Best Projectors Under $50

A cheap smart projector with a real brightness rating, for casual streaming in a dark room. The 720p panel keeps the picture soft.

A very cheap bedroom projector for casual viewing in the dark. Its 720p panel and unverified brightness put it behind any native 1080p model.

A low cost app equipped mini for a dark bedroom. Its 1200 ANSI and native 1080p claims rest only on recycled listing copy.

A $50 bedroom projector for watching YouTube or a plugged-in stick in the dark. It is the Magcubic HY300Pro under another name, so buy whichever is cheaper.

The cheapest way to get a picture on a bedroom wall in the dark, for kids or casual viewing. Its 720p panel and low brightness put it well behind any native 1080p projector.

A cheap app equipped mini for small rooms where the projector has to sit close to the wall. Its brightness and resolution are unverified, so expect a dark room picture.

A very cheap mini projector for projecting cartoons on a bedroom ceiling in the dark. Its 720p panel and unverified brightness keep it a toy next to native 1080p models.

A budget pick for someone who wants a 1080p panel and plans to plug in a streaming stick. Brightness is unpublished, so expect to watch in a dark room.

A throwaway-cheap mini projector for kids or occasional use in a dark room. Its maker publishes neither the native resolution nor a rated brightness, so buy it only with low expectations.

A throwaway priced mini for kids’ rooms or a camping trip, if you supply a TV stick. With no brightness or resolution published, expect a dim, soft picture.

A pocket-money projector for occasional backyard or bedroom movies. With no published resolution or brightness, expect a small, dim picture.

A simple kids’ bedroom projector fed by a streaming stick. The 720p panel and lack of Wi-Fi put it behind most minis at this price.

A cheap mini projector for occasional use with a streaming stick in a dark room. Its specs are too thin to compare with better documented models.

A bare-bones HDMI projector for a dark bedroom, fed by a streaming stick or console. With no Wi-Fi, no apps and no published panel resolution or rated brightness, it only makes sense at its rock-bottom price.

A very cheap bedroom projector for casual viewing in the dark. With no published resolution or brightness, buy it only knowing the picture is a gamble.