Fast Charge gets you to 50% in about 45 minutes. Don’t expect gaming prowess or razor-sharp visuals, but for students or casual users on a budget, it’s a dependable companion.
RAM: 12 GB DDR4 | Storage: 512 GB SSD + 128 GB eMMC | Processor (CPU): Intel Celeron N4500 | Display: 15.6″ Full HD (1920×1080) | Battery Life: Up to 9 hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 is a budget-friendly laptop that aims to keep things simple for students and light office users. It packs 12 GB of RAM and dual storage options, giving you more wiggle room than many entry-level machines. The 15.6-inch Full HD display looks good on paper, though customer feedback suggests it's hit-or-miss depending on expectations.
The Intel Celeron chip is perfectly fine for tasks like web browsing or Word docs, but it may crawl under heavier multitasking. Users praise its easy setup and value for money, though some mention slow performance and occasional bugs. If you need a basic, affordable laptop with ample storage and RAM, this one gets the job done, as long as you’re not asking it to juggle too much at once.
Best 2-in-1 Convertible Laptop
Processor: Intel Core i3-N305 | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 128GB | Display: 14” touch screen full HD 1200p | Battery Life: 8 hrs | Operating System: Windows 11 | Ports: 1 USB-C, 1 USB 3.2 | Webcam Resolution: HD 720p
More than just a gimmick, two-in-one laptops offer versatility and freedom for users who crave flexibility in their devices. With a 360-degree hinge, the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 transforms seamlessly from a traditional laptop to a tablet, making it ideal for drawing, note-taking and enjoying entertainment comfortably anywhere.
This laptop also boasts a fast Intel Core i3-N305 processor that’s perfect for basic computing tasks and 8GB of RAM for efficient multitasking.
An uncommon feature for budget laptops, the touch-screen display enhances productivity, making tasks like scrolling through documents, navigating menus and manipulating on-screen objects more intuitive. It also proves beneficial for gaming, offering a more interactive experience, and for reading e-books, providing a natural page-turning feel.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is surprisingly well-built for its price. Although it’s smaller-than-average, it feels sturdy, and the compact design makes it one of the better computers for traveling. Overall, it’s a solid all-around laptop and is more than enough for casual use.
Best Budget Gaming Chromebook
Processor: Intel Core i3-1215U | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 128GB | Display: 16” 2K | Battery Life: Up to 13 hours | Operating System: Chrome OS | Ports: 2 USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 2 USB-A | Webcam Resolution: Full HD 1080p
When you think of Chromebooks, gaming probably isn’t the first thing that springs to mind. After all, Chromebooks are essentially stripped-down versions of standard laptops. However, you might be surprised to learn that there are some Chromebooks, such as the Lenovo Ideapad Gaming Chromebook, with the capacity to facilitate light-to-moderate cloud gaming sessions efficiently.
Unlike many Chromebooks that have an Intel Celeron processor, the Lenovo Ideapad Gaming Chromebook’s CPU is a much faster and more reliable Intel Core i3-1215U. That means gamers can play without experiencing any issues.
The 16-inch 2K resolution display looks fantastic and provides excellent color contrast. Plus, unlike some of our other top picks, this laptop boasts a full HD webcam and battery life lasting up to 13 hours on a full charge.
While not ideal for the most demanding games, this Chromebook excels as a budget-friendly option for cloud gaming. Its impressive battery life, stunning display and speedy processor make it a great value proposition for casual gamers who primarily rely on cloud platforms.
Best Budget Business Laptop
Processor: Intel Core i5-1335U | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 256GB | Display: 16” Full HD 1200p | Battery Life: Up to 12 hrs | Operating System: Windows 11 | Ports: 1 USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 1 Thunderbolt 4, 1 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A | Webcam Resolution: Full HD 1080p
Of all our favorite budget laptops, the Lenovo ThinkPad E16 is best suited for business professionals. It has a fast processor, the Intel Core i5-1335U, which isn’t commonly found in budget laptops and offers up to 12 hours of battery life on a single charge.
The 16-inch display is broad enough to work comfortably on spreadsheets and other business documents, and the full HD webcam is suitable for conference and video calls. Plus, you’ll get 256GB of internal SSD storage, and 8GB of RAM is enough for multitasking without any problems.
Featuring a fingerprint recognition sensor for biometric authentication, this laptop is built for security, making it an excellent notebook for students and professionals. Whether you need to work on and store sensitive documents or group projects, it keeps all your work safe and secure.
While it doesn’t provide all the bells and whistles that some of our other top picks do, it’s one of the best models for productivity at school or in the office.
Each of the major operating systems — Windows, macOS and Chrome OS — is available in the lower price tiers. That said, there are a few nuances and pitfalls to be aware of.
Naturally, a “budget” laptop is more affordable than cutting-edge machines, and in the majority of cases, a lower price means less powerful internal hardware. But that is not a bad thing. For example, suppose you spend most of your computer time browsing the web or watching movies. In that case, chances are you don’t need the latest-generation processor or an ultra-powerful video card. You can save a lot of money by finding a budget laptop that makes reasonable compromises.
As you shop, consider the most common hardware compromises you will encounter.
The best laptops with a “budget” price point cost between $250 and $600. On the low end of the range, you will find smaller machines with modest specs that are good for working in a browser or streaming video. Chromebooks often fall into this range.
On the high end of the $250 to $700 range are models that run faster, have more built-in memory and storage and, in some cases, have improved screen resolutions.
If you find a laptop at an unbelievably low price, it may be underpowered and worth avoiding. If you're open to spending more than $600, consider the most modern laptops or MacBooks.
A. Laptops that feature touch screens, sometimes referred to as two-in-ones, cost more to make, so it is rare to see a laptop with a touch screen in the budget category. If you need a laptop that also functions as a tablet, a two-in-one laptop may be a better choice for you.
A. Solid-state drives (SSDs) store data in flash memory. SSDs have no moving parts and are several orders of magnitude faster than traditional hard drives. An SSD is one of the biggest speed increases you can make, and they are a worthwhile investment both in terms of user experience and hardware longevity.
A. A budget laptop should be expected to last an average of three years. Some higher-priced models may last up to five. The ability of the battery to hold a charge and the cost of replacing a battery that won’t charge anymore is the primary reason to consider buying a new laptop.
A. A larger screen (measured on the diagonal from corner to corner) is obviously easier to see. For the sake of portability, however, you might want something smaller. Budget laptops, like mainstream laptops, generally offer screen sizes between 13 and 16 inches.
In addition to size, take note of the screen resolution of any laptop you are considering. Does it have an anti-glare coating? LED backlights? Further, find out if the resolution is HD, Full HD or something even greater. HD (around 720p or 768 pixels vertical) is a minimum and may look blurrier and coarser on a large 15-inch screen. If you can afford it, try to find a laptop with at least FHD (1080p, or more than 1000 pixels vertical) for a sharper picture with more usable space.
A. Gaming laptops are great in their own right, but a quality laptop for gaming is going to cost more than our stated price range of $200 to $600 for low-cost laptops. A good budget laptop will still deliver when it comes to working with office apps, streaming video and performing tasks that rely on a Wi-Fi connection and web browser. If you’re interested in a device for hardcore gaming, though, expect the price minimums to be higher.
A. Tablets can be less costly than laptops, but will a new tablet give you the functionality you need? It depends, of course, on what your situation is. Tablets that have touch screens are great for using social media and web browsing. They tend to get very good battery life, and they score big points in the portability department. Good tablets can cost as much or more than the least costly budget laptops, and the laptops come with keyboards.
Laptops have more memory, more ports and connectivity points (HDMI, USB), and larger screens than tablets. You can easily type on your laptop keyboard and save or print documents as needed. Notably, many laptops in the budget range do not have touch screens, and the battery life may be lackluster as compared to a tablet.
Jmar Gambol is a writer and product tester for BestReviews. He has written almost two hundred articles and buying guides, as well as tested products as varied as coffee presses, robot vacuums and smartphones. He personally tested six laptops under $1,000, several of which are included in this article.
As a writer for BestReviews, Kevin Luna has extensively tested and covered laptops, from MacBooks to Chromebooks to gaming PCs. He is knowledgeable about the differences between a high-end laptop and a mid-tier model and loves comparing their extensive feature sets. He has used several computers over the years and is familiar with the specs, features and functionality that determine overall performance.
BestReviews tech expert Jaime Vazquez also contributed his insights on what makes some budget laptops more worthy than others.
