Sub-$100 Android tablets are surprisingly good and these are the best

The Android tablet market is a mess; you won’t have to spend much to find the best Android tablet under $100. You’ll find some pretty sweet diamonds in the rough without needing to break the bank. In fact, some of the best options are also worthy of being ranked with the best Android tablets overall.

Best Overall: Amazon Fire HD 8

Amazon does a fantastic job of producing tablets for those in need of a budget-friendly device. The Fire HD 8 is one of our favorites with its 12 hours of battery life, 8-inch HD display, and easy access to the world of Amazon services.

The Fire HD 8 has access to hands-free Alexa, meaning it can act as a smart speaker of sorts if you have questions. Plus, you will be able to clearly hear Alexa’s answers with the dual Dolby Atmos speakers built-in.

As one would expect, Amazon’s Fire Tablet runs a modified version of Android, without out-of-the-box access to the Google Play Store. Instead, you’ll need to rely on the Amazon App Store or sideload the Play Store onto the Fire HD 8.

Pros:

• 32GB or 64GB of storage
• Hands-free Alexa
• Four color options
• Dual Dolby Atmos speakers

Cons:

• Only 2GB of RAM
• 2MP front and rear cameras
• No access to Google Play Store

Best Overall

Amazon Fire HD 8

• $90 from Amazon
• $90 from Best Buy

An excellent tablet for consuming Amazon content

The Fire HD 8 is a fantastic option for a budget-friendly tablet, especially if you love everything Amazon has to offer.

Best for a Big Screen: Vankyo MatrixPad S10

When it comes to budget tablets, there are some concerns that the manufacturer will throw too much bloatware onboard. That’s not the case with the Vankyo MatrixPad S10, as there is no bloatware to be found, providing a near-stock Android experience.

This 10.1-inch tablet makes media consumption a breeze, along with the 32GB of onboard storage. There is also an 8-megapixel rear-camera if you like taking pictures with a huge viewfinder. Plus, there is a microSD card slot to hold a lot of your favorite content, pictures, and videos.

While there is microSD card support onboard, it has been limited to supporting cards up to 128GB. This is an upsetting inclusion, as you will end up running out of space if you plan on loading up movies and TV shows. The eight hours of battery life likely won’t last you throughout the day, so you will want to keep a portable charger nearby.

Pros:

• 10.1-inch HD display
• Near-stock Android
• 32GB of onboard storage
• 8-megapixel rear camera

Cons:

• MicroSD card support limited to 128GB
• Only available in Black
• Mediocre battery life

Best for a Big Screen

Vankyo MatrixPad S10

• $100 from Amazon
• $100 from Walmart

Get a big screen for the best media consumption

Vankyo’s MatrixPad Z4 is a surprisingly good tablet for the price point with its 10.1-inch HD display and solid spec sheet.

Best for the Kids: Amazon Fire 7 Kids Edition

It can be tough to keep the kids occupied, whether you are at home, on the road, or at a friend’s house. The Amazon Fire 7 Kids Edition helps to do just that with access to Amazon Kids+. This provides a slew of content and games to not only teach your kids lessons but let them have some fun at the same time.

Amazon also provides a two-year “worry-free” guarantee, meaning that if anything happens to the Fire 7 Kids Edition, the company will replace it. This is in addition to the built-in Kid-Proof case, which has a kickstand on the back so that it will be safe from the eventual accidental drops. Between the warranty, included case, and access to Amazon Kids+, it’s easy to understand why this is one of the best Fire Tablet for kids.

For better or worse, there is only a single speaker included with the Fire 7 Kids Edition. If your child is hard of hearing, this may not be the best solution, but it will be serviceable for most. While Amazon touts the inclusion of a front and rear camera, they are only 2-megapixel sensors and will end up being even more blurry.

Pros:

• Two-year warranty
• Includes Amazon Kids+
• MicroSD card support up to 512GB
• Includes Kid-Proof Case

Cons:

• Only 1GB of RAM
• Single speaker
• Poor front and rear cameras

Best for the Kids

Amazon Fire 7 Kids Edition

• $100 from Amazon
• $100 from Best Buy

Keep the kids occupied

With the included Amazon Kids+ access and included Kid-Proof case, the Fire 7 Kids Edition is fantastic for the little ones.

Best for Docking: Lenovo Smart Tab M8

Lenovo’s Smart Tab M8 is different from the rest, as you can turn this tablet into a smart display for Google Assistant. With the included charging dock, you can place the Smart Tab M8 into the dock and will be presented with a Google Assistant Ambient View, similar to what you’ll get with a Nest Hub.

Not only can you get a portable smart screen, but Lenovo has packed in two side-mounted speakers with Dolby Atmos features. This makes sure that your speakers will fill the room, even if you don’t have the M8 docked. And it’s lighter than other 8-inch tablets, making it more portable and easier to carry around with you if you need to get on the road.

Unfortunately, there are some pitfalls with the Smart Tab M10 HD, as it only ships with 2GB of RAM. Those hoping for a multi-tasking tablet may want to look elsewhere. This makes a bit more sense when looking at the dated design with the big bezels surrounding the display.

Pros:

• Storage expansion up to 1TB
• Turns into Google Assistant Smart Screen when docked
• Dolby Atmos sound with two side-mounted speakers
• Smart Dock included

Cons:

• Only includes 2GB of RAM
• Dated design

Best for Docking

Lenovo Smart Tab M8

• $100 from Lenovo
• $99 from Walmart

Dock it for a tablet smart screen

The Lenovo Smart Tab M8 is fantastic if you want a hybrid tablet/smart screen while offering great sound.

Best Value: Amazon Fire 7

Year after year, the Amazon Fire 7 tablet continues to be one of the most popular tablets available. Maybe it’s the price point, or perhaps it’s the combination of price and access to Amazon’s suite of digital content.

This 7-inch tablet offers seven hours of battery life, up to 32GB of expandable storage, and provides access to Amazon Alexa with just your voice. There is even dual-band WiFi support, making it easy to use this wherever your travels take you.

On the other side of the fence, you will have to deal with a subpar display coming in at a resolution of just 1024×600. And while the processor has been updated, Amazon only included 1GB of RAM, so don’t expect to do heavy gaming or multitasking.

Pros:

• Seven hours of battery life
• Expandable storage up to 512GB
• Alexa hands-free

Cons:

• Only 1GB of RAM
• 2-megapixel front and rear cameras
• Lower density display

Best Value

Amazon Fire 7

• $50 from Amazon
• $50 from Best Buy

Great entry-level tablet to pair with Amazon’s services

The Amazon Fire 7 is a fantastic entry-level tablet with access to Amazon’s content, but the specs could be better.

Best for Android Go: Vankyo MatrixPad Z1

It can be frustrating when dealing with applications taking up a load of space on your devices and tablets. But if you find a tablet like the Vankyo MatrixPad Z1 with its Android Go certification, you won’t have to worry about those issues. These “Go” applications are optimized to run on entry-level hardware, so you won’t get slowed down when trying to use different apps.

As for the tablet itself, Vankyo includes 32GB of onboard storage, which can be expanded up to 128GB with a microSD card. The 7-inch display is touted as featuring 178-degree viewing angles, which will ensure that you can still keep enjoying your content, regardless of how your tablet is being held.

Some of the possible concerns you may run into involve the hardware underneath the display. We would have liked to see support for more than 128GB of microSD storage expansion, as 32GB is just not enough nowadays. The lower-density display won’t be as crisp, even on a 7-inch display, and with only 1GB of RAM, you may end up getting bottle-necked even with Android Go.

Pros:

• Certified for Android Go
• 32GB of storage built-in
• 178-degree viewing angles

Cons:

• MicroSD expansion limited to 128GB
• Just 1GB of RAM
• Lower density display

Best for Android Go

Vankyo MatrixPad Z1

• $65 from Amazon
• $65 from Walmart

Get a near-stock Android experience in a small package

The MatrixPad Z2 gives you access to a near-stock Android experience with excellent viewing angles and more.

Save some cash with the best Android tablet under $100

If you are looking for the best Android tablet under $100, you can’t get any better than the Amazon Fire HD 8. The 8-inch HD display will show off all of your favorite content beautifully while transforming into a super-powered e-reader if the opportunity arises.

You get access to all of Amazon’s content in a lightweight and portable package that will continue to be a joy to use. This, combined with the 10 hours of battery life and you are sure to use this tablet throughout the day, and then some.

We warn you that this is not a traditional Android tablet, as it has Amazon’s Fire UI overlay pre-installed with the Amazon App Store. You can get the Google Play Store, but it will take a little bit of work and should not be done by just anyone.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

Andrew Myrick is a regular freelancer at Android Central and iMore. He has been a tech enthusiast ever since the original iPhone was released and continues to flip-flop between devices. You might as well hook him up to an IV filled with coffee to get him through the day. If you have any questions, you can find him on Twitter, and he’ll get back to you.