Our comparison table only shows our top 5 picks. You can find the other recommendations within this article.
I would personally never recommend anyone to buy a laptop under $100, but if that's your budget then we'll be able to help. Even with their relatively low computing power and limited storage, these types of laptops can be used for simple and basic tasks such as browsing, listening to music, editing emails and so on.
Note that availability of used and refurbished laptops changes frequently. We work hard to keep the listings up-to-date, but you may want to use the following link to find even more deals at Amazon.
Laptop brands are releasing new models every month or so, even with very little to no improvement. This has been going on for years now and for that reason you may be able to find a decent older laptop that will suit your needs and save some money.
When you look for them online or offline you will notice that you don't have many options since $100 is an extremely low price for a laptop. You may also need some accessories like external drives or speakers for these older laptops.
Should you buy an ultra-budget refurbished laptop under $100?
First, this might be obvious but you will probably not find a new laptop for under $100. However, you will find some decent used or refurbished laptops in this price range. These kind of devices can be used for simple things like checking emails, managing Excel (or Googl e Sheets) spreadsheets and watching movies.
If you're expecting something more than this, like playing the latest games, then you might want to increase your budget and look for best laptops under $300.
Be aware that the availability and prices of laptops in this price range will change frequently. We update this page often, but be aware that some of the laptops may be offered at more than $100 on any given day.
So what exactly will you get for A $100 Laptop?
Typically, laptops in this price range will be older discontinued models from manufacturers such as Dell, HP, Lenovo, ASUS, etc. Many should be able to run Windows XP OS quite smoothly and you will be able to use it for most of the classic applications. Another option is a ChromeBook that relies on cloud storage and applications. Linux is also known for running well on older, lower-powered laptops.
Other than these, you might struggle with finding the best laptops under $100 as there are only a limited number of options available.
So these are some of the challenges with finding ultra-budget laptops. If knowing this, you are still interested in buying one, then check our list of cheap laptops under $100.
Our Top Picks for Best Budget Laptops under 100 Dollars
1. Dell Latitude D630
Specs:
Despite being released over 10 years ago, the Dell Latitude D630 is still a popular choice for people looking for a budget laptop. It had a powerful — for the time — Intel Core 2 Duo processor.
With the 14.1" display, this could be a great laptop for word processing, browsing the web and watching TV shows or movies. I've owned one of these myself and they are definitely a reliable workhorse of a laptop.
Using a 2.2Ghz Core 2 Duo processor, this Dell features 2GB of RAM and a 80GB HDD. Out of the box, it runs Windows XP OS, but it just meets the minimum requirements of Windows 7 if you want to upgrade. At this price, you could even sideload a Chromium package for a cheap Chromebook alternative with more storage
As you would expect from Dell, this machine is built like a tank, which makes it heavier than most of today’s laptops, at around 7 pounds. A tactile keyboard is easy to type on, but the touchpad is fairly small and can be unresponsive when scrolling through pages.
For a cheap second laptop with more storage, better processor and higher reliability than you would normally get for under $100, the Dell Latitude D630 is a great buy.
Specs:
Acer Chromebooks are a great choice in a laptop costing less than $100. They are very lightweight and have great battery life.
Like any Chromebook much of their functionality is cloud-based. Although you won't be running business applications like MS Word or Excel on these laptops, there are very good online equivalents. Google's G Suite provides cloud-based applications for editing documents, creating spreadsheets, preparing presentations and so on.
The display is not especially large, but it has good resolution. It should work well for basic document editing, email and Internet surfing. Given the low weight, this laptop would be good for someone who wants to travel light or for students who will be carrying it in a backpack.
Specs:
The HP ChromeBook 11 is among the better budget laptops at around $100. It has a very slim and lightweight design that will make it easy to take this laptop anywhere you go.
The 11.6" display is bright and sharp. A 16GB SSD provides the local storage. Given the relatively small storage capacity you may want to consider external storage. For files, you would typically use services like Google Drive or DropBox. For business applications, Google's G Suite is a solid choice. However, unlike a ChromeBook, this laptop comes with Windows 10 installed so you aren't required to rely on cloud services.
The keyboard uses chiclet keys like most ChromeBooks. This isn't ideal for doing a lot of typing, but it's more than sufficient for sending emails and editing documents.
For mobility and low-cost, the HP ChromeBook is a great choice.
Specs:
Dell has long been a name associated with business laptops. Although this is an older Inspiron model, it can still cope with the demands of a business user. The blue color is relatively unique and may be a selling point for someone looking for something a little different than the norm.
The 11.6 inch LCD screen is bright and it features anti-glare technology not present in earlier models, so it will be suitable for use in direct sunlight. The 4GB of RAM and the Intel Celeron N3060 processor enables it to run Windows 10 with no problems. The 32GB storage drive provides enough storage for documents and data, but you may need some external storage.
The renowned Dell keyboard is perfect for typing up longer documents or emails. With a 9.5-hour battery life and weighing in at 2.8 pounds, this Dell Inspiron is one of the best laptops under $100 for highly mobile users live travelers or students.
Specs:
The Acer Aspire E11 range of laptops are basically budget notebooks that were aimed at students who only needed modest specs. This model uses a specification similar to that found in most Chromebook devices but offers more storage and a Windows 8 operating system.
For anybody looking for a sub $100 laptop that you can carry anywhere, this model from Acer is ideal, weighing less than 5 pounds and only 0.8 inches thick. Many people have found the cramped keyboard can be more difficult to type on for longer periods. People with larger fingers will definitely struggle with the smaller keyboard.
However, for under a $100 you are getting a large 320GB HDD and an impressive 2GB of RAM. The Intel Celeron N2830 can easily cope with running Windows 8, opening web pages and basic document editing software.
The 11.3-inch screen has a 1366 x 768 resolution, with the pixels being packed in much tighter than larger screens. HD videos and basic flash-based games look fine on the screen, just don’t expect the processor to be able to handle 3D games.
At just over $300 only four years ago, the Acer Aspire E11 was a great value laptop/notebook. Now that you can pick one up for $100, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a machine with as large a storage and WIndows 8 at this price.
Specs:
The Dell Latitude D430 is one of the first ultrabooks that were built for travelers. It's a lightweight device which is not only hard and portable but also packs powerful hardware. It was given a title of "Road Warrior" by Dell, thanks to its long battery life and lightweight magnesium-alloy body.
I know this one really can't be described as an Ultrabook since the recent models are so slim and lightweight but as I said, it's one of the first ones and still better than most of the budget laptops under $100. Its 12-inch display offers the resolution of 1280 x 800 and it's quite perfect for watching movies, browsing web, etc.
So if you love traveling along with your computer and want a budget companion then I'd say this is your best option. With Windows 7 Professional, you will be able to run almost every application and it's also recommended to school and college students.
It's a basic and sturdy laptop that can be also used to play many games on it but you won't be able to connect it to your TV through HDMI since it lacks the port. It's also a great replacement for Acer Netbook which we simply cannot compare it with anymore.
It's a pretty old notebook but it performs well and hardly disappoints. All in all, it's one of the best mini laptops under $100 and was first launched by Dell in 2007. Most of the people use it as a travel computer because not everyone can risk their main PC while traveling and it also has an advantage of being compact and light.
Specs:
This Dell Latitude is a workhorse. It might not be the lightest or fastest laptop around but they tend to be quite reliable and last a long time.
This laptop comes with Windows XP. Given the memory specifications, we wouldn't recommend upgrading to Windows 10 or even Windows 7. Linux should also run reasonable well with these specifications.
The 14.1" display is sufficient but not as high resolution as some other models on our list (1280x800). The biggest benefit of this laptop is they are built very solidly and have a great keyboard.
We recommend this device to someone who wants to use it for just emails, basic document editing and simple business computing.
Specs:
When it comes to HP laptops, you can always expect the quality and durability. The HP Laptop NC6400 is among the best refurbished laptops under $100 and of course it packs some of the greatest features. Its design is pretty light thanks to Compaq because when HP manufactured this device they were both partners.
So if you need a business laptop that can handle all your work with ease then you certainly should consider this. It packs full size keyboard and a smooth touch pad which will help you get your work done without any hassles.
It also has a finger print scanner that will make your files and work absolutely secured. It comes with Windows XP OS but most of the users who purchased it recently preferred to upgrade it to Windows 7. Its battery life can last up to 2 hours with full brightness and I wouldn't say it's a great option for people on the go.
I had this notebook about four years ago, and we bought it from a local mall. Even though it was refurbished, it looked and performed just as a new laptop would. Well, other than two little scratches it was brand new.
Its keyboard, battery, and display were brand new as I had them tested by my engineer. I used it for about ten months quite roughly, and even today it helps me with running some of my bot scripts. All I have to say is that it may not be all sleek and thin, but it will get your tasks done.
Specs:
When it comes to budget laptops, we can say that Dell is a popular name among those and I guess that's the reason we have five of them on this list of best budget laptops under $100. The Latitude 2120 is a well performing device that is also durable and tough.
It packs a decent size keyboard which might not be comfortable for some people but overall, it's a treat for such price. It comes with Windows 7 Professional which is undoubtedly a great thing in such a budget mini notebook.
So if you're looking for a portable cheap laptop under $100 for daily use then I believe you will love this. While purchasing it off from Amazon you will have to let the seller know what kind of battery you'd like as it can handle three different types of batteries.
Many users are still confused if it's a netbook or laptop, and if you're one of them let me clear your doubts here, it were a notebook and was launched way before than netbooks.
Overall, it's a 10-inch refurbished budget laptop that is good for surfing, checking emails, Skyping, etc. but a big no for gaming. Overall, it’s a great deal for $100 and quite hard to believe you’re getting it for such a low price as it was first released at over $600.
Specs:
As we all already know, Dell is one of the most trusted laptop brands and the Latitude D630 is one great example they gave us in 2007. It's sturdy and reliable laptop that can be bought for very low price. Its built quality is sturdy, and also it performs better than most of the old Dell laptops.
It's still preferred by many professionals who are low on budget and Dell later introduced us to E6400 which had a better design and hardware. It you compare it with Lenovo ThinkPad T61, I would say D630 is better when it comes to design and style but it's little heavier.
It's a great device for your day to day tasks including streaming videos on YouTube and Netflix, thanks to its dedicated graphics card. Even though it's an old model, it includes HDMI port which is very rare to find in laptops under $100.
Well, I just checked its reviews on Amazon, and I was quite surprised with what I saw there. It has got more than 600 reviews with more than 80% people fully satisfied.
If you're looking to buy it online, I would recommend you check it on eBay and Amazon, or you could also check it at local Dell auctions where they mostly sell their refurbished laptops for a bargain price. Also what I learned after reading most of the reviews is that it will last for many years regardless of how rough you use it.
Conclusion
These are best budget options that I could find under $100 and I am sure none of them will disappoint you. Well, I believe you have checked out our 10 best budget laptops under $100 and I guess our list has helped you with figuring out the best one for yourself.
Most of them can be used for running basic applications and if you have something specific in your mind that you'd like to run on your budget laptop then feel free to contact us. And if you still got any doubts, please let us know in comments.