Best budget tablet 2023

Though it’s comfortably more expensive than other entries in our budget chart, the 9th-gen iPad remains the best choice for those looking for a capable entry-level tablet that doesn’t cost the earth.

The iPad experience is a premium one no matter the model you opt for, with iPadOS 16 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 any tablet in our budget chart, with everything from Microsoft Office to pro-level drawing apps like Procreate and 4K video editing apps like iMovie.

It doesn’t boast Apple’s latest chipset, but the A13 Bionic (used in the iPhone 11) is still a capable chip that can comfortably run most apps, though you might not be able to run the absolute highest graphical settings on some games. The display is big and bright at 10.2in, and boasts Apple’s TrueTone tech that automatically adjusts colour balance based on your environment.

There’s also support for the first-gen Apple Pencil, providing a high-end stylus experience from an entry-level tablet, ideal for everything from note-taking to art.

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

The Oppo Pad Air isn’t a tablet that feels cheap in the hand, thanks to the combination of an all-metal body and angled edges reminiscent of premium models of iPad, though a textured plastic panel on the rear helps tell the two apart. It’s also lightweight as the Air branding suggests, weighing in at 440g – 69g lighter than Samsung’s A8.

The 10.36in IPS LCD display sports an impressive 2000 x 1200 resolution, with vibrant colours and great viewing angles combined with quad-speakers making it ideal for watching content on the go. The only catch is that it’s capped at 60Hz. While that’s fairly regular for a budget tablet, it’s worth noting that the Redmi Pad boasts a 90Hz display for just a little more money.

Performance is in line with other budget options with a Snapdragon 680 processor, though it does perform better than both the Nokia T20 and Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 in most benchmarks. There’s also a boosted 64GB of base storage to store your apps and games.

There are sacrifices to be made – the camera performance is middling, there’s no fingerprint reader and Oppo’s ColorOS isn’t the ideal UI for big-screen tablets – but if you’re looking at a decent all-rounder at an entry-level price, the Oppo Pad Air is a tempting option.

The Galaxy A8 represents Samsung’s return to the budget market following 2019’s Tab A 10.1, though it doesn’t quite look like it on the surface. It sports Samsung’s signature premium design and build alongside other standout qualities like loud, booming audio via Dolby Atmos-powered quad speakers and decent battery life.

Of course, something’s gotta give at the budget end and with the A8, that’s both the screen and internal storage. The display is a rather basic 8in TFT LCD panel that, while sufficiently sharp, isn’t particularly vibrant or colour-accurate. The entry-level 32GB of internal storage will likely leave some wanting more – and without a microSD slot, that simply isn’t possible. You can opt for a 64- or 128GB model at checkout though, something we’d recommend for longevity.

Still, it’s a great all-rounder that can already be found well below RRP.

If you’re looking for a cheap tablet with simple software, the Nokia T21 is an excellent choice. It’s running essentially stock Android 12 with some useful additions including the ability to use the tablet as a second screen with Windows devices. 

Once again, the 2K screen is impressive even if it is a little dimmer than the T20 and there’s a lot of good stuff for the asking price including solid battery life, a nice design and an LTE option for those that need data on the go. 

The main issue here is that the Oppo Pad Air is only slightly more expensive with superior design and performance. 

While the Amazon Fire HD 8 has traditionally represented good value for money, that’s beginning to slip – especially if you opt for the ad-free model, or one with more storage. There’s a $10/£10 increase despite no real improvements bar the introduction of USB-C for charging, and if you want an ad-free experience, that’ll cost you an additional $10/£10.

That said, it does everything you’d expect from a Fire HD tablet, including an Amazon Echo Show mode that’ll let you use Alexa with your voice, stereo speaker support, a built-in microSD card slot and wireless charging. You’ve got access to a range of apps and games via Amazon’s Appstore, though you won’t be able to download apps from Google Play or use any Google services despite FireOS being based on Android 11.

This is a limitation that some will be happy to accept at such a cheap price point, and it does offer great value for money for those that simply need a tablet for light browsing and everyday tasks, but with price rises and increasing budget competition from Android tablets, the Fire HD 8 isn’t as tempting as it once was.

Amazon refreshed its 10in Fire tablet once again for 2021, and while, as ever, there’s a model that’s tailor-made for kids, there’s also a bundle that places a focus on productivity; which includes a Bluetooth keyboard and a one year subscription to Microsoft Office 365.

Even without the extras, the HD 10 is still a great budget entertainment slate, also boasting better performance and better cameras to boot. It also features always-on Alexa support, so you can fire off queries, even when the HD 10’s display is off.

You have the option of a Plus model with wireless charging and it does better than expected as a productivity machine, but in every case, the tablet’s low price tag versus more conventional Android-based competition comes with the caveat that FireOS doesn’t support Google Play Store apps natively, so you won’t necessarily find all the experiences you’re looking for with this slate (i.e. check before you buy).

The Amazon Fire 7 is the smallest in Amazon’s current tablet line-up, making it the most portable of the Fire tablets we’ve listed here – and most other brands too. It’s also among the cheapest, but with that comes caveats.

The biggest caveat is performance, with a noticeable wait for apps to open – especially basic games. It should be fine for watching movies and light browsing, but don’t expect performance to match that of more premium tablets. The display’s sub-720p resolution isn’t great for detail, and the cameras are poor, but that’s a trend among Amazon tablets in general.

Essentially, it’s a handy portable tablet if you’re on a really strict budget, but if you can afford a little more, there are plenty of great alternatives in our chart.

Both a big tablet for kids and a tablet ideal for bigger kids, this is the first time Amazon has taken one of its child-centric slates ‘Pro’.

The HD 10 Kids Pro runs on the same underlying hardware as its general-purpose alter ego but comes with a protective case, one year’s access to Kids+ (which includes entertainment, apps, books etc.) and a two-year warranty that includes a no-questions-asked replacement if your little ones manage to decommission the slate the first time around.

The included case is a little more grown-up looking than the conventional kid bumper, as is the UI that shows up on-screen. The user experience is closer to that of stock FireOS but makes for easy activity monitoring and leaves out access to certain age-gated content or apps (like Netflix), which have to be approved by a parent before being installed.

It’s a shame the kid-friendly version of Alexa isn’t supported – even though the tablet itself does facilitate such functionality – and certain kid-suitable Prime movies just don’t make an appearance without reason.

A great Galaxy Tab offering for those on a budget, 2019’s Tab A 10.1 boasts a surprisingly premium design, a nice screen and impressive battery life at a competitive price point.

It lacks raw power when it comes to gaming and the hardware is getting on a bit compared to 2023 alternatives, but affordable Google Play-capable slates are still hard to come by; meaning this is still a viable buy if you can get it with a discount.