Cheap projectors deliver a crisp, bold image without emptying your wallet. With image sizes often topping 100 inches, projectors turn a night home with Netflix into immersive, movie-theater experiences—only without the lines, sticky floors, or terrible sight lines. They fit into spaces that don’t typically have room for large TVs and many are portable enough to easily take on business trips or vacations. A variety of connectors—including HDMI, USB, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth—make it convenient to pull your programming from set-top streaming boxes, computers, NAS Servers, or your smartphone. The best part? Each of the ones we’ve selected below costs well under $800.
While inexpensive projectors often deliver a great picture, you should expect to make a few sacrifices in regards to features and specs. For instance, drop any notion of watching full, 4K movies. Many inexpensive projectors can’t match the brightness of their higher-end cousins, and that limits the size of the projected image. And in some of the pocket-size models, you might see a drop off in color quality and contrast.
So how do you separate quality from junk? How do you strike a balance between affordability and quality? We’ve put together a list of five of the best cheap projectors to help you upgrade your entertainment system while leaving money left over for the popcorn and soda.
- Best overall: BenQ TH685P
- Best for outdoors: Epson Home Cinema 1080
- Best mini projector: Nebula Capsule 3
- Best for gaming: BenQ TH671ST
- Best budget: Kodak FLIK HD10
How we chose the best cheap projectors
When considering the best cheap projectors to include in our recommendations, we relied on our own experience and consulted with professionals in the TV and AV worlds to find out which ones they prefer. We read trade journals and websites and looked through user impressions to see what typical real-world experiences were like. We narrowed our selection of projectors down to 10, focusing first and foremost on image quality versus price. Everything had to fall under $800 to constitute “cheap,” which, admittedly, is a relative term in the world of home theater projectors. We looked at important specs including brightness, color, and contrast, and also what kind of technology was used to generate the image. Size and weight played a role, particularly in units meant to be portable.
The best cheap projectors: Reviews & Recommendations
Despite their low price, a cheap projector should still provide an excellent movie or TV watching experience. You may not get every bell and whistle, but the core experience should be similar to using a projector that costs quite a bit more.
Best overall: BenQ TH685P
Why it made the cut: This HD projector competes against much more expensive units thanks to high contrast and natural-looking colors, striking the perfect balance between price and performance.
Specs
- Product dimensions (WxDxH): 12.28 x 8.56 x 4.33 inches
- Weight: 6.2 pounds
- Image source: Single-DLP
- Lumens: 3,500
Pros
- Excellent image quality
- HDR support
- 120Hz refresh rate
Cons
- Not 4K native resolution
The BenQ TH685 is billed as a gaming projector, but cinephiles and casual viewers can take advantage of the same features and get excellent results. This projector’s most impressive feature is its 3,500-lumen bulb, which is bright enough to see a clear picture when using it in a room with significant light leakage. Similarly, its support for HDR10 (high dynamic range) will allow you to see newer movies, TV shows, and with improved color accuracy.
While this projector can accept a 4K signal, it’s got a native resolution of 1080P. This is a limitation of all projectors in this price range—though this should change in the next year or two—and you will be able to notice a difference on a 100-inch screen. If you’re a stickler for the best-possible image quality, consider a 4K projector. The TH685 makes up for this shortcoming by supporting a 120Hz refresh rate with 8.3ms of latency. First-person shooter gamers won’t find that acceptable, but it’ll work out just fine when playing titles from other genres.
BenQ outfitted the TH685 with two HDMI 2.2 ports, one VGA input, a USB port, and audio in and out. You can use the 5W speakers inside this projector in a pinch, but you should hook it up to a proper home theater system if you’d like a cinematic movie-watching experience. We’re very impressed with the specs BenQ was able to put into a projector at this price, especially support for HDR10. If you’re designing a home theater around a projector, this is the first one to consider.
Best for outdoors: Epson Home Cinema 1080
Why it made the cut: This bright projector delivers an image even in spaces filled with ambient light, making it the best cheap projector for outdoor use no matter how much light pollution is in your neighborhood.
Specs
- Product dimensions (WxDxH): 15 x 15 x 7.9 inches
- Weight: 8.2 pounds
- Image source: LCD
- Lumens: 3,400
Pros
- Bright enough for outdoor use
- Built-in Android TV module
- 10-watt speaker
Cons
- Not the cheapest “cheap” projector
- Blacks could be richer and deeper
Everyone loves an outdoor movie night, and Epson’s Home Cinema 1080 is bright enough to deliver even when you can’t avoid ambient light from a street, your home, or a bright, full moon.
In Natural picture mode, this projector produces 1,600 lumens, with sharp contrast and natural colors. It’s enough to watch movies without having to turn off all the lights. Set to Dynamic Picture mode, the 1080 pumps out nearly 2,400 lumens—bright enough to watch programs during the day. However, there’s a small green shift in the color so this isn’t a recommended setting if you care a lot about a movie’s cinematography. However, it’s great for catching a baseball game in the afternoon with friends.
The Epson 1080 has a lens-shift function to accurately position the image on your wall and a nice 1.6x zoom to help find the perfect size screen. Because it generates its image using an LCD chip, it doesn’t suffer from the rainbow effect found on single-DLP projectors.
Best mini projector: Nebula Capsule 3
Why it made the cut: The Anker Nebula Capsule 3’s small size and big sound make it our favorite mini, battery-powered projector.
Specs:
- Product dimensions (WxDxH): 2.67 x 2.67 x 4.72 inches
- Weight: 1.83 pounds
- Image source: Single-DLP
- Lumens: 200
Pros
- Small and portable
- Robust 8W speaker
- Smartphone remote app
Cons
- No USB charging
- Short battery life
Mini projectors, by necessity, trade some functionality and quality for their go-anywhere size. However, the Anker Nebula Capsule 3—at roughly the size of a soda can—does a good job of delivering a nice picture and strong audio, while still keeping the price tag low.
While the 200-lumen DLP-chip projector doesn’t sound very bright, it still produces a 100-inch image with decent color and contrast in a dark room. However, if you sit close to the screen, the larger pixels of its 1080p image might stand out. That said, this is a welcome upgrade over the latest generation of this projector, which topped out at 720p. The Capsule 3’s sweet spot is around 60-80 inches—which is still a nice size for movies. Color is decent, if a little on the cool side. The 8-watt mono speaker sounds loud and clear when playing dialogue and sound effects. The projector also works as a standalone Bluetooth speaker.
Nebula claims a 2.5-hour battery life, but it requires switching to a battery-reserve mode that dims the bulb. In standard mode, expect to plug in the unit, or else your battery could die in about an hour-and-a-half or earlier. It’d be nice if it could be charged via USB from a portable battery pack but as long as you have an outlet nearby—like in a hotel, conference room, or RV—you’ll be fine.
The Capsule 3 has a single HDMI input for connecting to a streaming box or other media player, and a USB-A input for a streaming stick. However, you can download apps—including Netflix and YouTube— to the device via a curated version of the Google Play store. If you only need a projector for true on-the-go use, Nebula’s Capsule 3 is the best choice.
Best for gaming: BenQ TH671ST
Why it made the cut: With its short, 16.4ms input lag-time, this is a projector that responds to gamers’ commands quickly while also producing an image that’s good enough for movies and TV.
Specs
- Product dimensions (WxDxH): 15 x 11 x 5 inches
- Weight: 8 pounds
- Image source: Single-DLP
- Lumens: 2,200
Pros
- 16.4ms input lag time
- Short-throw lens for small rooms
- Up to 2600 lumens
- 3D compatible
Cons
- At the higher end of “cheap”
Input delay times can turn even the best gamers into losing gamers, which is why the TH671ST’s zippy, 16.4ms lag (in game mode) should appeal to anyone who likes to rock a controller. What’s more, this single-DLP, HD projector produces a bright image (up to 2,600 lumens) with natural colors and high contrast. nNot only do video games look great, but so do your favorite movies.
The TH671ST supports 3D content using DLP Link glasses. While it’s not a stand-out compared to projectors optimized for 3D, it’s a nice bonus feature if that’s something you enjoy. There are also dual HDMI inputs so you can have two devices—whether they’re game systems, media players, or streaming boxes—plugged in at once. This makes switching between games and movies simple.
If your game or media set-up doesn’t include an audio system or soundbar, the 5W onboard speaker does a nice job of filling up a room. Sound effects and music from games pack a nice punch. Combine this with the projector’s short-throw design, which can project a large image from as close as four-and-a-half-feet away from a wall, and you’ve got a compact set-up that’s perfect for not just living rooms, but also dorm rooms, bedrooms, or any other place where space is at a premium.
Best value: Kodak FLIK HD10
Why it made the cut: Kodak’s highly-portable HD projector has everything you need for a movie night built inside.
Specs
- Product dimensions (WxDxH): 5.5 x 5.5 x 7 inches
- Weight: 4.62 pounds
- Image source: Single-DLP
- Lumens: 200
Pros
- Runs on Android TV
- Full HD
- Built-in speakers
Cons
- Low peak brightness
Kodak’s FLIK HD10 Smart Projector delivers an excellent value for movie enthusiasts who want to take the leap to the big screen. Its native 1080P resolution ensures videos looked sharp, and its built-in speakers were pretty loud, though we wish they provided better bass response. The FLIK HD10’s best feature is its operating system, Android TV, which allows you to download and run streaming video apps from the projector itself. The presence of built-in speakers and Android TV means the FLIK HD10 is a self-contained projector unit.
If you want to hook up a game console or other device to the projector, its HDMI port is ready for action. Likewise, the FLIK HD 10’s USB-A port allows you to play personal media on the projector with ease. We were happy with the overall performance from this projector given its low price. Apps downloaded and launched quickly, and moving through the interface felt relatively snappy. The FLIK HD10 downloaded an update shortly after we set it up, so the projector’s software is continuing to get improved.
Our only real complaint is this projector’s low peak brightness, which makes colors in videos look muted and relegates the device to indoor-use only. Older budget projectors had even more severe brightness issues, so it’s nice to see Kodak take a step in the right direction, but we hope to see it continue to improve this feature with future hardware. Overall, if you want a smart, relatively compact full HD projector while shopping on a budget, Kodak’s FLIK HD10 is the one to get.
What to consider when buying the best cheap projectors
Brightness
Projector brightness is measured in lumens, which describe how much light the unit creates. The more light, the bigger and brighter the picture. It also determines how dark your room needs to be to get the best performance out of the projector. High-end projectors might have a brightness of 2,000 lumens or more; budget machines might deliver anywhere from less than 100 to 2,200 lumens. That said, with the exception of some of the mini projectors, even budget picks among the best cheap projectors can deliver a wonderful image that’s more than 100 inches from corner to corner. It’s worth noting that there’s no standard across manufacturing for how lumens are measured, so often a manufacturer’s number won’t match independent testing. However, the numbers do serve to help compare the relative brightness between models.
Light source
Projectors splash movies on a wall by focusing a light source onto a chip that creates an image. Light sources come in three varieties: Lasers, LEDs, and Ultra High Pressure (UHP) lamps. UHPs are basically high-end light bulbs. They generate a lot of light but, over time, can burn out—and replacements are more expensive than the bulb hanging in your hallway. LEDs and lasers are more efficient than UHPs, but the cost of including them in a unit goes up without a huge change in performance. You’re unlikely to find them in budget-oriented projectors. Don’t worry, though—UHPs can last years before you’ll need a new one.
Imaging chip
As mentioned above, projectors use imaging chips to create a picture, and there are three types of them: DLP, LCD, and LCoS. DLP chips find a home in units at all different price points and deliver average contrast and nice color. LCD chips can be found on budget to mid-range projectors and often have better color than DLP projectors, but contrast ratios sometimes suffer. Lastly, LCoS chips are used in mid-range to high-end projectors; they tend to deliver the best picture quality overall but, not surprisingly, cost more and don’t show up in budget units.
One last thing to know about chips: Single-DLP projectors, which make up a majority of budget-priced units, sometimes suffer from “the rainbow effect.” This is when bright objects on the screen leave very quick, multicolored pixel trails behind them. With thousands upon thousands of single-DLP projectors sold, it’s obvious that most people don’t even notice them—or simply aren’t bothered. But if you have an opportunity to test out a single-DLP projector at a store, consider doing so in order to gauge how you feel about the rainbow effect.
Contrast ratio
Part of what makes a projected image look good is its contrast ratio, or the difference between the black and white output. This is usually expressed as a number representing black followed by a number representing white, with each separated by a colon. So, for instance, something like 15,000:1.
The greater the difference between black and white, the more color variation the projector can display. An image from a projector with an 18,000:1 contrast ratio will, in most cases, look better than one with a 3,500:1 contrast ratio, with bolder, more true-to-life colors and richer blacks.
Remember, though, contrast isn’t the only factor in determining picture quality, so always look at the number in the context of all the unit’s specs.
Use
Before choosing one of the best cheap projectors, think about where you’ll use it. Is this your main TV? Is it going in a kid’s playroom? Will you take it on vacation with you? Or use it outside? If it’s going into your home, how big is the room that’ll house it—can you set it far enough back from a wall to get the screen size you want, or will you need to focus on a projector designed for short throws? These are all questions you need to ask and answer before making a purchase or else you could easily end up with a projector that doesn’t deliver the performance specs you need.
FAQs
The lowest price of a projector is hard to pin down and depends a lot on what you want to get out of it. Some projectors can cost less than $200, but their specs don’t always provide the viewing experience you might want. On the other hand, budget-priced projectors with excellent pictures usually fall between $400 and $750.
Pocket projectors often cost less than $250, though some better units with brighter bulbs and higher resolutions can cost almost twice that.
Mini projectors are worth it if you spend a lot of time traveling and want to watch movies. They’re also useful if you give a lot of presentations or conduct lessons. They’re easy to pack and some of them deliver high-quality video. However, they’re never as bright as full-size projectors and you can’t get as large an image out of them without losing some picture quality. If you plan on setting up a projector as part of your home entertainment system, a mini projector shouldn’t be your first choice.
You can watch Netflix on a mini projector if it’s plugged into a streaming box, computer, or smart device with a Netflix app. However, it might not be possible to cast content from Netflix—or many of the other streaming services—due to DRM and copyright restrictions.
Offering 5,000 lumens is very good for a projector and, depending on how dark the space is and the projector’s distance from the screen, can project a very strong image even in a large auditorium. By way of comparison, most budget home projectors have 1,100- to 2,000-lumen bulbs.
When purchasing a portable projector, always look to see that it’s bright enough for your uses. You’ll also want to make sure it’s at least 1920 x 1080 (HD) resolution and has a wide enough variety of inputs—such as HDMI, USB, and maybe even SD card slots—to accommodate whatever way you plan on connecting your streaming box or movie player. Size and weight are also important in portable projectors since, you know, you want them to be portable! Make sure they’ll be something you’re comfortable carrying around. Finally, I like portable projectors that have built-in speakers with enough volume that the sound fills a room. Eight watts is good, 10 is better. This way I don’t have to worry about plugging the projector into any sort of audio system when I set it up—one less thing to carry!
Final thoughts on the best cheap projectors
- Best overall: BenQ TH685P
- Best for outdoors: Epson Home Cinema 1080
- Best mini projector: Nebula Capsule 3
- Best for gaming: BenQ TH671ST
- Best value: Kodak FLIK HD10
“Cheap” is always relative and, in the world of projectors, that usually means near $800 for an enjoyable home theater experience. With that in mind, you really can’t go wrong with the BenQ HT2050A if you want one of the best cheap projectors. The HD projector falls well below that price ceiling and still delivers a picture up to 300 inches. Thanks to advanced color processing, that giant picture looks fantastic. And if you’re a gamer, or even if you just want a short-throw machine for smaller rooms, BenQ wins again with the TH671ST—though the HT2050A still has the better picture.
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