Best Budget Laptops for Freelancers in 2025

At Laptop Mag, we review over 100 laptops every year to find the best ones for every type of user. As the managing editor, I’m involved in every review—whether I’m testing the laptop myself or editing someone else’s work. So, if you’re looking for the perfect laptop, you’re in the right place!

March is always a busy time for new laptop releases. The latest models, like the MacBook Air 13-inch M4 and MacBook Air 15-inch M4, have just hit the market, and more are on the way.

Not a Mac fan? No problem! If you’re into Windows, the Asus ZenBook 14 OLED offers a similar experience to the MacBook Air at around the same price. Need something more budget-friendly? The Acer Swift Go 14 is an excellent option. And if you’re after a gaming laptop, a business laptop, or a 2-in-1, don’t worry—I’ve got you covered!

Speaking of gaming laptops, the next big thing is coming soon: laptops with Nvidia GeForce RTX 50-series GPUs will start shipping in March and April. But if you’re looking for a deal, this is also a great time to grab an RTX 40-series gaming laptop at a discount.

If you’re unsure what features matter most in a laptop, start with our guide on how to choose the right laptop. Then, just click the “Back to the top” link to jump back up and check out our top picks with your newfound knowledge.

We constantly update this page with our latest reviews, so you’ll always see the best laptops of 2025. Let’s dive in!

Best Laptop for Most People: MacBook Air M4 (13-inch)

Thin, light, powerful, long-lasting—and $100 cheaper than last year!

Specs:

• CPU: Apple M4
• GPU: Apple M4
• RAM: 16GB
• Storage: 512GB SSD
• Display: 13.6-inch, 1664p
• Size: 12 x 8.5 x 0.44 inches
• Weight: 2.7 pounds

Why You’ll Love It:

✅ Affordable pricing
✅ Excellent performance
✅ Nearly 16-hour battery life
✅ Bright Liquid Retina display
✅ Comfortable keyboard
✅ One of the best webcams in any laptop

Why You Might Not:

❌ Limited ports
❌ Upgrades can get pricey

The MacBook Air M4 (13-inch) is a fantastic all-around laptop, balancing power, portability, and battery life. At just 2.7 pounds, it’s lightweight but packs Apple’s new M4 chip, delivering faster performance and even longer battery life than before.

And the best part? Apple dropped the price to $999, the lowest it’s been since the MacBook Air M1 in 2020! Plus, 16GB of RAM is now the standard, which used to be a $200 upgrade.

The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display is still one of the brightest you’ll find on a consumer laptop, and Apple’s True Tone ensures accurate colors. The 60Hz refresh rate and the fact that it’s not OLED might stand out if you compare it side by side with other laptops, but for most users, it’s a non-issue.

Performance-wise, the MacBook Air M4 scored 14,849 on Geekbench 6, crushing the category average. It also handled 4K video transcoding in just 5 minutes and 40 seconds, a big improvement over last year’s model.

Apple’s SSD speeds remain impressive, with 3,456 MBps write speeds and 3,018 MBps read speeds in our tests. And despite being so thin and powerful, the Air still lasted 15 hours and 42 minutes on a single charge.

The 12MP Center Stage webcam is another welcome upgrade, matching the quality of the MacBook Pro models. However, the limited port selection (just two Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports) might be a downside for some users.

If you prefer a bigger screen, the MacBook Air M4 (15-inch) offers all the same great features, just with a larger 15.3-inch display.

One thing to note—Apple isn’t selling the older M3 Air anymore, so if you’re trying to decide between the M4 and M3, the choice is easy. The M4 is your best bet!

Also Read: How to Start Freelancing with Zero Experience?

Best Budget Laptop: Acer Swift Go 14

💰 A budget laptop that feels way more premium than its price.

Specs:

• CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H
• GPU: Intel integrated Arc
• RAM: 16GB
• Storage: 1TB SSD
• Display: 14-inch, 1920 x 1200
• Size: 12.32 x 8.6 x 0.68 inches
• Weight: 2.9 pounds

Why You’ll Love It:

✅ Intel Core Ultra 7 + Arc GPU for strong performance
✅ Premium all-aluminum build
✅ Great webcam
✅ Tons of ports
✅ Affordable price

Why You Might Not:

❌ Speakers are a bit weak
❌ The base display could be more colorful

The Acer Swift Go 14 is hands-down the best budget laptop of 2025. It starts at $749, but we reviewed the slightly upgraded $999 model (which you can often find for under $700). If you go with the base version, the main difference is a slightly less powerful processor, but for everyday tasks, the performance gap is minimal.

Despite its budget-friendly price, the Swift Go 14 looks and feels premium. At 2.9 pounds, it’s light and portable, and its metallic aluminum chassis has a sleek, stylish finish. The backlit keyboard feels great, and port selection is excellent—you get two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, a microSD card slot, a headphone jack, and even a Kensington lock slot.

The 14-inch display isn’t the most colorful, covering 79.1% of the DCI-P3 color gamut (compared to an 85.2% average). But it beats the category average in brightness, hitting 374 nits (vs. the 354-nit average). If you want a sharper screen, you can upgrade to a 2.8K display.

Performance-wise, the Swift Go 14 crushed it in our benchmarks. It even outperformed the MacBook Air M3 on Geekbench 6 (12,434 vs. 12,087) and finished our Handbrake video test in just 5 minutes and 18 seconds, nearly four minutes faster than the category average.

Battery life is decent at 9 hours and 50 minutes, but if you need all-day power, something like the MacBook Air M4 (15+ hours) or Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (15+ hours) would be a better fit. Also, the built-in speakers aren’t great, so consider using wireless headphones.

Overall, if you want the best value laptop without breaking the bank, the Acer Swift Go 14 is the one to get.

Also Read: How to Set Your Rates as a Freelancer?

Best Laptop for Students

3. Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (Q425)

Stop searching—this is the best laptop for students!

Specs:

• CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H
• GPU: Intel Arc Graphics
• RAM: 16GB
• Storage: 1TB SSD
• Display: 14-inch, 1080p
• Size: 12.3 x 8.7 x 0.6 inches
• Weight: 3 pounds

👉 Why you’ll love it:
✅ Insane battery life—almost 16 hours!
✅ Fast and smooth performance
✅ Great audio quality
✅ Comfortable keyboard
✅ Built-in webcam privacy shutter

🚫 What could be better:
❌ The display isn’t the brightest
❌ Can get a little warm

Asus has been killing it with the Zenbook 14 OLED for years, and this 2024 model takes another big leap forward. The secret? The new Intel Core Ultra chipset, which makes it just as powerful as top-tier productivity and content creation laptops.

Battery life is a total game-changer. In our tests, it lasted 15 hours and 52 minutes, making it one of the longest-lasting Windows laptops we’ve ever seen!

Performance-wise, it even beat the MacBook Air M3 in multi-core Geekbench 6.2 (12,707 vs. 12,087) and was over a minute faster in a video conversion test using Handbrake.

The OLED display looks fantastic, though it could be brighter. It covers 79.8% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, slightly better than the MacBook Air M3 but below the 85.2% mainstream average. However, color accuracy is excellent (Delta-E 0.21), making it a solid choice for creative work.

At 3 pounds, it’s not the lightest laptop out there, but it’s still portable enough for students moving between classes. Overall, with its top-tier battery life, strong performance, and student-friendly features, the Zenbook 14 OLED is built to last through four years of college or high school and beyond.

Also Read: How to Create a Winning Freelancer Profile?

Best Ultraportable Windows Laptop

4. Asus Zenbook S 14 (UX5406)
Thin, powerful, and packed with AI features

Specs:

• CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 258V
• GPU: Intel Arc Integrated Graphics 140V
• NPU: Intel AI Boost
• RAM: 32GB
• Storage: 1TB SSD
• Display: 14-inch 120Hz 3K (2,880 x 1,800) OLED touchscreen
• Size: 12.22 x 8.45 x 0.47 ~ 0.51 inches
• Weight: 2.6 pounds

👉 Why you’ll love it:
✅ Super responsive performance
✅ Nearly 14 hours of battery life
✅ Gorgeous OLED display
✅ Lightweight and portable
✅ Powerful audio
✅ Fast SSD

🚫 What could be better:
❌ Keyboard feels a little mushy
❌ Webcam quality isn’t the best

The Asus Zenbook S 14 (UX5406) is more than just a great AI-powered laptop—it’s a well-balanced powerhouse. Even at its full price of $1,499, you get a high-performing machine with almost 14 hours of battery life, a stunning OLED display, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. Whether you’re running AI tools, productivity apps, or creative software, this laptop is built to handle it all.

In our Laptop Mag battery test, it lasted 13 hours and 51 minutes, so you can leave your charger at home without worrying. Plus, its scratch-resistant Ceraluminum chassis keeps it looking fresh no matter how much you carry it around.

The 3K OLED display is a visual treat, covering 82% of the DCI-P3 color gamut—an impressive result for an OLED laptop. And at 342 nits of brightness, it holds up well in bright environments.

Unlike many ultraportables, the Zenbook S 14 doesn’t skimp on ports. You get:
🔌 2x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports
🔌 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
🔌 1x HDMI 2.1
🎧 1x 3.5mm headphone/mic jack

That’s way better than some competitors that only offer USB-C!

If you need even more power, consider the MacBook Air 13 M3 (similar size and weight) or the Asus ExpertBook P5 for a business-oriented alternative. But if you want a perfect balance of performance, battery life, and portability, the Zenbook S 14 is a clear winner.