Looking for the best cheap tablet? You don't have to spend over $500 for a device to just browse the web, watch shows, read books or play games on. In fact, with the budget tablets my team of experts and I test, you'll find that you can still have a premium experience without emptying your wallet.
Both iPads and Android tablets have evolved over the years, sporting laptop-level specs for strong performance and incredible displays. But this also bumps up the price, and sometimes, all we need is a cheap tablet to binge-watch our favorite shows on during long-haul flights or while lounging at home to read books or catch up with Wordle. After hands-on tests, we've found the budget tablets to look for.
The Apple iPad 11 is the best cheap tablet we've tested, boasting a vivid Liquid Retina display, long battery life and fast performance for its sub-$500 price. It's hard to beat, but we have other options worth considering, such as the Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2 and its amazing 2.5K display with an exceptional built-in speaker. For the best cheap tablets to buy today, our guide will help you find the right device your wallet will be happy with.
Honestly, my favorite types of tablets are the ones that let me stream my favorite shows, browse the web and sink into gaming while on the go or on the couch, all for a very wallet-friendly price. That's what my team and I have been testing for this guide, so if a tablet meets those criteria and doesn't cost a premium, you'll find it right here as one of our top recommendations.
The best cheap tablets you can buy right now
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The best cheap tablet overall
✅ You want a premium tablet for less: The iPad 11 offers a great display, long battery life and more than enough performance to browse websites, watch shows and play games. It's the quintessential tablet experience.
✅ You're invested in Apple's ecosystem: If you own other Apple products, this is the only tablet on this list that will play nice with their many sharing features. So if you want to quickly share files to your tablet or take advantage of your Apple app library, this is the cheap tablet to buy.
❌ You need more performance: The A16 in the iPad 11 is strong, but don't expect top-tier performance to try the most demanding apps or games. It won't replace your laptop anytime soon.
❌ You dislike Apple products: You're paying a premium for this tablet vs. others on this list, and if you aren't already invested in Apple's ecosystem or you don't already like Apple products, it's hard to justify the added expense.
💻 The Apple iPad 11 may not be the cheapest tablet you can find, but it's certainly the best value as the tablet that does it all. It's a huge power boost over the iPad 10, and with the power of Apple's ecosystem and iPadOS, you're getting the best, easy-to-use tablet experience around. Just note that there aren't any Apple Intelligence features, but if that's hardly a concern for you, then the iPad 11 is worth grabbing.
What you need to know
Apple's iPad 2025 isn't a significant update over its predecessor, the iPad 10, but its A16 chip gives it a performance boost that's hard to beat at its $349 price. For those on a budget, that's hugely welcome, and it even comes with an upgraded 128GB base storage, longer battery life and a display that's bright and bursting with colors.
Design: The iPad 11 shares the same design as the 10th-gen model, dropping the home button for a look that's similar to its sleek iPad Air siblings. Coming in at 9.79 x 7.07 x 0.28 inches and weighing 1.01 pounds for its Wi-Fi version, the 11th Gen iPad keeps the sleek, slim and lightweight portability of its predecessor, but introduces a suite of attractive colors, including Silver, Pink, Blue and a very striking Yellow.
Display: The display also stays the same, but in our tests, it turns out it's actually slightly brighter, with 506 nits of brightness, and more color accurate, reaching 108% sRGB color gamut coverage. The 11-inch Liquid Retina display (2360 x 1640) still offers detailed and vivid imagery, and it's a joy to watch TV shows and movies on it. You won't be able to tell the difference between this and its predecessor, but it's still an amazing display for the price.
Performance: Leave it to the A16 chip, the same one found in the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15, to deliver speedy performance to juggle multiple apps in split-screen via iPadOS 26 and deliver the power needed to run games. I found the iPad to be snappy and never lag in the slightest, even with multiple tabs open at once. And yes, it can even play games like Destiny: Rising at 60 frames per second (FPS).
Battery life: While the 10th Gen iPad already received a much-needed boost in stamina, the iPad 11 takes this even further. Actually, to the point of becoming one of the longer-lasting iPads around right now (except for the iPad Pro M5). In our testing, which involves continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi with a device’s display set to 150 nits of brightness, the iPad 11 was able to last 11 hours and 25 minutes. That not only tops its predecessor, but it also beats the iPad Air M4 and iPad mini 7.
Test |
Notes |
How it stacks up |
|---|---|---|
Battery life |
11:25 tested battery life |
★★★★☆ |
Performance |
Speedy, good for browsing and gaming |
★★★★☆ |
Design |
Sleek, portable design that copies the iPad Air |
★★★★☆ |
Display |
Bright, colorful 11-inch panel |
★★★★☆ |
- Read the full Apple iPad 11 review
The best cheap Android tablet
✅ You want full Android app access: The MotoPad gives you unrestricted access to the Google Play Store, letting you install any Android app or service you need — something Amazon’s Fire tablets can’t match.
✅ You need a tablet that lasts all day: We measured over 10 hours of web browsing on Wi-Fi, meaning you can get through work, travel, or binge sessions without searching for a charger.
✅ You want lots of storage for downloads and media: With 128GB onboard and MicroSD expansion up to 2TB, you won’t feel squeezed for space even with movies, books, and games.
❌ You want to play demanding games: Our reviewer struggled to keep basic 3D games smooth, even at low settings — this isn’t a gaming tablet.
❌ You need the fastest performance: If you want split-second app launches and seamless multitasking, the iPad 11’s A16 chip outpaces the MotoPad’s processor.
💻 The Motorola MotoPad (2026) brings the best of Android at a very affordable price. If you want a travel-friendly Android tablet for browsing, streaming and reading — and care more about app selection and battery life than raw speed — the MotoPad (2026) is the best all-around value.
What you need to know
The Motorola MotoPad (2026) stands out as the best Android pick for budget-minded buyers, thanks to its full Android app access and an impressive 10 hours and 31 minutes of battery life. If a flexible app ecosystem and reliable all-day use matter to you, all at a sub-$250 price, this slate covers both bases out of the box.
Design: Even at its price, the MotoPad offers a splash of style with its sturdy aluminum chassis and color, making it quite a premium-looking device. Plus, it's wrapped in a lightweight 1.06-pound chassis that’s just 0.28 inches thick. That makes it easy to toss in a bag or hold for hours.
Display: The MotoPad’s 11-inch (2560 x 1600) LCD panel offers plenty of portable screen real estate and sharpness for streaming and reading, making it a reliable binge-watching machine for shows and movies. With its strong color coverage and accuracy, expect whatever you stream to be a visual treat for the eyes.
Performance: With a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 and 8GB of RAM, don’t expect gaming prowess here. In our reviewer's experience, even basic 3D games struggled to hit 30fps at the lowest settings. For streaming, web browsing and light gaming, it’s fine, but heavy multitaskers or gamers will want more power.
Battery life: It may not be the longest-lasting tablet around, but it still beats the battery life of the likes of the iPad Air M4. In our battery test, the MotoPad lasted a strong 10 hours and 31 minutes, meaning you won't need to reach for a charger throughout the day. For watching shows on the couch or slipping this in your bag for travel, this will give you the charge you need.
Test |
Notes |
How it stacks up |
|---|---|---|
Battery life |
Lasts over 10 hours on a single charger, as tested |
★★★★☆ |
Performance |
Fast enough for regular use but not great for heavy-duty tasks or demanding games |
★★★☆☆ |
Design |
Lightweight at just 1 pound, colorful and stylish |
★★★★☆ |
Display |
Bright, vivid 11-inch LCD panel that's bursting with color |
★★★★☆ |
- Read the full Motorola MotoPad review
The best cheap Amazon tablet
✅ You're invested in Amazon's ecosystem: Amazon's Fire tablets are great for one thing, and that's engaging with Amazon products. If you mostly plan to stream Prime Video and read Kindle books, this is a great tablet for that.
✅ You prize battery life: The Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus is only outstanding in one regard, and that's its 14+ hours of tested battery life.
❌ You value versatility: Amazon Fire tablets are handicapped by limited app selection and Amazon's FireOS. You can use this tablet to browse the web or write emails, but you won't have access to a lot of useful Google Play Store apps.
❌ You like to play games: There are loads of games to download from the Amazon Appstore and play on your Fire tablet, but the selection pales to what's available on any competing tablet from Apple, Google or Microsoft.
💻 The Amazon Fire HD 10 is one of the company's top-tier tablets, and we recommend it as the Amazon Fire slate that hits the sweet spot between price and performance. You can do better if you splurge on the larger, more powerful Fire Max 11, but you're paying at least $50 more for moderate upgrades.
What you need to know
The Amazon Fire HD 10 is a sleek, stylish tablet in the hand with supremely impressive value for money to boot. Previously, there was a slightly better HD 10 Plus, which has been discontinued.
While we do like the larger, beefier Fire Max 11 well enough, we still recommend the Fire HD 10 to those hunting for a great, cheap tablet because it's relatively cheap ($179 to start) for what you get. You can pay a small fee to remove lock screen ads (which we recommend) or to double the storage to 64GB, which might not be worth it when you consider this slate has a microSD card slot and can support up to an additional 1TB of storage via microSD card.
Design: Measuring 9.7 x 6.5 x 0.4 inches and weighing just over a pound, the Fire HD 10 is an easy slate to tote around, and the sturdiness of this plastic design cannot be overstated. There's a single USB-C port for charging, and the upgrade to the Plus model also brings with it the option of wireless charging, since this tablet is Qi-certified and can charge via supported wireless charging pads.
Display: The 10.1-inch, 1920 x 1200-pixel display on the Fire HD 10 is a pleasant surprise at this price. It gets nearly as bright and colorful as an iPad screen despite costing nearly half as much, so you can count on whatever you're doing looking good.
Performance: The Fire HD 10 packs a 2.0 GHz octa-core processor and 3GB of RAM, which is more than enough to handle what you can do within FireOS. Flipping between menus and loading up webpages is plenty snappy, but don't expect graphically demanding games to run well on this tablet.
Battery life: The Fire HD 10 lasted for 12 hours and 39 minutes on our battery rundown test, making it one of the longest-lived tablets on this list. While the difference between 11 hours and 12 hours of runtime may seem minor, don't discount how annoying it can be to own a tablet that's constantly running out of juice. Remember, great battery life means greater peace of mind, whether you're toting the tablet on a long flight or digging it out from between couch cushions every other weekend.
Test |
Notes |
How it stacks up |
|---|---|---|
Battery life |
12:39 tested battery life |
★★★★☆ |
Performance |
Decent but not fast |
★★★☆☆ |
Design |
Light, comfy design |
★★★★☆ |
Display |
Solid 10.1-inch (1920 x 1200) display |
★★★☆☆ |
- Read the full Amazon Fire HD 10 review
The best cheap tablet for entertainment
✅ Entertainment is all you want: The 12.1-inch 2.5K display is bright and colorful, making videos and digital comics look sharp, and the JBL speakers deliver punchy, loud sound that stands out. It's the ultimate binge-worthy tablet.
✅ You need a reliable tablet for long sessions: We measured 16 hours of battery life (at 60Hz), so you can stream, read or browse all day without charging anxiety. It's one of the longest-lasting tablets we've tested.
❌ You need performance: With its MediaTek Dimensity 7400 processor, the Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2 isn't made for heavy multitasking and serious gaming. It can handle the everyday basics, and that's it.
❌ You want something that's easy to hold: The built-in speaker adds bulk, so the Tab Plus Gen 2 is heavier than most budget tablets around, and we found it tricky to hold for long without feeling its weight, especially with one hand.
💻 The Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2 is easily the best tablet for entertainment. I mean, it comes with a massive JBL speaker built in! Delivering exceptional sound quality, an excellent 12.1-inch 2.5K display and a rotatable kickstand for good measure, this will set anyone up for watching movies, TV shows and other videos anywhere. Even better, it delivers over 16 hours of battery life for long trips. No, this isn't a powerhouse for work or even demanding games, but the gains in screen, battery and especially audio make it a clear winner for everyday entertainment.
What you need to know
The Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2 instantly stands out with that massive, built-in speaker that's hard to miss. Great, then, that this isn't just for show. The room-filling JBL speakers and crisp 12.1-inch 2.5K display make this the ultimate option for watching shows, reading comics or books, and anything to entertain. Being under $400, and frequently on sale for under $300, makes this cheap tablet the best for entertainment.
If sound matters to you, this is one of the few tablets where music doesn’t disappoint. Our lead tester, a metal fan, reported that even the most demanding tracks sounded rich, punchy, and loud — a rare win for tablet audio.
Design: The built-in kickstand rotates a full 360 degrees, making it easy to prop up for comics or hands-free streaming. Our reviewer especially liked using it upright for digital reading, though the added weight from those beefy speakers means it’s not the lightest slate for holding in one hand.
Display: We found the 12.1-inch 2.5K (2560 x 1600) screen to be sharp and vibrant, and the 120Hz refresh rate makes swiping through menus or streaming your favorite shows smooth and easy on the eyes. Even without OLED, colors look lively and text stays clear, so both video and reading are genuinely enjoyable for the price.
Performance: Compared to the Apple iPad 11, you’re getting a larger screen and a much smoother refresh rate, but not the same muscle for heavy-duty tasks or gaming. The MediaTek Dimensity 7400 processor offers just enough for basic tasks, like browsing the web, watching shows, checking out different apps and some light gameplay, but anything that demands multitasking or heavy work-based apps will struggle. This one's for entertainment, and that's just fine for its price.
Battery life: Battery life is a huge highlight: in our test, the Tab Plus Gen 2 ran for 16 hours at 60Hz and 13 hours and 39 minutes at 120Hz. That’s easily enough for long binge sessions or travel days without scrambling for a charger.
Test |
Notes |
How it stacks up |
|---|---|---|
Battery life |
16:00 tested battery life |
★★★★★ |
Performance |
Not for heavy workloads |
★★★☆☆ |
Design |
Built-in rotatable kickstand, and speaker! |
★★★★☆ |
Display |
12.1-inch 2.5K (2560 x 1600) with 120Hz refresh rate is incredible for the price |
★★★★★ |
- Read the full Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2 review
Battery benchmarks comparison
You'd be surprised at how long a cheap tablet can last, and you'll be happy to know that every tablet we've chosen comes with over 10 hours of battery life. That's an impressive feat for each!
Right now, the longest-lasting tablet is the Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2, coming it at 16 hours on the dot. That's great for long-haul flights and journeys, but the rest of the tablts we've tested also have plenty of juice.
Check out our results below to compare each tablet.
Best Cheap Tablets Battery life Results
In our battery test, we set the tablet's display to 150 nits of brightness and have it endlessly browse the web via Wi-Fi until it runs out of juice.
Battery life (hh:mm:ss)
| Product | Value |
|---|---|
| Apple iPad 11 | 11.416666666666666 |
| Motorola MotoPad | 10.516666666666667 |
| Amazon Fire HD 10 | 12.65 |
| Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2 | 16 |
Also tested
If you're willing to stretch the budget or want to find a fantastic deal on other tablets, there are a few amazing tablets you'll want to keep on your radar. Some of the slates we test don't make the cut on this list purely because they aren't worth your hard-earned cash, but others can be among the best tablets around — but they are pricey investments.
Check out the other tablets we've tested and rated, and find out if they suit your fancy.
Best Cheap Tablet: Frequently Asked Questions
Is an iPad or Android tablet better if I’m on a budget?
An iPad is the better budget choice if you already use one of the best iPhones or other Apple devices, while Android is usually better if app flexibility and generally better displays are worth it for you. Right now, the iPad 11 is this guide’s best overall pick because its A16 chip, bright 11-inch display and iPadOS make it a strong all-rounder.
The Motorola MotoPad or Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2 is the better fit for buyers who want full Google Play access and a lower-cost Android option. They are well suited to browsing, streaming and reading, but not for heavy-duty tasks or demanding games.
Are Amazon Fire tablets worth buying instead of Android tablets?
Amazon Fire tablets are worth buying if your priority is affordable access to Prime Video, Kindle books and Amazon’s services, but a standard Android tablet is more versatile for apps and demanding use. The Fire HD 10 offers a great balance of price, screen size and battery life.
The key trade-off is software: Fire OS has a more limited app selection than the Google Play Store. Choose a Fire tablet for straightforward streaming, reading and casual home use; choose Android if you need broad app compatibility or expect to do more than basic tasks.
Can a cheap tablet play games or replace a laptop?
Cheap tablets can handle casual games and light productivity, but they are not a reliable replacement for the best laptops or the best gaming handhelds. The iPad 11 has the strongest performance among this guide’s recommendations and can run games well, but it won't replace a laptop for demanding work. The Motorola MotoPad is fine for browsing, streaming and light gaming, yet we found basic 3D games struggled to run smoothly in testing. If you need sustained multitasking, creative software or desktop-class work, spend more on a laptop or higher-performance tablet.
How to choose the best cheap tablet for you
Start by thinking about the operating system you live in, which means opening your pocket and thinking about how much you rely on your smartphone.
iPhone owners may jump straight to the iPad 11, and they'd be right to do so — iMessage integration and the shared app ecosystems across iOS and iPadOS are an ideal combination. Plus, with iPadOS 26 bringing in Mac-like features, it's a great system to get on board with.
Android users have a wider set of options, with the Motorola MotoPad being our current favorite. Android tablets tend to deliver a great, simplistic experience for a more affordable price compared to Apple's tablets. We don't recommend this for heavy-duty use, though, since its performance tends to be on the weaker side. The same can be said for the Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2, which is built for entertainment, not exactly high-performing workloads.
That all being said, if you've got a big enough family and you're all living in the Amazon Prime ecosystem, go for the Fire HD 10 if you're trying to fit a tight budget (or just need a cheap tablet for the kids to use), and if you want a bit more power and a nice screen.
How we test the best cheap tablets
First, we run as many benchmarks as that tablet will allow us to see how fast they are in ways that can be compared directly against competitors. We say "will allow" as some tablets, like Amazon's Fire slates, have trouble with side-loaded Android apps.
We then use colorimeters and light meters to measure how colorful and bright these tablets’ screens can get. After that, we put them through our in-house battery test, which times how long it takes — while surfing the web with brightness at 150 nits — to drain a tablet of its charge.
After that, we do the same things you do — browse the web, watch YouTube, play games, compose emails — and then a lot more. We try and write some (or all) of our tablet reviews on the tablets we're testing, if there's a keyboard for it, that is. Nobody wants to write a magnum opus on a glass screen, trust me.
For more information, check out our how we test page for Tom's Guide.
