Top 7 | Best Cheap Laptop For Blogging | Under $500

So you are planning to start blogging? Great, but do you have a powerful laptop that is capable of supporting the tools you will need? 

When it comes to blogging, then the first thing you need is a good laptop. We know that you are just starting, and investing a hefty amount on a laptop isn’t an option for you.

Here is our list of recommendations when it comes to searching for the best cheap laptop for blogging. Any of these machines can be used to kick start your passion for blogging and work for that dream of becoming a digital nomad.

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*Prices are right at the time of writing, some variance may of course be applied.

Note – Please know, some of the external links on this page are affiliate links, this means that if you purchase after following one, I make a small commission from the sale at no additional cost to yourself.

Best Cheap Laptop for Blogging

1. ASUS VivoBook 15 F515 Blogging Laptop
2. Dell Inspiron 3000 15”
3. Lenovo Ideapad 3
4. HP 14z Home and Business Laptop
5. Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop
6. Lenovo 2-in-1 11.6″ Convertible Chromebook
7. Microsoft Surface Go

1. ASUS VivoBook 15 F515 Blogging Laptop

After a thorough search looking for the best laptops for blogging, I realized how underpraised the ASUS VivoBook is. Lightweight and slim, the system can be slid into a backpack or carry on luggage with ease. Moreover, this Asus ZenBook isn’t only elegant and powerful on the outside, and the best laptop comes in a 15.6 full-screen display, a screen size enough to help you write, edit details of photos and do all the blogging you want.

Its 4GB DDR4 RAM coupled with the 128GB PCle SSD storage is efficient to serve your purpose of blogging, the USB port connections for different types and sizes, and relatively average battery life. It doesn’t end here. The system is equipped with an epic feature you will adore.

Its working fingerprint sensor will make logging into the Windows 10 home login stress-free. A better alternative to typing your long passwords.

An Intel Core i3 to go with its 1005G1 processor, is undoubtedly not the best, but this notebook beats other best laptops at a similar price even though an intel core i7 would have made it nigh-perfect. With these superior qualities and other intricate details, blogging would be more of what you already believe it is- all fun.

2. Dell Inspiron 3000 15”

For the ideal partner to pull along with on the elaborateness that comes with blogging sometimes, Dell Inspiron 3000 is wholly empowered to be the perfect partner for you to take on the journey of blogging.

Aside from its captivating elegance, Dell Inspiron 3000 15.6 widescreen helps you notice details you should; with this, effecting a correction or amending a post is more effortless.

Though without keypad lights, the keyboard fonts are boldly written on the keys, so blogging at any time is possible.
The exciting news is that it is fitted with 500HSD + 128GB SSD storage, an overwhelming storage capacity. Blogging is possible by merging with its premium and with great battery life, away from home and power.

Different connection ports for USB and connection ease puts the Inspiron 300O on a higher level when compared to other best blogging laptops sold at similar prices.

You’ll find it fascinating to know the best blogging laptop is a powerful 8GB DDR4 with well-compatible Intel HD Graphics to design, moving images, and draw on photos, a good advantage for its price. Dell Inspiron 3000 15” speaks greatness, efficiency, beauty, and more.

3. Lenovo Ideapad 3

If a lightweight and powerful laptop is your preference, then have a look at the Lenovo Ideapad 3. The sleek laptop comes loaded with 8GB RAM, and none of your blogging tools will lag in it. Also, the 14” touch screen enables you to operate the laptop with added ease, and you don’t have to struggle with the touchpad.

The Lenovo Ideapad 3 has an Intel Pentium Gold 6405U 2.40GHz Dual-Core Processor, which is comparable to a 7th Gen i5 or an 8th Gen i3 series and the Windows 10S operating system.

It’s a good amount of power for this price range of laptop. Photo editing should be OK, but any heavy video editing software will have an element of laggyness. But in honesty, you’ll struggle to find a good video editing laptop at this price point.

The internal storage is a 128 SSD, so you may need an additional hard drive if you are doing a lot of image work.

At just 6 hours, with very good battery life is somewhat underwhelming. If you are out and about working with limited access to power, I tend to recommend 8 as a minimum, but you can get some pretty good portable laptop chargers in case of emergencies.

With 2 USB 3.0 ports, 1 USB 2.0, a Multi-format SD Media Card Reader as well as HDMI and audio ports, there are plenty of connectivity options for all of your accessories.

Overall, the Lenovo Ideapad 3 is a solid choice as a budget laptop for blogging. While it is nothing flashy, for the price point, this is a steal. It comes with Windows 10 Professional 64-bit operating system, and with Dell, you know you will be getting a sturdy product.

4. HP 14z Home and Business Laptop

There is no doubt why bloggers call the HP 14z one of the best laptops for the money, and that’s due to its great performance and simple, yet sleek appeal. This is the budget laptop you have been looking for as it has an amalgamation of a powerful processor and beautiful looks.

The option I have chosen is a laptop powered with an AMD 3020e processor backed by a mighty 16GB RAM and a 256GB SSD harddrive. This is a great setup for beginner bloggers, although if you plan to be creating videos on your laptop, you’ll need a bit more power.

However, there are 12 different configurations to choose from. If you feel you need a bigger hard drive or maybe just 8GB RAM instead of 16, then you can tailor your choice and the price adjusts accordingly.

The 14” anti-glare screen gives a sharp picture quality, and you will never complain about anything. With the HP TrueVision HD Camera, you can make crystal clear video calls, and can even go live on your blogging page without using a secondary webcam. 

5. Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop

The Acer Aspire 5 is probably the best budget laptop on the market at the moment. It is a great choice if you are looking for a laptop that you will be spending a lot of time on and even has a spot in my list of best laptops for writers.

The size is a comfortable 15.6″, which makes it ideal for a home office or working in a café. If you travel a lot, I’d probably recommend looking at a 13.3″ machine, to save on weight, but if you are generally just moving between workplaces, then 15.6″ is a good option.

The specs of this computer are OK. It runs off of an AMD Ryzen 3 3200U-Series with 4GB of RAM and runs Windows S operating system.

It also has plenty of connectivity options with 1 USB 3.1 port, 2 USB 2.0, and space for an HDMI cable. Perfect to plug in a USB keyboard light if you are working in the dark!

Overall this would be a great little machine to work away from home on, but it doesn’t have the performance to be much more than a basic blogging machine. If you want to create videos or edit large images, you may want to look for something a little more powerful.

6. Lenovo 2-in-1 11.6″ Convertible Chromebook

Chromebooks offer stunning value when it comes to budget computers and the Lenovo 2-in-1 Convertible Chromebook is no exception, you can enjoy the true benefits of a laptop for blogging. It is a convertible laptop, so working with it will be pretty fun and easy. This convertible laptop for bloggers has an 11.6″ HD screen, and it is a good option if you are always on the move.

Moreover, the touchscreen will let you give a shape to your thoughts as you can use this laptop for designing as well. The multimedia buttons available at the side will make it accessible to control the volume settings.

The best part about the Lenovo 2-in-1 Chromebook is that it boots up in seconds, and voila, you can start your work on the go. Talking about the processor, Lenovo Chromebook C330 comes with a MediaTek MT8173C Processor.  The RAM is 4GB LPDDR3, and the storage space available with the laptop is around 32GB. You will need external memory.

We loved the 360-degree flexible hinge, and you can fold the laptop if you don’t need the keyboard at the moment. However, you need an external storage drive to keep the extra data.

7. Microsoft Surface Go

I just wanted to throw in a bit of a wild card, something a little different for you to consider, a 2 in 1 detachable, that is slightly more tablet than laptop, but a great crossover.

When I was traveling through Africa and wrote my travel diary (you can get your free copy here), I wrote it using an iPad and a detachable keyboard. While iPads are more tablet than laptops, the Microsoft Surface Go is a great cross over.

While it’s not great if you want to do extensive photo editing if you are looking for something to take traveling with you, it can be a great option.

Weighing just 1.15 lbs, you’ll barely notice it in your backpack. It runs on Windows S and has a battery life of 9 hours.

The stunning 10” PixelSense Display with a touchscreen is great for working, browsing, and even binge-watching a few Netflix episodes on those long, torturous bus journeys.

To get the most “laptoppy” feel, it is compatible with the Microsoft Mobile Mouse, although it is an additional purchase.

If you are looking for a super affordable laptop, that is both an effective and lightweight option, this could well be the right choice for you.

Bonus tip: why not consider Amazon Renewed?

All of the above options are new laptops. While it is always great to have a brand spanking new machine, you can find some amazing options if you are willing to consider an Amazon Renewed device.

At the time of writing, I had a quick look and found a Toshiba Portege, 13.3 inches Laptop with an Intel Core i7-6600U processor, 8GB RAM, and a 256GB Solid State Drive for $489. They are crazy specs for the money. There’s even an Apple MacBook Pro with an Intel Core i5-3210M and 8GB RAM for $499!

The great thing about buying Amazon Renewed over a private deal or maybe eBay is the product works and looks like new and is backed by the 90-day Amazon Renewed Guarantee. All of the products sold under this banner have been professionally inspected, tested, and cleaned by Amazon-qualified suppliers.

Buyer guide: factors to look for while buying the best laptops for blogging 

The key to buying the best budget laptop for blogging lies in these essential factors. Check out these factors and go ahead with buying a laptop that suits your needs and is perfect for blogging.

Portability 

Being a blogger, you have to travel across the globe, if not then to various places so you will be carrying your laptop all around. Buying a bulky laptop will only add a few extra pounds to your luggage. 

Storage Space 

We hope you don’t want to carry an additional storage drive to save your data, and for that, you need a laptop with good storage space. Beginner bloggers can start with laptops with at least 128GB, whereas professionals can go for 256GB options.

Long Battery Life 

Similar to portability, you should look for prolonged battery life in the best budget laptop. Traveling to different places means you won’t get extra time to charge your laptop, so go with one that offers an amazing battery life. 

RAM 

Check for the RAM support if you don’t need a laptop that lags every time you install new software into it. The minimum viable RAM is around 4GB, and you can even go higher, but going with laptops with less RAM is not recommended.

Connectivity 

The choice is entirely up to you. If you have a DSLR camera, a drone, and some other gadgets, then you need a laptop with multiple connectivity ports.

Keyboard Quality 

Typing is an inevitable part of blogging, so you need a laptop with excellent keyboard quality. Buying a laptop with a poor quality keyboard will result in keys packing every then and now, and you will find it difficult to work. Go with an option that has a reliable keyboard to have a good experience with the machine.

Screen 

For a wholesome blogging experience, you need to add pictures and videos, which is only possible with a spectacular screen and resolution. This list of the best laptops for blogging has a range of laptops with small and large screens. Also, the resolution is just right, so you can get the best one without thinking twice.

USB 3.0

So you have got the DSLR, and you are ready to capture shots to add them to your blog? Well, if your laptop lacks a USB 30. Port then the data transfer rate will be slow. Most modern laptops have USB 3.0 ports through which you can transfer data quickly.

Final thoughts 

We hope this list of the best cheap laptops for blogging will help you in choosing the right laptop for your needs.

Also, go through the buying guide and FAQs to get some extra information about what to check in an ideal laptop for bloggers.