A tight budget does not mean you have to settle for a slow or outdated laptop. Many affordable models today offer solid performance for work, classes and everyday browsing, and some even pack in extras like bright displays or long battery life. Whether you need something for school, travel or streaming, there are plenty of budget laptops that deliver more value than you might expect.
Since the options can be overwhelming, we tested a wide range of devices to find the best budget laptops that offer dependable performance without stretching your wallet.
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The best cheap laptops of 2026
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
Read our full Apple MacBook Air M4 review
Screen size: 13.6-inch | Touchscreen: No | CPU: Apple M4 | GPU: 8-core GPU | RAM: 16GB | Storage: Up to 2TB | Weight: 2.7 pounds | Battery life: More than 18 hours | Available ports: MagSafe 3 charging, 3.5mm headphone jack, 2x Thunderbolt 4
Apple’s M4-equipped 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air remain the best ultraportables you can buy today, and now they’re also better deals starting at $999 and $1,199, respectively. That’s $100 off the previous generation, but it’s no knock on the quality of these laptops.
Both MacBook Air models remain remarkably fast, incredibly thin and light, and deliver excellent battery life. They’re basically everything you’d want in a premium productivity notebook. Sure, it would be nice to see more than two USB-C ports and a screen that’s faster than 60Hz, but most buyers likely won’t notice these deficiencies. (And if they really bug you, you can always consider the 14-inch MacBook Pro.)
While the MacBook Air’s design hasn’t changed from the 2022-era M2 model, it’s still attractive today, and it also holds up well against Windows ultraportables. The Air isn’t Apple’s fastest computer, but it’s one of the company’s most iconic machines, one that’s elegantly crafted in ways that PC makers rarely accomplish. Its smooth metal case still feels great to hold, and its thin and light design makes it easy to travel with. The 2.7-pound 13-inch Air still feels impressively sturdy for its weight, and the 3.2-pound 15-inch model doesn’t feel that much heavier. (And for many, the larger screen is worth the portability sacrifice.)
Both MacBook Air models lasted for well over 18 hours in our tests, so they’ll likely last you two work days without needing to be juiced up. And while they’re far from gaming PCs, we were still impressed to see them run the graphically intensive game Lies of P at 60fps in 1080p.
Unfortunately, with the price cut on the M4 Air came the phasing out of the MacBook Air M3 from Apple’s official lineup. However, you can still find that laptop floating around on sites like Amazon for now. If you can find the 16GB RAM configuration, new or refurbished, for $899 or less, it’s a solid alternative. You can even find some M2 MacBook Airs still available online, but we’d only recommend grabbing that if you find it for $799 or less. — Devindra Hardawar, Senior Reporter
- Fast performance
- Thin and light design
- Great keyboard
- Best-in-class touchpad
- Excellent battery life
- Could use more ports
- Screen is only 60Hz
$749 at Amazon
Photo by Daniel Cooper / Engadget
Screen size: 13-inch | Touchscreen: No | CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 | GPU: AMD Radeon™ Graphics | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 256GB | Weight: 2.2 pounds | Battery life: Up to 12 hours | Available ports: 2x USB Type-C, 2x USB Type-A, HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm headphone jack
Read our full review of the HP Pavilion Aero 13
If you like the general aesthetics of machines like Dell’s XPS 13 but don’t want to pay $1,000 or more, the HP Pavilion Aero is your best bet. We gave it a score of 87 in our review and compared it to Dell’s flagship laptop. It’s certainly not as sleek as that machine, but it comes pretty close with its angled profile, 2.2-pound weight and its anti-glare 13.3-inch display. Despite its keyboard being a little cramped, it’s a solid typing machine and we appreciate its port selection: one USB-C port, two USB-A ports, an HDMI connector and a headphone jack. You can currently pick an Aero 13 up for as low as $900, but they have gone on sale for even less. All of the prebuilt base models available from HP directly come with Ryzen 5 processors, and you can customize the laptop to have up to a Ryzen 7 CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.
- Attractive design
- Many ports
- Solid performance for the price
$880 at HP
Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
Display: 14 inches FHD | CPU: 13th-generation Intel Core i3 | GPU: Intel UHD Graphics | RAM: Up to 8GB | Storage: 128GB | Weight: 3.52 lb (1.6 kg) | Available ports: 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 3.5mm headphone jack
Our favorite Chromebook is Lenovo’s Flex 5 Chromebook, which nails the essentials with build quality that feels more premium than its price suggests. Engadget’s Nathan Ingraham praised the Flex 5 for offering tremendous value. The 14-inch touchscreen and backlit keyboard are great additions for those who multitask or use Android apps. The latest model has an upgraded 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, which when paired with the Core i3 CPU, make for a speedy, capable machine. It’s also nice to see one USB-A and two USB-C ports, six hours of battery life and a 360-degree hinge that makes it easy to use the Flex 5 as a tablet. This could be the ideal laptop for Chrome OS fans who spend a lot of time web browsing, and it’ll hit the sweet spot for a lot of other buyers out there, providing a level of quality and performance that’s pretty rare to find at this price point.
- Great overall performance for the price
- Nice display
- Solid keyboard and trackpad
- Mediocre battery life
- A bit heavy and chunky
$405 at Amazon
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Screen size: 15-inch | Touchscreen: No | CPU: 11th-gen Intel Core i3 | GPU: Intel UHD Graphics | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 128GB | Weight: 3.64 pounds | Battery life: Up to 10 hours | Available ports: USB, USB Type C, Ethernet, HDMI, USB 2.0
Acer’s Aspire 5 family is a solid Windows option if you have less than $500 to spend on a new laptop, offering solid everyday performance and plenty of ports. The most recent models hit a good middle ground for most people, running on Intel 11th-gen CPUs and supporting up to 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. Of course, the higher specs you get, the more expensive the machine will be — not all Aspire 5 laptops come in at under $500. The Aspire 5 comes with a 15.6-inch 1080p IPS display, which delivers clear visuals for streaming or web browsing. The number pad is a handy addition for productivity, and the port selection includes USB-A, USB-C, and Ethernet ports, making it a practical choice for those who need to connect multiple devices. Acer’s latest models also feature Wi-Fi 6 for faster connectivity, and our battery test confirmed up to 10 hours of good battery life—more than enough for a day’s work or entertainment.
- Ultra affordable
- Good performance for the price
- Keyboard includes number pad
- Good variety of ports
$304 at Amazon
What to look for in a budget laptop
First, we at Engadget consider anything under $1,000 to be “budget” in the laptop space. The reason for this is twofold: even the most affordable flagship laptops typically start at $1,000 or more, and if you go dramatically lower than that (say, $500 or less), that’s where you’ll really start to see compromises in performance. You’ll typically find the best cheap laptops striking a good balance between power and price in the $500 to $1,000 range. But in this guide, we’ll cover top picks at a wide range of prices — there are a number of excellent options on the low and high end of the budget spectrum.
Arguably the biggest thing to look for in a cheap laptop is build quality and a decent spec sheet. You might be able to find configuration options with the latest generation CPU chipsets, or you may have to go for one that has a slightly older processor. We recommend looking for models with solid state drive (SSD) storage instead of a traditional hard drive, as SSDs provide faster performance. And if you can find a PC with the latest internals, it’s worth the investment. However, going with a CPU that’s just one generation behind likely won’t make a noticeable difference in performance.
Along with processors, you should also consider the amount of memory and storage you need in a daily driver. For the former, we recommend laptops with at least 8GB of RAM; anything with less than that will have a hard time multitasking and managing all those web browsing tabs. The latter is a bit more personal: how much onboard storage you need really depends on how many apps, files, photos, documents and more you will save locally. As a general rule of thumb, try to go for a laptop that has at least a 256GB SSD (this only goes for macOS and Windows machines, as Chromebooks are a bit different). That should give you enough space for programs and files, plus room for future operating system updates. And if you need a machine for light productivity or Android emulation, some laptops even support Android apps natively, which can add extra versatility.
After determining the best performance you can get while sticking to your budget, it’s also worth examining a few different design aspects. We recommend a laptop with an IPS display for better viewing angles and color accuracy, though premium models with OLED displays are becoming more common and can offer deeper blacks and vibrant colors. Pay attention to port selection, too — many budget models offer plenty of ports, while higher-end ones tend to prioritize minimalism with fewer connections. If connectivity matters to you, look for options with USB-C, USB-A, HDMI and an audio jack.
And speaking of practical features, keep an eye on GPU performance if you’re shopping for a budget-friendly gaming laptop. While integrated graphics are fine for casual users, a dedicated GPU will improve gaming and creative workloads. We also recommend checking the refresh rate of the screen, as a higher rate will make a noticeable difference in both games and scrolling-heavy apps.
A note about refurbished laptops
Refurbished laptops are another option to consider if you need a new machine and don’t want to spend a ton of money. Buying refurbished tech can be tricky if you’re unfamiliar with a brand’s or merchant’s policies surrounding what they classify as “refurbished.” But it’s not impossible — for laptops, we recommend going directly to the manufacturer for refurbished devices. Apple, Dell and Microsoft all have official refurbishment processes that their devices go through before they’re put back on the market that verifies the machines work properly and are in good condition. Third-party retailers like Amazon and Walmart also have their own refurbishment programs for laptops and other gadgets as well.
