Through digital transformation, remote work methodology is becoming the most efficient way to be more productive. It provides more flexibility and freedom in reducing longer hours workload. But to make this digital nomadism more flexible, the essentialities of digital tools like computers are absolutely inescapable. But here the question may arise which computer is best for freelancing and budget-friendly? 

If we explain in short, remote-work computers should have a more powerful processor and enough RAM that can handle any demanding task without any distractions. Also, it should be robust and portable enough to take with you.

As you are on our webpage, you are certainly wondering about the right computer that will give your digital service a new run flow. Don’t take more hassle! Below, we have compiled the 10 best budget-friendly computers for freelancers. Let’s have a look at all of them! See how to choose the best chairs for from home

Quick Overview Of The Best Budget Laptops For Freelancers In 2023

Let us start with a quick overview of all the computers with key features to make your further reading easier: 

Top-picks	Key Features	Price
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 (The Best Ultraportable Laptop)	Fingerprint Power Button Convenient security.Portable Surface touchscreen Super-fast charging. Sharp video and image quality	$612
Apple 2020 MacBook Air Laptop With M1 Chip (Ideal laptop For Freelancers)	Up to 2×faster SSDPower update for the apps.Superior battery lifePowerful processor, ideal for freelancers. One touch ID & three built-in microphones.	$899
Acer Aspire 5(Most Budget-friendly Laptop For Beginners)	HD webcam and dual built-in microphones Acer Purified Voice Technology Ergonomic lifted keyboard.Intel UHD Graphics.Features Purified Voice technology	$299
Lenovo Chromebook Flex(Best For Freelance Writer)	Light 360-degree convertible designOffers digital pen Capacitive Aspect Ratio:16:9Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectionChromebook updates automatically every six weeks	$329
ASUS VivoBook 14 Laptop(Best For Powerful Processor)	14 inches full HD anti-glare display panelFingerprint scanner & two bottom-firing speakers.Comfortable typing.Compact and lightweightExcellent battery life.	$439
Dell XPS 13 Laptop( Best For Sleek & Modern Design)	Larger & improved touchpadGreat battery lifeCompact designEdge-to-edge keyboardHigh-speed data transfer	$1143
Lenovo IdeaPad 3i 2022 Essential Laptop Computer( Best-selling Lenevo Laptop For Freelancers)	Wi-Fi standards supportedIntel Iris Xe graphics cardAll ports and connectivity.Comfortable keyboard and touchpad.Fingerprint reader	$529
HP Pavilion 15 Laptop: Best In Mid-range Laptop	HP dual speakers with boosted audio.Fingerprint readerImpressive performance for video editing.Thin & light laptopPowerful intel core processor with the FHD plus DISPLAY	$789
Acer Swift 3 Thin & Light Laptop (The Best Affordable Compact Laptop	Fast NVMe SSDBacklit keyboardGood system performanceComfortably portableGood recommendation for freelance work.	$649
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 (The Most Powerful Surface Laptop)	70% more speed in the processorExtended battery lifeSuper comfortable keyboardSleek, elegant, and quiet Lightweight & portable	$1179

Which Computer Is Best For Freelancing Budget-Friendly?

Here are our recommended 10 best budget-friendly computers for remote work: 

1. Microsoft Surface Pro 7- The Best Ultraportable Laptop

Technical Specification:

• Processor: 8th Gen Intel Core m3 Processor
• Display: 1920 x 1280, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• Ram: Up to ‎8 GB DDR4
• Storage Device: ‎256 GB SSD
• Operating System: Windows 10 Home
• Graphics Coprocessor: Intel^® UHD Graphics 615

Overview

Let’s walk through the most portable laptop for freelancers at an affordable price. It is quite ideal who want to multitask without any distractions at the same piece.

With the equipped 8GB RAM and Intel CPU, you can run many more programs or applications whereas the strong configurations will let you handle them all more efficiently.

You will find it quite lighter, with up to 19 hours longer battery life and better screen resolution than other surfaced models. In addition, you are getting a quite faster charging facility that will reduce downtime while working.

Not only this, the 12.4 inches touches will be enough to create portable workstation flexibility, suitable for working at home. Here no matter, if you are demanding gaming, video editing, writing or photo editing, 256 SSD won’t let you down in storing any large files. 

Pros	Cons
Amazing GPU performance.Long battery life.Pretty much affordable.Great for multitasking Sleek & modern design.	No Thunderbolt 3 support

2. Apple 2020 MacBook Air Laptop With M1 Chip- Ideal laptop For Freelancers

Technical Specification:

• Processor: Apple M1 Chip, 8-core CPU with 4 performance cores. 
• Display: 13″ LED-backlit Retina Display 
• Ram: 8GB
• Storage Device: 256GB SSD
• Operating System: Mac OS
• Graphics Coprocessor: Apple 8-core GPU

Overview

If you are hunting for a budget-friendly computer for freelancers from the Mac series, this Apple Mac Air M1 Chip will be the perfect go option for you. The macbook is quite compatible with any type of heavy tasking. The 8-core CPU with an M1 chip will ensure you 1.3×superfast performance where the GPU speed will be up to 5× faster in all cases. 

The 8 GB Ram and 256 GB SSD will be enough to make the entire system speedy and responsive. You can easily handle multi-tab web browsing, working on documents, light photo and video edits, and most gaming, making it a perfect choice for Freelance nomads.

Not only that, there will be far more options in choosing the ram  (8GB, 16GB, and 24GB and storage (512GB SSD, 1TB SSD, and 2TB SSD options).

When the term comes to battery longevity, up to 18 hours of battery life will rectify all of your confusion. Plus, the thin and ultra-sleek design will not provide a premium look and the super-lightweight configuration makes the piece more travel-friendly. But if you are a video editor, the processor power may not give you the expected result.

Pros	Cons
Powerful CPU and graphic coprocessorPortableLonger battery life.Runs powerful apps	Poor performance in hardcore gaming.

3. Acer Aspire 5- Most Budget-friendly Laptop For Beginners

Technical Specification:

• Processor: 11th Gen Intel Core i3-1115G4
• Display: 15.6″ Full HD
• Ram: 4GB DDR4
• Storage Device: 128GB NVMe SSD
• Operating System: Windows 11 
• Graphics Coprocessor: ‎Intel UHD Graphics

Overview

Let’s meet the most budget-friendly laptop of our top picks. The laptop is packed up with all features that are found in the higher model, making it the best opportunity if you are enough budget-conscious and a beginner in remote working. 

The Intel Core i3-1115G4us power processor will ensure you the ultra-speed and intelligence, whereas the Turbo Boost Technology will help you with high-demand applications. 

Also, improved cooling, a better sound experience, a well-spaced keyboard and decent battery life will provide the most aesthetic and comfortable workstation. Add Alexa on your PC, and make the tasks easier. 

On top of all the above, the overall design will never let you down, 15.6″ Full HD display with crisp colors body is one word Stunning.

Pros	Cons
Reasonable PricePowerful processorSuperior battery lifeSecure operating system.	Dismal display

4. Lenovo Chromebook Flex: Best For Freelance Writer

Technical Specification:

• Processor: Intel Core i3-10110U
• Display: 13.3 inches FHD Touch Display
• Ram: 4GB
• Storage Device: 64 GB
• Operating System: Chrome OS
• Graphics Coprocessor: Intel Integrated Graphics

Overview

If you are a freelance writer, Lenovo brings the best package for you through the Chromebook Flex 5 mode. This laptop is packed with all the basic functions (word processor, spreadsheet capabilities, email and web browsing)  that are fundamental needs in simple remote working. But you can’t run high-end software or heavy games with it.

With the 64GB SSD onboard SSD, you can easily store all your written files and can manage all the stuff on Google Drive efficiently. The 10th Generation Intel Core i3 CPU processor will be enough for ensuring speedy performance in basic working. 

Moreover, in this quite affordable 2-in-1 laptop combines, you will get an ergonomic keyboard and touchscreen that will make the best interaction with the FHD display. In advance, the featured two USB-C ports and a USB-A port will be the biggest benefits of this model. Lastly, with up to 10 hours of battery life, you will be longer time productive. 

Pros	Cons
Affordable laptopSuitable for writingPre-installed applications.	Battery life is not impressive.

5. ASUS VivoBook 14 Laptop: Best For Powerful Processor

Technical Specification:

• Processor: AMD Athlon Gold 3150U
• Display: 14″ FHD NanoEdge Display
• Ram: 20GB RAM
• Storage Device: 1TB SSD+2TB HDD,
• Operating System: Windows 10
• Graphics Coprocessor: Radeon Graphics

Overview

VivoBook 14 is a high-quality, beautiful, well-designed laptop from the renowned ASUS. It is an exquisite machine that can efficiently handle multi-tasking with a decent performance. This ASUS series comes with the AMD Athlon Gold 3150U processor which has the same performance as the most popular AMD Ryzen. 

It will help to run all your workload very fast and efficiently.  Plus, the equipped touchpad and ergonomic keyboard will double as a second. So this will be definitely a go-on option for freelancing. 

Moreover, the quite affordable price has made one of the budget-friendly laptops for freelancers of our top picks. The machine comes with the NanoEdge display that will ensure you an immersive viewing experience no matter if you’re at your home desk or office. 

Plus with an overall weight of 1.5 kg, you can keep it very easily wherever you are wanting. Lastly, all ports and connectivity will provide diverse functions and benefits to freelancers.

Pros	Cons
Can handle heavy workloads.Fast & efficient processorComfortable keyboardAffordableLightweight	RAM is not upgradeable.Average speakers.

6. Dell XPS 13 Laptop: Best For Sleek & Modern Design

Technical Specification:

• Processor: Intel Core i7-1185G7
• Display: 13.4-inch FHD Display
• Ram: 16GB LPDDR4x RAM
• Storage Device: 512GB SSD
• Operating System: Windows 10 Pro 
• Graphics Coprocessor: Intel Iris Xe 

Overview

With a minimalist design, Dell is offering everything through the XPS 13 model. It is not lightweight but also upgraded with all the features and configuration, which is essential for freelancers. The optimized high-resolution display screen will let you experience more define visual sensations.

The integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics coprocessor will be the perfect handle for those who are graphic designers. Besides Xe graphics will be enough to create a benchmark while gaming as well. 

Not only these, but the powerful Intel Core i7-1185G7 processor also will not let you down at any remote work. 16GB 4267MHz LPDDR4x RAM with the 512 GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD will boost the performance and help to run any programs quite efficiently. Besides solid performance and the longer battery will enhance your productivity. 

In addition, the built-in touch screen, wider keyboard, and small footprint make the machine perfectly compatible with any desk. 

Pros	Cons
Sleek, luxurious designUpgrade to Windows 11Very compact caseSuper-fast Wi-Fi configuration	Limited port selection

7. Lenovo IdeaPad 3i 2022 Essential Laptop Computer: Best-selling Lenevo Laptop For Freelancers

Technical Specification:

• Processor: Intel Core i5 12th Gen
• Display: 15.6″ FHD Display
• Ram: 8GB
• Storage Device: 512GB Storage 
• Operating System: Windows 11 Pro
• Graphics Coprocessor: Intel Iris

Overview

Let’s meet the most demandable laptop in the freelancer’s community from Lenevo. The price is quite affordable that start from only $529. With the powerful 12th generation Intel Core i5 U series processor and amazing performance for the CPU, the price is quite worth it. 

This Lenevor series laptop is designed with a 15.6″ FHD IPS display for a greater viewing experience with higher color accuracy and contrast. In addition, the HD webcam with a privacy shutter with dual microphones will be best suitable for your business video conferencing and any vocal recordings. While calling, the Smart Noise Cancelling feature will reduce the background noise.

The installed 512 GB SSD will allow you hassle-free multitasking whereas the DDR4 RAM will boost the speed. So, this will be definitely the best laptop for freelancers who are thinking about the perfect workstation for remote working.

Pros	Cons
The slim and light designdecent performance and features Powerful processor.Enough hard disk space for storing movies, music, and other large files,	Screen looks dimmerWebcam and audio may not impress you all.

8. HP Pavilion 15 Laptop: Best In Mid-range Laptop

Technical Specification:

• Processor: Intel Core i7-1255U
• Display: 15.6″ Full HD Display
• Ram: 16 GB 
• Storage Device: 512 GB
• Operating System: Windows 11 Pro
• Graphics Coprocessor: Intel Iris Xe Graphics

Overview

Are you wondering about a mid-range laptop equipped with all the essentials, the Pavilion 15 will be the perfect go-on option for you. It is a slightly upgraded version of the Pavilion 14 series with 2×faster CPU performance, a more sleek design,  thinner bezels, an impressive touch screen, a larger screen size, and many more. 

The dedicated NVIDIA GPUs will not help to run the gaming but also makes a go-to choice for graphic designers for years. With the 512 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD storage, you’re getting upto 5x faster performance than a traditional hard drive where 16 GB DDR4 RAM will boost the performance. 

No matter if you are doing multi-web browsing, working on documents, photo editing, sharing net perusing, or working on Microsoft, the device is quite sooner in all cases. 

Pros	Cons
Powerful processor and graphicsMany ports collectionSkim and stable	Battery life is not impressiveNo backlight keyboard

9. Acer Swift 3 Thin & Light Laptop –The Best Affordable Compact Laptop

Technical Specification:

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 4700U Octa-Core
• Display: 14″ Full HD IPS
• Ram: 8GB LPDDR4
• Storage Device: 512GB NVMe SSD
• Operating System: 
• Graphics Coprocessor: AMD Radeon Graphics

Overview

Acer Swift 3 is another midrange pick on our list of budget-friendly laptops for freelancers. Though mid-range but packed with all essentials, making it a solid choice for the average freelancer. If you are a travel freak and want to continue your freelance work with decent performance, the Swift 3 will be the best handy for them. 

The machine is the perfect go-on for work due to having a super powerful AMD Ryzen 7 4700U Octa-Core processor with a great display and a portable form factor. The higher 512GB NVMe SSD will let you perform any of the heavy tasks decently without much strain. Also, you don’t have to tense about the speed of the programs. 

The high-quality LPDDR4 8GB RAM will do the best trick here. HD webcam, Backlit keyboard, Fingerprint reader, and up to 12 hours longer battery life are the bonus point you will get in this affordable Acer model.

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Pros	Cons
Ultra-lightweightEnormous Precision touchpadExcellent for multitasking	No SD card readerRAM not upgradeable

10. Microsoft Surface Laptop 4- The Most Powerful Surface Laptop

Technical Specification:

• Processor:  AMD Ryzen 7 Surface Edition
• Display: ‎15 Inches DDR4
• Ram: 8GB 
• Storage Device: 512GB Solid State Drive
• Operating System: Windows 10 Home
• Graphics Coprocessor: AMD Radeon Vega 11

Overview

Let’s take a look at the most powerful surface laptop of our top picks, the upgraded version of the Surface Laptop 3. Due to having a powerful processor and good configuration, it will prove enough efficient for any freelance work. The exclusive AMD Ryzen Microsoft Surface Edition processor will provide you with up to 70% more speed while multitasking.

This two-in-one laptop is available in 13.5-inch or 15-inch sizes with high-resolution availability. Along with this, the still bezel on the thick side will bring an elegant vibe.

The Surface Pro 4 offed impressive audio and very good battery life, making it the perfect choice for freelancers. The very comfy keyboard and the Smooth and accurate touchpad will provide an amazing result if you are a freelance writer and artist!

Pros	Cons
Light, slim designComfortable keyboardGreat speakersPricy	Lack of port selection.

Things To Consider While Buying The Best Computer For Freelancers

Without any doubt, laptops are enough compact and more powerful to run demanding applications. Yet it comes with many more specs, features and configurations which make choosing the best computers for your freelance a bit challenging. In such cases, always you have to concentrate on the speed or process performance. Though here you may need to consider, shapes, sizes, and prices, you can ensure the powerful laptop, that is essential to run remote jobs. 

Well! There are certainly a few major factors that need to consider to figure out the best laptop for you. For this instance: 

CPU

As it is the heart of the computer and it falls huge on the performance, so first you need to think about it wisely. It’s highly recommended to choose Intel’s Core-based range which includes Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 processors. 

All the configurations offer multitasking and multimedia tasks. But if you are a beginner and won’t do the heaver works, AMD’s Ryzen Mobile CPUs will not the bad choice for you.

Battery Life

To initiate your longer productivity while working, it is certainly an important consideration. As you are a freelancer and need to work for longer hours, choose for higher battery life. For this instance, 9+ hours will be ideal. 

But yet there are many variables that affect these factors like screen brightness, the apps you are ruining, resolution, and so on. Besides all these, look for a laptop with the fast-charging. It is another key thing that makes your freelance work smoother. 

Weight and size

When it comes to the right laptop for freelance, the size and weight really matter.  Pick the size that is the right fit for you. if you are thinking about more portability, you need to consider with smaller screen size and a lightweight design. 

A laptop between 12 and 13.3 inches with less than 1.5kg weight is the ideal range for any type of freelance work.

Ram and storage

RAM is the key factor of the computer especially when the term comes to heavy and multitasking. If you are doing multi-tab web browsing, photo & video editing, word document, or Microsoft work at a time, a bit higher RAM will give you the best result.

The same goes for the storage device. Look for solid-state drives that perform enough faster and smoother. For the basic tasks, up to 4GB of RAM with up to 128GB is plenty to compile all the tasks at a time without any distractions.

Operating system

When choosing the right fitted laptop for your freelance work, OS is another major factor to consider. What is the best OS for you that will be completely dependent on your needs? Windows 11 is the latest and most flexible operating system that average freelancers demand. 

But while doing graphic design or similar editing work, Macos with integrated graphics offer better performance and functionality. But if you are just a web content writer, email marketer or digital marketing, Chromebooks with Chrome OS will ensure a quality interface for you.

Laptop vs. Desktop: Which One Fits You Better For Online Freelance Jobs

When the term comes about for creating more convenient workstations for freelance jobs, the laptop is the perfect go-on suggestion with a close eye. The laptop is a compact alternative in front of the bulk desktop pc models. Plus, it is not only incredible in its sleek design, but also most higher models will give you strong computing power and performance at any range of applications, no matter if you are doing office tasks or remote work. 

But that’s not the last factor to define the better choice for freelance jobs:

Portability

The biggest advantage of the laptop is portability, the first consideration when choosing the best machine for freelancing.  The laptop is enough more portable for being lightweight and more compact than the desktop ones. 

If you are working at the office or at home, you can easily move it from one place to another due to the very lightweight configuration. Plus, the smaller size makes up a laptop to be compact.

Quicker Set Up

The second biggest advantage that you will be ensured from the laptop is quickly set up. As soon as you are packaging out the laptop, you can start using it. There is nothing more to set it up. 

But when the term comes about the desktop, you will need to spend both effort and money to set it up. So thinking about this point, the laptop is ahead of the desktop ones. 

Performance

When the fact comes about finding the perfect option with super fast performance that is a bit challenging. This is because there are far more applications for which the desktop is perfect to run like video editing, CAD, or gaming. 

Laptops are also increasingly powerful but the desktops usually come with full-size parts, making them more powerful than similar counterparts found in laptops. 

At times, the desktop with the same processor and RAM will provide smoother performance than the laptop computer. Also, the hard drive in a laptop is smaller than the desktop units, due to which it runs far slower speed.

Upgradability

If you are wondering which is more upgradable? Desktop or Laptop? The answer is Desktop. This is because the desktop offers more customizability. The desktop case is a bit larger than the laptop one, thus you are getting more room inside for adding and removing the hardware parts. 

Due to that, you can easily swap out parts that you want to change with your desired ones. But still, you can do changes to the portable computer as well but it may have a significant effect on the overall performance. 

Security

If the term comes to security, desktop computers are far ahead of laptop computers. This is because the internet access of desktop computers is enough secured that is easier to defend against malware and cyberattacks. But if it is the laptop route, the users can easily jump from WiFi network to WiFi network, that is not the secured term.

Price

The laptops are small and notebook-style but a bit more expensive than desktop computers. Companies have to spend money to guarantee its portability and due to that, it becomes lightweight enough. Comparing it, desktop computers are more affordable than a laptop even at times, with the same specs and configurations.   

Windows vs. Mac: Which One Is Best for Freelancers?

When the debate starts about which OS is best for freelance work, users are certainly stuck on windows or macOS as both OS systems deliver similar functionality. If you want to have extensive features, Mac is the right pick for you. In case, you are hunting for an easy & comfortable interface for freelancing, pc is definitely better than a mac.

On Apple computers, macOS is the exclusive OS that runs on MacBook, iMac, Mac Mini or Mac Pro. On the contrary, Windows provide wider flexibility on every powerful workstation. Due to that, you can choose windows for any model that is meeting your budget.

If it is the macOS, probably you need to consider the upgradability as it is challenging with this system. But you are allowed to freely change any of your desired hardware for freelancing purposes on windows. Besides, while launching any third-party app, the Microsoft Store offer a great availability of software than the app store.

This term hit the security of windows. macOS is more secure as it is the is a closed system and the hardware used on that machine is hardly found on other devices. 

Despite this, you can ensure far higher processing speeds with windows at a lower price point. Thus any freelance tasks will give you a better experience on this Microsoft laptop. But yet we will say, choosing a Mac or Windows-based is compete depend on your personal preference. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How Much RAM Do I Need For Remote Work?

The factors depend on the type of remote work you are doing. But generally, upto 8GB RAM is enough for heavier tasks. For basic freelancing, you will require 4 GB RM to enjoy a hassle-free working experience. 

Can Windows 11 run on 4GB RAM?

Yes! With a minimum of 4GB RAM, you can run all the programs on Windows 11 quite smoothly. If the PC has less than 4GB of memory, you need to upgrade it to add the additional RAM. 

What is the most powerful processor for a laptop computer?

Inter-core-based processor is the most powerful for the laptop computer. Choose any of from  Core i7, Core i9, and Xeon lines and AMD’s Ryzen 7  or 9, as all are proven as the fastest processors.

What is the best screen size for web content writers?

A laptop between 15 inches and 17 inches screen size is much more efficient for the writing purpose. If it is 13.3″-14”, the size may hassle you if you write long times in front of the screen. 

In Bottom!

Before jumping to any field related to freelancing, a well-configured laptop is a key thing that you need to own. But as there will be done the remote based job with a highly efficient workload, a computer with decent skills is quite needed. That’s the point the query starts among freelance nomads on which computer is best for the freelancing budget-friendly.

Well! Thinking of these queries, we have tried to rectify all the confusion and compiled an effective list of top-rated budget-friendly computers for freelancing. Hope that the complete discussion has become enough informative for you!