If you're looking for a vacuum under $100, it may seem like you need to make a lot of sacrifices regarding performance. However, vacuums have become more affordable and can offer versatility that comes close to their higher-priced counterparts. While you still may have to choose between extra tools or better build quality, it's possible to find a vacuum for under $100 that suits your needs.
We've tested over 105 vacuums, and below are our recommendations for the best vacuums under $100. If you're looking for more, check out our recommendations for the best budget and cheap vacuums, the best handheld vacuums, the best upright vacuums, and the best lightweight vacuums.
Quick Look
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Best Vacuum Under $100
Bare Floor7.3Low-Pile Carpet7.1High-Pile Carpet7.1Build Quality6.0User Maintenance9.5Recurring Cost7.0See all our test resultsPortability8.4The best vacuum under $100 we've tested is the Eureka Mighty Mite. This bagged canister vacuum is lightweight and compact, making it easy to maneuver in tight spots or stow away when not in use. It's also remarkably easy to maintain, as you can quickly access its filter and dirtbag. Despite its affordable price point, it has a relatively potent 12-amp motor, so it has fantastic performance on bare floors and good debris pickup on low-pile carpets if you retract the bristles on its floorhead. Also, you can remove its extension wand and clean it with its hard-bristle brush or combination upholstery/crevice tool. Unfortunately, it isn't ideal for cleaning thicker carpets since it doesn't come with a motorized or turbo brush floorhead for improved surface agitation.
If you want to avoid the hassle of replacing the dirtbag, the Eureka Whirlwind Bagless Canister is a great alternative. However, shaking out a dustbin isn't as effortless or hygienic as simply removing and tossing a filled dustbag. It also has a shorter range than the Mighty Mite.
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Best Upright Vacuum Under $100
Bare Floor6.6Low-Pile Carpet6.4High-Pile Carpet6.2Build Quality6.0User Maintenance5.5Recurring Cost7.5See all our test resultsPortability8.0If you're looking for an upright model, the BISSELL PowerForce Helix is among the best vacuum cleaners under $100 we've tested. Although its form factor makes it less maneuverable in tight spaces than a canister vacuum like the Eureka Mighty Mite, its powered floorhead provides more surface agitation. This means it's a much better option if you have a lot of thick carpets and rugs at home. Rare for a vacuum at this price point, its floorhead has five levels of height adjustment, allowing you to adapt to most carpet lengths; just know it can still get caught on thick shag-pile carpets. You can also clean using just the vacuum's hose and crevice tool with a slide-on soft-bristle dusting brush, which is a nice feature at this price point. The dustbin is fairly large and won't need regular emptying.
While it excels with pet hair and larger debris on most surface types, it has difficulty dealing with finer material embedded deep within carpet fibers. Also, there's no off switch for its brushroll, so be careful when cleaning around loose obstructions like rug tassels since they can get tangled in the floorhead. Unsurprisingly, given its price, its build quality is nothing special, with a mainly plastic body that looks and feels cheap and somewhat toy-like.
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Best Lightweight Vacuum Under $100
Bare Floor6.8Low-Pile Carpet5.8High-Pile Carpet5.4Build Quality6.0User Maintenance7.5Recurring Cost10See all our test resultsPortability9.3The BISSELL Featherweight Stick is worth a look if you're looking for a lightweight, all-purpose vacuum at a bargain price. Weighing about three pounds, it's remarkably portable and is a good option for elderly users who don't want something too heavy or bulky to maneuver around. Its simple design also makes it straightforward to maintain, as the few parts that need regular cleaning are easily accessible. By removing its handle, you can easily reconfigure it into a compact handheld vacuum to clean tight spots.
Performance-wise, it does a decent job dealing with small debris on hard floors, considering its price. However, it falls short compared to the Eureka Mighty Mite and the BISSELL PowerForce Helix above, especially with heavier material or messes on carpeted floors. Hazards like rug tassels can also get stuck in the floorhead, requiring you to turn off the vacuum and pull the tassels out. Another downside is that the power cord is very short, so you'll need to swap outlets when vacuuming from moderately far away or in large areas.
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Best Handheld Vacuum Under $100
Bare Floor7.4Low-Pile Carpet7.4High-Pile Carpet7.5Build Quality7.5User Maintenance7.0Recurring Cost7.0See all our test resultsPortability9.2If you're shopping for a budget-friendly handheld, the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+ is a great choice and is the best cordless vacuum under $100 that we've tested. It delivers decent debris pickup on bare surfaces like countertops and does a good job clearing messes on carpets and rugs. The CH951 variant comes with a miniature turbo brush with a self-cleaning brushroll for upholstered surfaces. Unfortunately, this attachment is a little bulky and not all that effective for dealing with pet hair on furniture, so you're better off using the provided crevice tool or hard-bristle brush for cleaning this kind of surface.
This handheld is terrible at sealing in fine particles, making it a poor choice if you suffer from serious allergies. Also, its battery life of just over 10 minutes is very short, even by the standards of other handheld vacuums, forcing you to work fast when dealing with bigger messes. Worse, the battery isn't removable or replaceable.
Notable Mentions
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BISSELL Zing Bagless Canister:
The BISSELL Zing Bagless Canister offers good performance on carpets. However, this bagless vacuum has higher recurring costs than the Eureka Mighty Mite, even considering the Eureka's requirement for filter bags.
See our review -
Black+Decker 16V MAX dustbuster Cordless Hand Vacuum:
The Black+Decker 16V MAX dustbuster Cordless Hand Vacuum is an affordable handheld vacuum with good performance on bare floors and decent performance on carpets. However, it's a lot heavier, much noisier, and has even less battery life than the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+. It also doesn't have a turbo brush like the Shark does.
See our review
Recent Updates
Nov 11, 2025:
Based on availability, we removed mentions of the discontinued Dirt Devil Endura Max and the Wyze Cordless Vacuum. We also made minor text alterations.
Apr 11, 2025:
Revised some wording for accuracy and checked that all recommendations were still available and valid.
Jan 07, 2025:
We've made small edits for clarity and verified that our recommendations are available and represent the best choices.
Sep 18, 2024: Verified that all picks are valid and available. No change in recommendations.
May 28, 2024: Minor text edits for clarity. No change in recommendations.
All Reviews
Our recommendations are based on what we think are currently the best vacuum cleaners for under $100. We factor in a fairly wide range of factors, including availability, price, and reader feedback.
If you'd like to do the work of choosing yourself, here's the list of all our vacuum reviews under $100. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While no vacuum 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.