Hey everyone! I’ve created this list for all you people looking for a nice and cheap projector, specifically ones that are under $200. Projectors have really boomed in popularity over the past 3 years, especially as prices have come down from what used to be an unaffordable luxury, down to it being cheaper than most TVs.
You’ll be surprised to see exactly how many budget projectors there are on the market, but be warned that not all are good value. That’s why I have created this list of the best projectors for under $200 to help you sift the good from the bad and provide you with all the correct information that you need in order to make an informed decision.
There’s many different types of projectors that you can purchase on today’s market. There’s one you can put in your pocket, ones that are portable and ones that are designed to be fixed in one place.
The main reason for people buying a projector is to do away with the large widescreen TV that is constantly stuck on their walls or on show in their living rooms. These listed here in this article are ideal for doing just that. If you want to create your own home cinema on a budget, then these options are ideal.
The Best Projectors Under $200 Comparison Chart
| Image | Model of Projector | Resolution | HD/Blueray | Rating out of 5 | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Fugetek FG-857 | With native resolution at 1280x800. Compatible with 1080i/p. Best entry level 720p projector on the market. | Yes/Yes | 4.2 | $$$ |
 | AAXA LED Pico Projector | High Definition qHD (960x540) | Yes/Yes | 4.0 | $$$ |
 | DBPOWER T20 1500 Lumens LED Video Projector with HDMI Cable | 800X480 pixels Supported resolution: 1920X1080 pixels | Yes/Yes | 4.3 | $$ |
 | Crenova XPE600 BL20 2600 | 800*600 or 1027*768 to fit the resolution of this 1080p projector. | Yes/Yes | 4.2 | $$$ |
 | ColoFocus 1080P HD LED Projector | 800*480 Pixels Native Resolution, compatible resolution up to 1080p | Yes/Yes | 4.3 | $$$ |
 | iClever Mini Portable Video LED Projector | Resolution of 800x480, supports up to 1080P | Yes/Yes | 3.3 | $ |
 | Meyoung Portable Projector 1080P | Resolution: 800 x 480 (native) | Yes/Yes | 4.8 | $$ |
The Best Budget Projectors Under $200 Reviews
Fugetek FG-857
The Fugetek FG-857 packs a punch when it comes to its performance and price. It’s an awesome projector for its inexpensive price tag. A great all-rounder projector that provides the user with excellent picture quality no matter what you are using it for. As with most projectors on the market in this price bracket, they are either good at watching TV or playing console games. The Fugetek FG-857 is good at both giving the user great detail in the projection of games and movies.
With the Fugetek FG-857 you get a lamp which provides extended life LED lighting technology and comes with a one year labor and parts warranty, giving you that added peace of mind.
This projector is quite versatile in its usage purposes as well. Not only does it perform well in the home ( watching movies, gaming etc ) but it can also be used for presenting in small venues such as a small conference, party, classroom etc.
Lastly, the Fugetek FG-857 comes with LCD display technology in the form of a 5 inch LCD which gives you a superior brightness and quality that is hard to find with projectors in this price range.
Pros & Cons of the Fugetek FG-857
Pros
- Most affordable 720P LCD PROJECTOR on the market
- Variety of uses – movies, gaming, outdoor movie nights
- Excellent price to performance
Cons
- A little bit bulky
AAXA LED Pico Projector
If you’re after a pocket sized projector that can quite literally fit in your pocket, then the AAXA Pico is an excellent choice. It may be small but it packs a punch when it comes to performance as well. It will throw super sharp, clear and vivid images of up to 60 inches from your smartphone or other device. This makes this projector ideal for people who travel a lot on business and have to present to clients.
The size of AAXA Pico projector is about the same size as your average smartphone and comes with a rechargeable lithium battery that will give you at least 80 minutes of projection per charge.
If you’re concerned about the size of this projector in terms of giving you the quality you need from a projector, then worry not. With this model you will never lose quality when you enlarge the images and will always produce vibrancy in the color detail and sharpness in picture.
Pros & Cons of the AAXA Pico
Pros
- World’s Smallest 720p HD.
- Highly portable and provides quality projected images and video.
- Easy to use. Very quick set up time.
Cons
- Sound quality is bad. Make sure you use your own speakers.
DBPOWER T20 1500 Lumens LED Video Projector with HDMI Cable
Pros & Cons of the DBPOWER T20 1500
Pros
- Great value for money
- Low fan noise
- Impressive 50,000 hours of lamp life
Cons
- No Bluetooth = No wireless connectivity
Crenova XPE600 BL20 2600
ColoFocus 1080P HD LED Projector
iClever Mini Portable Video LED Projector
Meyoung Portable Projector 1080P
Things you need to think about before you buy your budget projector for under $200
I’m going to try and make the decision process as simple and easy as possible. You can get a bit lost in the endless specifications of these projectors, so let me just highlight the stuff you need to know about before you go out there and buy your own cheap projector.
Here we go!
Aspect Ratio Options Of The Projector
Make sure you find out which aspect ratios the projector has before you buy. The aspect ratio is the shape the video image is projected at. So a standard ratio on a TV screen is 4:3 which basically means that the image is four units high and three units wide. Normally a projector will have more options than just 4:3. Check to make sure it has 4:3, 16:10 and 16:9, to give you some different viewing options.
Resolution Of The Projector
The higher the resolution, the more crisper the image. You want a high quality video image projection, otherwise you’ll be watching a slightly blurred image which isn’t great. Resolution is the number of pixels that are used to make up an image. The more pixels you have, the clearer the image.
With most projectors you’ll get the following resolutions: 1280×720, 1280×768 and 1920×1080. These numbers refers to the amount of pixels horizontally ( first set of numbers ) and vertically ( second set of numbers ) In some cases you’ll see “1080p” which means the vertical resolution is 1080 and the p stands for “progressive scan”. This means that the entire image is displayed all at once.
Brightness Levels
You’ll see that brightness levels in projectors are measured in lumens. This is important to check out, as this will essentially determine the sharpness of the picture that is projected. Look for the higher lumen levels. Normally lumen levels on projectors will be between 1000 to 2500. What you need with regards to lumen will all depend on the setting of the projector and the light levels in the room where the projector is.
Contrast Ratio Of The Projector
Look for a projector with a high contrast ratio number as this will give you a more vivid, defined and clearer projected image. To be able to adjust and control the darker and brighter areas of a picture is vital when using a projector and a great feature to have.
Placement And Installation Of The Projector
You have two options when it comes to installation of your projector. You can have it placed on a flat surface like a tabletop, or mounted on the ceiling, which is a permanent fixing.
Think about how you want to use the projector. If you’re not going to be moving the projector around from room to room, then a ceiling fixed projector is for you.
A tabletop projector should have a low fan noise so not to disturb your viewing pleasure with a loud hum.
Looking for a different type of projector?
We have a number of buying guides that you might want to check out.