Get insider access
Preferred store
Your browser is not supported or outdated so some features of the site might not be available.

The 5 Best Laptops Under $1,000 of 2025

Updated Mar 06, 2025 at 02:55 pm
Best Laptops Under $1,000

While the price of laptops has risen steadily over the years, it's still possible to find great models that cost less than $1,000. Mid-range and budget options have gotten better in quality, and many premium ultraportables start around that price for their base configurations. You can get an exceptionally well-built laptop with a metal chassis, like an Apple MacBook Air, a 2-in-1 convertible, or even a gaming laptop with a powerful CPU and GPU. Mobile workstations are generally more expensive, but if you're okay with some compromises, you can get a gaming laptop as an alternative.

We've tested over 150 laptops, and below, you'll find our recommendations for the best laptops under $1,000 you can buy. See our recommendations for the best laptops under $600, the best laptops under $700, and the best laptop brands.


  1. Best Laptop Under $1,000

    The best laptop under $1,000 we've tested is the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022), a 13-inch ultraportable. It has an exceptionally sturdy all-aluminum build, a bright and sharp Retina display, a spacious keyboard, and Apple's industry-leading haptic touchpad. You also get great-sounding speakers and an excellent 1080p webcam. Performance isn't a problem; its M2 SoC can easily handle general productivity tasks. Port selection is its biggest drawback, as it only has two USB-C ports with support for a single external display. Another option is to go with the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024), which is largely identical but can support two external displays with the lid closed. You might only be able to find the 8GB RAM model for less than $1,000 USD, though.

    With all that said, you might want to disregard all of this and get the new M4 MacBook Air instead, which Apple has just announced. The new model brings better performance, a 12MP camera with Center Stage support, and Thunderbolt 4 support. The latter will let you use two external displays in addition to the laptop's built-in screen. The base 13-inch model will start at $999 USD, sporting 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. If you don't care for the upgrades, you can likely find a really good deal on the M2 or M3 model via a reseller, so keep an eye out. We've ordered the M4 MacBook Airs and will begin testing as soon as we get them in the lab.

    See our review

  2. Best Windows Laptop Under $1,000

    Current Deal: The Acer Swift Go 14 (2024) has dropped in price by $100 at Amazon.com.

    Our best pick under $1,000 on the Windows side is the Acer Swift Go 14 (2024). This 14-inch ultraportable is compact and lightweight, and it feels quite sturdy despite having a little more plastic in its construction than premium models like the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) above. It features Intel's Meteor Lake CPUs, which are powerful enough to handle tasks like text processing, spreadsheets, and presentations, as well as more demanding workloads like programming. You can get up to 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage; only the latter is user-replaceable, so get enough RAM for your needs upfront.

    The overall user experience is good, but it's a bit of a downgrade compared to the MacBook Air. It has a slightly mushier keyboard and a non-haptic diving board touchpad, and the quality of its speakers is significantly worse. You get a wider port selection, though, and its battery life is excellent at around 11 hours of light use. Display options include an FHD+ IPS and a 2.8k OLED panel. Both look sharp and get bright enough for use in most indoor settings, but remember that the OLED is susceptible to permanent burn-in, and it flickers, which might bother people sensitive to screen flickering.

    See our review

  3. Best Chromebook Under $1,000

    The best Chromebook under $1,000 we've tested is the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (2024). It has a 14-inch screen that gets bright enough for use in most indoor settings and provides just enough space for split-screen multitasking. Since this is a 2-in-1, you can set it up in tent mode for media consumption or use it as a tablet. Its IPS touchscreen display looks vibrant, and in addition to touch input, it has USI stylus support (although the stylus isn't included with the laptop). The only downside is the display's poor reflection handling; it isn't suitable for use in bright environments, as any direct light sources like lamps or the sun will be visible.

    Ports include one USB-A, two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4, and an HDMI port. Its battery life is great at over 10 hours of light use, and you can charge over USB-C. Regarding specs, this laptop is available with various Intel Meteor Lake CPUs. Although these are low-power models, they're more than fast enough for anything you'd need to do on a Chromebook. Its keyboard and touchpad are easy and comfortable to use, and the webcam is fantastic, offering a clear image. Of course, not every piece of software is compatible with ChromeOS, so be sure to check for compatibility if you need to use any specialized programs.

    See our review

  4. Best 2-In-1 Tablet Under $1,000

    The best 2-in-1 tablet we've tested for under $1,000 is the Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024). This form factor lets you detach the keyboard to make the device easier to hold as a tablet or to save space when viewing content, like on a kitchen counter or airplane tray table. You can simply pop its comfortable type cover keyboard back on when needed; just remember to factor in the keyboard's cost since it's a separate purchase. This is a great device for taking handwritten notes or drawing, but like the keyboard, you must buy the stylus separately. These extra purchases will bring the total cost of the device above $1000, though we definitely think it's worth it.

    As for the tablet itself, the only model under $1,000 is the Snapdragon X Plus configuration with an IPS display, which isn't bad since it's the one we recommend. The X Elite model is faster, but its OLED panel exhibits a very distracting 'screen door effect' and is susceptible to permanent burn-in. One important thing to know is that this is an ARM-based device, so make sure the apps you use are compatible or run well enough through Microsoft's Prism emulation layer to get your work done. Battery life is great at over 11 hours of light use—you can charge the device over USB-C.

    See our review

  5. Best Gaming Laptop Under $1,000

    Our best gaming pick is the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition (2023). For under $1,000, you can get this laptop with a Ryzen 7 7735HS, an AMD Radeon RX 7600s GPU, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a fast 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD. This configuration can deliver high, consistent frame rates in demanding AAA games at 1080p or even 1440p, depending on your settings. The only display option within the budget is a 165Hz FHD+ IPS panel; while it doesn't get very bright, it does support variable refresh rates to reduce screen tearing.

    This laptop sports a solid port selection for peripherals and external displays, including an Ethernet and HDMI 2.1 port. The RAM and storage are user-replaceable, providing a clear upgrade path down the line. Thermal throttling is minimal under load, but the laptop does get hot and loud. Thankfully, there aren't any hot spots around the WASD keys. This laptop also isn't particularly portable as it's relatively bulky, and you'll need to carry along its fairly beefy charger for use on the go, as its battery lasts only a little over an hour when gaming.

    See our review

Notable Mentions

  • Lenovo Yoga 7i 16 (2023):

    The Lenovo Yoga 7i 16 (2023) is a good alternative to the Acer Swift Go 14 (2024) if you want a bigger screen or a 2-in-1 convertible. However, its Intel 13th Gen CPUs are slower in multi-threaded workloads, and it's only available with 60Hz IPS displays.

    See our review
  • Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 14 (2024):

    The Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 14 (2024) is another convertible at the mid-range price point worth considering. It's very similar to the Acer Swift Go 14 (2024) overall; the only downside is that both available displays have an FHD+ resolution, with the lower-end panel looking noticeably dimmer and more washed out than the Swift Go's.

    See our review
  • Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (2024):

    The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (2024) is a larger alternative to the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (2024). It has better performance and a nicer display, but it isn't a 2-in-1 convertible and isn't as portable because it's bulkier. It also has a lower-quality webcam and a slightly shorter battery life.

    See our review
  • Acer Nitro V 16 (2024):

    The Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) is a good alternative to the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition (2023) if you prefer a model with an NVIDIA GPU. However, due to its low availability, you may have difficulty finding it.

    See our review

Recent Updates

  1. Mar 06, 2025:

    Small text changes to provide information about the new M4 Apple MacBook Airs. No change in recommendations.

  2. Jan 15, 2025:

    Small text changes for conciseness and clarity. No change in recommendations. Added the Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 14 (2024) as a Notable Mention.

  3. Nov 20, 2024:

    Replaced the HP Pavilion Aero 13 (2024) with the Acer Swift Go 14 (2024) because the Acer performs better and provides a superior user experience overall. Added the Lenovo Yoga 7i 16 (2023), Acer Chromebook 516 GE (2024), and the Acer Nitro V 16 (2024) as Notable Mentions. Small text changes to provide information regarding the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022)'s RAM configurations.

  4. Aug 28, 2024: We've replaced the ASUS Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) with the HP Pavilion Aero 13 (2024), as the ASUS is no longer available at this price point. We've also replaced our picks of older laptops with their newer models, replacing the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022) with the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (2024) and the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) with the Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024).

  5. May 31, 2024: We've replaced the ASUS TUF Dash F15 (2022) with the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition (2023) as it performs better, and made minor text changes for accuracy and note upcoming product launches.

All Reviews

Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best laptops you can get for under $1,000. In addition to the test results, we consider the price, feedback from our visitors, and availability.

If you prefer to make your own decision, here's the list of all the laptops we've tested, sorted by price from low to high. Keep in mind that most laptops are available in various configurations, and the table only shows the results of the model we tested, so it's best to see the full review for information about other variants.

Comments

  1. Recommendation

Best Laptops Under $1,000: Main Discussion

What do you think of our picks? Let us know below.


Looking for a personalized buying recommendation from the RTINGS.com experts? Insiders have direct access to buying advice on our insider forum.

PreviewBack to editorFormat guide
Sort by: 
  1. Update: We’ve added text to this review for the new tests added in TBU 1.3.

    Show More Updates
You have 9/10 free reviews left
To access
unlimited full product reviews,
product prices
and
other exclusive site features
Become an Insider