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If you’re wondering which budget projectors are worth your money, stick around! After we run through each product, I’ll give you my personal take—Would I buy it, or would I skip it? No fluff, just my honest opinion. Let’s get into it!
Watch the video version: After Testing Many, This Is The BEST Budget Projector You Can Buy!
BenQ TH575
The 3800 lumens brightness on this beast makes it perfect for watching content even in well-lit rooms, and I was blown away by how crisp the 1080p image looks. The gaming performance is outstanding with just 16ms input lag, making it perfect for fast-paced games, and the color accuracy after calibration is impressive with a contrast ratio of 1100:1. While the built-in 10W speaker isn’t anything special and you’ll definitely want external audio, the projector’s ability to create a massive 300-inch image is mind-blowing for this price point. The eco mode brings power consumption down to 210W and runs quietly at 29dB, though you’ll want to keep it at a distance to avoid fan noise.
Would I buy it?
Yes – At under $600, this projector delivers incredible value with its bright, colorful image and gaming performance.
BenQ TH671ST
This short-throw projector can create a huge 100-inch image from just 5 feet away, which is perfect for smaller rooms. The picture quality is stunning with excellent contrast in dark scenes, and the colors really pop compared to cheaper projectors in this price range. Gaming feels super responsive with no noticeable lag, and the built-in speakers actually sound decent for a normal-sized room. The zoom feature and adjustable legs make setup a breeze, though you might notice some heat output during extended use.
Would I buy it?
Yes – The short throw capability and excellent gaming performance make this perfect for small spaces, and the image quality is outstanding for the price.
Optoma HZ40HDR
While the 4000 lumens brightness and 300,000:1 contrast ratio sound impressive on paper, the limited zoom range makes positioning quite difficult. The laser light source promises 30,000 hours of life, but you need at least 14 feet for a 120-inch image which isn’t practical for many rooms. The DuraCore laser technology and IPX6 dust resistance are nice features, but the projector lacks many modern conveniences. The HDR support is decent but doesn’t make up for the positioning limitations and high price point.
Would I buy it?
No – Despite the impressive specs, the limited zoom and positioning requirements make this hard to recommend for most users.
Epson Home Cinema 1080
The 3,400 ISO lumens brightness creates a stunning picture that’s visible even in well-lit rooms, and the 3LCD technology delivers incredibly accurate colors. Setup is incredibly simple with features like built-in picture skew sensor and vertical keystone correction, plus you get two HDMI ports for easy connectivity. While the fan noise is noticeable at 37dB in normal mode, switching to eco mode brings it down to a quiet 28dB, and the 16,000:1 contrast ratio produces deep blacks and vibrant colors. The lamp life of 12,000 hours in eco mode is impressive, and the ability to project up to 300 inches makes this perfect for both movies and gaming.
Would I buy it?
Yes – The combination of bright, accurate colors, easy setup, and reasonable price point makes this an excellent choice for home theater enthusiasts.
Optoma HD146X
The picture quality is quite impressive for a budget projector, delivering sharp and vibrant 1080p visuals with accurate colors. However, the fan noise is extremely noticeable and more distracting than competitors, making it hard to enjoy quiet movie scenes. While it offers 3,600 lumens on paper, I only got around 1,100 lumens in accurate color modes, which is disappointing for daytime viewing. The gaming mode helps with responsiveness, but there’s only one HDMI input which limits connectivity options severely.
Would I buy it?
No – The loud fan noise and limited brightness in accurate color modes make it hard to justify when better options exist at similar prices.
BenQ HT2060
The picture quality on this LED projector is fantastic, offering impressive contrast and natural colors that make movies look stunning. With its 4K signal compliance and HDR support, you’re getting modern features that future-proof your investment while maintaining excellent 1080p performance. The low-latency gaming capabilities make it perfect for casual gaming sessions, and the LED light source means no more lamp replacements to worry about. The CinematicColor technology delivers spot-on color accuracy right out of the box, making it a plug-and-play experience.
Would I buy it?
Yes – The combination of great picture quality, gaming performance, and maintenance-free LED technology makes this an excellent value at $999.
Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12
This tiny laser projector packs incredible built-in sound with Yamaha speakers that fill even large rooms. The laser light source provides consistent, maintenance-free performance with up to 15,000 hours of life. The auto-focus and auto-keystone features make setup a breeze, perfect for both permanent installation or moving between rooms. While it’s only rated at 1,000 lumens, the laser technology makes it look brighter than the numbers suggest.
Would I buy it?
Yes – The combination of portability, great sound, and hassle-free setup makes it perfect for versatile home entertainment use.
XGIMI Horizon
Despite claiming 2,200 ANSI lumens, I only measured about 1,270 actual lumens, making it less than ideal for bright rooms. The built-in Android TV is convenient, but the lack of native Netflix support is a major drawback for streaming fans. While the auto-keystone and focus features work well, the speakers are only impressive when you’re sitting directly in front of the projector. The gaming mode drops input lag to 24ms which is good, but you’ll need to remember to enable it every time.
Would I buy it?
No – The brightness limitations and Netflix issues make it hard to recommend when there are better options available at this price point.
Epson Epiqvision Mini EF11
The picture quality on this laser projector is incredibly impressive, delivering bright, accurate colors and natural-looking skin tones that really pop on screen. While it only outputs 1000 ANSI lumens, I was surprised to find that I could use ECO mode in total darkness and still get a good-looking image on an 80 to 100-inch screen. The true 1080p resolution delivers crisp, detailed images all the way up to its maximum 150-inch size without any pixel-shifting tricks. Unfortunately, the mounting options are limited since it doesn’t have a standard 1/4-inch tripod screw, which is disappointing for such a portable projector.
Would I buy it?
Maybe – While the image quality is great for a compact projector, the limited brightness and mounting options make it better suited for specific use cases rather than as a primary display.
BenQ TH685P
The gaming performance on this projector is absolutely insane with just 8.4ms input lag at 120Hz, making it perfect for fast-paced gaming. The 3500 ANSI lumens brightness is incredible, allowing for clear, vivid images even in rooms with ambient light. HDR support genuinely elevates the experience, handling darker scenes surprisingly well without washing out details. The built-in 5W speaker delivers surprisingly rich sound quality that’s good enough for casual use.
Would I buy it?
Yes – The combination of ultra-low input lag, high brightness, and excellent HDR performance makes this an outstanding choice for gamers who want a big-screen experience without breaking the bank.
ViewSonic PX701-4K
The 4K resolution combined with HDR support delivers stunning picture quality with sharp, detailed images. With 3200 ANSI lumens of brightness, it handles ambient light well, though not quite as impressively as the BenQ TH685P. The 1.1x optical zoom and minimal features feel a bit basic for a 4K projector. While the fan noise is noticeable, it’s the kind of steady sound that tends to fade into the background.
Would I buy it?
Maybe – Despite the impressive 4K resolution and brightness, the basic feature set and fan noise make it a harder sell compared to some competitors at this price point.
XGIMI Halo+
This portable projector delivers superb sound and visual qualities in a compact, stylish package that’s perfect for both indoor and outdoor use. The improved 900-lumens brightness is a significant upgrade from its predecessor, though it still works best in near-total darkness. The autofocus and keystone correction features work brilliantly, automatically adjusting the image whenever you move the projector. Netflix support is finally included, which was a major complaint with the previous model.
Would I buy it?
Yes – The combination of portability, excellent image quality, and smart features makes this the perfect choice for someone who wants a versatile projector they can use anywhere.
Epson EpiqVision Flex CO-W01
The 3LCD technology delivers stunning colors with 3,000 ISO lumens brightness that really pops, even in rooms with ambient light. The projector can display massive images up to 300 inches, though in my testing it performed exceptionally well at 100 inches with great brightness uniformity. While the 1280×800 resolution isn’t the highest, the image quality looks fantastic right out of the box, especially in Cinema mode which I found provides the most natural-looking visuals. The manual keystone correction and focus take some time to set up, but the 1.35:1 zoom ratio gives good flexibility for placement.
Would I buy it?
Yes – The excellent brightness, accurate colors, and versatility between work and entertainment make this an outstanding value at $429, especially compared to dimmer portable projectors in this price range.
Epson EX3280
The built-in speaker produces very low volume that’s barely usable for presentations. While it claims 3,600 lumens brightness, the fan noise is distractingly loud during operation. The picture appears slightly pixelated due to the dated XGA resolution, which isn’t ideal for modern content. The lack of Bluetooth connectivity severely limits audio options, forcing you to rely on the weak built-in speaker or wired connections.
Would I buy it?
No – Despite the Epson brand name, the outdated resolution, loud fan, and poor audio quality make this projector hard to recommend when better options exist in the same price range.
XGIMI MoGo 2
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Vankyo Leisure 3
The image quality is abysmal with terrible contrast that makes fine details nearly impossible to distinguish in dim scenes. The brightness is so low that it’s completely unusable in any room with ambient light, limiting you to pitch-black environments. While it’s compact and comes with a carrying case, the loud cooling fan and weak speakers make for a poor viewing experience. The color accuracy is completely off, causing colors to appear entirely different from what they should be, even after attempting calibration.
Would I buy it?
No – The combination of terrible brightness, awful color accuracy, and poor contrast make this projector a waste of money, regardless of its budget-friendly price point.
Kodak Luma 150
The brightness is extremely poor at just 60 ANSI lumens, making it practically unusable unless you’re in a pitch-black room. The image quality is abysmal with terrible contrast and some of the worst pre-calibration accuracy possible, which you can’t even improve through calibration. While it’s impressively compact and battery-powered, the WVGA (854×480) resolution is far too low for anything beyond casual viewing. The built-in 2-watt speaker sounds tinny and weak, forcing you to rely on external audio solutions.
Would I buy it?
No – The terrible brightness and image quality make this projector a poor choice even at its budget price point.
Anker Nebula Capsule Max
The 200 ANSI lumens brightness delivers surprisingly good picture quality with decent contrast and vibrant colors, even when projecting onto a wall. The 720p resolution might not be cutting-edge, but it’s perfectly serviceable for movies and shows, especially given the projector’s compact size. The built-in Android OS and app store make it incredibly convenient to stream content directly, though some apps might be outdated. Battery life is impressive at 3-4 hours, and the auto-focus feature works exceptionally well.
Would I buy it?
Yes – It offers the perfect balance of portability, features, and image quality for a budget projector.
Epson Pro EX9240
This powerhouse delivers an incredible 4,000 lumens of brightness that works beautifully even in well-lit rooms. The true Full HD 1080p resolution and 3LCD technology provide crystal clear images with no rainbow effects and excellent color accuracy. While the lamp needs replacement after 5,500 hours in full power mode, replacements are reasonably priced at $59. The built-in 16W speaker delivers impressive audio quality right out of the box.
Would I buy it?
Yes – Despite being at the higher end of “budget,” its professional-grade performance and features justify the price.
Philips NeoPix Ultra
Despite claiming Full HD resolution, the image gets noticeably blurry beyond 2 meters, making it impractical for larger rooms. The built-in Android 6 OS is frustratingly slow and outdated, with many apps either not working or requiring complicated workarounds. While it can technically project up to 65 inches, the brightness is only sufficient for completely dark rooms. The mounting options are severely limited with just one bolt hole, making ceiling installation a real challenge.
Would I buy it?
No – There are better options available at this price point that offer superior performance and usability.
Thanks for watching, I hope this video helped you pick the budget projectors for you. If you have any questions, drop a comment below. Links to all of these products mentioned in this video will be in the description.
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