6 Best Projectors Under $500 in 2024

Affordable and high-quality projectors under $500 dollars.

The best projectors under 500 bucks are made of high-quality materials, have high brightness and contrast. Many people think that below a certain moderately high price point it’s impossible to get a product of decent quality. Expensiveness does come with quality, but not exclusively. With properly set priorities and diligent research, you can find affordable models that perform on par with expensive ones.

Models from decent to rather good can be fit within the $85 to $500 range. Many will be fairly well-assembled and performant. If your expectations are not too high and the needs you’re trying to cover don’t demand exceptional visuals, then this price will be more than sufficient.

When choosing a projector with a sensible price tag, you need to consider brightness, contrast, resolution and lens scaling. It is also important to pay attention to the weight and size of the device, the presence of multiple connection ports and a wireless connection.

Resolution: 800x600 | Contrast Ratio: 22,000:1 | Brightness (Lumens): 3600 | Screen size: 30" - 300"

The ViewSonic PA503W projector is an excellent choice for anyone that needs a portable and versatile device to use with their surround sound and speaker setup. The reasons that this device is considered to be among the best projectors under 500 dollars is because of the high quality of speakers used with this device.

This projector has some great speakers in it. But beyond that, what makes this device one of the best projectors under 500 dollars is the cost. It doesn't cost that much to produce and the cost savings don't stop there.

The ViewSonic PA503W projects high definition video from your camera up to your television. It also offers a video cable connection so that you can connect your video projector to your computer for hooking up to your television. The combination of its excellent speaker quality, affordability, and versatile connectivity options makes the ViewSonic PA503W one of the best portable projectors for business presentations, catering to the needs of professionals who require reliable and impactful visual and audio solutions without exceeding their budget.

Resolution: 1280x800 | Contrast Ratio: 2,000:1 | Brightness (Lumens): 4500 | Screen size: 20" - 180"

The WOWOTO H10 projector is one of the top projectors under 500 dollars that you can find. It is relatively affordable for the features it offers.

The first thing to look at WOWOTO H10 is how light it is. If your room is small, and you are trying to project an important work document or a presentation on it, you need this device. The next thing to look at is how sturdy the WOWOTO H10 projector screen is.

The WOWOTO H10 projector screen is extremely durable and it stands up to the test of time. This projector screen is dark, it will not project the proper image. Just be careful when moving it from one area to another and make sure you pick the right direction to put it up.

Resolution: 1920x1080 | Contrast Ratio: 10,000:1 | Brightness (Lumens): 7200 | Screen size: 30" - 300"

CWEUG Outdoor Movie projector is the most coveted of the movie viewing accessories as they provide the best picture viewing experience to its viewers. This projector is one of the best and highly rated indoor movie projectors available in the market today. This high end device is known for its picture clarity that's far better than any other indoor model available in the market.

Moreover, the CWEUG Outdoor Movie projector has a much longer range compared to other models and this makes it perfect for use even in the remote areas. It offers a crystal clear image and sound quality. This device has a great clarity.

It also offers the best color representation as it has an effective blue filter that reduces any kind of green colors from the screen. The infrared illuminator used in the CWEUG makes it a perfect entertainment system for any occasion. This simple to operate device gives the best viewing experience to its viewers. Moreover, this model can be used anywhere making it the best portable device for your home, business or location.

Resolution: 1920x1080 | Contrast Ratio: 1000:1 | Brightness (Lumens): 50 | Screen size: 30'' - 120''

The AKASO WT50 projector is one of the best projectors under 500 in terms of brightness, color and contrast. It comes with three extra diodes that allow for an even brighter image. The circular screen is a bit larger than the majority of models and this makes it easier to use and more comfortable to sit on too.

There is also a useful stand with it that helps it to be more portable. The size and weight make it suitable for people who like to use their projectors at different times and places. In addition, it also comes with a handy carrying case so that you do not need to worry about transporting the unit.

AKASO WT50 projector also offers a good level of contrast for your viewing experience. This particular model comes with the ability to control the brightness of the image by switching between different levels. This is helpful if you want to watch movies at night or during the day when the contrast level can be adjusted better. It helps to prevent eye strain and tired eyes that often occur after long viewing sessions.

Resolution: 1920×1080 | Contrast Ratio: 25,000:1 | Brightness (Lumens): 3600 | Screen size: 28" - 301"

The Optoma HD146X projector is a modern high definition digital projector that has a DLP optical system. This system gives better picture and sound quality than its predecessors. It is now considered one of the best projectors under 500 dollars, which makes it very appealing to those who cannot afford to spend a lot of money on a television, just to buy a cheap one that does not last long.

It is one of the best projectors because it gives a sharp image and a clearer sound. It gives a clear and crisp picture quality and it comes with its own remote control.

It can be used for basically anything you want it to. If you need a projector for a business meeting or a party, this is the right one for you. One of the best features of this model is its ability to work well in any room of the house.

Resolution: 1920x1080 | Contrast Ratio: 12,000:1 | Brightness (Lumens): 3500 | Screen size: 30" - 300"

The ViewSonic PX701HD projector is among the best projectors under 500 dollars that is available for purchase today. It is packed with high end features while at the same time staying very affordable. This particular product is so well equipped to handle any kind of resolution that is required.

There is technology out there that allows this projector to handle HD resolutions without any kind of compromises in picture quality. It means that you will be able to watch any type of HD content without having to sacrifice the quality of your viewing experience. The PX701HD has high definition resolution, which is better than most projectors on the market today that offer HD resolutions.

The second reason why this ViewSonic PX701HD is so great is because it has an effective image plane that allows the projector to project the images onto the screen with amazing clarity and color accuracy. This is the same type of image plane that is used by professional movie studios for projection screens.

Potentially the most essential feature to check when purchasing a projector is brightness. This value refers to the amount of color in the image and indicates how light or dark colors look. Raising or decreasing the brightness makes the entire image lighter or darker. Very often in the technical characteristics of projectors, the luminous flux is confused with this term. However, it should be understood that these are two different physical quantities.

Brightness is a property of the image on the screen. Numerically, it is proportional to the luminous flux of the projector, but inversely, to the screen area. Medium quality devices deliver poor results here. The best projectors under 500 bucks should always have a higher light output rating.

Low contrast will result in a poor projection of shadows and colors. This value is as essential as the one before and you should prioritize both together. The intensity of blacks and the amount of detail in the shadow should be well-balanced.

For certain uses, lens scaling is crucial as well. To put it simply, this kind of optics makes it easier for you to match the visuals to the screen size without shifting around all the equipment. The device allows you to zoom in without noticeable quality loss.

With a zoom lens, you can easily adapt your projection to fit different screen sizes or room layouts, whether you're conducting a small team meeting or presenting to a larger audience in a conference hall. This adaptability ensures that your visuals are always displayed at their best, maximizing the impact of your presentations and leaving a lasting impression on your audience.

A zoom lens enables you to achieve the optimal image size without compromising on image quality. You can maintain the projector's native resolution, ensuring clear and sharp visuals even when adjusting the image size. This ensures that your content appears professional and engaging, regardless of the projection distance. A device that’s too cheap will not have this ability because it requires good optics. The benefit of having a zoom lens is so high that you should prioritize this extra feature over others even if it looks inessential to you.

The most sought-after models have multiple connection sources, such as HDMI, USB, VGA. Connecting a projector or LCD panel via HDMI is the most preferable option since this port transmits a digital video and audio signal, there is no external interference.

Connecting a projector or LCD TV via VGA is the most versatile, as most computers and laptops have a VGA port. However, it is less preferable than HDMI because only the video signal is transmitted through the cable, without sound. The signal is transmitted in analog form, so using long cables may result in slight interference, image distortion or reduced image clarity.

Please check whether a projector supports a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection. The latter will be much more convenient when a phone or computer is the source of media.

If your idea is to use the device for watching movies or similar entertainment, image clarity and detailing will be crucial. The best projectors under 500 dollars are obviously those that have a good resolution. You need to filter out all the devices with less than 480p and preferably overshoot that.

In general, it’s best not to choose a projector below 720p. Otherwise, the video in the movie will be pixelated and blurry. However, the higher the resolution, the higher the price of a projector. 1024p and 1200p projectors are ideal for movie viewing, gaming and work presentations, but they can be too expensive.