The 6 Best Projectors of 2025

If you're looking for the best overall projector, get the BenQ X3100i. This projector comes with a ton of features, delivering advanced home theater features while catering to gaming enthusiasts and content streamers. With the help of pixel-shifting technology, it projects a crisp image that shines in various lighting conditions. It's bright enough to look great in moderately lit rooms, and its good contrast and wide color gamut provide a pleasant viewing experience in dark rooms. It's also very accurate out of the box; even color accuracy perfectionists will be mostly satisfied with this unit's performance without needing to calibrate the projector. HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG compatibility add another layer of versatility, making it a truly adaptable product.

Not only does it impress with its display capabilities, but it also excels in streaming content. The included Android TV 11 QS02 dongle supports Google Cast and Apple AirPlay, making it fully cast-capable, and offers Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 support. The projector is fantastic for gamers with two HDMI 2.0b ports capable of accepting 4k @ 60Hz, 1440p @ 120Hz, and 1080p @ 240Hz signals. The third HDMI port, hidden behind the top cover, is designed for use with the bundled dongle but can also be used with any HDMI device. Ultimately, this is the most versatile projector we've tested.

If you're in the market for the best home theater projector, consider the Epson Home Cinema 3800. This model is laser-focused on delivering exceptional image quality while keeping features to a minimum. It boasts impressive brightness, making it suitable even for moderately lit rooms. However, its true strength shines in darker environments due to its excellent contrast ratio. Out of the box, this model offers remarkable accuracy, and for perfectionists, its extensive calibration options allow for further fine-tuning. While its color gamut is decent, it doesn't quite match the projector's stellar performance in brightness and contrast, especially in HDR content. Still, it's vibrant enough to satisfy most viewers.

As for features, the projector doesn't have integrated Wi-Fi or a built-in smart OS, although it does have Bluetooth support. If smart features matter to you, consider investing in an external streaming dongle or purchasing the more versatile BenQ X3100i. The projector does include a 2.0A USB port primarily for powering dongles. The unit's two HDMI 2.0 ports allow seamless connection to external devices, with both ports capable of handling a 4k @ 60Hz signal, and the 12V trigger out port facilitates automated projector screen deployment. Overall, the Epson is a great choice for movie enthusiasts seeking a home cinema replacement in their basement.

If you'd rather place your projector close to the wall or screen, the BenQ X500i is a very good choice. This 4k pixel-shifting short-throw projector can display large images from very short distances, projecting a 60-inch image from just three feet away and up to 120 inches from six to 7.2 feet away. Its contrast is great and is especially impressive in darker scenes, but it also holds up well in brighter content. Its wide color gamut provides a vibrant viewing experience, although it's not bright enough to make the colors pop in well-lit rooms. Finally, its image accuracy is outstanding, making it unnecessary for even video purists to tweak any settings; it's that good.

The BenQ X500i is packed with features due to the included QS02 streaming dongle, which supports Google Chromecast and Apple AirPlay, alongside Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, HDR10+, and native Netflix support. The projector itself has two HDMI ports, one hidden under the top cover, all supporting 4k @ 60Hz and 1080p @ 240Hz for gaming. The second HDMI port on the back also doubles as an eARC port. Additionally, it has a USB-C port with DP Alt Mode, enabling content streaming from compatible devices. Overall, it's the best short-throw projector available due to its performance, price, and versatility.

If you're in the market for a projector that delivers excellent value for its price, consider the Epson Home Cinema 1080. It's an extremely bright unit, even capable of handling moderately lit rooms; impressive for a projector. It also packs a few extras—like built-in Wi‑Fi—so you can cast from your phone or laptop without fuss. There are two big trade‑offs with this model: poor contrast and a somewhat limited color gamut. In a well‑lit space, though, those shortcomings are largely irrelevant, and the Epson really shines.

Unfortunately, the Epson doesn't come with a smart OS, so you'll need a streaming dongle for Netflix, Prime Video, and the like. You can also feed content straight from a computer via its USB‑B port. The projector provides two 1080p @ 60 Hz HDMI inputs, but no ARC support, so audio has to be routed through its 3.5 mm jack or a receiver—its onboard 2W mono speaker is only good enough for quick setups, as it's just not powerful enough for a good listening experience. All told, the Epson is the best budget projector, especially for those watching in brighter rooms, delivering flexibility and fuss‑free performance under natural or artificial light.

If you're searching for a highly portable projector, consider the XGIMI Halo+. This compact unit weighs 3.7 pounds, making it easy to toss into your backpack. Its integrated battery, which offers up to 2.5 hours of uninterrupted playback and is sufficient for most movie sessions, makes it the perfect choice for a picnic. This projector boasts several image correction features, including full auto keystone adjustment, autofocus, intelligent screen alignment, and obstacle avoidance. As you move it around, it automatically corrects its image geometry, ensuring a hassle-free setup. Additionally, it comes equipped with the Android TV smart interface, supports Chromecast and AirScreen, and offers Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 capabilities.

It's brighter than many direct competitors in the portable category, although it's still dim. Thankfully, its decent contrast makes it suitable for projecting pleasant images in darkened rooms. Connectivity-wise, it provides one HDMI port (which also serves as an eARC port), allowing you to connect it to external devices. Its eARC port lets you easily pair it with a soundbar if you want optimal sound quality. Alternatively, you can use the projector's 3.5 mm audio jack. Lastly, there's a USB port for direct video file playback. In summary, this projector balances portability and performance, making it a decent choice for users needing to take their projector out of the house.

If you're after the cheapest projector possible but still want acceptable performance, the NexiGo PJ40 (Gen 3) is a solid pick. It's by far the cheapest option on this list, yet it punches above its weight with impressive image quality. Thanks to its excellent contrast, it delivers vibrant visuals in darker environments. Keep in mind that while it's fairly bright for a projector at its price point, it's not quite bright enough to handle well-lit rooms, and its colors are a bit muted. Just a heads-up: the color accuracy isn't great out of the box, so you'll want to calibrate it if you're picky about that.

This projector packs a lot of features for the money. It supports Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi, and casting via Miracast or Apple AirPlay. However, the Android TV implementation is pretty basic, so if you're into streaming content, a dongle like a Chromecast or Fire Stick is a good idea. It has two HDMI ports (one with ARC for soundbars) and a decent 20W built-in speaker system if you don't want to bother with external speakers. There's even a Game Mode and HDR10 support for added perks. Overall, while it's not bright enough for well-lit spaces, the NexiGo PJ40 (Gen 3) shines in dark rooms and offers incredible bang for your buck.