The 5 best TVs under $500 across multiple sizes

Shopping for a new TV can feel overwhelming, especially when you're trying to stay under budget without ending up with a disappointing display. There's no shortage of TVs under $500, but only a handful actually deliver great value. To make things easier, I've narrowed the field to the five best TVs under $500, highlighting models that strike the right balance between price and quality.

My picks cover a range of sizes from 43 to 75 inches, so whether you're outfitting a bedroom or upgrading a living room, there's an option that fits. I focused on finding the top-performing set at each size while still meeting the $500 price cap. For example, shoppers hunting for a solid 65-inch option should look at the TCL Q65, which offers better color performance than most competitors in this range. And if a 55-inch TV is the sweet spot, the Roku Plus Series stands out thanks to its Mini LED local dimming, giving it higher contrast than most rival models.

Our top picks for the best TVs under $500

Best 75-inch: Walmart Onn - See at Walmart

Best 65-inch: TCL Q65 - See at Walmart

Best 55-inch: Roku Plus Series - See at Amazon

Best 50-inch: Amazon Omni QLED - See at Amazon

Best 43-inch: TCL S5 - See at Amazon

Best 75-inch

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 specifically 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 to 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 hides the screen's flaws best, 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 are firmly in budget territory. 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.

Best 65-inch

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 fantastic price for this level of performance. At this tier, you still won't get advanced contrast features like local dimming or Mini LEDs, but the Q65 benefits from quantum dot color tech, which is rare for this price.

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 isn't able to brighten or darken specific zones on its panel. This means it's not able to control its brightness precisely enough to create deep black levels or intense specular highlights (like explosions).

So, while the Q65 can offer good HDR color performance, its HDR contrast capabilities are lacking. To get better contrast performance, I recommend stepping up to the 65-inch TCL QM6K, which has Mini LED local dimming and typically costs around $550 to $650. The QM6K also has a faster refresh rate, so it's better for gaming, and it has slightly wider viewing angles. But if you don't want to go beyond $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 55-inch

Buyers who want the best 55-inch TV for 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 TCL Q65, the Roku Plus Series uses a QLED panel to provide expanded colors. However, the Plus Series has local dimming, and this new 2025 model has a Mini LED backlight. These features enable the new Plus Series to produce higher contrast, which translates to 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 like this model's Roku OS (operating system) more than rival interfaces, like Google TV and 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 a built-in battery that recharges over USB. The remote also supports hands-free voice search (with a dedicated mute switch) and has a tiny integrated speaker that can emit a chime if you ever misplace it.

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 boasts a higher refresh rate, which enables smoother motion when paired with a compatible gaming console or PC. However, I still prefer the Roku OS over the Google TV interface used by the TCL model.

Check out all our picks for the best Roku TVs and best budget TVs.

Best 50-inch

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, the Omni QLED uses a QLED panel, which enables the display to produce a wide range of colors.

The TV can deliver decent brightness for its budget-friendly class, with a peak of around 500 nits. The Omni QLED 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 specific 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 in this price range. Most competitors this size don't have local dimming at all, and many have a more limited range of colors. 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 43-inch

Several solid 43-inch TVs are available for under $500, but the TCL S5 rises above the pack. It's typically sold for around $200 and is a great buy at that price.

To be clear, this is a very entry-level TV, but that's to be expected at this size. 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 $900 for a high-end model. But in the under $500 range, the S5 is a well-rounded display.

The S5 uses a regular LED panel without local dimming or quantum dots, but it still offers a wider range of colors 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. Dark scenes will look more uneven and washed out when watching TV with the lights off, and the S5 isn't capable of fully showcasing the benefits of HDR content. Like every TV in this guide, its off-axis viewing is also narrow and its refresh rate is limited to 60Hz

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.

How we test TVs under $500

The settings menu on the Amazon Omni QLED TV.

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 extra features like 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 certain performance thresholds, we find that real-world content is the best barometer for seeing how a TV performs during day-to-day viewing. We use a curated selection of scenes from various movies and TV shows, focusing on sequences that put each TV's shadow detail, specular highlight, and color performance to the test. 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 get a sense of day and nighttime viewing performance.

For more details on our review methodology, check out our breakdown of how we test tech products.

FAQs

A hand holding a Fire TV remote in front of the Amazon Omni QLED TV.

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 the $500 mark.

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:

Are TVs under $500 worth it?

Yes, the best TVs under $500 are worth the money, but you should be aware of certain performance limitations that are common when shopping for TVs 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 top out at around 600 nits. Third, you should focus on models that are 75 inches or smaller. And finally, there are certain companies that 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, quality control from these companies isn't on the same level as that from more expensive brands like Samsung, Sony, and LG. But none of the slight inconveniences we've encountered are troublesome enough 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:

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