7 Best Tablets Under $100 in 2023 [Bang For The Buck]

Are you low on budget and looking to purchase a tablet for under 100 dollars? This budget isn’t going to get you the most powerful device, but it is more than enough for the majority of the basic tasks and some advanced resource-intensive tasks like drawing.

While it’s a good financial decision to set a budget for a gadget purchase, I’d suggest first ascertaining your requirements and making sure that the tablet you’re getting is capable of doing all the tasks you’re purchasing it for.

Based on my research, this price range consists of tablets suitable for reading, media consumption, basic drawing, digital signage, and lightweight gaming. Also, many parents consider this price range as a sweet spot as devices in this range aren’t as slow as the $50 tablets and aren’t expensive either.

Before making this list, I researched, reviewed, and tested 41 different tablets. I ran multiple benchmark tests, performed battery life tests, etc. The reason for doing it was to ensure that all the models on this page are worth it.

Best Tablets Under $100 in 2023

With so many options in the market, choosing the right one can be a daunting task. Purchasing the wrong device can not only lead to a loss in terms of money but would also cost you in terms of time, that’s why we’ve spent huge time to pick the 7 best tablet devices that cost less than 100 USD.

But before I begin, you should consider a few things when purchasing a budget tablet (this is to avoid a bad experience.)

• It is recommended that you go for a tablet with an 8-inch screen and a resolution of 1200 x 800 pixels, which will let you watch your favorite videos comfortably at 720p HD.
• The RAM space should be more than 1.5GB. Otherwise, your tablet will be too sluggish to operate. Also, pay close attention to the storage details.
• Don’t opt for tablets having less than 16GB of internal storage.

1. Best Overall: Lenovo Tab M8

The Lenovo Tab M8 might look like an entry-level tablet, but it certainly offers a lot more than you could ever expect from a 100 dollar tablet.

Also, I compared the Tab M8 with the comparable Tab 4 from the same company that was launched way back in 2017. However, despite the strikingly similar specs sheet, I could feel that the M8 is a tad faster, courtesy of the snappier processor.

Display

The 8-inch screen might look trivial to the eye, but it offers decent operating space to streamers and eBook readers. Plus, the overall resolution of 800 x 1280 pixels paves the way for color-accurate renditions.

Hardware & Performance

The Tab M8 makes way for the Helio A22 chipset to handle most games and entry-level requirements with comfort. Also, you get access to the integrated PowerVR GPU that manages visual and graphics quality as per the desired standards.

The 2GB RAM is a good enough inclusion considering the budget price point. However, it is the 32GB storage support that makes a compelling case for this affordable tablet. Plus, you can even upgrade the same via the micro-SD slot, if required.

Cameras

Lenovo makes way for a 5MP rear shooter with autofocus. The primary unit is accompanied by a relatively basic, 2MP front camera that is good enough for arranging Google Meet and Skype calls.

Design & Build

The 2^nd gen Tab M8 weighs close to 0.67 pounds and measures 7.84 x 4.80 x 0.32 inches. However, the aluminum-clad form factor deserves special attention, more so with the Tab M8 being a 100 dollar tablet.

Also, it weighs 0.67 pounds and even makes room for a few structural enhancements like the USB 2.0, 3.5mm jack, and a strategically positioned loudspeaker. Not to mention the 500mAh battery that’s housed within, capable of lasting for up to 12 hours on standard usage.

Finally, if you plan on purchasing the same, you will have to choose between the Platinum grey and the iron-grey variants.

Why is it a good fit?

The Bloatware-free Android 9.0 is an operating system worth investing in. Also, it entails access to a highly interactive user interface.

The Lenovo Tab M8 is a dependable tablet that looks premium and fits in a powerful processor, despite being priced modestly. Also, compared to other tablets on the list, the aluminum frame attracts several eyeballs and places the product at par with some of the more premium options.

2. Best Runner Up: Amazon Fire HD 8

Amazon is famous among tech specialists for creating some of the best budget tablets. Does the Fire HD 8 live up to its hype? Read on to know.

Display

The Fire HD 8 and its predecessor Fire HD 7 Kids edition have similar specs, but the main difference is in the screen size. The Fire HD 8 comes with an 8-inch IPS display with a screen resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. The color contrast didn’t impress me, and the picture quality isn’t great either.

Both Fire HD 7 and Fire HD 8 have similar quality IPS screens, but the Fire HD 7 has a brighter screen, and the kid’s edition can be a good choice if you’re specifically looking for them.

Hardware & Performance

Amazon’s all-new Fire HD 8 boasts MediaTek MT8168, a quad-core processor that clocks in at a frequency of 1.3GHz. It also features an ARM-based Mali-G52 MC1 GPU processor, which increases the energy efficiency of your tablet by 150% and graphics performance by more than 50% compared to its predecessor.

The new Fire HD 8 comes with 2GB RAM, which is a 25% improvement compared to its predecessor. Amazon offers you a storage option of 32GB or 64GB which is expandable up to 1TB with a MicroSD slot. It runs on Fire OS 7 based on Android 9.0. Furthermore, Fire HD 7 sports 2GB RAM, so it’s good at multitasking.

Camera

The tablet features a 2-MP front camera and a 2-MP rearview camera. The cameras are certainly better than the previous Amazon models, but they’re still not as good as modern smartphones.

Design & Build

It features an all-plastic body with a solid build. It feels great in your hand, and its thick corners give it the ultimate protection. The model measures 8.0 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches and weighs just 0.78 pounds. The Fire HD 7 is also lighter and weighs just 0.65 pounds than Fire HD 8, which weighs 0.8 pounds.

The Fire HD 8 features a 3.5mm headphone jack, a MicroUSB 2.0 slot, and a MicroSD card slot. It offers wireless connectivity with Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth version 4.0.

Why is it a good fit?

The battery lasts for an average of 12 hours, which is great if you’re always on the run. The Amazon Fire HD 8 wins my heart for the features offered at a great price range. It’s a good 8-inch tablet under $100, solely built for reading and entertainment purposes, but its camera quality left me wanting more.

3. Best for Kids: Dragon Touch Y88X 7

Finding an inexpensive tablet that is decent enough can be quite a challenge. However, the Dragon Touch KidzPad Y88X 7 seems like a reassuring option, provided you are planning to purchase a low-cost product for your tech-savvy child.

While you can even consider investing in the Y88X Pro, the Y88X 7 is a much better bet as it allows you to store additional pieces of content on the device, with double the storage space.

Display

The 7-inch screen is good enough for most kids and even exhibits eye protection support for keeping ocular strains to a minimum. Plus, the IPS display presents an overall resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels for projecting colors and visuals in their truest form. Also, the Y88X 7 comes bundled with a responsive stylus, which acts as tinder to the imaginative fire seething within the kids.

Hardware & Performance

The standard quad-core processor exists, which is capable of clocking at speeds of up to 1.5GHz. While you cannot expect the chipset to work wonders, you can definitely contemplate running processes like streaming, eBook reading, and more.

As far as the system memory is concerned, Dragon Touch offers 2GB RAM for helping the kids sail through basic surfing, reading comics, content consumption, and other entry-level tasks. Also, you can procure 32GB of storage space for storing books, media, and songs, provided you want to restrict internet access for now.

Cameras

There are two shooters on the Y88X 7, including one 2MP module in the rear and the 2MP front camera for the kids to stay in touch with their parents.

Design & Build

The Y88X 7 is a rugged piece of hardware, something which is justified as you cannot expect kids’ to handle tablets with care. Despite being a durable tablet, the chassis is made of impact-resistant silicone, which doesn’t adversely affect the kids’ health.

However, the Y88X 7 is slightly thicker at 9.08 x 7.06 x 2.38 inches and doesn’t resemble a standard smart device. Also, the product weighs well above the 2-pound mark, making it a bit heavier for children with smaller hands.

Why is it a good fit?

The Android 9.0 is one of the better-operating platforms you can experience for the sub $100 price tag. Plus, this version of Android comes with several built-in apps that cater specifically to the kids.

For parents who want to project control over their children’s internet usage, Dragon Touch tweaks the OS towards surveillance by bringing in a host of parental controls and relevant applications.

The Dragon Touch KidzPad Y88X 7 is one of the best tablets for kids that you can purchase for less than 100 dollars. Also, the 8-hour battery backup bears allegiance to the price tag, something that isn’t always associated with other tablets on this list.

4. Best 10-inch Tablet: Vastking Kingpad Z10

You probably never heard of Vastking, but it’s getting popular in the budget tablet segment. The company has Kingpad Z10 to offer to the close-fisted users. Plus, this tablet came out with flying colors when I compared it with the similarly priced MatrixPad S8 from Vankyo, as the former features a bigger and brighter screen with the latest Android version out of the box.

Display

The HD screen boasts sharper viewing angles and acceptable color accuracy levels, qualifying as one of the best 10-inch tablets under 100 dollars. However, it is flicker-free visual technology that makes a few heads roll, followed by the availability of the standard blue-light filter for keeping screen-glare to a minimum.

Plus, Vastking makes extended sessions more comfortable with the Eye Comfort viewing mode to fall back upon. Lastly, the screen is rather perfect for content consumption, courtesy of the 178-degree viewing angle.

Hardware & Performance

At the core, the Vastking Kingpad Z10 houses a standard quad-core processor. The Spreadtrum SC7731 SoC can handle multi-platform streaming, basic gaming, and even web surfing with ease. Plus, the 1.3GHz clock speed allows you to handle basic single-core tasks like video conferencing without experiencing lags.

There is 2GB of system memory to work with. In addition to the basic chunk of RAM, you also get access to 32GB of storage space that can be upgraded up to 512GB, provided you want to store additional content pieces and files on the device itself.

Cameras

There is an 8MP shooter in the rear that Kingpad Z10 takes pride in. However, despite bringing in a 2MP front shooter, the video conferencing quality is good enough to ensure that you are not condescended or belittled during team meetings. Persuasive much!

Design & Build

As the Kingpad Z10 is a sub $100 tablet, you cannot expect it to be a structural marvel. Still, the plastic-clad device successfully keeps the heft restricted to 1.32 pounds whilst measuring 9.4 x 6.3 x 0.24 inches in the process. Apart from the mentioned attributes, the Kingpad Z10 brings home a Type-C port and powerful side-firing speakers.

Why is it a good fit?

Vastking ensures that the latest Android 11 OS isn’t overrun by Bloatware. Not just that, the OS and the resulting UI further the tablet-using experience whilst making it receptive towards active pens, in case you want to deploy the stylus compatibility. Plus, the UI can work in tandem with the Google Assistant to make it easier for you to manage the tablet on the whole.

Despite being an entry-level tablet, the Vastking manages to offer 8-12 hours of battery backup based on usage, making it one of the more autonomous tablets on the list. Not to mention the diverse display-specific features that further the credibility of this 10-inch tablet and even make it scale beyond some of its immediate peers.

5. Best 2-in-1 Tablet: RCA RCT6B06 Q23F21

The RCA RCT6B06 Q23F21 is a 10.1-inch hybrid tablet that is one of the cheapest 2-in-1 tablets available in the market as of today. I was surprised to see such a functional tablet existing under the $100 price tag.

Display

The tablet sports a 10.1-inch display with an HD resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. The screen isn’t as good as you’d get in premium range 2-in-1 tablets but is good enough for this price point.

Hardware & Performance

The tablet is powered by a quad-core processor which clocks in at a frequency of 1.3GHz. The CPU processor is snappy and gives you the feel of a PC browser.

RCA RCT6B06 sports 2GB RAM which is good for everyday usage but is not great for multitasking. The device also features a 32GB inbuilt memory which can be extended with the help of a MicroSD card slot. It runs on Android 10 for a faster, smoother, and better computing experience.

Cameras

The tablet features a 2MP front camera and a 2MP rear camera. The photo quality is good in bright lighting but misses the mark in dim lighting space. 

Design & Build

The tablet itself is chunky and has a plastic body with thick bezels. It measures ‎12.24 x 8.31 x 3.78 inches and weighs just 1.16 pounds. The ports available are a MicroSD slot, 1 MicroUSB port, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.

The detachable keyboard that comes with this tablet is impressive. It’s short, smooth, and has 17 short-cut keys. The trackpad is smooth and supports multi-touch gestures.

Why is it a good fit?

The battery lasts for about 6 hours which is good enough to carry out your daily tasks. Overall, the RCA 2-in-1 tablet is an impressive tablet and will indubitably make its buyers happy.

6. Budget-Friendly Option: Fusion5 F704Bv2

If you’re searching for a perfect tablet companion that can fulfill your every need on the go, then Fusion5 F704Bv2 is the choice for you!

Display

Fusion5 features a 7-inch HD display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. This display quality is perfect for this screen size, and the dynamic color contrast will surely leave you impressed.

Hardware & Performance

It is powered by an ARM-based quad-core processor, which clocks in at a frequency of 1.3GHz. It helps you execute your tasks smoothly without any glitch or slug.

Being equipped with 2GB RAM does not alter the table’s capacity to run multiple apps. It has an in-built 32GB eMMC storage which can be expanded to 128GB with a MicroSD card slot. It runs on Android 10, which has better power-saving options and better interface functionality as compared to its predecessor.

Cameras

The tablet features a 2MP front camera and a 5MP rear camera. The camera quality is not bad, but it’s not so impressive either.

Design & Build

The tablet leaves me disappointed with its thick bezels, which reduce the screen size. But it’s expected from a tablet, so cheap. It measures 7.4 x 4.25 x 0.36 inches and weighs just 0.86 pounds. It sports a MicroUSB port, MicroSD card slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Why is it a good fit?

The battery life lasts an average of 5 hours. Besides its one or two cons, Fusion5 Google Certified Tablet PC is a pretty great deal. It’s productive as well as entertainment-friendly!

7. Best Battery Life: Samsung Galaxy Tab A

Samsung is the master of android tablets, and it’s back in the market with a blockbuster affordable Galaxy Tab A tablet. Check out my review for the same!

Display

It sports an 8-inch screen with a TFT capacitive touch and a screen resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. It has an aspect ratio of 16:10 and a pixel density of 200 PPi, which is not great for everyday tasks. The TFT display is not too bright for my liking. However, color accuracy is impeccable.

Hardware & Performance

The tablet is powered by a snapdragon 429 chipset based on ARM Cortex-A53 and is a quad-core processor that clocks in at a frequency of 2.0GHz. It also supports integrated Graphics card Adreno 504, which supports low-range gaming and gives a solid performance at the same time.

It has a 2GB RAM space which is quintessential for multitasking. It has an in-built internal storage of 32GB, which is expandable with a MicroSD card slot. The tablet runs on the older Android 5.0, which is pretty boring in 2023.

Cameras

It features a 2MP front camera with an aspect ratio of 4:3 and a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. It’s good enough for video conferencing. The tablet also features an 8MP rear camera, but the photo quality is not at par with its competitors.

Design & Build

The entire front of the tablet is covered in glass, and the back is constructed of metal. The back of the tablet features an anon-slip matte finish but is difficult to clean. It weighs just 1.32 pounds and measures 4.27 x 0.34 x 7.35 inches.

Why is it a good fit?

The tablet comes with a USB 2.0 Type-C port, which is not usually seen at this price point. It offers wireless connectivity with Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n and Bluetooth version 4.2. It offers a remarkable battery life of up to 13 hours. Although the camera doesn’t live up to the mark, the tablet was built solely for everyday tasks, and it does that job well. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Verdict

An inexpensive tablet will not only work as a personal assistant for you but also be your entertainment package on the go. I hope this article helped you pick the right tablet. However, if you’re still confused, here are the top-rated tablets under the $100 price range to consider:

• The Lenovo Tab M8 is one of the best Android tablets under the $100 price tag. It features an IPS HD display, a capable processor, and a remarkable battery life.
• If you need a budget-friendly 2-in-1 tablet for typing documents or simply watching movies on, RCA RCT6B06 Q23F21 is surprisingly good option to consider.
• If you need a tablet suitable for kids usage, the Dragon Touch Y88X 7 is what you’re looking for.

I am sanguine that these quick suggestions will definitely make your life a tad bit easier and help you buy a tablet that offers you more bang for your buck!