Not everyone can afford a premium laptop like Dell XPS or an Apple MacBook, but budget laptops aren't rubbish, with many offering surprisingly well-rounded packages at affordable prices. Here we review and rank the best budget laptops you can buy right now.
While some are more unknown brands, the likes of HP, Asus, Lenovo and Acer remain dedicated to including cheap laptops in their ranges.
If you just need to do basic tasks like browsing the web, checking email and office work then a budget laptop will be up to the job. Plenty will be fine for streaming video, too, albeit on lower-quality displays and with typically poor sound. Some even have enough power for photo editing without slowing down and casual games.
When looking at budget laptops, we're typically meaning around £500/US$500 or lower, but we may include the odd model that goes slightly over if it's really worth it. Often they will be available at lower than the RRP from retailers before long anyway.
In our chart below we've rounded up a range of options to suit all budgets - and all of them tested by our expert team, so you can buy with complete peace of mind that you won't be disappointed.
But the best budget laptops don't hang around for long, simply because they are so sought after and offer little profit margin for manufacturers.
1. Asus E410
- Very cheap
- Lightweight
- Long battery life
Cons
- Dim screen
- Annoying NumberPad
$299
It might not score as highly as other laptops here but most people will want as much as possible for under £300/$300 and the E410 is a great option if you're one of them.
Things like a dim screen are inevitable and not everyone will like the quirky design on the lid. We also found the NumberPad in the trackpad a tad annoying but Asus has got a lot right here.
The E410 has excellent battery life, a lightweight design and performance is good enough for basic day-to-day tasks. Ticking key boxes at this price makes it a great value laptop.
Read our full Asus E410 review
2. Honor MagicBook 14 (2021)
- Stylish design
- Powerful components
- Nice keyboard
- Above average speakers
Cons
- Worse battery life
- New display only on top model
- Limited ports
Unavailable
The Honor MagicBook 14 has long been one of our favourite laptops and often the best value on the market.
While the 2021 model took things to a more premium level and importantly a matching price, it's now available for much lower prices meaning it's still a budget option.
Battery life got a little worse and only the top-spec model gets an improved screen but you're getting a well-rounded laptop with a Core i5, 512GB SSD, solid keyboard and more for a great (reduced) price.
Read our full Honor MagicBook 14 (2021) review
3. Acer Chromebook Spin 713
- Excellent 3:2 display
- Great battery life
- Fast performance
Cons
- Slightly spongy keyboard
- Fan noise at times
From $629.99
The Spin 713 combines excellent performance with a gorgeous 3:2 ratio display and decent ports to be the best Chromebook option.
With Pentium or Core processors and a 360-degree hinge design, you get a versatile laptop that will suit many different use cases. There's great battery life to keep you going when out and about.
It’s a powerful combination which puts the device on the top of the pile for those who want a Premium ChromeOS laptop without it costing the Earth.
Read our full Acer Chromebook Spin 713 review
4. Microsoft Surface Laptop Go
- Portable design
- Lovely keyboard
- Solid specs
Cons
- Small screen
- Keyboard not backlit
- Average battery life
From $549.99
It's great to see Microsoft offering a traditional laptop at a budget price, even if it's a little over the mark we're ideally looking for.
Despite the affordable price, the Surface Laptop Go is one of the best looking and well-made cheap laptops you can get. It's also very thin and light so is a great option for portability.
The compact size means a 12.4in screen might be too small for some and small caveats include no keyboard backlight. There's a Core i5 here but the cheapest model is limited to 4GB of RAM and 64GB.
Read our full Microsoft Surface Laptop Go review
5. Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5
- Versatile design
- All-day battery
- Lots of ports
- Slow charging
- Awkward trackpad
From $674.99
If you want a 2-in-1 laptop without breaking the bank then Lenovo's IdeaPad range is a good place to look.
The Flex 5 doesn't have the best trackpad or display but offers good build quality, those iconic 360 degree hinges for various modes, solid battery life and a nice keyboard. It's even got Wi-Fi 6.
There's also a good selection of ports and the Core i3 base model will be suitable for basic day-to-day tasks.
Read our full Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 review
6. HP Pavilion 14
- Premium design
- B&O audio
- Good performance
Cons
- Average battery life
- Stiff keys
From $549.99
The Pavilion 14 from HP is a good all-rounder if your budget will stretch, offering stylish design, good build quality and decent specs.
It does a bit of everything with a fingerprint scanner, a good webcam, a touchscreen and B&O speakers making it a good choice for those that want a laptop for a wide range of tasks.
Battery life is middling but performance is above average thanks to the latest 11th-gen Intel processors and other solid components. There's also a nice selection of ports and good wireless connectivity.
The main spanner in the works here is the existence of the Honor MagicBook 14 at the same price.
Read our full HP Pavilion 14 (2021) review
7. Acer Swift 1
- Slim, light build
- Strong connectivity
- Fingerprint reader
Cons
- Basic performance
- Stiff hinge
- Average trackpad
Unavailable in the US
Not all budget laptops are stunners, in fact very few are and the Swift 1 is a classic example of a simple design.
While it offers a basic style and build quality along with limited performance to match, it will be plenty good enough for anyone looking for a very cheap laptop to do simple tasks like email and word processing.
Despite its low cost, the Swift 1 comes with some surprising features such as a fingerprint scanner, USB-C, HDMI and Wi-Fi 6.
Read our full Acer Swift 1 (SF114-34) review
8. Avita Liber V
- Nice design
- Decent webcam
- Good keyboard & trackpad
Cons
- Poor battery life
- Display lacks colour
Unavailable in the US
Avita is back with another budget-friendly laptop that ticks a number of boxes including a stylish design and good build quality.
You're getting an AMD Ryzen 3 for a great price and the Liber V is very portable. Highlights include a decent keyboard and a large trackpad. It's also got a solid selection of ports including USB-C and HDMI.
While it's speedy enough for office work, the display lacks colour for anything on the creative side and the battery life isn't as long as rivals.
Read our full Avita Liber V review
9. Lenovo IdeaPad 3i
- Stylish design
- Good performance
- Nice keyboard & trackpad
Cons
- Poor scren
- Limited battery life
- Lo-res webcam
From $479.99 | Model reviewed $579.99
Lenovo hasn't quite cracked the formula here for a great budget laptop with poor battery life and a dim screen with limited viewing angles.
However, if you only need a cheap laptop to have around the house for basic tasks like checking email and web browsing, then the IdeaPad 3i is good value for money.
It also looks a lot nicer than most around this price thanks to its colourful brushed aluminium case so you won't want to hide it away. It offers good performance for the price along with a nice keyboard and trackpad.
Read our full Lenovo IdeaPad 3i 14 review
10. Asus C423NA Chromebook
- Inexpensive
- Attractive design
- Comfortable keyboard & trackpad
- Sub-standard battery life
- Slightly underpowered
$349.99
With sub-par battery life, the C423NA isn't the best option for those needing a laptop to take on the road. However, it's a great budget option to have around the house or when you know there will be a power socket.
It's attractive and lightweight with a decent keyboard and trackpad so will make for a useful device for various family members.
At this affordable price, you need to expect some basic specs but it can be easily found for a lot less than the RRP making it even better value.
Read our full Asus C423NA Chromebook review
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