Buying a TV on a tight budget isn't always straightforward. Sure, there are plenty of options under $500, but only a handful really deliver good value. To make things easier, I've rounded up the five best TVs under $500, focusing on models that actually balance performance and price rather than just look good on paper.
This list covers a wide range of sizes, from compact 43-inch sets to big 75-inch screens, so whether you're outfitting a bedroom or upgrading your living room, you've got solid options. I zeroed in on the best performer in each size category while keeping everything under that $500 cap. For example, if you're eyeing a 50-inch model, the Amazon Omni QLED stands out with stronger contrast and color than most TVs in its class. Prefer a 55-inch screen? The Roku Plus Series is tough to beat, thanks to its Mini LED local dimming, which delivers deeper black levels than many similarly priced rivals.
You'll find all my recommendations below, each informed by more than a decade of hands-on experience covering home entertainment gear.
Our top picks for the best TVs under $500
Best 43-inch: TCL S5 - See at Amazon
Best 50-inch: Amazon Omni QLED - See at Amazon
Best 55-inch: Roku Plus Series - See at Amazon
Best 65-inch: TCL Q65 - See at Amazon
Best 75-inch: Walmart Onn - See at Walmart
Best 43-inch
The S5 is a good 43-inch TV on a budget. Its brightness and contrast are lower than pricier TVs, but its picture quality is solid for casual viewing. It also comes with a handy voice remote, which some cheaper options lack.
What we like
What we don't like
Several solid 43-inch TVs are available for under $500, but the TCL S5 stands out. It's typically sold for under $350 and sometimes dips below $200, making it a great value.
To be clear, this is a very entry-level TV, but that's to be expected at this size and price. Sadly, there aren't many midrange 43-inch sets, so if you want a more advanced 43-inch TV, you'd have to pay at least $800 for a high-end model. But in the under $500 range, the S5 is a well-rounded display.
The S5 uses a standard LED panel without local dimming or quantum dots, yet it still offers a wider color gamut than most TVs in this class. It's sold in both Fire TV and Google TV editions, though the Fire TV model is easier to find in stock. The Fire TV model includes an Alexa voice remote, while the Google model has a Google Assistant remote.
When it comes to picture quality, the S5 is entry-level but still decent for casual viewing. Since it doesn't have local dimming, its contrast and brightness are lower than those of TVs with that feature. In practice, this means dark scenes will look more uneven and washed out when watching TV with the lights off. The S5 isn't capable of fully showcasing the benefits of HDR content either, so bright highlights will look duller than they should. Like every TV in this guide, its off-axis viewing is also narrow, and its refresh rate is limited to 60Hz, which limits its gaming capabilities.
But as a cheap 43-inch TV, the S5 gets the job done, and its image quality is perfectly fine for cable TV viewing, channel surfing, and basic streaming. This isn't a good fit for people who want a compact home theater or gaming TV, but it's perfect for a bedroom or other small space where you just want an affordable yet capable smart TV.
Check out all of our picks for the best 43-inch TVs and best TCL TVs.
Best 50-inch
Though we think the larger versions of Amazon's Omni QLED TV are overpriced for what you get, the 50-inch model offers an excellent balance between cost and performance. It has handy Alexa features and is one of the only 50-inch TVs available with local dimming, which enables solid contrast performance.
What we like
What we don't like
The Amazon Omni QLED is the best TV under $500 for anyone who wants a 50-inch display that doesn't skimp on features. As its name implies, this TV uses a QLED panel, which enables the display to produce a wide range of colors.
The Omni QLED delivers decent brightness for its price, reaching around 500 nits. This is also one of the few 50-inch TV models to offer local dimming. This feature allows the display to control its light output across multiple zones on its screen, giving the Omni QLED better contrast performance than many cheaper 50-inch TVs.
However, this model uses regular-sized LEDs in its backlight rather than the Mini LEDs used on pricier 50-inch models like the Samsung QN90F. As a result, black levels can't get as uniformly deep as they do on more advanced TVs. Our reviewer also noticed some backlight fluctuations when bright scenes transitioned to darker ones in their tests. And like all my picks in this guide, the Omni QLED has narrow viewing angles and a 60Hz refresh rate. This means its colors will fade if you sit to the side of the display, and it can't support 120Hz gaming.
But despite those drawbacks, the Omni QLED has better overall image quality than a lot of other 50-inch TVs under $500. Most competitors this size don't offer local dimming at all, and many have a narrower color gamut. The TV also comes with a handy Alexa remote and has the added perk of hands-free voice control.
Buyers should note that Amazon also sells a new 2025 edition of the Omni QLED. However, the new 50-inch model is actually a downgrade, as it does not include local dimming. For that reason, I recommend the first-generation 50-inch Omni QLED over the newer model.
Read our Amazon Omni QLED review.
Check out all our picks for the best 50-inch TVs and the best Fire TVs.
Best 55-inch
The Roku Plus Series is the brand's cheapest QLED TV. It has Mini LED local dimming and quantum dots to provide solid contrast, color, and brightness performance.
What we like
What we don't like
Buyers looking for the top 55-inch TV under $500 should check out the Roku Plus Series. It delivers good image quality for the money and boasts my favorite smart TV interface.
Like the Omni QLED, the Roku Plus Series uses a QLED panel to deliver an expanded color gamut, as well as local dimming to enable better contrast control than a standard LED TV. However, the Plus Series has a Mini LED backlight rather than regular-sized LEDs. This helps it produce even higher contrast than the Omni QLED, resulting in a better home theater experience.
That said, there are still a few shortcomings, like mediocre viewing angles and a 60Hz screen. But those limitations are common on most 55-inch sets under $500. Considering its low price, the Plus Series' image performance is solid where it counts most.
I also prefer this model's Roku OS (operating system) to rival interfaces like Fire TV. While those platforms place a heavy emphasis on content recommendations, Roku takes a simpler approach. The streamlined homepage focuses squarely on presenting all your TV apps upfront and center with large icons that make it easy to organize everything and jump right into your favorite services.
The TV's remote also has a few nice perks, including an integrated speaker that emits a chime if you ever misplace it. However, it doesn't have the backlit keys or rechargeable battery that you get with Roku's step-up Pro Series TV.
The 55-inch Roku Plus Series has a full retail price of just under $500, but it's often on sale for even less. In this price range, buyers should also consider TCL's 55-inch QM6K. That TV has a list price of over $500, but it's sometimes on sale. The QM6K has similar features but offers a higher refresh rate, enabling smoother motion when paired with a compatible gaming console or PC. However, I still prefer Roku OS to the Google TV interface on the TCL model.
Check out all our picks for the best Roku TVs and best budget TVs.
Best 65-inch
The TCL Q65 is a budget-friendly QLED TV. It lacks local dimming, so its contrast is limited, but it supports a wide range of colors and offers solid HDR brightness for the money. This edition uses the Fire TV operating system and has an Alexa voice remote.
What we like
What we don't like
The TCL Q65 is the best value for anyone who wants a solid 65-inch TV under $500. It's typically sold for around $380, which is a good value, but at this size and price point, you won't get advanced contrast features like local dimming or Mini LEDs. However, the Q65 still benefits from quantum dot color tech, which is rare for this tier.
The Q65 is available with the Fire TV OS or the Google TV OS, but the Google model is harder to find in stock. Those systems aren't as streamlined as the Roku interface, but they offer access to many of the same services and integrate seamlessly with an existing Google or Amazon account. Buyers who prefer a different interface can always buy a separate media player, like a Roku Ultra or Apple TV. Check out our guide to the best streaming devices for top recommendations.
The Q65 stands out from most 65-inch TVs under $500 thanks to its color capabilities. This model can produce the expanded color gamut needed for HDR material. Its full-screen peak brightness is also decent, but since it lacks local dimming, the TV can't brighten or darken specific zones on its panel. This means it can't control brightness precisely enough to achieve deep black levels or intense specular highlights (like explosions).
While the Q65 offers good HDR color performance, its HDR contrast is lacking. For better contrast, consider upgrading to the 65-inch TCL QM6K, which uses Mini LED local dimming and usually costs between $550 and $650. The QM6K also has a faster refresh rate, making it better for gaming, and slightly wider viewing angles. But if you don't want to spend more than $500, the Q65 is the best value at this size.
For other recommendations that cost more than $500, check out our full guide to the best 65-inch TVs.
Best 75-inch
Walmart's 75-inch Onn TV is one of the most affordable sets available at this size. Its picture performance is limited, but it still offers reliable Roku streaming. This isn't a good fit for home theaters or gamers, but it's a decent buy for casual viewers who want a massive screen at a low price.
What we like
What we don't like
If your goal is to get the biggest screen possible for under $500, Walmart's 75-inch Onn TV is your best bet. This set is as entry-level as modern smart TVs get, but it serves its purpose well as a cheap big-screen option. This is not a TV to buy for picture quality or high-end design. This model is geared toward people willing to sacrifice certain features in order to get a massive screen at a low price.
I tested the 50- and 55-inch sizes, but all of Walmart's 4K Onn TVs share the same core design and feature set, so the 75-inch model offers the same basic performance. The biggest reason this set is so affordable is that it's fairly barebones. Don't get me wrong, the TV still delivers a decent 4K picture with sharp details — but its color, contrast, brightness, and upscaling capabilities are limited.
The 75-inch size maxes out at 300-400 nits of brightness, which could be too dim to overcome glare in rooms with lots of light. All Onn TVs use standard LED backlights without local dimming, so black levels appear elevated and milky in dim scenes, and HDR movies lack the punch and vibrancy they're supposed to have. As a result, the TV looks best in a room with moderate lighting — neither flooded with sunlight nor pitch black. This type of environment best hides the screen's flaws, making it suitable for casual channel surfing and streaming.
As a smart TV, the Onn benefits a lot from using the Roku interface, which is simple, stable, and packed with apps. During my testing, I encountered no serious glitches. Navigation is a bit slower than what I'm used to on budget sets from TCL and Hisense, but not to a frustrating degree. The included remote is a basic infrared model without built-in voice search, but you can buy a voice remote separately if you want.
Design and audio quality are what you'd expect for such an affordable set. The cabinet is a chunky plastic rectangle, and the feet feel a bit flimsy compared to pricier sets. The speakers sound muddy with minimal separation, which is fine for a TV of this price, but a soundbar is a smart upgrade. And like any cheap TV built with low-cost components, long-term reliability is a question mark, though Walmart does include a one-year limited warranty (extendable to two years if you register).
The 75-inch Onn TV is not the right choice if you care deeply about movie performance in a dark room or want a premium HDR picture. But if you simply want the biggest screen you can get for under $500, this set offers reliable streaming capabilities and decent enough performance for the money.
Check out our full Walmart Onn TV review.
How we test TVs under $500
Our guide to the best TVs under $500 was compiled using a combination of hands-on testing and research. Our team has been covering TVs and home entertainment products for more than a decade, and we use that expertise to inform our criteria and testing parameters.
To review displays, we examine a TV's clarity, HDR brightness, contrast capabilities, black-level performance, viewing angles, upscaling quality, smart TV interface speed, and additional features such as voice control. To measure brightness, we use test patterns from the Spears & Muncil Benchmark 4K Blu-ray disc with an X-Rite iDisplay Plus colorimeter.
But while test patterns are useful for establishing performance thresholds, we find that real-world content is the best barometer for how a TV performs in day-to-day viewing. We use a curated selection of scenes from various movies and TV shows, focusing on sequences that push each TV's shadow detail, specular highlights, and color performance to the limit. We also use a mix of sources, including 4K Blu-rays, cable TV, and streaming videos. Contenders for the best TV under $500 are evaluated in both light and dark rooms to gauge day and nighttime viewing performance.
For more details on our review methodology, check out our breakdown of how we test tech products.
Meet the expert behind this guide:
Steven Cohen, senior tech editor: I've been reviewing home entertainment gear for more than a decade, and my team and I continually get hands-on with the latest TVs. I also studied filmmaking, which shapes how I judge picture quality — I'm always looking at how accurately a TV reproduces what a director intended. To get there, I use calibration tools and benchmark discs to evaluate things like brightness and color, but numbers aren't the whole story. I make sure to live with every TV I review — watching movies, streaming shows, gaming, and channel surfing — to understand how it holds up in real-world use. This helps me home in on what matters most when recommending a TV under $500.
Learn more about the Reviews team at Business Insider.
FAQs
Are 85-inch or larger TVs available for under $500?
Virtually all 85-inch and larger TVs from major brands cost over $500. For that reason, we have not included any displays bigger than 75 inches in our guide to the best TVs under $500.
If you're looking for recommendations for those larger sizes, visit our guides to the best 85-inch TVs and best 100-inch TVs.
Are OLED TVs available for under $500?
You may have noticed that we haven't included any OLED displays in our guide to the best TVs under $500. The reason? There simply aren't any OLED TVs currently available for that amount.
In the past, smaller versions of LG's A-series OLEDs went on sale for around $500. But those models are no longer sold, and even when they were, we never saw them dip below $500.
Right now, the most affordable OLED TV is the LG 48-inch B5, which sometimes goes on sale for $600. For more OLED recommendations, check out our guide to the best OLED TVs. And head over to our QLED vs. OLED comparison for details on the pros and cons of each panel type.
Should you buy a soundbar to pair with a TV?
Most TVs under $500 come with mediocre built-in speakers that lack bass, depth, and clarity. For better audio quality, it's worth investing in a dedicated soundbar. Reliable models can be found for as little as $100, and even these entry-level options can provide better sound than a typical TV can on its own. For the most immersive performance, we recommend soundbars with Dolby Atmos support, but those models cost more.
Visit our soundbar and speaker guides to browse our top picks:
- Best soundbars
- Best budget soundbars
- Best soundbars with subwoofers
- Best Dolby Atmos soundbars
- Best Bose soundbars
- Best surround sound systems
Are TVs under $500 worth it?
Yes, the best TVs under $500 are worth the money, but you should be aware of common performance limitations when shopping in this price range.
First, you'll need to settle on a TV with a QLED or LED panel rather than an OLED. Second, you should expect peak brightness for models in this price range to be in the 300-600 nits range. Third, you'll have to focus on models 75 inches or smaller. And finally, be aware that certain companies tend to offer better overall value in this class.
Advanced picture quality features like quantum dots, local dimming, and even Mini LED backlights can be found on TVs for under $500, but these models are usually sold by value-oriented brands like Hisense, TCL, Vizio, Roku, and Amazon.
In our experience, the quality control from these companies isn't on par with that of more expensive brands like Samsung, Sony, and LG. But none of the minor inconveniences we've encountered are so troublesome as to prevent us from recommending their displays.
Samsung, Sony, and LG also sell TVs for under $500, but their offerings provide worse image quality than similarly priced models from the competition. However, if you're willing to spend substantially more than $500, you can find excellent high-end TVs from those brands with better features and build quality than cheaper options.
For more TV recommendations across budgets and sizes, check out our other TV guides:
