iPad 11 vs iPad 10: Which affordable iPad is the best value?

Finding budget-friendly tech that's actually worth your money can be tricky, which is why you need to be careful if you're searching for a new iPad.

The cheapest iPad in Apple's current lineup is the iPad 11, but the previous version, the iPad 10, is still available at plenty of other retailers. Whether you found a great iPad deal on the iPad 10 and are considering it or already have an iPad 10 currently, like I do, and find yourself wondering if upgrading is worth it.

After using both of these iPads extensively, I can confidently say there are some major differences, even though the iPad 11 and iPad 10 look identical on the surface.

You don't want to waste your money buying the wrong one when you can get one of the best tablets at an affordable price. So, here's a deep dive into the iPad 11 vs. iPad 10 to help you choose the right one.

See also: Best tablet deals in May 2025

iPad 11 vs iPad 10: Price and configurations

At first glance, the iPad 11 and iPad 10 are nearly indistinguishable. They have the same price, screen size, and dimensions. As you might expect, the iPad 11 has a newer processor, but the most important change is the storage.

Apple increased the base storage on its base iPad from 64GB on the iPad 10 to 128GB on the iPad 11. So, the 11th-gen model offers twice as much storage for the same starting price.

While the newer processor, increased RAM, and longer battery life are all great perks of the iPad 11, the storage bump is a deal-breaker here. If you're buying a new iPad right now, there's virtually no reason to go with the iPad 10 over the iPad 11 due to the difference in base storage alone.

If you can find the iPad 10 at a steep discount and don't need much storage, there might be a case for the 10th-gen model. However, even then, there are other factors that make the iPad 11 a better value for your money.

Winner: iPad 11

iPad 11 vs iPad 10: Design and accessories

You'll have a hard time telling the iPad 11 and iPad 10 apart side-by-side. In fact, they have precisely the same chassis. Apple didn't make any noticeable design changes to the iPad 11. Technically, its display is a hair larger at 11 inches instead of 10.9, but you would never know by looking at it.

There's nothing wrong with the design here. It's polished, straightforward, and looks good for the price. As the saying goes, if it's not broken, don't fix it. Both generations are even available in the same colors: silver, blue, pink, and yellow.

While design overhauls can be exciting, the identical designs, in this case, are good if you currently have an iPad 10 and are thinking about upgrading. This means that all of your current accessories will also work with the iPad 11, including the Magic Keyboard Folio and the Apple Pencil USB-C.

I've really enjoyed using both of these accessories, although admittedly, I wish the iPad 11 was compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro, even if only to finally standardize Apple Pencil compatibility.

If you're going to get an Apple Pencil for the iPad 11 or iPad 10, don't get the Apple Pencil 1st Generation. Apple still advertises it as compatible with the base iPad, but it's not worth your money. The Apple Pencil USB-C is a better accessory for either iPad, and you would need an adapter just to connect the old 1st-gen Pencil to any modern iPad.

All of that to say, design isn't a deal breaker between the iPad 11 and iPad 10, and if you currently have an iPad 10, you won't need to buy new accessories.

Winner: Tie (they're the same)

iPad 11 vs iPad 10: Battery life

Battery life was one of the most significant improvements I noticed in the iPad 11 over the iPad 10. It lasted 11 hours and 25 minutes in our battery life test, a decent lead over the iPad 10's time of 10 hours and 57 minutes. It's not a huge difference, but it's enough to give the iPad 11 an edge.

I used the iPad 11 for work, web browsing, streaming videos, and casual gaming, and was usually able to get through a full day on a single charge. If you're planning to use this as your daily driver, that extra half hour of battery life on the iPad 11 could come in handy.

Winner: iPad 11

iPad 11 vs iPad 10: Display

Since the iPad 11 and iPad 10 feature the exact same chassis, it might not come as a surprise that they also have effectively the same size display. Technically, the iPad 11's display is 0.10 inches larger, but you would never notice. Both iPads sport 2360 x 1640 Liquid Retina IPS panels with LED backlighting.

While they look virtually identical on paper (and in person), the iPad 11's display showed a slight edge in our tests. Both displays looked great in my hands-on use, with vivid colors, smooth animations, and good contrast. Everything from games to webpages looks clear and colorful on both iPads.

However, the iPad 11 performed a bit better across the board in our display tests, giving it a narrow win in this category.

Winner: iPad 11

iPad 11 vs iPad 10: Performance

The iPad 11 has a clear edge over the iPad 10 in terms of overall performance, thanks to its newer processor and higher RAM. The iPad 10 launched in 2022, so its A14 Bionic chip is getting pretty dated. The iPad 11 has a much more recent A16 chip, also seen in the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15.

Unfortunately, the iPad 10 was released so long ago that we tested it with an older version of our main performance benchmark, Geekbench. So, we can't directly compare its Geekbench score to that of the iPad 11. Luckily, a couple of other tests point to a clear winner when it comes to performance.

The iPad 11 scored 100 points higher on the Jetstream 2 web browsing benchmark and completed the Adobe Premiere Rush video exporting test faster than the iPad 10. It's not a huge performance gap, but it's enough to make a difference if you're buying a new iPad. If you currently have an iPad 10, it may still be worth upgrading if you often use your iPad for tasks like video or photo editing and gaming.

Additionally, the newer A16 chip in the iPad 11 will also receive software updates for a few years longer than the iPad 10. Unfortunately, neither of these iPads is compatible with Apple Intelligence, Apple's AI platform. For that, you'll need at least an iPad Mini 7.

Winner: iPad 11

iPad 11 vs iPad 10: Gaming and graphics

One of the biggest advantages the iPad 11 offers over the iPad 10 is its superior gaming performance. Mobile gaming is one of my main uses for my iPad, so I immediately noticed the difference when playing some of my favorite games on the iPad 11.

For instance, in Hades I experienced zero lag, freezing, or stuttering on the iPad 11. My iPad 10 occasionally struggled with this, especially in rooms or zones with a lot of enemies. The iPad 11 also seemed to stay cooler during my hour-long gaming sessions.

Similarly, Katana ZERO, Wildfrost, and Death's Door all ran great on the iPad 11. They run fine on the iPad 10, too, but the performance is definitely a bit better on the 11th-gen model.

This showed in our tests, too. The iPad 11 scored nearly 3,000 points higher than the iPad 10 on the 3DMark Wild Life Original Unlimited graphics benchmark. It also had a higher average frames per second of 63.5 compared to the iPad 10's average of just 46.1. That's a noticeable difference if you often use your iPad for gaming, so the iPad 11 easily takes the win in this category.

Winner: iPad 11

Overall winner: iPad 11

If you're looking for an iPad on a budget or a new tablet in general, there's no doubt that the iPad 11 is one of the best values for your money on the market right now. Not only is it a better deal than the iPad 10, it's the best budget tablet you can buy.

While the iPad 11 features the same design and starting price as the iPad 10, it offers double the base storage, longer battery life, and significantly stronger gaming performance. So, if you're buying a new iPad, the iPad 11 offers better overall value than the iPad 10.

If you currently have an iPad 10, it may be worth trading in, especially if you frequently use your iPad for gaming (or other graphics-intensive tasks like digital art). If you have a 64GB model, you can also double your storage with a trade-in, and, as an added bonus, you'll get a few extra years of software updates and a little more battery life compared to the iPad 10.

If you're still trying to choose, you can visit our guide to the best tablets for even more top picks.