When it comes to shopping for the best cheap laptops, you can do a lot with $1,000. (Heck, even $500 cuts some mustard nowadays.) But you'll probably have to make some compromises along the way to stay below that price point.
That doesn't mean you have to settle for a total clunker that doesn't tick any of the boxes on your must-have specs list. It just means you have to shop a little smarter than someone with unlimited funds.
That's where we come in. The Mashable team is constantly reviewing new laptops, and we can recommend several affordable machines for different budgets, operating system loyalties, and use cases based on our hands-on testing.
What is the best cheap laptop?
As of late 2024, we believe the best cheap MacBook is the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air powered by the previous-generation M2 chip. It's speedy enough for most people, it's got a great keyboard, and it starts at $999 (though it's often on sale for well under $900). Among Windows PCs, the Lenovo Yoga 7i 14 (Gen 9) is currently the best laptop under $1,000 that we've tried. It has a newer processor and a good battery life, it doubles as a tablet, and it comes in at a starting price of $899.99.
We've gone deeper on these picks and some other solid options below. FYI: We've listed the pricing and specs of our testing units, which may not apply to each laptop's base model.
Other cheap laptops on our radar
We currently have the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 in hand for testing — specifically, the 2023 model with a 12th-generation Intel processor that retails for $399.99. We're interested in seeing whether it's a better value than our current "best cheap Chromebook" pick, the HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch.
In addition, two of our previous picks have been replaced with newer models.
One is the Acer Chromebook 516 GE; it was discontinued following the spring 2024 launch of the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE. The latter is effectively the same laptop with a newer processor, a darker finish, and some new Gemini AI tools. We just finished reviewing it, and we'll update this guide with an in-depth rundown next month.
We also recently gave the chop to the Framework Laptop 13 (13th Gen Intel Core), a lightweight Windows laptop with replaceable, repairable parts. It required a bigger upfront investment of $1,049 — or $849 if you went with the DIY Edition — but its modular design translated to long-term savings for users who like to upgrade their specs every few years. In mid-2024, it was succeeded by the Framework Laptop 13 (Intel Core Ultra Series 1), which comes with a newer processor, a better webcam, and a $50 price bump. We'll see if it's worth it.