The best laptops under $500: Affordable options we'd actually buy in 2024

When you're on the hunt for the best laptop under $500, you need to be careful.

In the highly competitive laptop market, you get what you pay for. That means it can be very dangerous to buy a "cheap" laptop. Choose wrongly, and you'll be stuck with a slow, outdated computer that causes more problems than it solves. Mashable regularly tests the best affordable laptops overall, but if $500 is your upper limit, then you're going to be priced out of some popular budget laptops. But even then, we still highly recommend a handful of computers that will fit nicely into your budget.

Not all of the laptops we tested made our final cut, like the Samsung Chromebook 4. Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable

A quick guide to laptop pricing

You can buy a cheap Chromebook for as little as $100, while our favorite gaming laptop will set you back over $3,000. And in our guide to the best laptops in general, you'll find machines that span a wide spectrum of prices. With $500 to spend, you'll be priced out of Ultrabooks, MacBooks, and most gaming laptops.

Typically, laptops fall into one of the following categories:

• Chromebooks ($100-$650): These computers have minimal storage and are designed to run mostly web applications and basic programs. They're light, portable, and very affordable. At the upper end of this price range, cloud-based gaming Chromebooks offer a smart alternative to expensive gaming laptops.

• Budget laptops ($250-$750): Even the best budget laptops won't have the most impressive specs, but they should have enough RAM and storage for everyday use at school or work.

• MacBooks ($850-$3,500): The cheapest MacBook worth buying (the M2 MacBook Air) will set you back $850 when it's on sale, while a fully specced-out MacBook Pro can cost as much as $3,500.

• Ultrabooks ($1,000-$3,500): These high-end laptops have enough processing power to handle tasks like photo and video editing. They typically have a sleek and modern aesthetic, too. MacBooks also fall into this category.

What are the best laptops under $500 in 2024?

Below, we've put together a detailed guide to the best budget laptops for under $500, including a lot of Chromebook picks. The right laptop will vary depending on your needs, but the Acer Aspire 5 is our overall top pick for our money. Check out all the contenders below.