Who doesn't love a movie night? Whether you're out in the garden enjoying those cold winter evenings (hopefully with lots of layers), or safely snuggled up under a blanket indoors, you can't go wrong spending your night in front of The Lord of the Rings or the latest Marvel film.

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But, you know what would make it extra special? A projector.

These handy little devices can turn any humble movie night into a full-on cinema, and when the weather warms up, they're perfect for late night screenings or gathering together to watch sport.

In the past, we've written guides to how to choose the best outdoor projector and how to choose the best outdoor projector screen, but now we're taking budget into consideration.

Below, you'll find the best low-cost projectors for those who don't want to spend thousands on their home movie set up.

Each projector comes with its own list of pros and cons based on real customer reviews, plus what it's best for, so you can decide what to prioritise when buying. No matter the room size or the lighting requirements, we've found a projector to suit you.

For more budget friendly buying guides, take a look at the best budget printers and the best budget smartphones. Find out more about when Boxing Day sales start.

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How much should I spend on a projector?

A high quality projector can, potentially, cost you thousands of pounds, especially if you're looking for something to screen UHD or 4K images. For those on a budget, we'd consider a good entry price to be somewhere between £200 and £500 however, as you'll see, some of these projectors sit above and below that.

Best budget projectors at a glance:

Best budget projectors to buy in 2024

Philips NeoPix Prime One NPX535 Home Cinema Projector

Best wireless projector

Philips projector
Currys

Pros:

  • HD Ready up to 720p
  • Screen size up to 80-inches
  • Easy wireless screen mirroring

Cons:

  • Quiet speakers

The Philips NeoPix Prime One is a diddy projector at just 17 x 22 cm, but can project a screen size of up to 80-inches. It has a brightness of up to 180 lumens, which makes it ideal for dark rooms, and has a long throw which means you can position it at a good distance away from your wall or screen.

The projector is set up for wireless mirroring, which means its perfect for screening from your phone, but it also has all the right ports for laptop and TV screening. However, the device only has two 5 W speakers so you might want to link up your own additional speakers.

Buy Philips NeoPix Prime One NPX535 Home Cinema Projector from £160.99 at Currys

ViewSonic M1 mini Pocket LED Projector

Best portable projector

Mini projector
Amazon

Pros:

  • Foldable and pocket-sized
  • Small tripod perfect for camping
  • Good sound quality

Cons:

  • Short battery life

This pint-sized projector is ideal for camping or taking with you to a gathering at a friends' house. The device can fit perfectly into any pocket and is ready to be unfolded and set up with ease.

The only draw back we'd say is the battery life, which lasts up to three hours on a single charge – no Scorsese films for you!

Buy Android 11.0 WiMiUS Q3 550ANSI U Mini Projector for £269.99 at Amazon

Epson CO-FH02 Smart Full HD Home Cinema Projector

Best all-rounder

Epson projector
Currys

Pros:

  • Full HD 1080p
  • Screen size up to 391-inches
  • Good for natural light and dark rooms

Cons:

  • Lack of extra features

This Epson projector is a great choice for those epic movie nights. With a huge screen size, full 1080pHD and 3,000 lumens of brightness, you're getting a great image no matter if you're in your living room or the garden. It's also massively easy to use and comes with a bundled Android TV stick.

While it doesn't have the huge range of apps that a more high-end projector would have, it's certainly a solid choice for a budget.

Buy Epson CO-FH02 Smart Full HD Home Cinema Projector for £629 £549 at Currys

Auto Keystone Correction Mini Portable Projector

Best for easy setup

Auto keystone portable projector
Amazon

Pros:

  • Automatic keystone and four-point correction
  • 180-degree rotatable stand

Cons:

  • Poor sound

This projector comes with automatic keystone and corner correction, this means that no matter what awkward angle it's sat at, the corners and edge of the image will adjust to make the perfect square. It has also been praised for its ease of use and 180-degree rotatable which, again, means you can put it anywhere.

Be aware, however, that it lacks somewhat in sound and you're not guaranteed as good a picture quality as some of the other more expensive speakers.

Buy Auto Keystone Correction Mini Portable Projector for £99.99 £70.99 at Amazon

XuanPad 2024 Upgraded Mini Projector

Best affordable projector

Xuan Pad projector
Amazon

Pros:

  • Easily portable
  • Connects to iPhones
  • Up to 1080pHD

Cons:

  • Weaker sound and picture quality

If you're on a strict budget, this XuanPad projector is a great choice. It's obviously not going to have the image and sound quality of a higher-end product, but you can connect to pretty much any device including iPhones.

Buy XuanPad 2024 Upgraded Mini Projector for £89.99 £59.99 at Amazon

Samsung the Freestyle

Best for picture and sound quality

Samsung the Freestyle projector
Samsung

Pros:

  • Full HD up to 100-inches
  • 360-degree sound
  • Additional apps and smart features

Cons:

  • Higher price range

While we know the Samsung Freestyle is for those on a higher budget, it's worth including if you're after good image and sound quality. The projector can accommodate screen sizes from 30 to 100 inches in full HD, has auto keystone, auto levelling and auto focus – so it can adjust from any position.

It also, despite its compact design, comes with powerful 360-degree audio. Best of all, the Freestyle brings you the complete smart TV experience, it has apps including Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV, NOW TV and TNT Sport, plus it can connect to the Samsung Gaming Hub with no TV or console required.

Buy Samsung the Freestyle for £699 £599 at Samsung

Acer X1328WH HD Ready Office Projector

Best for outdoor screenings:

Acer projector
Currys

Pros:

  • Good for natural light
  • 4500 lumens
  • Screen size up to 300-inches

Cons:

  • Boxy design

Don't be fooled by the word "office" in the title, this projector is good for all settings. Its 4500 lumens means it can be used in any light from pitch black to bright sunshine. Plus, it can project a screen size of up to 300-inches, perfect if you're having a larger gathering.

Buy Acer X1328WH HD Ready Office Projector for £339 £318 at Currys

Nebula Capsule 3 Portable Projector

Best for indoor screenings

NEBULA Apollo Smart Portable Projector
Currys

Pros:

  • Smart apps
  • Good battery life
  • Great for dark rooms

Cons:

  • Lower battery life

For the cosy nights in, you might want to take a look at this Nebula Smart projector. It's kitted out with apps such as YouTube, Netflix and Hulu which you can control from the device's touch panel.

The built-in battery will give you only up to 2.5 hours of movie playtime, but it can also be plugged in and it has a 200 ANSI lumen DLP lamp, great for darkened rooms.

Buy Nebula Capsule 3 Projector for £499 at Very

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Authors

Olivia Garrett
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