The best budget tablet won't have the most hi-res screen, the most detailed cameras or the fastest processor. But a lot of people aren't looking for that. They just want a cheap tablet for basic tasks like streaming music and movies, checking emails, using apps and surfing the web while on the move... or just lazing around on the sofa.
To help you get the maximum bang for your buck, we've drawn on our vast experience of reviewing, testing and using tablets, to bring together the absolute best cheap tablets at a range of prices.
Note, though, that these tablets are on the older side, and prices across different retailers are typically all over the place. So the widgets on this page automatically pull in the best prices available for each tablet right now. Meanwhile, if you'd prefer to spend more money, see our guide to the best tablets overall.
The best budget tablets
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Yes, it is possible to get a working tablet for under $50, from the Walmart's Onn brand. We found one for just $47 on Walmart's site, albeit refurbished.
Don't get us wrong: this is an old model (launched 2019) and not very capable when compared with today's mid-price tablets. The specs are minimal: 8-inch IPS LCD screen, a MediaTek processor, 2GB of RAM, 2MP rear camera, 0.3MP front camera, and 11GB of usable storage. And in practice, that means slow running, limited battery life (expect around four hours of standard use), a lackluster display, and subpar cameras
But... it does work! And so if you just want to do simple stuff like stream music and video, check emails, and surf the web, it will do the job at the lowest price around. Plus, unlike Amazon tablets, it will actually run Google Play Store apps.
The Amazon Fire HD 8 costs a little more than the Onn Surf 8; at time of writing, it's just $64.99 on Amazon. However, it is much better. So if you can stretch your cash a little further, it'll be worth your while. Well, as long as you don't want to run Google Play Store apps, because you can't do so on any Amazon tablet. (There are equivalents in the Amazon Store, but they're usually not as good).
If that's not a deal breaker, the HD 8 will give you an 8 inch screen with HD resolution (1280 x 800). You'll get a more powerful processor than the Surf 8's, to make everything run more smoothly. Plus you'll also enjoy much longer battery life of up to 12 hours.
Don't get us wrong: this is still a basic tablet overall, with a processor that's too limited for gaming. But if you mainly want a tablet for entertainment and web surfing, it'll do everything you need to.
The Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) is going up in price from our number two pick, the Fire HD 8. But not by much: the 32GB version is just $94.99 on Amazon at time of writing. And it's a big step up in capability.
For starters, the Fire HD 10 features a bigger 10.1-inch Full HD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200, offering more screen space and sharper clarity compared to the Fire HD 8's smaller 8-inch HD display.
It's powered by a more capable MediaTek MT8186A chipset and includes 3GB of RAM, enabling smoother multitasking and better handling of demanding applications. In contrast, the Fire HD 8’s lower-end processor and 2GB of RAM are more limited in handling heavier tasks.
While both tablets provide good battery life, the Fire HD 10 often lasts longer in real-world use due to its efficient hardware and larger battery capacity. Plus the Fire HD 10 has better cameras, with a 5MP front camera for clearer video calls, compared to the 2MP front camera on the Fire HD 8.
The Lenovo Yoga Tab 11 will cost you a fair bit more than numbers 1-3 on our list. The best price we found at time of writing was $180 on Amazon. But if you can afford it, we reckon it offers excellent value.
The screen is large and beautiful. This 11-inch IPS LCD display boasts 2K resolution (2,000 x 1,200 pixels) resolution, up to 400 nits of brightness, and a refresh rate of 60Hz, making it good choice for both streaming video and playing games. And there's an included kickstand to make both more comfortable.
Audio is also good quality for a cheap tablet. The Octa-core processor and 4GB of RAM keep the system running pretty smoothly. The 8MP front and rear cameras are far superior to the others tablets on this list. And best of all, unlike Amazon tablets, you can run all the Google Play apps you like.
A drawing tablet isn't the same as a normal tablet. Its basic purpose is to allow you to draw with a stylus, in a way that's similar to drawing on paper. They're most commonly used by artists, but they're also popular for other activities involving a digital pen (for more on this, see our guide to the best drawing tablets for photo editing).
Right now, our favorite drawing tablet for those on a budget is the XP-Pen Artist 12. It has a lovely 11.6in screen, boasting Full HD resolution (1920x1080), 72% NTSC Color Gamut and 178° viewing angle. And it comes with its own digital pen, offering 8,192-levels of pressure sensitivity. You get a pen holder, eight replacement pen nibs, a cleaning cloth and a drawing glove. All this, for such a low price, represents excellent value.
