If you are in a hurry, you can pick our editor’s best choice Newest [amazon link=”B0BP26MR67″ title=”HP Pavilion X360″ /].
You’re in the right place if you’re trying to find the best laptops for Cricut under $500 that can handle most of your daily tasks without lagging. We tested, compared, and researched 37 different models to find the best laptop for your Cricut.
However, you can still get a budget-friendly laptop under $500 with great specifications that can run your applications with ease.
It can handle all graphics software like Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Lightroom, or Microsoft packages such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Publishers, Cricut design space apps, and many more.
Top 9 Best Laptops For Cricut Under $500 in 2024 [Recommended]
On this list, you’ll find everything from workhorses to the latest Laptops, Ultrabooks, and Chromebooks
We carefully choose these best laptops for Cricut, considering a modern workflow based on cloud technology. On this list, you will find a laptop that meets your needs.
01. Best Versatile Laptop: HP Pavilion X360
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The HP Pavilion X360 laptop, compared to the previous HP models, offers all the latest features at a more affordable price. In comparison with other 2-in-1 laptops, it is incredibly powerful thanks to its latest 12th Gen Intel Core i5-1235U processor, 8GB RAM, and 512GB SSD storage.
It is a portable and lightweight laptop that is easy to carry around. It runs on Windows 11 Home and has a powerful processor and a long-lasting battery life of up to six hours.
Also, another significant feature of this laptop is the 360-degree flip design that enables you to rotate the laptop to the position you want. It contains a 3.5mm headphone jack, a MicroSD reader, and super-fast USB type-A and type-C connections are included in this device.
You can control when your laptop can use the webcam by using the privacy switch. The addition of the fingerprint reader makes the laptop superb.
HP Pavilion X360 has a screen size of 14 inches, making it one of the largest tablets and a comfortable laptop. The HD SVA Anti-Glare micro-edge WLED-Backlit Touch Screen and crisp resolution make it a reasonably priced device. However, the 6-hour battery life might slightly hinder productivity.
The HP Pavilion X360 has high-quality speakers, and a wide glass trackpad designed to give the users an exceptional experience while using the laptop, and it is well suited for productive work.
You can also watch movies on the device while using dual speakers tuned by Bang and Olufsen. In addition, it has a powerful GPU and efficient processor, so it can also be used as a gaming machine for under $500.
Finally, you can use the HP Pavilion X360 as a tablet or a laptop and as a mobile computer when traveling. Besides being useful for presentations, spreadsheets, and meetings, it can also be used for business purposes.
With its versatile specifications, it is a great 2-in-1 laptop under $500 for Cricut.
PROS
CONS
- No optical drive
- No biometrics or webcam shutter
02. Best Performative Laptop: Acer Aspire 3
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The Acer Aspire 3 Slim seems to be a good laptop at first glance. And, if you need an overall smooth Cricut experience, you can consider getting this laptop.
The best feature of this machine is the latest AMD Ryzen 5 7520U Quad-Core Processor. The processor has a clock speed of 3.00GHz and can be boosted up to 4.3GHz. The integrated graphics provided by AMD Radeon Vega 3 can also handle all needs.
When it comes to multitasking, you can rely on the built-in hardware. It has latest and new 8GB LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of fast NVMe SSD storage.
The only deficiency of this laptop is the display. The 15.6-inch IPS panel looks beautiful and has a super Full HD Ready panel that belongs to the latest generation. Therefore, you should expect fancy graphics from this laptop. Luckily, the high-resolution panel won’t consume much power, making the laptop battery last longer.
Another flaw of this laptop is the quality of the colors is so accurate when editing.
We were pleasantly surprised by how well this machine’s keyboard and trackpad perform. The high quality of Acer products may be a reason to choose it over other laptop brands in that same price range.
You can easily type in the night with the backlit keyboard functions, and you can rest your palms on either side of the matter-based padding on the trackpad while typing.
The Acer Aspire 5 is like most other laptops in this price range, design-wise. It weighs only 3.97 pounds and is 0.71 inches thick. After some practice, you’ll observe that the design is comparatively light.
A multi-card reader, several USB 3.0 Type-A ports, 1 HDMI port, and 1 Ethernet port are included on the connectivity front, and no USB Type-C port on this laptop.
In terms of battery, it has a 7.5-hour battery backup that can last you for some moment.
The Acer Aspire 5 is one of the finest laptops for people who are searching for balanced performance in terms of the system need and performance for $500 or less on our list.
PROS
- Sleek silver exterior.
- Thin and light, Portable
- Crisp, bright, Decent 1080p display
- Decent CPU and GPU performance
- Comfortable keyboard
- Dedicated number keys
- Interesting surface is haptic.
- Speakers deliver adequate volume
- HDMI and Ethernet ports included
- Good price-performance ratio.
- Long battery runtimes.
- Inexpensive, with plenty of configuration options
CONS
- No optical drive, it’s unnecessary
03. Best Budget-Friendly Laptop: HP Stream 14
[amazon box=”B09V3J3YNX”]
The HP Stream 14 is one of the best budget-friendly laptops you can get for your Cricut design space. Its sleek design and unique features will blow your mind.
It comes with an Intel Celeron (dual-core) N4020 processor, which is a good option for Chromebooks and low-cost notebooks. The Powerful Intel UHD 600 Graphics allow it to complete your everyday tasks with no hassle.
The device has 8GB RAM and 128GB of Space (64GB eMMC+64GB Card) storage. This allows you to store large quantities of data with great speed. You also have the option of opening up the case and replacing the components on your own.
It is a Thin, Light, and powerful laptop, that lets you stream 4K content and play your favorite games. The screen size is 14 inches with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. Although the resolution is not impressive, this is one thing that has to be sacrificed for a great deal.
The keyboard on the HP Stream 14 is excellent and accessible. The touchpad is well-proportioned and wide enough to facilitate multi-finger gestures, and this feature makes it more appealing to users than traditional laptops.
The HP Stream 14 weighs 3.17 pounds and measures 13.27 x 8.9 x 0.7 inches. The laptop also comes with several ports: a USB 2.0 port, a headphone jack, an HDMI port, two USB 3.0 ports, and an SD card reader. Wireless networking is supported by 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2.
This laptop has a longer battery life than you’d expect from a traditional laptop. It lasts for about 11 hours.
Regarding the laptop price, the HP Stream 14 laptop is considerably cheaper than its competitors in the market. That’s the best for Cricut.
PROS
- Narrow bezel
- Large and good trackpad
- SD card reader
- Thin and light design
- Packs a 14-inch gorgeous screen
- Thin and light magnesium alloy enclosure.
- Intel CPU is powerful and efficient.
- Nearly around-the-clock battery life.
CONS
- No fingerprint reader, basically no need for this.
04. Best Functional Laptop: HP 15 2024
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The HP 15 Touch is a powerful laptop that you can consider purchasing for your Cricut design space. The 15.6-inch HP laptop has Iris Xe Graphics to give the user an exceptional experience while working or watching movies and playing audio on the laptop with its latest, fast & powerful 12th Generation Intel Core i5-1235U Processor, the latest 16GB DDR4 RAM, and the speedy 512GB SSD memory.
It comes with an Intel Core i5-1235U Processor, and it can run very fast to a base clock speed of 3.00GHz and a turbo clock speed of 4.40GHz. The GPU integrated into the Intel HD 520 Graphics processor can handle software like Sketchbook, Illustrator, and many more.
Its latest 16GB DDR4 RAM allows for seamless multitasking. Even though the SSD only has the fastest 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD of storage, it has faster read/write speeds for quick access to data and smooth-running applications. The installed OS is Windows 11.
This 15.6-inch HD display comes with a resolution of Full HD (1920 x 1080) pixels. The Micro-bezel LED backlighting allows for a larger surface area for touch operations on this anti-glare display.
The HP 15 keys are well-spaced with good key travel to help create a great typing experience. The touchpad is wide enough to allow multiple finger gestures but keeps your palms in mind to prevent unwanted cursor movements.
Also, the laptop weighs approximately 5.05 pounds. It has a silver chassis with a black keyboard panel. It comes with three inbuilt, one 3.1 Type-C USB port, two USB 3.0 Type-A, output, HDMI, an SD card reader, a Built-in fingerprint reader, a headphone and microphone port for users’ desired purposes, and sending and receiving data and information.
You can connect to the internet and extra devices without the hassle of wires because of Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth.
The battery backup is great; it has a three-cell, and it approximately to last you for eight hours, so you won’t need to be going with your charger all the time. The HP 15 is an affordable touchscreen laptop with outstanding features, utility, and price that will delight you.
PROS
- Great value for the feature set
- Excellent 15.6 inches HP laptop
- Snappy performance for the price
- Stylish, slim design with multiple color options
- Strong port selection and useful extras (fingerprint reader, microSD slot)
- Long battery life
CONS
- No optical drive
05. Best Popular Laptop: Lenovo Flex 5
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Lenovo Flex 5 from Lenovo is a budget laptop that falls somewhere between standard and premium models. It is slim and sleek and has speakers wedged into the bottom, so the sound isn’t muffled when placed on a surface.
Its sleek Onyx Black finish complements the sturdy and durable chassis of the laptop. The right-hand side has an SD card reader, two USB ports, and a power button.
The left-hand side has a charging port, HDMI, one USB port, and a 3.5mm jack. So, if you need a great laptop with excellent productivity under $500 without a backlit keyboard and precision touchpad, the Lenovo Flex 5 2-in-1 laptop is a perfect choice for you to consider.
As far as the Flex 5’s display is concerned, the limited budget prevents it from providing users with a balanced display experience. When used outdoors, the device’s display has limited color saturation and is insufficiently bright.
The touch element functions quite well, but Windows Ink pens also can be added. In addition, the laptop comes with a Full HD display even at a low price.
The Lenovo Flex 5 has 16GB of DDR4 RAM, 6256GB of Memory storage, and the AMD Ryzen 5 4500U mobile processor with Radeon graphics performs efficiently. The responsiveness is reasonable for this price range, and the battery life can last up to 10 hours of regular usage. The only con of the laptop is the noisy fan. It can distract or annoy you while working on it.
Also, you can use this laptop as a tablet. When using it as a tablet, the keyboard faces down in the tablet mode, the keyboard faces down in the standing mode, and the keyboard faces away from you in the tent mode. You can also use the touch to interact with Windows 10 comfortably due to these tablet modes.
As a result, the Lenovo Flex 5 Convertible is a great convertible device under the $500 price point.
Finally, the laptop has a sleek design, a comfortable keyboard that is easy to use, and a handy touchscreen function.
PROS
- Robust computing performance
- Excellent value
- Classy design.
- Soft-touch, durable chassis
- The screen supports touch input
- Two USB Type-A ports
- Long battery life
CONS
- Stylus is optional.
- No optical drive
06. Best Performative Laptop: ASUS VivoBook Flip S 14
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This budget 2-in-1 laptop comes with a modest configuration and a sleek design for a budget 2-in-1 system under $500. This notebook’s success is largely due to its slim and lightweight design.
The ASUS VivoBook Flip S 14 comes with the latest AMD Ryzen 5 5600H Processor, 8GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 512GB SSD. The aluminum design gives the laptop the appearance of a high-end product. The powerful processor for the fast running of your Cricut design and personal use.
VivoBook Flip S 14 features a keyboard that the Apple MacBook heavily influences. The keyboard features smooth rounded corners and straight edges. Screen rotation is supported to 360 degrees by the display hinge, ensuring stability, and even at 14 inches of display size, the iPad feels light and comfortable when used as a tablet.
Another impressive feature of the keyboard is its ability to minimize noise, but it does not have a backlighting feature. The touchpad on the VivoBook Flip 14 is responsive, but it can sound louder than usual because of the quiet keyboard, and on the top-left corner of the touchpad is a fingerprint.
The laptop offers a full HD touchscreen display that looks vivid and sharp with 1920 x 1280 pixels and AMD Vega graphics. Although the touch may feel snappy, the bezels surrounding the screen on top and bottom are sufficiently large to avoid accidental touch.
Also, the laptop speaker is of high quality for a 2-in-1 laptop under $500. The sound is amazing, and the audio clarity is excellent, making it a must-have laptop for computer users.
It also has a micro USB 2 port, which is almost obsolete, in addition to USB interfaces Type C and 1. There is a micro HDMI port instead of a regular one, an audio jack, a charging port, and a full-sized SD card slot.
In terms of battery life, this 2-in-1 laptop provides an average battery life of over nine hours which is decent for a device in the $100-500 range.
The Asus VivoBook Flip S 14 is designed for users of media who create audio-visual content online, and it runs smoothly on Windows 11. It is a great laptop in that price range.
PROS
- Outstanding productivity performance
- Mostly attractive aesthetic
- Touch screen and Affordable
- Upgradable RAM and storage
- Compact 2-in-1 design with a 14-inch screen
- Quad-Core processor faster than similarly priced peers
- Good port selection
- Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth
CONS
- No DisplayPort over USB Type-C
- Hinges could be tauter
- Average battery life
07. Best Affordable Laptop: Acer Aspire 5
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Third, in our list of best Cricut editing laptops under $500 is Acer’s Aspire 5. This laptop may cost a few more dollars because of its better set of hardware. Nevertheless, it is a wise investment in the long run, and if you’re not financially buoyant, you may consider the lower-cost version of the same machine that costs less than $500.
Acer Aspire 5 is a newer-generation machine powered by an AMD Ryzen 3 3350U Quad-Core processor, as we mentioned in the introduction. Its base speed and Turbo Boost speed of 2.5 GHz and 3.50 GHz. Its processor, RAM, and GPU are all more than capable of handling any of your Cricut and photo editing software.
Even if you overclock through multitasking, you won’t have any issues. However, you can expect only satisfactory performance from the embedded Intel UHD card on the graphics side.
The amount of 20GB DDR4 RAM and the speed of 1 TB Solid State Drive storage that Photoshop and other photo editors require are significant. However, the device’s DDR4 RAM and NVMe SSD storage ensure that it won’t have difficulty dealing with the load, and when combined, these two can help the AMD processor perform multitasking efficiently.
In addition, the Acer Windows 11 installation does not include bloatware as some manufacturers include it in their devices.
The Acer Aspire 5 full HD 15.6-inch display is excellent for the price. You will get the highest accuracy and color reproduction with RAW files using the full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080.
Acer has done an excellent job of keeping the side bezels to a minimum, even though the panel has large bezels on the top and bottom. We promise you’ll have no regrets about the laptop in terms of graphics.
The Acer Aspire 5 may cost less than $500, but it has a backlit keyboard and dedicated numeric keypad, making it look more expensive than it is.
The backlighting in the keyboard gets considerably bright, allowing you to type comfortably throughout the day; along with the fingerprint scanner, the manufacturer has also included an HD camera in the package. However, it doesn’t have any fancy features like Windows Hello.
Even with the bigger display, it has a sleek design and weighs about 3.97 pounds, and measures 0.71 inches at its thickest point. It has a broad range of connectivity ports, including two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, one USB 2.0 Type-A port, one USB 3.1 Type-C port, one HDMI port, and one RJ45 port. You can use Wi-Fi 6 as well since the 12th -gen processor powers it.
According to Acer, the battery can last for up to 8 hours, which isn’t bad, but if you intend to use the device at maximum speed, the battery will go down. However, if you are looking for an amazing laptop under $500, this laptop will 100% satisfy you.
PROS
- Aggressively priced.
- Snappy CPU performance
- Sleek silver exterior
- Thin and light
- The crisp, bright 15.6-inch display
- Full-size Ethernet and HDMI ports
- Fast fingerprint reader, nice backlit keyboard
- Plenty of ports, including Ethernet and USB-C
- Excellent battery life
- Decent power for everyday computing tasks
CONS
- Lacks touchscreen option
- The all-plastic designs may be too plain for some
08. Best All-Rounder Laptop: Microsoft Surface Go 3
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A portable device such as the Microsoft Surface Go 3 is ideal for you if you’re looking for a laptop with a brilliant display, entry-level performance, and adequate operating, and storage memory to be used for work or entertainment.
This great laptop by Microsoft operates at a base speed of 1.1GHz, and it is a dual-core Intel Pentium Gold processor. The CPU cannot overclock but has sufficient power for the tasks within its capabilities. The GPU is Intel HD Graphics 615, which handles photo and video rendering.
This device has 8GB RAM and 128GB SSD, which work together to ensure fast data read/write speeds and multitasking. The Microsoft Surface runs Windows 10 Home in S-mode, offering a secure platform with all your desired applications.
In order to make this display stylus-friendly, it is reinforced with Corning Gorilla Glass. The screen features a 1920 x 1280 resolution for crisp, vibrant visuals. An optional keypad cover is required for the Surface Go.
The Microsoft Surface Go laptop comes in a platinum chassis and weighs 1.2 pounds. The device is lightweight and ultra-portable, making it an ideal travel companion. There is a USB Type-C port, a micro SD card reader, a surface connector port, and a 3.5mm audio jack on this device. The combination of Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 delivers the most advanced wireless connectivity available.
A Surface Go battery could last between eight and ten hours, depending on usage. As a result, the Surface Go 3 is the perfect companion for watching movies, attending business meetings, or working in Microsoft Office.
PROS
- Thin, light design with excellent build quality
- Solid productivity performance
- Nifty built-in kickstand
- Impressive audio volume
- Blazingly fast facial recognition
- Face-recognition camera with 1080p quality
- Fanless, silent operation
- Versatile as a tablet and laptop
- Best-in-class typing experience for the size
CONS
- The keyboard cover is not included
- Narrow size for on-lap use
- No standard USB ports
- USB-C is your only data port
09. Best Value Laptop: Lenovo IdeaPad
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The Lenovo IdeaPad may not be well known, but it is an excellent choice if you require a highly efficient computer for photo editing.
Currently, Adobe Photoshop isn’t available on the platform. Instead, we recommend Snapseed, Pixlr E, Polarr, or the venerable GIMP. All these apps run seamlessly on the IdeaPad, which has become a popular choice for Windows OS.
The Lenovo IdeaPad features an Intel AMD Athlon processor, which is comparatively good power for Windows OS. The base clock speed of this dual-core processor from the latest generation of the AMD Core processor series is 2.3GHz and can clock up to a maximum turbo speed of 3.2GHz.
As a result, the machine can handle multiple Windows OS apps running simultaneously. Also, the built-in graphics on the chip handle the basic hardware acceleration requirements.
The device has 20GB of DDR4 RAM, which is sufficient for Windows OS. At the same time, 1 TB of SSD memory storage might seem small, but it’s not. If you deal with cloud storage daily, this 1TB of high-speed local storage should be enough for you.
Lenovo IdeaPad has an undeniably impressive display, making it an excellent choice for photo editors.
The display size is 15.6 inches, the resolution is 1920 x 1080, and the bezels are thinner. Using this touchscreen display, users can access an innovative navigating method, and Google has optimized Windows OS for touch input.
Lenovo provides a top-of-the-line keyboard and trackpad for the machine, even though it has a touchscreen display. The keys offer an excellent typing experience, and you won’t have to worry about gestures.
The touch screen can be reached whenever you need it. Furthermore, the laptop’s flexible design makes it extremely easy to use.
Despite its thin size and lightweight, the Lenovo IdeaPad can run many programs simultaneously. Students and professionals can easily take the laptop along with them anywhere at any time due to its portability with 0.67 thickness and weight of 2.97 pounds.
There are two USB 3.1 Type-C ports, one USB 3.1 Type-A port, and an audio jack on the laptop’s I/O panel. Connecting the laptop to an external screen requires an adaptor.
IdeaPad is intended to be always connected devices, and this design is ideal for that. As a plus, you have access to both Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 in addition to the standard connectivity options.
The Lenovo IdeaPad has a strong battery life that can last you for up to 10 hours despite its high performance.
PROS
- Comfortable keyboard
- MicroSD card reader
- Slick, portable design
- Pleasing soft-touch plastic chassis
- Digital stylus support
- Great quality and performance for its price
- Great value
- Long battery life
CONS
- Middling speakers
- Trackpad would be better
FAQs on Best Laptops For Cricut Under $500
Do you have questions about finding the ideal laptop for Cricut projects within your budget? Explore our comprehensive FAQ guide on the best laptops for Cricut under $500. Enhance your crafting journey without breaking the bank!” Shop now and create with ease!
What are the best laptops for Cricut makers?
HP Premium 14
Dell Inspiron 15
HP Pavilion x360
Lenovo IdeaPad 3i
Acer Swift 5Can I use a Chromebook with my Cricut maker?
It does not work with Cricut Maker for now.
Does the design space require a Windows and Mac OS operating system?
This design space isn’t compatible with Chromebook, which runs on Google Chrome OS.
What are the disadvantages of the Chromebook?
Cloud storage
Cloud printing
MS Office packages
You can’t edit videos
Photoshop can not work on it
GamingCan I use Cricut without the Internet?
Yes, you can! Cricut Design Space is a program that lets you design and cut projects without the use of the Internet. You only need to download your content to your device so that you can use it offline. The downloaded projects can be designed and cut offline without internet access.
Can I use a Chromebook with my Cricut?
No! You need to have Windows or Apple operating system to use Cricut. The Chromebook runs on Google’s operating system (OS).
Best Laptops For Cricut Under $500 Reviews – 2024
Conclusion on Best Laptops For Cricut Under $500
The laptops mentioned above on our list of ” Best Laptops For Cricut Under $500 “can handle Cricut designs and crafts like a pro, but all notebooks are not the same. Their specs are comparable in most models, making it difficult to choose the one that meets your budget and preferences.
Therefore, if you are confused about the right laptop to choose, here are some of our recommendations for you:
- Go for the [amazon link=”B091D6F3JP” title=” HP Pavilion X360″ /] if you need the best laptop for Cricut makers, Cricut Explore, and every other machine you can imagine, combined with excellent compatibility with Cricut Design Space.
- Also, for tasks such as video editing, photo editing, and more, the [amazon link=”B0BS4CLLYF” title=”Acer Aspire 3″ /] is the best convertible for Cricut.
- We recommend [amazon link=”B086226DDB” title=”Lenovo Flex 5″ /] if you’re interested in creating complex graphic designs, crafting with Cricut, streaming, and other gif-intensive tasks.
- If you’re an Apple fan, we recommend the [amazon link=”B0B3BVWJ6Y” title=”MacBook Air” /]. It can run both Cricut Design Space and your business applications effectively.
This is just a list of some of our recommended gadgets based on our experience, but you are free to choose any of the laptops you love from the list and pair them with the Cricut Machine of your choice.
Finally, GPU-accelerated effects must have a discrete GPU handy if you want to explore complex designs and patterns.