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Prices checked October 2026Not tested in handNo paid rankingsHow we pick
You give up: Android has fewer tablet-optimized apps, and it's built more for games than notes.
Short answer: The closest cheaper alternative to the Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro) is the Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3, about $449 instead of $599 (save 25%). What you give up: Android has fewer tablet-optimized apps, and it's built more for games than notes. The cheapest is the Amazon Fire HD 8 at about $100. Prices checked October 2026.
Why it's a good swap Small 8.8-inch tablet with a fast Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip and 12GB of RAM.
You give up: Android has fewer tablet-optimized apps, and it's built more for games than notes.
Why it's a good swap Small 8-inch tablet for reading, streaming and kids.
You give up: Slow, with a low-resolution screen, lock-screen ads and no Google Play.
Why it's a good swap Same iPadOS apps and Apple Pencil (USB-C) support on a bigger screen.
You give up: Bigger and heavier, with no Apple Intelligence or Apple Pencil Pro support.
Typical US prices, checked October 2026. Not live prices; check the listing before you buy.
Looking for a cheaper alternative to the Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro)? It usually sells for about $599. Here are 3 cheaper swaps from $100: the Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 is the closest match from another brand, the Apple iPad 11" (A16) is a cheaper option from Apple and the Amazon Fire HD 8 is the cheapest at about $100. Each one says what you give up for the lower price.
Worth it if you want a full iPad that fits in a small bag: Apple lists an 8.3-inch screen, 293 grams for the Wi-Fi model and Apple Pencil Pro support. Engadget found it a great size for reading and a capable portable sketchbook with the Pencil Pro.
If size doesn't matter, the Apple iPad 11" (A16) ($449) runs the same iPadOS apps on a bigger screen, but without Apple Intelligence or Apple Pencil Pro support. For reading and streaming only, the Amazon Fire HD 8 ($100) costs far less, though it is slow and has no Google Play.
Compared on their own pages: Apple Pencil Pro alternatives · Apple Pencil (USB-C) alternatives · iPad alternatives · iPad mini (A20 Pro) alternatives
| Option | Type | Typical price | You save | What you give up | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro) | The original | $599 | – | – | View ↗ |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 | Budget pick | $100 | $499 (83%) | Slow, with a low-resolution screen, lock-screen ads and no Google Play. | View ↗ |
| Apple iPad 11" (A16) | Same brand, cheaper | $449 | $150 (25%) | Bigger and heavier, with no Apple Intelligence or Apple Pencil Pro support. | View ↗ |
| Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 | Close match | $449 | $150 (25%) | Android has fewer tablet-optimized apps, and it's built more for games than notes. | View ↗ |
Typical US prices from retailer listings and price trackers, checked October 2026. They are not live Amazon prices and may have changed, so check the listing before you buy.
The Amazon Fire HD 8, at about $100 (83% less). Small 8-inch tablet for reading, streaming and kids. The catch: Slow, with a low-resolution screen, lock-screen ads and no Google Play.
The Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3, at about $449 (25% less). Small 8.8-inch tablet with a fast Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip and 12GB of RAM. The catch: Android has fewer tablet-optimized apps, and it's built more for games than notes.
Yes. The Apple iPad 11" (A16), at about $449 (25% less). Same iPadOS apps and Apple Pencil (USB-C) support on a bigger screen. The catch: Bigger and heavier, with no Apple Intelligence or Apple Pencil Pro support.
Yes. Apple's current iPad mini spec page lists a model with an A20 Pro chip, an 8.5-inch OLED screen and an IP67 rating, sold from $699. The A17 Pro model has an 8.3-inch LCD rated at 500 nits.
Yes. Apple lists support for Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C), including hover. The Apple iPad 11" (A16) ($449) works with Apple Pencil (USB-C) but not the Pencil Pro.
Apple rates it at up to 10 hours of web browsing or video on Wi-Fi. Engadget got around eight hours in mixed use that included a fair bit of gaming.
Each swap links to amazon.com. Prices are typical US prices checked October 2026 and change often, so check the listing before you buy.
Compared on their own pages: Apple Pencil Pro alternatives · Apple Pencil (USB-C) alternatives · iPad alternatives
Every swap is a product sold in the US that does the main job of the original. Close match is another brand with similar features, Same brand, cheaper is an older, smaller or renewed model from the same maker, and Budget pick is the cheapest thing that still does the job. On each page, Closest match is the close match nearest the original in price, and Lowest price is the cheapest swap. We compare published specs, retailer listings and reviews; we don't test products ourselves.
A cheaper product is cheaper for a reason. Each swap says what you give up, like weaker noise cancelling, a smaller screen or a shorter warranty, so you can decide if the savings are worth it.
Prices are typical US prices from retailer listings and price trackers, last checked October 2026. They are not live Amazon prices, which change often. When a price couldn't be confirmed, the page says “Check price on Amazon” instead of showing a number.
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