The 7 Best AirPods Alternatives of 2025

The best alternative to AirPods we've tested are the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless. These high-end earbuds rival the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) and have a wide variety of features to help you get the most out of them. Like the AirPods Pro, they have a spatial audio feature that is accessible in their companion app and helps to create a more immersive and dimensional listening experience. Their active noise cancellation (ANC), while not quite as remarkable as the AirPods Pro, does an excellent job reducing a wide range of sounds, like rumbly bus engines and ambient chatter.

Out of the box, these well-built buds have a bass-heavy sound that delivers thump and rumble to audio. If you prefer something else, their app has a graphic EQ and presets to help you fine-tune their sound to your liking. With their ANC on, they last seven hours continuously, and their carrying case supplies an additional three charges. Their comfortable fit also ensures you can wear them for long periods without experiencing fatigue. However, their integrated mic has difficulty separating speech from background noise, so if you need to make an important call, it's best to do so from a quiet space.

The Technics EAH-AZ80 are the best AirPods Pro alternative if you want some of the premium features of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless, but don't want to pay the premium price tag. These Technics come equipped with impressive noise isolation performance. Although it's not quite as powerful as the Bose, the Technics' adjustable ANC still effectively shields your ears from the rumble of bus engines and clatter of cafe mugs. Like the Bose, these are very well-built with a nice quality finish and an IPX4 rating. If you're into tailoring your tuning with a comprehensive EQ, the easy-to-navigate app offers a five-band EQ (and presets). The default tuning is full and warm with a bit of sparkle on the top-end, which ensures basslines have oomph and vocals cut through without sounding harsh.

While the continuous battery life is a touch longer, at 7.3 hours, than the Bose's seven hours, the case gives you one fewer recharge, meaning you'll need to plug it in more frequently. That said, the Technics offer three-way Bluetooth multi-pairing, which is fairly unusual, so you can seamlessly move between your device, laptop, and tablet, not unlike the Apple H1/H2 chip paired to Apple devices. These buds can utilize the LDAC codec for Hi-Res audio, but unfortunately, you can't connect via LDAC while also using multi-pairing. That said, the comfortable and impressively stable fit offered by six pairs of ear tips means these tackle all of the main goals you want out of AirPods, just without the stem.

The best AirPods Pro alternative we've tested in the mid-range price point are the Nothing Ear. These earbuds have a stemmed design like the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation), and they use pressure-sensitive controls on the stems. Their well-balanced sound profile provides your mixes with a solid amount of rumble and body, while instruments and voices are clear and bright-sounding. Unlike the AirPods, they have an in-depth EQ and presets for sound customization. Their continuous battery life of 7.5 hours outlasts the AirPods Pro, too.

The Nothing Ear earbuds sport ANC, but they don't block out as much noise as the Technics EAH-AZ80 or the AirPods. However, the ANC is still decent at filtering out background chit-chat and isolates you from some lower-pitched noise like deep underground construction. With their case, they're rated IP55 (IP54 for the buds), which adds dust resistance that's absent on the Technics. Plus, they're stable enough to stay in place for workouts. Unlike the previous pick, though, these lack the luxury of battery-conserving modes and three-way multi-pairing.

If you don't need quite the same degree of sound customization, then the slightly stripped-back Nothing Ear (a) might be worth a try to save you a few bucks because these operate, look, and feel very similar to their full-featured sibling. That said, if you make calls frequently or need a longer battery life, the Nothing Ear are the way to go.

If you're looking for the best AirPods Pro clone in the lower mid-range, check out the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC Truly Wireless. These comfortable, well-built earbuds are available in several different colors, including white. They're a great choice for on-the-go use thanks to their portable design and adaptive ANC feature, which offers a remarkably good performance for the price. You can also use their Transparency Mode to stay aware of your surroundings, like when walking down a busy city street. They're rated IPX4 for resistance against water splashes.

Out of the box, these buds have a much more bass-heavy sound than the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation). That's great if you love to hear all the thump and rumble in your favorite EDM and hip-hop tunes, but fans of a more balanced sound might prefer the AirPods Pros' more controlled bass. Still, the Anker come with a graphic EQ and presets to help switch up their sound, which is a nice touch, especially since Apple doesn't offer EQ or sound customization with their AirPods. Plus, you can listen for up to nine hours without interruption, and their charging case gives you four extra recharges when you're out and about.

If you're willing to forego the stemmed look, the Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless offer a flatter default frequency response and a bit better noise cancelling. However, their case feels cheaper, and their continuous battery life is about an hour shorter.

The CMF Buds Pro 2 are a true wireless bargain if you don't want to shell out for AirPods. These budget-conscious earbuds share a similar stemmed aesthetic as the Apple buds but with more colorways, ranging from a stealthy grey to an attention-grabbing orange. They're voiced with ample bass emphasis like the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC Truly Wireless, but with a relatively dull treble by default. You can use the slightly pared-back version of the Nothing Ear's companion app with a more minimal three-band EQ to tweak the sound, though. In lieu of the Apple H1/H2 chip's seamless switching between Apple devices on the same iCloud account, take advantage of CMF's two-device multi-pairing capability.

Unlike AirPods, they use touch controls rather than pressure-sensitive sensors, and their case has a novel dial that can be mapped for extra controls. While their 6.5 hours of continuous battery life and three charges housed in the case are decent, they fall short of the longer continuous battery life and four charges with the Anker. If you have smaller ears, they're not quite as comfortable as the Anker either. That said, their ANC is very impressive, particularly at this price point, and their microphone and noise handling are adequate for calls, making these a value-driven alternative to Apple.

Consider the Skullcandy Dime 3 True Wireless if you're on a tight budget and don't need the ANC onboard the CMF Buds Pro 2. At this price, manufacturers tend to cut down on extra features. That said, these buds not only offer a very balanced sound out of the box, but they also have a couple of EQ presets built-in, so you can still adjust their sound. Unlike the AirPods, they support multi-device pairing with non-Apple devices, so you can connect them to your PC and smartphone simultaneously. Their continuous battery life of over eight hours will get you from point A to point B, and their charging case has two additional charges.

Beyond the features mentioned above, they have an otherwise simple design. They're well-built but a bit plasticky, and they aren't as comfortable as the more expensive Apple AirPods 4, as their deep in-ear fit can put pressure on your ears. If comfort is a top priority, it's worth considering the Anker Soundcore P25i instead. They rest well in the ear and are lightweight, so you can wear them for long listening sessions without becoming fatigued. However, they don't support multi-device pairing and have a less balanced sound out of the box.

If you like the traditional AirPods without the ear tips fitted on the AirPods Pro, then the Nothing Ear (stick) are the best AirPods alternative that leaves your ear canal open. As expected, you can hear your environment with very little of it blocked for excellent awareness. While Nothing added a noise suppression function in a later update, if isolation is your preference, most people ought to consider the ANC buds previously mentioned on this list instead. Like AirPods, the Nothing buds share pressure-sensitive stems for controls; granted, the implementation is a bit more basic on the Nothing, without any sliding for volume adjustments.

They're also rather affordable compared to Apple. Despite the difference in tiers, the Nothing still come with a comprehensive app that lets you EQ the tuning (which you may want to use to boost their weak bass). Plus, the buds are IP54-rated, and the case has an IP55 rating against dust and water splashes. Their continuous battery life is roughly the same as the Apple AirPods 4, as well.

That said, like the other picks on the list, the Nothing Ear (stick) don't have Apple-centric features like the H1/H2 chip for seamlessly switching between devices with the same iCloud account or the Apple Spatialize feature. While the Nothing's cylindrical case is visually striking, it's not necessarily as practical either, considering it'll roll on sloped surfaces. Then again, if you want earbuds that mimic the AirPods form, these actually outdo them for things like calls with a superior mic system.