The best cheap laptops under £500 for work, entertainment and study

We wrote this guide using a mix of our in-depth research and hands-on experience working with the best laptops. While the specs are important, of course, we review and research budget devices based on how you’ll be using them day-to-day. That means we focus on key aspects of the machine, such as its portability and weight, display brightness, port selection, and how long the battery lasts.

While we strive to test models hands-on, this guide is a mix of our reviews and rigorous research, based on knowledge of different brands. We’ve narrowed our picks down to a handful of options, focusing on ones that work well for productivity, creativity and general everyday use, web browsing, work and streaming films on Netflix or iPlayer.

Why you should trust Good Housekeeping

At Good Housekeeping, we’ve got years of experience with product reviews and recommendations, so we're experts at finding the best devices for every budget. While compiling this guide, we kept to a hard limit of £500, relying on our knowledge of the current laptop market to come up with a reliable list of the top suggestions.

This article was written by Technology Editor Simon Cocks, who has worked at Good Housekeeping for over a decade and focused on tech reviews and buying guides for the last five years. All the options picked for this list are from trusted brands, and are great value for money, offering solid specs, portability and battery life without a high price tag.

Other products to consider

You could pick a tablet instead of a budget laptop. Think hard about what you need from a laptop, and consider if you’d get just as much out of a lightweight tablet.

Prices can be much more affordable, and mobile apps can do most of the jobs you might do on a traditional laptop, especially once you add keyboard, stylus and mouse accessories to your device.

If your main requirements are browsing, online shopping, email, entertainment and creativity, it’s worth thinking about whether one of the best tablets or a top iPad will do the job for you!

When you glance over any spec sheet, it’s easy to be overwhelmed with tech jargon. To help, we think these are the main factors you need to know about.

Operating system

There are three laptop operating systems: Microsoft Windows, Apple's macOS, and Google's ChromeOS. Each type has its own design, stores to download apps from, and customisation options – just like how an iPhone looks and feels different to an Android smartphone.

Windows: This is a traditional PC experience and is best if you love having a wealth of settings, customisation and the ability to get software from anywhere. These laptops are ideal for working and students as they come with Microsoft apps like Word or Excel, and most games generally perform best on Windows, although that can depend a lot on processing power.

Apple macOS: This is the main alternative to Windows in terms of functionality and features, and is generally known for its sleek, clean design and ease of use. The interface is not as cluttered as Windows, but it can feel slightly more restricted because Apple has stricter rules about what software is allowed to run on its computers. These are considered to be the best for editing software and creative jobs, but they’re also generally quite expensive.

ChromeOS: Laptops that run ChromeOS are built around Google’s suite of apps, including YouTube, Sheets, Gmail, Slides, Docs, Maps and Chrome – and you can only download apps from the official Google Play Store. These laptops are usually the most affordable as the software is cloud-based, meaning you’ll usually need an internet connection for them to work properly. They often (but not always) lack the processing power of rivals. But they'll be just as good for both ease of use and portability and they’re some of the best laptops for kids that we recommend.

Screen size

Just like your TV, your laptop’s screen is measured in inches from corner to corner, diagonally. You’ll mostly find models between 11 and 16 inches at this price range. Keep in mind that the bigger the screen, the heavier and wider the laptop will be, impacting its portability.

Processing power

The processor in the laptop is the brain that runs tasks, apps and software. All the budget models on our list have enough power for basic tasks like reading websites, watching streaming platforms, listening to Spotify and typing documents, but less powerful processors will struggle with gaming or photo and video editing.

Storage space

To save files and photos, you need storage. Basic laptops have 32GB as a minimum, but we recommend at least 64GB if you plan on keeping pictures, videos and apps on a device instead of a cloud service or a hard drive.

Remember, Chromebooks usually have small storage sizes as they use cloud software to keep your files, and a chunk of your total space (usually around 20GB) is reserved for the operating system even before you add anything to the laptop.

Battery life

Unlike a desktop PC, the benefit of a laptop is that you can take it with you to your local coffee shop or move around the house with it, free from having to sit next to a wall plug. Some of our picks can last for over 20 hours on the built-in battery, but this is always impacted by what you’re doing on it; running multiple tasks at once drains it quickly.

Portability and weight

If you plan on taking your laptop out of the home, always consider its size and weight. All the models here are light enough to carry around in a laptop backpack, and a good weight range to aim for is between 700g and 1.6kg.

How much should you spend on a budget laptop?

Going too low on the price means you compromise on performance. We consider a budget laptop to be around £400 to £500, but if you can stretch the budget slightly, to around the £600 mark, you get even better quality. At that price, you should get a real bump in performance and build from entry-level models.

Go below that price point, and you’ll see lower quality materials, specs, battery life and storage, meaning you may end up having to replace the machine much sooner.

Are there any MacBooks you can buy for under £500 new?

Quite simply, no. The good thing is that the best refurbished MacBooks are still a safe buy, especially from trusted retailers. However, if you want a new Mac, even a slightly older one, you’ll need to consider if you can spend at least £900 on a MacBook Air from a previous year. The latest model starts from about £1,000, but can get more affordable during sales.

Can you play games on a budget laptop?

Yes, but only some games will play smoothly on budget laptops. That would stay true even if we increased the price limit here, to be honest, as “gaming laptops” are a specific subcategory.

Indie titles, older games and web games should all be fine, but modern “AAA” games are unlikely to run well. They’re more demanding, and these budget laptops won’t match a dedicated gaming laptop. For serious gaming, you’d need to consider having a much higher budget.

Is it worth waiting for laptop deals?

In our experience, yes, it is worth holding on for laptop deals if you don’t need a new laptop straight away. There are often “Back to School” sale events, and you should keep an eye on the seasonal sales of Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday, as models that aren’t usually under £500 reliably drop to affordable prices at these times.

Right now, our top picks would be the Acer Aspire 3 or the Dell Inspiron 15 3530, if you’re after an affordable laptop that runs Windows.

If most of the work you do is online and through apps like Google Docs, then a quality ChromeOS device, like the HP Chromebook Plus 14, will be a great option.

And while Mac fans will struggle to find a new MacBook at this price, a refurbished M1 MacBook Air is still a fantastic buy.