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The Best 4Aggregated review·13 sources·updated October 10, 2026·checked October 6, 2026

Best Budget Laptops Under $700

Top 4 budget laptops under $700 ranked by aggregate score from 13 published reviews.

This guide aggregates 13 published reviews across 4 products; the thinnest-sourced pick rests on 2. How we rank.

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Quick answer

Apple MacBook Neo is our top pick for budget laptops under $700 — an averaged 4.4/5 across 4 published reviews at about $699. Runner-up: HP OmniBook 5 14 (~$699.99).

Read the Apple MacBook Neo review →$699 · Check Price on Amazon
At a glance4 products ▾
1Apple MacBook NeoTop Pick
4 sources
$699Best for: Buyers who want a light, well-built laptop for web, documents and video, and who are comfortable with macOS, 8GB of memory and two USB-C ports.
$699 · Check Price on Amazon
2HP OmniBook 5 14
5 sources
$699.99Best for: Mobile users who prioritize all-day battery life and a vivid OLED screen over maximum app compatibility and raw horsepower.
$699.99 · Buy at walmart.com
3Acer Aspire 5
1 source
$499Best for: Budget-first buyers who need a capable, no-frills 15.6-inch Windows laptop for basic productivity at the lowest possible price.
$499 · Check Price on Amazon
4Acer Aspire 14 AI
2 sources
$656Best for: Windows buyers who want 16GB of memory, long battery life and a full set of ports, and who do not need a vivid or color-accurate screen.
$656 · Check Price on Amazon

The full ranking

How we rank →
Apple MacBook Neo
#1 · Top Pick
Best for: Buyers who want a light, well-built laptop for web, documents and video, and who are comfortable with macOS, 8GB of memory and two USB-C ports.
Apple MacBook Neo
4 sources$699as of Oct 11
▾Why it's ranked here

The MacBook Neo is Apple's 13-inch budget laptop, built around the A18 Pro chip with 8GB of memory and a 256GB SSD. PCMag rated it 4.5 out of 5 and wrote that it "rewrites the budget laptop playbook" with a higher-end build, a more advanced screen and longer battery life than many laptops in its price range. Tom's Guide, also 4.5 out of 5, measured 13 hours 28 minutes of web surfing, and PCWorld, 4 out of 5, measured 13 hours 15 minutes of looped video. The compromises are in the details: one of the two USB-C ports is USB 2, the keyboard is not backlit, and Touch ID costs extra. PCWorld lists the price as $699, up from $599 at launch.

Strengths
  • — Aluminum build that PCMag calls premium and rigid
  • — 13-inch 2408 x 1506 display; Tom's Guide measured 480 nits and 110% of sRGB
Watch-outs
  • — One of the two USB-C ports is limited to USB 2 (PCMag, PCWorld)
  • — No keyboard backlighting (PCMag, Tom's Guide)
$699 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →vs. HP OmniBook 5 14 →
HP OmniBook 5 14
#2
Best for: Mobile users who prioritize all-day battery life and a vivid OLED screen over maximum app compatibility and raw horsepower.
HP OmniBook 5 14
5 sources$699.99as of Oct 10
▾Why it's ranked here

The OmniBook 5 14 is the battery-life champion: an ARM-based ultraportable. PCWorld called it "a strong contender if you want a Windows laptop with great battery life," and TechRadar praised its display and endurance. The catch is the Snapdragon platform's app-compatibility quirks.

Strengths
  • — Battery life of 25 hours in PCWorld's video test, 28 hours 19 minutes in CNET's streaming test and 34 hours 48 minutes in PCMag's rundown
  • — 14-inch OLED display, which PCMag describes as having deep contrast and broad color coverage
Watch-outs
  • — Snapdragon X is an Arm chip, so some Windows apps run emulated or not at all
  • — The base model linked here has the Snapdragon X X1-26-100, which PCWorld calls a less powerful chip than the X Plus the reviews tested
$699.99 · Buy at walmart.comFull review →vs. Apple MacBook Neo →
Acer Aspire 5
#3
Best for: Budget-first buyers who need a capable, no-frills 15.6-inch Windows laptop for basic productivity at the lowest possible price.
Acer Aspire 5
1 sourceOne review so far, so ranked one place lower$499as of Jul 1
▾Why it's ranked here

The Aspire 5 is the budget anchor: a genuinely cheap 15.6-inch laptop that covers the basics well, with a Ryzen 5 5500U and a surprisingly likable IPS display. PCWorld called it "a great budget option for most people," and Notebookcheck praised its quiet, cool operation. The soldered 8GB RAM and small SSD are real limits, but for the price it delivers the essentials.

Strengths
  • — One of the lowest prices for a capable 15.6-inch Windows laptop
  • — Runs quiet and cool with a slim, light chassis
Watch-outs
  • — Older Ryzen 5000-series platform rather than the latest chips
$499 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →vs. Apple MacBook Neo →
Acer Aspire 14 AI
#4
Best for: Windows buyers who want 16GB of memory, long battery life and a full set of ports, and who do not need a vivid or color-accurate screen.
Acer Aspire 14 AI
2 sources$656as of Oct 10
▾Why it's ranked here

The Aspire 14 AI is Acer's lower-cost Copilot+ laptop, sold here with an Intel Core Ultra 5 226V, 16GB of memory and a 512GB SSD. PCMag and PCWorld each rated it 3.5 out of 5, and each recorded about 17 hours in its battery test. Both faulted the display, which PCWorld measured at 327.6 nits and 64 percent of the sRGB color space. PCWorld's verdict calls it "a capable, utilitarian laptop that shouldn't disappoint those who need a productivity machine." Both outlets tested a 1TB touchscreen configuration; the linked listing is the 512GB model, which Amazon lists without a touchscreen.

Strengths
  • — 17 hours 14 minutes in PCMag's battery test and just over 17 hours in PCWorld's 4K video test
  • — Two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports, HDMI and a headset jack
Watch-outs
  • — Display covers just 64 percent of sRGB (PCWorld) and 45% of Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 (PCMag)
  • — Backlit keyboard is hard to read, per PCMag
$656 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →vs. Apple MacBook Neo →
Reviews aggregated from
PCWorldPCMagCNETTom's GuideTechRadarTweaktownNotebookCheck

Spec comparison

4 products
vs
SpecApple MacBook NeoHP OmniBook 5 14
ProcessorApple A18 Pro—
Memory8GB—
Storage256GB SSD256GB PCIe NVMe SSD
Display13-inch Liquid Retina, 2408 x 1506, 500 nits14-inch OLED, 1920 x 1200 (HP calls it 2K), non-touch
Ports1x USB-C (USB 3), 1x USB-C (USB 2), 3.5mm audio2x USB-C 10Gbps, 1x USB-A 10Gbps, 3.5mm audio
WirelessWi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 6Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Webcam1080p FaceTime camera—
Weight2.7 pounds—
OSmacOSWindows 11 Home
CPU—Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (8-core)
RAM—16GB LPDDR5x
Model—14-he0017nr
Graphics——

Frequently asked questions

What's the top pick among budget laptops under $700 right now?
Apple MacBook Neo is the top pick for budget laptops under $700 — 4.4/5 averaged from 4 published reviews. The MacBook Neo is Apple's 13-inch budget laptop, built around the A18 Pro chip with 8GB of memory and a 256GB SSD. PCMag rated it 4.5 out of 5 and wrote that it "rewrites the budget laptop playbook" with a higher-end build, a more advanced screen and longer battery life than many laptops in its price range. Tom's Guide, also 4.5 out of 5, measured 13 hours 28 minutes of web surfing, and PCWorld, 4 out of 5, measured 13 hours 15 minutes of looped video. The compromises are in the details: one of the two USB-C ports is USB 2, the keyboard is not backlit, and Touch ID costs extra. PCWorld lists the price as $699, up from $599 at launch.
When was this guide last updated?
This guide was last re-checked in October 2026. Prices, links, and source ratings are re-verified on a rolling basis, and the ranking updates when the underlying scores change.

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