Best Cheap Tablets iPad Samsung and Amazon Picks That Are Actually Worth Your Money

Buying a tablet in 2025 doesn’t have to mean spending like you’re buying a laptop. The truth is that most people want a tablet for a handful of things: Netflix, YouTube, a bit of browsing, maybe some school work or emails, and something simple for kids. For all of that, you don’t need an iPad Pro or a top-end Galaxy Tab S10. What you do need is a cheap tablet that doesn’t feel cheap – one that has a decent screen, good battery life and software that won’t be abandoned after a year.

This guide focuses on cheap tablets available in the UK, with a special focus on models you’ll typically find in stock at Zextons: Apple iPads, Samsung Galaxy Tab A-series and S-series, and Amazon’s Fire range. I’ll explain what each one is good at, who it suits best, and roughly how much you should expect to pay in late 2025, so you can position your own pricing clearly in the content.

A quick overview of the cheap tablet market in 2025

If you look at what other big sites are recommending, you’ll see the same pattern: the Apple iPad 11-inch (2025) is treated as the best cheap tablet overall, Lenovo and OnePlus sit in the Android corner, and Amazon Fire tablets are classed as the best ultra-budget picks.

For a UK shopper landing on your blog, the picture is similar but with a Zextons twist:

• Apple covers the cheap but still premium segment with the new iPad 11-inch (2025) and the older 10th and 9th gen models. New iPads usually sit from about £280 to £450 depending on storage and offers, with refurbished older gens dropping far lower.
  
  

• Samsung Galaxy Tab A9, A9+, A7 Lite and S6 Lite sit in the cheap Android band, typically ranging from about £100 at the very low end up to around £220 for better-specced models.
  
  

• Amazon Fire tablets (Fire HD 8, Fire HD 10, Fire HD 10 Kids, Fire Max 11) are the kings of raw affordability, often discounted to £40–£120 during big sale events, with regular “normal” prices usually a bit higher in between sales.
  
  

With that in mind, let’s go through the individual tablets that are genuinely worth recommending and see what you should say about them.

Zextons Best Cheap Tablets 2025 – Pricing & Black Friday Extra 5% Off Deals

Apple iPad 11-inch (2025, A16): the best cheap tablet overall

Apple’s latest base iPad is sold simply as the iPad 11-inch (2025) and powered by the A16 Bionic chip. This is the iPad Keep calling the best cheap tablet – not because it’s dirt-cheap, but because it offers near-premium performance at the lowest modern iPad price point.

The tablet has a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display (Apple markets it as 11-inch), slim bezels and a USB-C port, making it feel far more like the iPad Air than the old “home button” iPads. Inside, the A16 chip means it flies through everyday tasks: streaming, web browsing with many tabs, social media, and even heavier apps such as basic photo editing or more complex games. Reviewers also point out that iPadOS continues to be the most polished tablet operating system, with excellent app quality and long-term update support – this model is expected to receive new versions of iPadOS until at least the end of the decade.

In terms of money, comparison sites and UK retailers currently show the iPad 11-inch (2025) 128GB Wi-Fi is £299.99 on our store you can also Add our Black friday Discount Codes on holidays and in regular days you can add our FIRSTFIVE Discount on your first sale and get extra 5% off. That gives you a nice angle in your product section: you can position it as the best overall cheap tablet that costs a bit more than Amazon or Samsung A-series, but pays you back in performance, resale value and longevity.

Apple iPad 10th Generation (2022): the cheaper modern iPad

Just under the brand-new 2025 model sits the iPad 10th gen (2022). It looks almost identical at a glance: 10.9-inch display, flat-sided design, USB-C, modern colours and a 12MP front camera placed on the long edge, which is ideal for landscape video calls. The key difference is the chip – the 10th gen uses the A14 Bionic instead of A16 – but that’s still more than enough power for Netflix, browsing, email, school work, social media and most games.

Battery life remains in the 9–10 hour range for mixed use, and because it’s still current in Apple’s lineup, it will continue to receive software updates for years. In UK price comparison, 

On our store you Buy the iPad 10th gen (2022) 64GB  in only 294.99 WIth Free Delivery, free Protection Bundle, Free Charging Cable and You can also enjoy our extra 5% off during holidays sale   

Older iPads (9th, 8th, 7th, 6th Gen – refurbished): the best cheap iPads under about £200

For shoppers who want an iPad but absolutely cannot go past £200, older generations in refurbished condition are your best ammunition. The iPad 9th gen (2021) in particular is still very capable, thanks to the A13 Bionic chip, 10.2-inch Retina display and support for the latest iPadOS versions.

Refurbished 9th gen 64GB Wi-Fi units are widely listed in the UK between roughly £189. Go a bit older – 8th, 7th or 6th generation – and prices can fall significantly below £180, but at the cost of a shorter remaining support window and slightly slower performance. This is still perfectly fine for Netflix, YouTube, web browsing, email and simple games, which is all many “cheap tablet” buyers really need.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A9: the best compact cheap Android tablet

If you prefers Android and wants something small and easy to carry, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 is an excellent starting point. It uses an 8.7-inch display, a MediaTek Helio G99 processor, 4GB of RAM in most budget configs and 64GB or 128GB of storage, which can be expanded via microSD. That combination gives a surprisingly smooth experience for social apps, browsing, HD video and even lighter games, provided expectations stay realistic.

Design-wise, the Tab A9 has a slim profile and a metal body, so it doesn’t feel like a toy. Battery capacity is around 5100mAh, which, given the smaller screen, is enough for a day of moderate use. Perhaps more important for the budget buyer is Samsung’s software promise: A-series tablets like the A9 are set to receive multiple Android version upgrades and several years of security patches, meaning this cheap tablet won’t be abandoned after a year or two.

Price-wise, We Sell Tab A9 £129 That makes it a perfect Android rival to the Fire HD 8 and a strong step up from no-name brands. SHop Now and Enjoy Extra Off Using Discount Code  

Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 5G: the best big-screen cheap Android tablet

For shoppers who want Android but prefer a larger screen, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 5G hits a sweet spot. It steps up to an 11-inch panel with 1920 x 1200 resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate, giving smoother scrolling and noticeably more space for movies, games and split-screen multitasking. Under the hood it uses a Snapdragon chipset (rather than MediaTek), paired with 4GB or 8GB RAM and 64GB or 128GB storage plus microSD expansion.

In daily use, the A9+ feels closer to a mid-range tablet than a bargain-basement one. Reviewers highlight its good balance between performance, build quality and price, noting that the combination of a big 90Hz screen, quad speakers and decent battery life makes it ideal for streaming and casual gaming. It also benefits from Samsung’s long-term update policy, so buyers can be confident the software will stay current for several years.

Right now, We offer the Galaxy Tab A9+ Wifi + Cellular  64GB in £144, That positions it nicely as a big-screen budget tablet for readers who want a more cinema-like feel without going near flagship pricing. 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2020): the best cheap tablet with stylus for notes and study

The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2020) is a bit of a hidden gem. It’s older, which means prices have dropped, but it still has something most cheap tablets don’t: a proper Samsung S Pen in the box. The 10.4-inch display, 4GB of RAM and 64GB storage might sound modest in 2025, but they’re perfectly adequate for taking notes, annotating PDFs, browsing, video calls and streaming.

For students and anyone who prefers handwriting to typing, the S Pen transforms this tablet. You can scribble in Samsung Notes, draw diagrams in class, highlight textbooks and sign documents without spending extra on a separate stylus. Combined with Samsung’s split-screen features and DeX-like layouts, the S6 Lite can even double as a lightweight study machine when paired with a Bluetooth keyboard.

On our Tech store  Galaxy Tab S6 Lite 64GB Wi-Fi models currently start from around £139, with some deals occasionally dropping a bit lower. That makes it more expensive than an A7 Lite or Fire HD 8, but still firmly in the budget zone compared to premium tablets with pen support.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite: the cheapest “still decent” Android tablet

At the very bottom of Samsung’s range sits the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite, which has quietly become one of the cheapest brand-name Android tablets that’s still worth using. It offers an 8.7-inch screen, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and a 5100mAh battery in a compact metal chassis. Performance is modest, but acceptable for YouTube, Netflix, email and light browsing.

What makes the A7 Lite appealing in a best cheap tablets is the brand trust and build quality. For readers who are tempted by super-low-priced unbranded tablets,  support, updates and reliability. It is particularly well suited as a kids’ tablet, travel tablet or backup device that you won’t panic about if it disappears into a sofa or suitcase.

In late 2025, Zexton's  UK prices for Galaxy Tab A7 Lite Wi-Fi 32GB is £64.99, with some cellular variants going higher.

Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023): the best cheap tablet for streaming

Moving into the Amazon world, the Fire HD 10 (2023, 13th gen) is the classic cheap entertainment tablet. It has a 10.1-inch Full HD (1920 x 1200) display, 3GB RAM, an octa-core processor and either 32GB or 64GB storage, expandable via microSD. That combination is tuned for one thing above all else: streaming video from Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+ and YouTube, plus light browsing and e-books.

Battery life is a strong point, with Amazon quoting up to 13 hours of mixed use. Real-world reviewers have confirmed that you can expect a full day of video and browsing without hunting for a charger. The trade-off is that Fire OS is a fork of Android centred on Amazon’s own store and services. Out of the box, you get Amazon Appstore rather than Google Play, so while many popular apps are there, the ecosystem is more limited and heavily Amazon-branded.

From a price perspective, the Fire HD 10 (2023) is extremely competitive. On Our Store 32GB model starting at around £94.99 in normal periods, with big sale events (Prime Day, Black Friday) frequently pushing it below extra5% off. if someone primarily wants a cheap tablet for Netflix and Prime Video, this is the one to push, using phrases like best cheap tablet for streaming and cheap 10-inch tablet UK.

Amazon Fire Max 11: the best cheap tablet for work and entertainment together

If the Fire HD 10 is the streaming king, the Fire Max 11 is its more ambitious big brother – still cheap by tablet standards, but much closer to a productivity device. It has an 11-inch 2K-class display, a slim metal body, 4GB RAM, 64GB or 128GB storage with microSD expansion, and a more powerful octa-core chip than the HD 10. It also supports optional accessories such as a detachable keyboard and a stylus, and includes a fingerprint sensor for quick unlocking.

That hardware makes it much more comfortable for split-screen multitasking, document editing, web apps and email, while still being excellent for Netflix and gaming. Battery life is rated at up to around 14 hours of mixed use, which means you can easily get a full workday or a long travel day out of it. Because it runs Fire OS, you’ll again need to accept Amazon’s ecosystem and limited Google Play access, but for buyers who are already Prime subscribers, the trade-off is often worth it.

Zextons prices for the Fire Max 11 is £104.99 for the 64GB Wi-Fi model, with deals occasionally dipping a little below that during major promotions.

Amazon Fire HD 8 (2022): the best cheap tablet under about £100

When the main priority is spending as little as possible while still getting a usable tablet from a big brand, the Fire HD 8 (2022) is the obvious contender. It has an 8-inch HD display (1280 x 800), 2–3GB RAM depending on version, 32GB storage with microSD expansion and a hexa-core processor, plus up to 13 hours of battery life.

That spec sheet is not going to impress anyone coming from an iPad, but for Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, casual games and e-books, it does the job. The compact size makes it great for travel, kids and reading on the sofa, and the long battery life is reassuring if you’re not always near a charger. Once again, the trade-off is Fire OS and Amazon Appstore instead of full Android with Google Play.

The big selling point is cost. In the UK, the Our price of a Fire HD 8 is £74.99, but Zextons regularly drops it to Extra5% Off during pre-Black-Friday and Black Friday sales, and promotional bundles have even pushed the effective tablet price to under £50 recently. 

Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids (2023): the best cheap tablet for children

Parents and grandparents reading your blog will almost certainly search for something like “best cheap tablet for kids”, and the Fire HD 10 Kids (2023) is built exactly for that audience. It’s a Fire HD 10 wrapped in a thick, colourful bumper case, with an interface tailored for children, easy parental controls and access to curated kids’ content.

Underneath the case you still get a 10.1-inch Full HD display, 32GB storage with microSD expansion, decent speakers and the same battery life as the standard HD 10. Parents can create child profiles, manage screen time, set age filters and approve new apps, while kids see a simple, fun interface with their shows and games. That makes it far less stressful than handing a child a full-fat Android or iPad with your own account signed in.

In the UK, Fire HD 10 Kids tablets on Our Tech store £129.99, with frequent promotions dropping them to around Extra5% off  during large sales. 

Best cheap tablets by budget: under £100 / £200 / £300

Under £100 – entry-level and kids’ favourites

In the UK, if you’re at or below the £100 mark, your realistic options are:

• Amazon Fire HD 8 / Fire HD 8 Plus
  
  

• Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite (if discounted or refurbished)
  
  

At this price you should expect basic displays, limited RAM and slower chips, but still enough for streaming, light browsing, children’s apps and e-books. Avoid unknown brands promising “16GB RAM and 1TB storage” at suspiciously low prices – they’re often unreliable or mislabelled.

Under £200 – the real sweet spot for most buyers

Around £150–£200, the market opens up:

• Refurbished iPad 7th/8th/9th Gen
  
  

• Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 (Wi-Fi or LTE)
  
  

• Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023)
  
  

Here you start getting bigger and sharper screens, more storage, better speakers and smoother performance. If the buyer prefers Apple, a refurb iPad is usually the best experience. If they want Android with a compact size, the Tab A9 is ideal. If their priority is streaming on a 10-inch display at the lowest cost, the Fire HD 10 wins.

Under £300 – budget tablets that feel almost premium

Up to around £300, you hit the “best all-rounder” zone:

• iPad 10th Gen (2022)
  
  

• Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+
  
  

• Amazon Fire Max 11
  
  

All three are capable of handling streaming, school work, light productivity and casual gaming. The iPad 10th Gen is the most polished and has the best app ecosystem; the Galaxy Tab A9+ is the best choice if you prefer Android and want a 90Hz 11-inch screen; the Fire Max 11 is great when you want a large display, keyboard, pen support and can live inside the Amazon ecosystem.

Which cheap tablet should your reader actually pick?

Once you’ve detailed each product, your conclusion should gently push readers towards the right choice:

If they want the most powerful and future-proof cheap tablet, then the iPad 11-inch (2025, A16) is the safest all-round recommendation. It costs more upfront than Fire or low-end Samsung models (usually somewhere around the low-£400 range in the UK), but the performance, app quality and long-term updates give it a much longer useful life.

If they prefer Android and want a big screen for movies, browsing and light work, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ is an excellent compromise between price and polish, usually sitting around the £129.99–£179 mark for 64GB Wi-Fi versions. For something more compact or cheaper, the Tab A9 and A7 Lite give them 8.7-inch options that fit easily into bags and children’s hands.

If price is everything and the main job is streaming, then the Amazon Fire HD 10 and Fire HD 8 are the heroes of the ultra-budget segment. They routinely dip well below £100 in sales, and even at normal prices still undercut most Samsung and Apple tablets.

Finally, for kids, the Fire HD 10 Kids gives your readers a ready-made child-proof bundle with parental controls built in, while students and note-takers are better off with a stylus-enabled device like the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite or an iPad paired with Apple Pencil.

You can now layer your own exact Zextons pricing on top of these realistic UK price bands and weave in your USPs (warranty, fast shipping, graded refurbs).

Cheap iPad vs cheap Android vs Amazon Fire – which should you buy?

If you’re trying to decide which “camp” to lean into in your article, here’s how to frame it for readers.

Choose a cheap iPad if:

• You already use an iPhone or Mac and want everything to sync.
  
  

• You care about long software support and high-quality apps.
  
  

• You’re happy to pay a bit more upfront to avoid frustrations later.
  
  

The iPad 11-inch (2025) and iPad 10th Gen are clearly positioned by Apple and reviewers as the most practical iPads for most people, combining performance, a modern design and long support without Pro-tier prices.

Choose a cheap Android tablet (Samsung) if:

• You want Google Play, more flexibility and easier sideloading.
  
  

• You prefer customising your home screen and using Android-only apps.
  
  

• You want a mix of price points, from Tab A7 Lite to Tab A9+.
  
  

Samsung’s A-series tablets like the A9 and A9+ aim to offer solid specs, long-term update policies and good multimedia performance at lower prices than their S-series or Apple’s more expensive models.

Choose an Amazon Fire tablet if:

• Your primary use is streaming, e-books and casual browsing.
  
  

• You want the lowest possible price from a recognised brand.
  
  

• You don’t need Google Play, or you’re happy with Amazon’s Appstore.
  
  

Fire tablets like the HD 8, HD 10 and Max 11 routinely drop to very low prices during Prime Day and other sales, and they’re designed around the Amazon ecosystem with tight Alexa integration and long battery life.

How to choose the best cheap tablet in 2025

When you write the buying-guide part of your article, focus on simple, practical explanations.

Screen size & quality:

8-inch tablets (Fire HD 8, Tab A7 Lite) are ultra-portable and great for travel and kids, but 10–11-inch devices (iPad, Tab A9+, Fire HD 10, Fire Max 11) are much better for films, split-screen multitasking and reading PDFs. Look for at least a 1280 x 800 resolution on 8-inch models and Full HD (1920 x 1200) on 10-inch screens for sharp text and video.

Performance (chip & RAM):

You don’t need a flagship chip for Netflix and web browsing. For Android, processors like the MediaTek Helio G99 or Snapdragon in the A9+ plus 4GB RAM are enough for smooth everyday use. For iPads, even older A14/A13 chips are still powerful in 2025 thanks to Apple’s optimisation. Fire tablets use mid-range MediaTek chips tuned for their pared-back OS, which is why they feel OK despite modest specs.

Battery life:

Aim for at least 8–10 hours of mixed use. Most of the tablets in this list claim 10–14 hours, including Fire HD 10, Fire Max 11, Fire HD 8, the base iPads and Samsung’s A-series, making them suitable for workdays and long flights.

Storage & expansion:

For Android and Fire tablets, 32GB is the bare minimum, but 64GB is more comfortable, especially once apps, downloads and offline Netflix content are taken into account. Luckily, most Samsung and Amazon models support microSD expansion, making it easy to bump storage cheaply. iPads don’t have microSD slots, so choosing 64GB or 128GB wisely at purchase time is important.

Software & updates:

• iPadOS is still the most polished tablet OS, with long-term updates and excellent app support.
  
  

• Samsung’s One UI on top of Android has matured a lot and now often gets multiple years of OS upgrades and security patches even on mid-range and budget devices.
  
  

• Fire OS is based on Android but built around Amazon services; it’s easy to use, but more limited in app choice unless you’re happy to stick with Amazon’s store.
  
  

Extras (stylus, keyboard, kids’ mode):

If your audience includes students, highlight models with pen support like iPad + Apple Pencil and Galaxy Tab S6 Lite. For families, mention kids’ modes and rugged cases on Fire Kids and Samsung Kids on Galaxy tablets. For light work, call out keyboard-ready tablets like the iPad 11-inch and Fire Max 11.