If you're shopping for a speaker but trying to keep the cost down, it can feel like you have to make many sacrifices in terms of performance. But nowadays you don't have to spend much to get a speaker that reproduces voices and instruments with clarity, although the cheapest models tend to be quite small, and so can't put out much bass. Smaller speakers also tend to have lower max volumes, but the trade off is that they're easy to toss in a bag. If you're looking for an affordable speaker to take out for the day, prioritize battery life, portability, and water resistance. For listening at home, consider whether you need enough volume to fill a room, controls to adjust the sound on the device, or a built-in voice assistant.
We've tested over 200 speakers, and below are our top recommendations for budget-conscious shoppers. See also our picks for the best Bluetooth speakers under $50 and the best-sounding Bluetooth speakers.
All of our recommendations start with the products we've tested. And, they're backed by in-house experts who ensure unbiased, objective data to help you choose the right speaker.
Want to see how we've tested more than 150 speakers? Our How We Test Speakers article walks you through the entire process: from selecting and purchasing products to testing, reviewing, and publishing our results.
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Best Budget Bluetooth Speaker
MusicOutdoorsPodcastsBattery PoweredYesSpeakerphoneNoVoice AssistantNoBluetoothYesSee all our test resultsWi-FiNoThe best budget speaker we've tested is the Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 4. With a portable design and great sound quality, this speaker is a stand-out choice for those shopping with their eyes on their wallet. It has a 360-degree design that delivers consistent sound around a table, making it a great choice for sharing music with friends. It's rated for dust and water resistance and can even float in water. Plus, its over 13 hours of battery life should see you through a long day on the go.
This speaker comes in several different colors, so you can pick one that suits your style. Voices and lead instruments sound clear, and an outdoor listening mode gives the sound a brighter balance for listening in a backyard or park. Since this is a small speaker, there's not much low bass on offer, either. If you want more sound customization tools, the similarly priced Anker Soundcore Flare 2 is worth considering, though its battery life is much shorter than the Ultimate Ears.
If you're interested in similarly priced speakers, our article on the best Bluetooth speakers under $100 is also worth a look.
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Best Cheap Bluetooth Speaker
MusicOutdoorsPodcastsBattery PoweredYesSpeakerphoneNoVoice AssistantNoBluetoothYesSee all our test resultsWi-FiNoIf you'd like to spend as little as possible, the Anker Soundcore Select 4 Go is the best cheap speaker we've tested with Bluetooth. It stands out from much of the competition thanks to its wide array of sound customization tools and sturdy build quality. Its companion app features a graphic EQ and several EQ presets to help you switch up its sound to your liking. Few speakers at this price come with these sorts of sound customization options. While it can't put out as much bass as the Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 4, it has a balanced sound that suits most audio. Podcast dialogue sounds lifelike, and instruments are rendered with detail across both the mid-range and the treble.
With a small and portable design, this speaker is a great choice for listening to music wherever you go. Large controls on top make it easy to adjust its settings, and it's rated to resist dust and brief immersion in water, so you won't have to worry about water damage if you accidentally drop it in a puddle. While its 10 hours of battery life isn't quite on par with the Ultimate Ears, it's enough to get you through an all-day park hang without needing to charge.
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Best Loud Cheap Bluetooth Speaker
MusicOutdoorsPodcastsBattery PoweredYesSpeakerphoneYesVoice AssistantYesBluetoothYesSee all our test resultsWi-FiNoIf you want to fill a room with music without spending much, check out the Anker Soundcore 3. This wallet-friendly pick gets loud enough for an average-sized room, with only light compression in the bass at maximum volume. It also gets louder than our top pick, the Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 4, though its sound isn't as consistent across different listening angles. You'll hear less treble detail from the sides or behind it, so it's best positioned facing you.
This speaker reproduces voices and lead instruments clearly, making it suitable for music and podcasts. It's fairly small, so you won't hear much deep thump and rumble, and higher-pitched vocals and instruments can sound dull. The Anker Soundcore Select 4 Go has a graphic EQ and presets to help you adjust its sound. It lasts for over 13 hours on a single charge, too. Its small, lightweight design includes a detachable carrying strap, and it's rated to withstand brief immersion in water.
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Best Cheap Smart Bluetooth Speaker
MusicOutdoorsPodcastsBattery PoweredNoSpeakerphoneYesVoice AssistantYesBluetoothYesSee all our test resultsWi-FiYesA smart speaker is a great way to bring the convenience of voice assistant control into your space. You can ask it to check the weather or get traffic updates before you hit the road. If a hands-free experience is what you're looking for, the Amazon Echo Pop is the best we've tested at this price. Its performance with built-in Alexa even rivals more premium speakers from this manufacturer. Talk to the voice assistant from far away or in a crowded room; the device easily understands your commands. You can even mute the microphone for more private moments, which is a nice touch.
This speaker's sleek design is meant to blend in with your home decor. It's quite small, too, so it only takes up a little space on your shelf or countertop. That said, given its small size, it doesn't get as loud as more premium speakers on the market. It also can't reproduce as much bass warmth as some of the other picks on our list, like the Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 4. Voices and instruments sound clear, though, so it's still a suitable choice for spoken content and most types of music. Overall, it's a great way to enter the smart speaker space without breaking the bank.
Notable Mentions
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JBL Go 5:
The JBL Go 5 is a small, outstandingly portable speaker. It's similar to the Anker Soundcore Select 4 Go in many respects, with a built-in carrying loop, strong water resistance, and slightly bright sound. The JBL's main advantage is that it supports wired USB-C playback. That said, it's usually more expensive than the Anker and not worth the extra outlay for most people.
See our review -
JBL Clip 5:
The JBL Clip 5 and Anker Soundcore Select 4 Go are similar sizes, but the JBL has much better directivity, so your audio sounds similar regardless of your listening angle. But the Anker is much cheaper and lasts significantly longer off a single charge.
See our review -
Tribit Stormbox Micro 2:
The Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 doesn't produce as much bass as similar small speakers like the Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 4, but it comes with a companion app that lets you tailor its sound to your preferences. You can also use it as a battery pack to charge your phone.
See our review -
Sony SRS-XB100:
The Sony SRS-XB100 has a 360-degree design that delivers consistent sound around it, plus over 20 hours of battery life. However, the Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 4 gets louder and reproduces more low-bass.
See our review - Apple HomePod mini: The Apple HomePod mini is worth considering if you're looking for a Siri-enabled smart speaker to integrate into your Apple ecosystem. However, it's pricier than the Amazon Echo Pop, which may not be ideal for everyone. See our review
Recent Updates
Sep 16, 2026:
The Anker Soundcore 3 is our new 'Best Loud Cheap Bluetooth Speaker,' while the JBL Go 5 replaces the JBL Go 4 in our Notable Mentions for its improved water resistance and support for wired USB-C playback. We also removed our 'Best 360-Degree' pick since our top pick, the Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 4, already offers that functionality. The Sony SRS-XB100 is now a Notable Mention.
Jun 23, 2026:
We've checked that all our picks are accurate and in stock.
Mar 19, 2026:
We've renamed the 'Best Small Cheap' pick to 'Best 360-Degree Design Cheap' to better reflect the key advantage the Sony SRS-XB100 offers at its price. We also added the JBL Clip 5 to our Notable Mentions.
Nov 28, 2025:
As the Anker Soundcore Select 2S is proving hard to find, we've replaced it with the Anker Soundcore Select 4 Go as our cheap pick. Otherwise, we've made minor changes to the text throughout the review.
May 15, 2025:
We added the Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 to our Notable Mentions for anyone who likes the idea of a small speaker that can also act as a battery pack to charge your devices on the go. We also removed the JBL JR POP from our Notable Mentions as it's out of stock.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best budget Bluetooth speakers for most people. We factor in the price (a cheaper speaker wins over a pricier one if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no speakers that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you'd like to do the work of choosing yourself, here's the list of all our speaker reviews under $100. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While no speaker is perfect for every use, most are good enough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.