(something) is better than nothing
An acknowledgment that a particular thing, although not ideal, is preferable to nothing at all. After two weeks, I finally got a return phone call from that company, which is better than nothing, I guess. Yeah, her gift was late, but it's better than nothing, at least.
Something is better than nothing.
Prov. It is better to get only some of what you want than to get nothing at all. (See also .) Fred: I only got $50 for all those books I sold. Jane: something is better than nothing. Jill: Is your camera very good? Jane: It's better than nothing.