5 Top Cheap Projectors of 2024 Ranked

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Evan Shephard Avatar

Reviewed By

Evan Shephard
Updated Jun 15, 2024 3:53 PM
best cheap projector guide that shows the top best projector model

A whopping 75% of electronic and appliance reviews are untrustworthy. That’s why every reviewer gets a Trust Rating so our True Score System filters out the fake reviews. See how we do it.

When you’re hunting for the best cheap projectors, keep it simple: look for brightness, image quality, and connectivity. Aim for over 1500 SDR lumens for good brightness, decent contrast, multiple connectivity options, and portability for easy setup and movement.

Our unique evaluation covered over 28 projectors, analyzing 10,220 reviews. Only five projectors earned a spot in our buying guide. Using our AI-powered True Score methodology, we certified products as tested and filtered out fake and low-quality reviews. These top-performing projectors performed superbly in testing, offering exceptional value and performance​​​​.

How Did We Rank the Best Cheap Projectors?

We’ve scrutinized more than 200 sources to curate a definitive buying guide for the best cheap projectors. By assessing testing methodologies, customer feedback, and expert reviews, we pinpointed the essential criteria: 2 required test results and 1 desirable feature. Our comprehensive evaluation targets the key aspects that matter most, providing you with the ultimate projector recommendations for a budget-friendly price.

Our commitment to unbiased reviews is powered by our ‘True Score’ system, targeting low quality and fake reviews. When you shop through our links, you’re backing our mission. Dive deeper to see how.

? Test Criteria

  • SDR Brightness: Equal to or greater than 1500 lumens or more to help produce a bright and clear display.
  • Color Gamut: At least 90% of the Rec.709 color gamut, providing rich and vibrant colors.

? “Nice To Haves”

  • Input Lag: An input lag of less than 100 milliseconds, to prevent delays between what’s on screen and your reaction to them in games.

Latest Updates

  • 06/15/2024: Republished the list to include the best cheap projectors based on our True Score system.

Top Cheap Projectors For 2024

Prices accurate at the time of publishing

See how we test the testers

  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Samsung Premiere LSP9T

    The Samsung Premiere LSP9T offers top-notch quality without compromise, boasting high brightness, stellar color accuracy, and versatile functionality.

    Samsung Premiere LSP9T Review →

    True Score

    90
    92
    6

    Experts

    94
    172

    Customers

    $4,238.99
  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Epson Home Cinema 3800

    • Best For Church

    The Epson Home Cinema 3800 combines low input lag for gaming with high brightness and color accuracy, ideal for versatile use at a budget-oriented price.

    Epson Home Cinema 3800 Review →

    True Score

    83
    84
    6

    Experts

    87
    1k

    Customers

    SAVE $300
    $1,699.99
    $1,399.99
  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Epson Home Cinema 2350

    The Epson Home Cinema 2350 offers low input lag for gaming and solid performance across various applications, making it a versatile, budget-friendly choice.

    Epson Home Cinema 2350 Review →

    True Score

    75
    76
    3

    Experts

    79
    392

    Customers

    SAVE $400
    $1,299.99
    $899.99
  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Optoma CinemaX P2

    • Best For Daylight Viewing

    For HDR content on a budget, the Optoma CinemaX P2 impresses with quality and affordability, delivering vivid visuals for immersive home cinema experiences.

    Optoma CinemaX P2 Review →

    True Score

    74
    76
    0

    Experts

    78
    405

    Customers

    SAVE $200
    $1,999.00
    $1,799.00
  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Hisense PX2

    The Hisense PX2 offers impressive brightness, built-in Google TV, and vibrant colors, making it a versatile and budget-friendly choice for home entertainment.

    Hisense PX2 Review →

    True Score

    72
    74
    5

    Experts

    76
    21

    Customers

    SAVE $500
    $2,497.00
    $1,997.00

Which Criteria Matters for Testing Best Cheap Projectors?

By focusing on these criteria (2 required, 1 nice to have), anyone can quickly and easily compare these projectors and how they’ll perform. This helps you make an informed decision and purchase a projector that will meet all of your needs.

CRITERIARANGEREQUIREDDEFINITION
SDR Brightness (lumens)> 1500 lumensYesThe amount of light the projector outputs from the lamp/bulb and projects onto the screen when playing SDR content.
Color Gamut % (Rec. 709)> 90%YesThe % of colors a projector can produce defined by the gamut. Rec. 709 is commonly used by HD TV, and is also known as BT.709.
Input Lag < 100 msNo (Nice to have)The amount of time it takes for inputs to be registered and processed by the projector and shown on screen.

Our Trusted Data Sources

We looked at 86+ projector reviewers and found that 16 are trustworthy (60%+ Trust Rating). The three we have listed below are our most trusted for projector.

  1. Pierre-Olivier Jourdenais – Rtings, LinkedIn
  2. Geoffrey Morrison – CNET, MuckRack
  3. Kam Valentine – Projector Reviews, MuckRack

Interested in a comprehensive analysis of our data sources? We’ve got you covered. Below, you’ll find a detailed list of every projector review website we’ve identified, organized by their respective Trust Ratings from highest to lowest. But we didn’t stop there. We’ve meticulously reviewed each publication and verified the data by checking whether the authors have bio links to MuckRack or LinkedIn. We’re committed to not only checking the facts but ensuring their veracity.

Projector Test Data & Results

Disclaimer:

Projectors are complex and difficult to test and evaluate, requiring extensive testing on the same level as televisions to paint a complete picture of how any given unit performs. Unfortunately, the testing behind projectors isn’t as rigorous, and a lot of the data we’ve compiled from expert reviewers has been incomplete at times. With different brightnesses measured from different sources, different color gamut tested and spotty contrast ratio measurements, we’ve done the best we can to leverage the available data when putting together these lists but have also trusted our True Score to help us make decisions when the data isn’t available.

1. SDR Brightness (lumens) Test Results

Projectors have two ways you can realistically measure brightness: in lumens or in nits. Lumens are more common, but brightness in general matters because projectors have to project light strongly enough that it overcomes ambient light without losing detail or color.

Most of the time, a projector is going to be used in a fairly dark room to help give the unit the best chance of displaying content the way it was intended, but higher lumens output let you watch content in progressively bright spaces – or across longer distances on bigger screens. For standard dynamic range content, we recommend at least 1500 lumens for most home applications, but more isn’t a bad thing, and 3000 lumens or more are ideal.

SDR Brightness (lumens; higher is better; 0 = No Data)

2. Color Gamut % (Rec. 709) Test Results

If you watch a lot of high-definition TV such as HD sports, you’ve experienced the Rec.709 gamut. This gamut is employed mostly by HD television, so covering as much of it as you can is ideal. Fortunately, the Rec.709 gamut is smaller than the DCI-P3 gamut, so if you have good coverage of DCI-P3, it’s very likely you have good coverage of Rec.709. This gamut is also known as BT.709.

Regardless, we recommend you have a Rec.709 coverage of at least 90%, especially if HD TV is what you spend most of your time watching. Not covering enough of the gamut directly contributes to seeing inaccurate colors on things like sports uniforms or otherwise vibrant sets on your favorite TV shows.

Color Gamut Rec. 709 (%; higher is better; 0 = No Data)

3. Input Lag (ms) Test Results

Input lag is primarily an issue when it comes to playing video games on your projector. If you’re trying to enjoy fast-paced shooters or are using projector to play competitive modes, you’ll need a low input lag to “keep the projector out of your way”, so to speak. High input lag causes delays in your inputs and makes it harder to react to action on screen because your own physical reactions start to count for less than the projector’s ability to process what you’re doing.

For this reason, we recommend an input lag of 100 ms or less, but lower is always better, and for really competitive games we’d recommend less than 15 ms. Any more than that and your projector is better suited to playing games casually, though if you don’t play anything fast paced, input lag is less of an issue.

Input Lag (ms; lower is better; 0 = No Data)

Best Cheap Projectors: Mistakes To Avoid

  1. Ignoring Resolution: Opting for a projector with low resolution can result in a lack of detail and clarity in the projected image. While budget projectors may offer lower resolutions, aim for at least 720p (HD) resolution for acceptable image quality, and consider 1080p (Full HD). For the best possible image quality, investing in a 4K projector can provide exceptional clarity and detail if your budget allows.

  2. Overlooking Brightness: Low-cost projectors often sacrifice brightness to keep costs down. Inadequate brightness can make it difficult to see the image clearly, especially in well-lit environments. Look for projectors with higher lumens ratings to ensure sufficient brightness for your viewing conditions.

  3. Choosing Poor Contrast Ratio: A low contrast ratio can lead to washed-out images with muted colors and poor black levels. While budget projectors may not match the contrast ratios of higher-end models, prioritize models with higher contrast ratios to enhance image quality. For outdoor settings, choosing a great outdoor projector with a high contrast ratio is crucial to maintaining vibrant colors and deep blacks even in ambient light. Outdoor projectors should also have high lumens to ensure bright and clear images in various lighting conditions.

  4. Neglecting Connectivity Options: Ensure the projector has the necessary connectivity options to accommodate your devices, such as HDMI ports for connecting a laptop, Blu-ray player, gaming console, or streaming devices. Lack of connectivity can limit your ability to enjoy content from various sources.

The Best Cheap Projectors Tests Compared

Product
True Score
SDR Brightness
HDR Brightness
Contrast Ratio
Color Gamut % (DCI P3 uv)
Input Lag (ms)
90
  • 2,716 lumens

  • 2,782 lumens

  • 0

  • 161.4%

  • 55.9 ms

$4,238.99
83
  • 2,176 lumens

  • 0

  • 23,971.05:1

  • 76.85%

  • 28 ms

$1,399.99
$1,700
$300
75
  • 1,582 lumens

  • 0

  • 0

  • 73.2%

  • 26 ms

$899.99
$1,300
$400

Optoma CinemaX P2

  • Best for Daylight Viewing

74
  • 2,488 lumens

  • 1,990 lumens

  • 2,488:1

  • 2,488%

  • 69.75 ms

$1,799.00
$1,999
$200
72
  • 2,488 lumens

  • 2,488 lumens

  • 2,488:1

  • 2,488%

  • 69.75 ms

$1,997.00
$2,497
$500

Cheap Projector Questions (FAQ)

What features should I look for in the best cheap projector?

When selecting a cheap projector, focus on essential features such as brightness (measured in lumens), resolution (at least 720p), and connectivity options (HDMI, USB). Look for projectors that offer decent color accuracy and contrast ratios to ensure acceptable image quality. Portability and ease of use are also important considerations.

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