Top 10 Best Budget Laptops Under $200About the author Mike Johnson

Gone are the days when you had to spend a lot of money to buy a good laptop because now many laptop manufacturers are offering decent performing laptops for a price lesser than $200! You can get all the basic everyday tasks done on them, but they are still very underpowered for most jobs. So are the laptops under 200 dollars the right choice for you? If yes, which are the best laptops under $200 right now? Read on to find out.

While buying the budget laptop, you have to keep your expectations in check, but when the budget is $200, you really have to take that seriously!

You can’t expect to play the newest games or perform demanding tasks such as video editing on these budget laptops because Windows Netbooks and Chromebooks that you would usually find in this price range are simply not made for it. They run on lightweight operating systems such as Windows 10 S and Chrome OS and are powered by entry-level CPUs with no more than 4GB RAM and 64GB eMMC type storage. Although they can’t handle demanding workloads, they are perfect for everyday productivity tasks such as surfing the web, editing documents, managing small excel sheets, and creating presentations. They are also highly portable with a very compact and lightweight form factor, and their less powerful hardware consumes very little power, so most of them have battery backup that lasts a full day.

So, they are an excellent option for frequent travelers, students, or anyone who wants an inexpensive laptop to get online and perform basic computing tasks. However, for anything more than that, the sub-$200 laptops will be underwhelmingly slow. S, if you think that the laptops under $200 won’t cut for your requirements, then we strongly recommend you to increase your budget and check out the other budget laptop buying guides, which includes more capable laptops that cost just slightly more than $200.

Well, if you think that these laptops are exactly what you have been looking for, then as mentioned earlier, while searching for the best cheap laptops in the market, you will see there are mostly Windows netbooks and Chromebooks available to buy under the $200 budget.

So, the first thing which you have to decide is whether you should buy a Windows laptop or a Chromebook?

So, now as you have decided what type of laptop you want to buy for yourself, we can proceed with the list of best laptops to buy under your budget of 200 dollars.

Best Laptops Under 200 Dollars – Top Picks

1. ASUS L210MA 11″ Laptop Our Top Pick

ASUS L210MA is our most recommended laptop under $200. It is a recently launched model with great features and all the newest hardware you can get for the price. It is finished in black color and has a smooth finish on the lid with the ASUS logo in the center. It’s a very slim and lightweight laptop weighing just 2.2 pounds. We think it’s probably the best-looking laptop you can buy in the $200 price range right now. It also feels durable and very well put together.

It has an 11-inch anti-glare LED display which reduces eye strain, and it gets reasonably bright as well. It has a comfortable keyboard with big and perfectly placed keys for typing with ease, and its trackpad is also smooth to operate, plus it doubles up as a Numpad! There are hardly any laptops in the $200 price range that has a keyboard with a numpad. If you are the kind of user for whom the numpad is very important, then this on-touchpad numpad on the ASUS L210MA works flawlessly.

Inside, it has a dual-core Intel Celeron processor, which is enough potent to handle all the everyday tasks without any problems. To handle multitasking, it provides 4GB of RAM and it offers 64GB of eMMC storage.

There are also decent connectivity options. It provides a standard USB 3.0 port, a USB Type-C port, an HDMI, and it also has an SD card slot which would aid to expand its less onboard storage space.

Overall the ASUS L210MA is a well-rounded package that checks most of the right boxes, and hence it is an excellent netbook under $200 for everyday use, be it for students or anyone whose work does not demand a lot of computational power.

Read our full ASUS L210MA-DB01 11″ Laptop Review

$195.00 | Buy From Amazon

2. HP 14-fq0070nr Laptop Runner-up

HP is one of the most reliable laptop manufacturing brands because HP laptops are not only sturdy and well-performing, but their laptops are well-priced and offer a lot of value. That’s what makes its laptops ideal for students and other users who don’t have a lot of money to spare for their new laptops.

Well, if we talk about this HP laptop, then it is slightly bigger than other laptops in this price range. It has a more prominent 14-inch display. So if you like to work on a bigger screen, then this HP laptop is for you. It features a very comfortable keyboard with a decent palm rest area, making typing long documents and emails less fatiguing on this laptop. Its touchpad is also smooth to operate.

It runs Windows 10 operating system fluidly fast thanks to the hardware inside. It is powered by a dual-core AMD 3020e processor with integrated Radeon graphics, and it provides 4GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage. The performance that it delivers is more or less the same as the other laptops in the $200 price range. It also features all the required ports and slots, including a full-size SD card slot to increase its onboard storage. Moreover, you get one-year of Microsoft 365 subscription free with this laptop, which would provide access to all the Office apps and give you 1TB of OneDrive storage.

Overall this HP laptop is best for anyone who wants a laptop for home and education purposes and is ready to spend a little over 200 dollars for the added features.

$319.99 from Amazon

3. Lenovo Chromebook S330

For those who are a fan of Lenovo laptops, here is another laptop under 200 dollars which is actually a Chromebook designed with a businessperson’s requirements in mind. From design itself as you can see, it speaks business. It’s finished in black color and has very subtle Lenovo branding on the lid. Open it up and you’ll see a 14-inch display and a perfectly laid out keyboard. The keyboard on this laptop is exceptionally great considering the price that it comes for. Its keys travel enough distance to deliver nice tactile feedback while typing and touchpad also provide fluid navigation to use Chrome OS on this laptop.

It’s a very slim laptop, yet it has enough room to fit all the required ports including USB Type-C, USB 3.1, microSD card slot and an audio jack. This laptop is powered by 1.7 GHz MediaTek processor which is reasonably fast and also battery efficient.

It has 4GB of RAM which makes everyday tasks on this Lenovo laptop buttery smooth and it has 32GB of inbuilt flash storage. It can run up to 8 hours on one full charge of battery and it also weighs just 3 pounds which makes this laptop ideal for writers, frequent travelers and also for college students.

$225 | Buy at Lenovo

Lenovo Chromebook C330 11″ Convertible Chromebook

If you are looking for a convertible chromebook under $200, then Lenovo Chromebook C330 11″ is also a great option. It comes with the same specs as the above-mentioned Lenovo S330 chromebook, which includes a quad-core MediaTek processor, 4GB RAM, and 32GB eMMC storage. However, since this is an 11-inch laptop, it comes with a smaller 11-inch display, but the display is touch-enabled, and it is rotatable to use it as a tablet or in other positions.

It offers all the standard ports and has an SD card slot to expand its small storage capacity. Plus, it also comes with a webcam, which is crucial in this work/study from home times. All in all, it is a pretty well-rounded package, so if you are looking for a convertible laptop under $200, then the Lenovo Chromebook C330 11″ Chromebook is the one you should pick. | See it on Lenovo

4. HP 14a-na0020nr Best Chromebook Under $200

Another laptop from HP on this list and this one is a Chromebook with the superior build quality and all the latest tech inside. It’s our favorite chromebook under $200 right now and we think it will be a perfect computer for students to take notes in class or for business people who have to work online. It has a 14-inch HD display with small bezels and it also features a built-in HD webcam. It has an excellent keyboard with chiclet-type keys, and it also has a huge touchpad to perform daily tasks with ease.

It has all the required ports and slots and also offers reliable wireless connectivity with fast 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5. It is powered by an Intel Celeron processor with 4GB of RAM which delivers enough performance for your basic requirements like editing word docs and surfing the internet. Its 32GB of eMMC storage is less just like every other laptop in the segment, but you get 100GB of free Google Drive storage for one year with this chromebook and it even has a memory card slot to expand its memory further.

With lightweight chassis, long-lasting battery, and loud stereo speakers, the HP 14a-na0020nr Chromebook is an excellent option for anyone to work/study online.

$239.99 | Buy at Amazon

The HP Chromebook 11 is also a great option if you are looking for a smaller chromebook. It comes powered by an octa-core MediaTek processor paired with 4GB RAM and 32GB eMMC storage. Like every other chromebook of this size, the HP Chromebook 11 also has an 11-inch display with 1366 x 768 resolution, but it is touch-enabled. So, using android apps from the play store and playing touch-based games would be a whole lot convenient on this chromebook. So, if you want a clamshell-type laptop with a touchscreen, then HP Chromebook 11 is a no-nonsense inexpensive laptop that gets the job done. | $248.04 from Amazon

5. Samsung Chromebook 4

Samsung has been into laptops market for 9 years now, and its laptop models are competing with few of the highest contenders right now. Samsung’s Chromebook 3 was an excellent laptop for budget buyers, but their new Chromebook 4 is even better with some essential changes.

The exterior of the laptop is entirely made up of plastic, and it has an aluminum lid, giving it a premium look. Its lid has a slightly grainy finish which not only looks good but also helps to hold the laptop with confidence. Like most laptops under $200, the Samsung Chromebook 4 is also an 11-inch laptop, and its hardware specifications are also almost identical. It is powered by Intel Celeron processor clocked at 1.1 GHz, and it comes with 4GB of RAM to handle multitasking smoothly. It has 32GB of eMMC storage which is less, but you can insert a memory card to expand storage on this budget chromebook.

It has all essential ports like a full size USB 3.0 port, a USB Type-C port and 3.5mm audio jack so overall it is a pretty great all-around performing laptop. With about 12 hours of battery and just two and a half pounds of weight, this chromebook is best for businesspeople who are looking for the best cheap laptop under 200 dollars for themselves.

$162.99 | Buy from Amazon

6. HP Stream 11

HP Stream 11 is the most popular laptop in $200 price range because of its beautiful design and great performance. It has got an 11-inch HD display, which is perfect for working with this laptop in all lighting conditions, and its webcam is also ideal for Skype. It has a fan less design which eliminates ugly air vents from its outer body while keeping the overall design slimmer.

The HP Stream 11 comes with a chiclet style keyboard and is comfortable enough for long typing sessions. Plus, it also has a great touchpad which is responsive and provides nice tactile clicks. It is powered by an Intel Celeron processor with 4GB of RAM, but it has just 32GB storage. However, it comes with a micro SD card slot, which makes up for its low storage, and it also has all the other required ports and slots lined up on the either side. Plus, it has all the standard wireless connectivity options as well like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

So, overall the HP Stream 11 is best in all the ways, and if you are looking for the stylish color options in your laptop, then it might put an end to your search of best cheap laptops under 200 dollars.

$229.99 From Amazon

The HP Stream 14 is also an excellent option with a 14-inch HD screen and the same specs for just a little extra price. So, if you want an extra screen real estate, then it’s also a great option. | Check Price on Amazon

7. Lenovo IdeaPad 1

Lenovo Ideapad 1 is designed and manufactured by keeping needs and budget of everyday users in mind. It is a 14-inch notebook running Windows 10 that offers reliable performance and battery life in a good looking chassis. The laptop is finished in a platinum gray color which gives this laptop a professional and stylish looks. It is less than an inch thick and also weighs around 3 pounds which makes this laptop ideal for people who travel more often.

It has a keyboard with adequately big keys to type conveniently, and it has a decent touchpad as well. It is powered by an AMD processor and 4GB of RAM. It offers 64GB of eMMC storage which can be further expanded via memory card slot.

With up to 8 hours of battery backup, this windows laptop is another great option under $200 for school and college students or business people.

$265.00 | Buy from Amazon

8. Acer Chromebook 311

Another Chromebook in this list of best cheap laptops under 200 dollars. I should say that Acer has done a great job with this Chromebook. From build quality to performance this chromebook is perfect to get things done on the go. It’s hard to believe that this chromebook costs less than $200 because its build quality is excellent and its dual color finish makes this laptop more eye catchy.

It has 11 inches of high definition LED display which does not strain eyes while working for the extended period. Its keyboard is chiclet styled with enough palm rest area, and its touchpad is also smooth and accurate. This chromebook is also powered by Intel’s Celeron processor clocked at 2.6 GHz and 4GB of RAM. It has 32GB of internal storage which can be expanded via memory card slot or you can use Google Drive to store all your files and folders.

With long-lasting battery life, light in weight design and fast wifi connectivity this chromebook is one of the top-selling chromebook in the market. 

$189.99 | Buy at Amazon

9. Acer Aspire 1

Acer Aspire 1 is a sleek-slim windows laptop packed with adequate hardware inside to carry out all your daily jobs. From editing documents to multi-tabbed internet surfing, this Acer laptop is capable of handling all those everyday tasks pretty smoothly.

This laptop is finished in an black color, which makes this laptop look more stylish while its 4.1 pounds of weight makes it easier to carry and use this laptop from anywhere on the go. It has a 14-inch full HD screen which is bright and sharp enough to view everything in detail, but its webcam has sub-par video quality, and it’s only suitable for occasional video calls. The keyboard on the Aspire 1 is USP of this laptop. It is among the very few laptops in this price range to feature a keyboard with separate numpad, so if you have to crunch numbers all day long, then this is the laptop for you. Its touchpad isn’t much responsive, though, but it supports multi-finger gestures which makes it easy to scroll and navigate while multitasking.

This laptop gets power from the Intel Celeron N4020 dual-core processor which handles all regular works pretty smoothly on this laptop. It has 4GB of RAM to give extra smoothness to your multitasking needs, and it comes with 64GB of internal storage which can be further expanded by inserting a memory card. The Acer Aspire 1 is one of the best cheap laptops in $200 price range right now. Although it costs a little bit more than $200, it’s still the best Windows laptop you can get within your small budget.

Read our full review of 2019 Acer Aspire 1

$271.99 | Buy at Amazon

10. ASUS C223 11″ Chromebook

Asus Chromebook is a premium built lightweight Chromebook which we think is worth considering while looking for the best cheap laptops under 200 dollars. It’s quite surprising how well-built devices Asus offers at such low prices. ASUS C223 is one of the toughest, compact and lightweight notebook to buy under 200 dollars.

It is finished in gray color chassis which looks premium and there’s also a red color option. It is a very professional looking device overall and its design blends well in a corporate environment. It has a full size ergonomically designed chiclet keyboard with 1.6mm key travel distance which delivers a very satisfying typing experience, and it also sports large smart gestures supporting trackpad.

Chrome OS is pre-installed on this laptop, and it runs pretty smooth because it has an Intel Celeron processor inside paired with 4GB of RAM. For offline storage of data, it provides only 32GB of eMMC storage, but it has a memory card slot to expand its storage further.

Apart from that, it comes with a three months of free Stadia Pro subscription with this chromebook, which will allow you to enjoy all the latest AAA titles on this chromebook. With the fast wireless connectivity options, long-lasting battery and smooth performance the Asus Chromebook C223 11″ will take your daily working experience to the next level.

$213.99 | Buy From Amazon

These were the best cheap laptops to buy at your $200 budget. You might have noticed that all laptops mentioned above have almost similar hardware specifications, so all you have to check is design, weight, and battery backup to buy the perfect laptop for yourself.

I hope this budget laptop buying guide help you to buy the best laptop under 200 dollars for yourself.

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