Not all cheap laptops are slow, flimsy clunkers. Here are the 4 best weve tried.

As of March 2026, Apple users have a great new budget pick in the MacBook Neo. It has a fully aluminum chassis, and it's just as fast as a last-gen MacBook Air when running simple tasks like web browsing.

If you prefer Windows, the Acer Aspire 16 AI is super easy to recommend. It has a big, buttery smooth display, an impressive battery life, a backlit keyboard, a good mix of ports, and a healthy amount of RAM. It's the fastest sub-$900 laptop for multi-core tasks like video editing.

For those who can spend a little more, the ultraportable Asus Zenbook A14 is my favorite laptop under $1,000. Conversely, if you're trying to spend less than $500, go for the Acer Chromebook Plus 516.

What's new

In March 2026, I replaced the 13-inch M4 MacBook Air with the newer and significantly cheaper MacBook Neo. I also added the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 as a new top pick for the best cheap Chromebook.

I've removed the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE from this guide because it's no longer available in new condition. It used to be our top cheap gaming laptop; I'm currently hunting for its replacement.