The best tablets for streaming shows, work and browsing, from under £100

The 11th gen iPad is the most affordable way to get your fingertips on a new iPadOS tablet. While it’s now Apple’s entry-level model, it still beats any other affordable tablet for value. The 11-inch display is bright and responsive, and it’s an ideal size for online shopping, reading recipes and catching up on Netflix shows.

A lot of the appeal is in the edge-to-edge screen design. Like the 10th gen iPad, it doesn't have a home button and it looks much more like the Air and Pro models, but comes in a variety of bright colours: blue, pink, yellow, and silver.

On the inside, it has the A16 chip, the same one that’s in the iPhone 15 models. In our testing, it put in a speedy performance in most apps and games, but might not be quite as capable when faced with intense multitasking.

If you’re after your first-ever tablet, this one is impressive. It has an affordable price, versatile software, and a decent front-facing camera with Centre Stage, which tracks your face as you move around on a call.

The only key things it lacks when compared to the Air and Pro models are support for the latest Apple intelligence features, an anti-reflective display, a more reliable processor for multitasking and support for the best iPad accessories. If none of these are major dealbreakers for you, it’s an excellent iPad at a lower price than the rest of the range.

Read our Apple iPad (11th gen) review

The M3 iPad Air (2025) strikes a great balance between the power of the Pro models, the sleek design of the compact iPad Mini and the affordability of the entry-level iPad (11th generation). We’re confident it’s the best iPad and the best tablet overall for most people right now.

Astoundingly, Apple packed this tablet with the M3 chip – the same one that powers the best MacBooks you can buy. It’s an even more capable chip than the one in the fancy Vision Pro headset. The performance when scrolling apps or gaming is super fast and smooth.

The iPad operating system remains the king of tablet software, offering a wealth of apps and features including the ability to work across several apps at once and customisable widgets so you can organise the layout of apps on your home screen.

The solid 10-hour battery life easily lasts through a lengthy commute or flight, while support for the Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard means it's incredibly well-suited for writing emails or creative drawing. If you have the budget, the iPad Air ticks pretty much all the boxes of what we look for in a tablet – and it comes in two sizes too: 11-inch or 13-inch.

Read our Apple iPad Air M3 review

The Redmi Pad Pro 5G is an excellent option for anyone after an affordable, high-quality Android tablet. We've had hands-on experience with it, using it for light mobile gaming, streaming films and videos, and handling emails.

Its sturdy all-metal build feels premium and durable, and the large 12.1-inch screen has a sharp resolution and a fast refresh rate. Watching videos and scrolling through content is smoother than it is on most iPads, and the vibrant display supports Dolby Vision too.

It’s complemented by impressive sound quality from its four speakers (supporting Dolby Atmos), making it great for entertainment on the go. And we also love that it’s still got a 3.5mm audio jack for use with wired headphones.

We had no trouble running multiple apps, and storage is generous with options up to 256GB, plus room for expansion with a microSD card. The battery also comfortably lasted us through a full day of use.

However, it’s not without its drawbacks. We missed having a fingerprint scanner, relying instead unlocking with a PIN or basic face recognition. The front camera is only an 8-megapixel one and will struggle with clarity during video calls.

Despite these minor gripes, the Redmi Pad Pro 5G offers remarkable value. It blends solid build quality, an immersive display, reliable performance, and long-lasting battery life. Plus, with full access to the Google Play Store, you’ll have no trouble finding the apps you need. It’s a strong pick as the best budget-friendly Android tablet, balancing affordability with the features that matter.

If you prefer to stick with Android instead of an iPad, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S10 FE may be the one for you.

“FE” stands for “Fan Edition”, which means it brings you many of the best features of the pricier S10 or S10 Ultra models. It’s ideal if you’d like a great display, accessory support, long battery life and solid performance, and don’t mind missing out on the fastest processors or premium materials.

It has a crisp 10.9-inch LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate, making it ideal for videos and mobile gameplay. Its visuals are smooth, whether you're browsing, streaming or gaming. It’s powered by Samsung’s Exynos 1580 processor, and will be powerful enough for most apps and multitasking.

It’s bundled with an S Pen stylus too, making it ideal for note-taking, drawing and creative work. This magnetically pops to the back or side of the slate when it’s not in use. The S10 FE also has IP68 water and dust resistance, making it better than other tablets for on the go use.

We appreciate the style, too. It has a slim aluminium frame that feels sleek and sturdy, and the 10.9-inch sizes has ideal dimensions for watching TV and films. We’re also impressed by the price tag. Starting at £499, you’re getting loads for your money, including a lot of the latest AI-powered features. If you want a bigger screen, you can upgrade to the 13.1-inch Tab S10 FE+, which offers all the same features but starts at £649.

Amazon makes a lot of tablets, and many aren't designed to compete with the iPads or Galaxy Tabs of the world. The Fire HD 10 series is the exception – and it shines if you're already a keen subscriber to Prime as it essentially becomes an all-in-one option for shopping, reading, watching movies or listening to music and audiobooks.

The strong 13-hour battery life means it’s well-suited for travel and commuting, while the 1080p display is one of the best you will find on a Fire slate, aside from the more expensive Fire Max 11.

There's a solid selection of apps – including Spotify, Facebook, BBC iPlayer, Disney+ and Netflix – but the limitations of Fire OS mean you can’t access the full Google Play Store for downloading the likes of YouTube, Chrome or Google Maps. While we'd recommend it highly to Prime users, it's not ideal if you need a variety of apps.

Out of the Fire series, we feel this model is the best option for most people based on its price and specs. The 32GB of base storage isn't massive, but if you do need some extra room you can pop in up to 1TB with a microSD card – you won't get that from an iPad.

If it’s power you seek, the iPad Pro delivers. Like the Air, it comes in either an 11-inch or 13-inch size and its high-resolution OLED display is ideal for editing photos or videos – aided by the blazing speeds of the M4 chip, it has far more power than most normal users will ever need. The Pro series is outrageously thin, lightweight and capable. The power contained within this model is overkill for most people.

Editors, designers or anyone who needs terabytes of storage or add-ons like the Apple Pencil Pro will love it. There are some notable upgrades from the predecessor model, including OLED display tech, landscape front camera position and a thinner profile.

It also supports a refreshed version of the Magic Keyboard, with aluminium wrist rests, a function row of keys and an improved trackpad. Like prior models, this comes in two display sizes – 11 inches and 13 inches – with the big one being more expensive and heavier.

These are fantastic for power users, artists, photographers, videographers and actual professionals, but if you’re only checking emails or watching movies, stick to the significantly more affordable iPad Air.

Read our Apple iPad Pro (2024) review

If you need a tablet that’s easy to carry, with a sleek modern design and heaps of power, the latest iPad Mini is for you. This model was revamped in 2021 with rounded corners and an edge-to-edge display, and it’s a design maintained in the latest 2024 refresh.

It now has a faster performance with the A17 Pro chip, and it will support new Apple Intelligence (AI) features too. It basically looks like a smaller version of the latest iPad Air, but in a format that makes it great for popping into a bag, or taking on holidays and commutes.

The iPad Mini also works with the premium Apple Pencil Pro, which makes it a great option for notetakers and on-the-go artists, and although it’s not compatible with any version of Apple’s smart keyboard cases, you can pair a Bluetooth keyboard if you like.

It’s not what we would call affordable, starting at £499, but it comes with more base storage than it used to and, thanks to iPadOS, the features and specs you get on the compact iPad Mini are comparable to higher-end iPads.

Read our Apple iPad Mini (2024) review

If you plan on giving a tablet to a child, you’ll want to be sure that it’s protected from messy fingerprints and the occasional (or, let’s be honest, more than occasional) drop to the ground.

You may not want to spend too much money on it, or at least have a strong guarantee that it can be replaced if broken. Luckily, Amazon’s Fire Kids series takes all of those things into consideration, and we’d recommend picking the Fire HD 8 Kids for children between 3-7 years old, or the improved Fire HD 8 Kids Pro if they’re aged between 6-12.

It comes housed in a chunky plastic casing that can withstand bumps and falls, the 8-inch slate comes with a full year of Amazon Kids+ free. This gives you access to thousands of games, books and kid-friendly apps. For peace of mind, you also get a 2-year “worry-free” guarantee that will give you a full replacement if it breaks.

All of the Fire Kids series tablets are fully-fledged tablets when it comes to their features and capabilities, but Amazon provides strong age filters and parental controls when you set it up. Parents are able to keep a close eye on how children use the tablet, and can limit access to certain apps.

There are other tablets in the range for larger or smaller screens; there’s a Fire HD 7 Kids (with a 7-inch display) or a Fire HD 10 Kids or 10 Kids Pro, for those wanting a 10-inch panel.

If you’re wondering about the differences, the “Pro” models have slimmer cases that feel more “grown up”, a more sophisticated interface, and greater access to apps and web content, with parental approval.

If you don’t want to spend a lot of money on a new tablet, we’d look at Amazon’s lineup of Fire tablets. The Fire HD 8, which costs under £100, is essentially a colour screen Kindle with more firepower. It’s around the same size as the popular e-reader, the HD 8 is portable, affordable and built to survive being carried about inside a handbag or backpack.

It’s made to be comfortable to hold and easy to navigate, with a solid selection of apps including Spotify, Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon’s Prime Video. It’s ideal if you use Amazon services, including reading Kindle books, using Audible, or Amazon Music. It’s less easy to recommend if you need apps from the Google Play Store, as these aren’t supported. You’ll miss out on the likes of Google Maps, Chrome and the official YouTube app.

As expected for the sub-£100 price, the internal storage is minimal and it’s not designed to be a speedy device. You might encounter lags and stutters when opening or changing apps, especially if you try to do anything demanding. There are cameras on the front and back, but at 2MP you won’t be rushing to use them for anything other than basic video calls.

This isn’t for anyone who wants a fast, high-end tablet, but with a 13-hour battery life, Alexa support and up to 1TB of expandable storage via a microSD card, it’s a solid option. Who is it for? Anyone who frequently uses Amazon services and needs an affordable and portable device for travel.

If you’re after a top-tier Android tablet and don’t mind a premium price tag, look at the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra. It has an enviable combination of a stunning display, powerful performance, versatile features and impressive accessory support.

This isn’t a small tablet, with dimensions that are bigger than many laptops. It has a huge 14.6-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, making it one of the best tablet screens for vibrant colours and fluid visuals. It comes with an S Pen with low-lag input, so it’s also ideal for sketching, note-taking and precise artistic work. It’s powered by a fast Snapdragon processor too, and won’t struggle with multitasking or intensive apps.

We’re also impressed by the Samsung DeX mode, which transforms that tablet into a desktop-like experience (which you can run on the tablet or an external monitor) and we like the robust build, with this offering IP68 water resistance (something that’s rare in tablets).

The biggest downsides are that it’s just too big, too cumbersome, and hard to hold without your fingers getting in the way of the screen. It’s heavier and larger than even the biggest iPad Pro, but the iPad typically outperforms it when it comes to battery life for most tasks. On the plus side, though, the Samsung’s screen proportions are excellent when you’re watching widescreen films.

Even if there are other great options, and you can get many similar capabilities in the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ at a smaller screen size, this is still the top recommendation for on-the-go Android professionals due to its brilliant display, performance and productivity features.