Choosing a laptop as a Filipino freelancer can be a tricky business if you donโt know what to look for. In Upwork or in the freelancing world in general, it isnโt uncommon for clients to ask applicants about their laptopโs specs before hiring them, especially if the tasks involves huge work for the laptop.
You see, efficiency and speed matters big time in the freelancing world. That said, here are the factors you need to consider before buying a laptop for your online freelancing.
Operating System: Windows, Mac, Chrome?
If youโre working for a client to work for in Upwork or any job platform online, I recommend Windows operating system, simply because itโs very versatile. Chances are, your clients are using Windows, anyway. And if theyโre not, the applications that youโre gonna be using will always have a version for Windows.
Letโs just say that you can never get wrong in Windows because all applications and software cater to it. Itโs everywhere, and it does the job effectively.
Besides, if youโre on a budget, Apple is definitely out of the question. And while Chrome is usually cheaper than Windows, itโs rather limited for a since not all major freelancing software (like Skype, Adobe Photoshop, and MS Office) are compatible with it.
That said, most of what Iโm gonna be recommending are Windows OS since you can basically use it in whatever tasks your clients might require you to do.
CPU: Core i3, Core i5, or Core i7?
CPU (Central Processing Unit) is basically the brain of your computer. It processes all the computerโs commands. There two main brands for CPU: AMD and Intel.
However, Iโm only gonna recommend Intel since itโs widely used worldwide and itโs more efficient. Intel features several CPU but the most effective ones are the i3, i5, and i7.
Generally speaking, Core i7 performs better than i5 in terms of processing performance, and i5 performs better than i3.
Core i7 is the most expensive. Gamers usually buy laptops with Core i7s for its robust performance. The only downside that might discourage you from buying this laptop is itโs pretty expensive: around 40k pesos and up.
No worries though, if youโre only freelancing, Core i3 is definitely enough for your needs. Corei5 is definitely better but it ranges from 30k to 40k pesos. Therefore, to keep it as efficient but budget-friendly as much as possible, the laptops that Iโm gonna be recommending are all Core i3s.
RAM (Memory)
4GB of RAM should be enough unless youโre gonna be using Adobe Premiere in which you need at least 8GB RAM. Otherwise, a 4GB RAM should be more than enough if you arenโt editing videos.
Now off to to my recommendations.
The Best Laptops for Filipino Freelancers under 30k
All these Core i3 laptops Iโll recommend should be able to handle these tasks.
- basic tasks like encoding, browsing, and emails
- web development software like WordPress
- video and music editing
- graphics design
- coding
- Adobe Premiere (Adobe Premiere Pro System requires 8GB RAM but all these recommended laptops only has 4. You can, however, upgrade to 8GB should you need to use Adobe Premiere. Otherwise, youโre good with 4GB.)
I buy NOT from the physical stores but from Lazada simply because I have the option to return within 7 days, (no questions asked) if it turns out that the product doesnโt meet my expectations.
If a laptop has no reviews in Lazada yet, I check its reviews in other online stores like Amazon and eBay to ensure Iโm recommending laptops that specifically meet freelancing needs. Iโve arranged them from highest to lowest price.
1. Acer Aspire E5-475G-380U

- Sale Price: โฑ27,980.00
- Original Price:
โฑ31,999.00 - Processor: Intelยฎ Coreโข i3 6006U
- Operating System: Windows 10
- Memory: 4GB DDR4
- Display Screen Size: 15.6โณ HD
2. Lenovo Ideapad 320

- Sale Price: โฑ27,346
- Original Price:
โฑ30,300 - Processor: Intelยฎ Coreโข i3-7100U Processor
- Operating System: Windows 10 Home
- Memory: 4GB DDR4
- Display Screen Size: 14.0โณ (16:9) LED-backlit HD (1366ร768)
3. Dell Inspiron 3467

- Sale Price: โฑ26,499.00
- Original Price:
โฑ30,000.00 - Processor: Intelยฎ Coreโข i3 6006U
- Operating System: Windows 10
- Memory: 4GB, 2400MHz, DDR4 (additional memory sold separately)
- Display Screen Size: 14.0-inch HD (1366 x 768) Anti-Glare LED-Backlit Display
- with free Dell essential briefcase
4. Lenovo Ideapad 330

- Sale Price: โฑ24,999.00
- Original Price:
โฑ32,000.00 - Processor: Intelยฎ Coreโข i3 8130U
- Operating System: Windows 10
- Memory: 4GB
- Display Screen Size: 15.6โ HD Led,
- Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 620
5. LENOVO IDEAPAD 130

- Sale Price: โฑ24,995.00
- Original Price: โฑ24,995.00
- Processor: Intelยฎ Coreโข i3 6006U
- Operating System: Windows 10
- Memory: 4GB DDR4
- Display Screen Size: 15.6โณ HD
6. Asus X507UA-BR018T Notebook

- Sale Price: โฑ24,994.00
- Original Price:
โฑ28,995.00 - Processor: Intelยฎ Coreโข i3
- Operating System: Windows 10
- Memory: 4GB DDR4
- Display Screen Size: 15.6โณ HD
- FREE BACKPACK
Laptops under 20 thousand pesos
Now, if your budget is only within 15k to 23k, your option would be to opt for CPUs that are less powerful than i3 (like Intel Celeron). Note that this only applies if you are NOT performing heavy tasks like coding, video editing, and graphic designing; these tasks do require heavy duty CPUs and are non-negotiable.
These laptops below should be able to handle the following.
- designing a WordPress blog (no coding required)
- article writing (writing doesnโt require a heavy-duty laptop)
- email management
- surfing the web
- encoding
- social media management
- and you should only be running 3-4 applications at a time. Anything more than that would require a Core i3.
7. Acer Aspire A314-31-P2HJ Notebook

- Sale Price: โฑ19,997.00
- Original Price:
โฑ20,999.00 - Processor: Intel Pentium N4200
- Operating System: Windows 10
- Memory: 4GB
- Screen Size & Display: 14โณ HD (1366 x 768) Resolution Display
- Free Bag
8. Dell Inspiron 3462

- Sale Price: โฑ17,999.00
- Original Price:
โฑ19,999.00 - Processor: Intel Celeron N3350 1.10GHz
- Operating System: Windows 10
- Memory: 4GB
- 14.0-inch HD (1366 x 768) Anti-Glare LED-Backlit Display
- Camera : Integrated widescreen HD 720P webcam
- FREE Dell Essential Briefcase
9. Asus E203MAH-FD005T

- Sale Price: โฑ15,995.00
- Original Price: โฑ15,995.00
- Processor: Intelยฎ Celeronยฎ N4000 Processor
- Operating System: Windows 10
- Memory: 4GB
- Screen Size: 11.6โณ (a little smaller than the usual laptop screen size)
10. LENOVO lDEAPAD 320-14AP

- Sale Price: โฑ15,500.00
- Original Price:
โฑ17,000.00 - Processor: Intel N34501.1G
- Operating System: Windows 10 Home SL
- Memory: 4GB DDR3L
- Screen Size: 14 inch screen
11. Acer Aspire ES1-432

- Sale Price: โฑ14,669.00
- Original Price:
โฑ18,999.00 - Processor: Intel Celeron N3350
- Operating System: Windows 10
- Memory: 2GB DDR3
- Screen Size: 14-inch HD 1366 x 768 resolution
Conclusion
So those are the best laptops that I found under 20,000. Keep in mind that while these are decent laptops that you can work on, theyโre definitely nowhere near what Mac or a higher end laptop is capable of.
Some of the items listed here donโt have any reviews or have mediocre reviews on Lazada, but I scoured the entirety of the web to find an ample supply of reviews done by unpaid reviewers.
The only time to buy Chrome Operating System

Chrome, however, is more budget friendly than Windows, but usually very limited when it comes to the applications you can use. There are staple applications like Skype and MS Office which all run in Windows but not in Chrome.
But donโt cross out Chrome just yet. I use Chrome for blogging. You can definitely use it if youโre only doing light and simple tasks like:
- encoding
- browsing and streaming
- sending emails
- social media management
- content writing
- blogging in WordPress.
- and other light tasks that donโt require Windows OS to operate
I bought mine from Lazada for 14k pesos. What I like so much about it is the battery literally last 9 hours straight without charging. Perfect for prolonged brownouts. Itโs also slim and lightweight so I can easily carry it during travels. You can check out its customerโs reviews here.