Best Budget Tablet 2024: Top 10 Cheap Tablets

Despite early promise, tablets haven’t quite replaced laptops for most people.

As a result, you may be reluctant to spend the premium price required to get some of the best tablets out there.

If that’s you, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ve reviewed and ranked the 10 best budget tablets you can buy.

Android and Amazon Fire tablets dominate here, and all come in at under £300/$300. None of the iPad models that Apple sells are that cheap (unless you get a refurbished one), so we’ve included the most affordable model at the time of writing.

Of course, this is when you’re buying the tablet new. For a wider selection of cheap slates, see our guide to the best refurbished tablet deals.

Why you should trust us: Tablet reviews and buying advice have been a staple of Tech Advisor’s coverage since the original iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab arrived in 2010.

We’ve seen tablet makers scramble to offer the biggest, brightest, highest-resolution, fastest-refreshing, toughest, displays; we’ve seen an arms race in processors and graphics in the quest for the ultimate portable performance; continued improvements to accessories and software to make for the best possible productivity experience; a push for batteries that can go – never mind all day – but all week; and new technologies that enable water resistance and vastly improve audio.

We’ve held your hand through a fascinating journey of tablet hardware, and today – some 14 years later – it’s the software smarts and once impossible to imagine AI capabilities that glue us to this path. We perform in-depth, real-world testing on every new tablet that’s worth buying, including budget devices. We integrate them into our daily lives for the most authentic experience possible and making sure we are in a position to give you the best possible buying advice.

Best budget tablets 2024

1. Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 – Best overall

Pros

• Slick, compact design
• Solid performance
• Impressive display
• Great value for money

Cons

• Slow charging
• Disappointing cameras
• Blurry scrolling at times
• Not available in the US

If you’re on a budget or just need a cheap tablet, there’s no better option than the Galaxy Tab A9.

It costs just £169 in the UK, yet offers everything most people need from a cheap slate. That includes solid everyday performance, an attractive 8.7-inch display and solid battery life. With a design that could easily pass for a device twice the price and Samsung’s intuitive One UI software over Android, there’s a lot to like here.

However, it’s not all good news. The charging speeds and cameras both need work, while scrolling can feel slow and produce a ghosting effect. There’s also no 5G support, but 4G will be absolutely fine for most people.

While not perfect, Samsung’s focus on getting the basics right means this is a tablet that’s easy to recommend. Provided you’re happy with Android, it’s the budget tablet to beat.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 review

2. Apple iPad 10.2in (2021) – Best cheap iPad

Pros

• Best selection of tablet-optimised apps
• Large, bright 10.2in display
• Support for Apple Pencil

Cons

• Dated design
• More expensive than other budget tablets

Price When Reviewed:


$329 (64GB) | $479 (256GB)

The 9th-gen regular iPad was released back in 2021, but it remains a great tablet. And with discounts often bringing it under £350/$350, it’s still the best affordable Apple tablet you can buy.

The iPad experience is a premium one no matter the model you opt for, with iPadOS offering a suite of tablet-focused features and functionality that make it easy to use, even if you’ve never used an iPad before. It also has the widest and most high-quality selection of tablet-optimised apps of all the devices here.

Even in 2024, Apple’s A13 Bionic is a capable chip that ensures the iPad can comfortably run the vast majority of apps on the App Store. The 10.2-inch display is a joy to use, especially with Apple’s TrueTone tech (for automatically adjusting colour balance based on your environment) and support for the first-gen Apple Pencil.

So, yes, while the iPad is a more premium entry-level tablet than those from Amazon and Android manufacturers, it still boasts the best all-around experience of them all.

Read our full Apple iPad 10.2in (2021) review