If you have limited cash and are looking for the best budget 4k TV, you don't have to spend a ton to get a decent display that's good enough for watching your favorite shows and movies. There are many budget models on the market, and it can be hard to figure out which performs best. Whether a TV is high-end or entry-level, we put it through the same meticulous testing process to see how it performs. Through testing, we can determine which budget models stand out from the rest.
Below are our recommendations for the best budget televisions. If you're looking with a more specific budget in mind, you can check out our picks for best TVs under $500 or the best TVs under $1,000. You can also vote on which TVs you want us to buy and test. To learn more about the latest televisions, check out our 2026 TV lineup page.
We buy and test dozens of TVs yearly, taking an objective, data-driven approach to deliver results you can trust. Our testing process is complex, with hundreds of individual tests that take over a week to complete. Most of our tests use specially designed test patterns that mimic real content, but we also use the same sources you have at home to ensure our results match the real-world experience. We use two main tools for our testing: a Colorimetry Research CR-100 colorimeter and a CR-250 spectroradiometer.
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Best Budget TV
Mixed UsageHome TheaterBright RoomSportsGamingExpected ReliabilityBrightnessBlack LevelColorMotion HandlingGame Mode ResponsivenessProcessing (In Development)Resolution:4kNative Refresh Rate:144HzScreen Finish:MattePanel Type:LCDSub-Type:VADolby Vision:YesSee all our test resultsSizes:55" 65" 75" 85" 100"The best budget TV that we've tested is the Hisense U6SF Pro. It's a surprisingly good TV for the price, with very good picture quality and a wide range of features that are typically only found on more expensive models. It's also an incredibly versatile TV. It looks great at night thanks to its high contrast and deep blacks. It also handles daytime glare exceptionally well thanks to its matte anti-reflective coating and high peak brightness. It's not perfect, though, as it has a slow response time that leads to blurry motion when gaming or watching sports.
It has four HDMI inputs, two of which support HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, so you can take full advantage of the latest gaming consoles. It even supports a boosted refresh rate mode that PC gamers can take advantage of for even smoother motion. It's powered by the Fire TV smart interface, which has a modern layout and a nice design, but the app selection is a bit limited.
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Best Cheap TV
Mixed UsageHome TheaterBright RoomSportsGamingExpected ReliabilityBrightnessBlack LevelColorMotion HandlingGame Mode ResponsivenessProcessing (In Development)Resolution:4kNative Refresh Rate:60HzScreen Finish:GlossyPanel Type:LCDSub-Type:IPSDolby Vision:YesSee all our test resultsSizes:43" 50" 55" 65" 75" 85"The best cheap TV is the Walmart-exclusive Vizio Mini LED Quantum 4K. Blacks aren't nearly as deep as they are on the Hisense U6SF Pro, but they avoid looking gray in most scenes. Unfortunately, there's a lot more glowing around bright lights and subtitles, and that glow can bleed into darker areas of the image, so some dark scenes don't look great. The TV is just bright enough to handle some glare from overhead lights in a moderately lit space, but reflections are quite distracting in bright rooms. It doesn't offer the best image quality, but it looks better than other cheap models on the market.
The TV doesn't have any HDMI 2.1 ports, but it does have three HDMI 2.0 ports capable of 4k @ 60Hz and 1080p @ 120Hz, so you can give up some resolution to play games at higher frame rates. It supports VRR to help reduce screen tearing. However, motion is quite blurry on this model, especially when you're playing fast-paced games. The TV uses the Vizio OS, which has a much smaller app catalog, but you still have access to popular streaming services like Prime Video, YouTube, and Disney+. This model performs better than other cheap TVs on the market, and you can also get the 75-inch model for a very good price, making it the best budget 75-inch TV.
Notable Mentions
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TCL QM6K:
The TCL QM6K is a decent alternative to the Hisense U6SF Pro. It has better motion handling with less blur behind fast-moving objects, but it's not as bright, and it has significantly worse reflection handling, so the Hisense is better for most people.
See our review -
Hisense QD6QF:
The Hisense QD6QF competes with the Vizio Mini LED Quantum 4K. The Hisense has a couple of small advantages, such as clearer motion and better processing. However, the Vizio is better overall, as it delivers deeper blacks, is noticeably brighter, has richer colors, and offers a wider viewing angle.
See our review
Recent Updates
Oct 08, 2026:
We replaced the TCL QM6K with the Hisense U6SF Pro and moved the TCL to a Notable Mention. The Hisense offers a better overall experience and is the better choice for most people. We also removed the Hisense U7SG because it didn't really fit the article's intent.
Aug 21, 2026:
We replaced the Hisense U65QF with the Hisense U6SF Pro in the Notable Mentions since the former is no longer in stock, and the U6SF Pro is the better alternative to the TCL QM6K. We also confirmed that our picks are still available to purchase.
Jul 08, 2026:
We replaced the TCL QM7K with the Hisense U7SG and the Hisense QD6QF with the Vizio Mini LED Quantum 4K, since the newer models offer better performance. We also updated the Notable Mentions section to offer better alternatives to our current picks.
Mar 31, 2026:
We revised the introduction and updated some text throughout the article for clarity.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think is currently the best budget smart TV for most people in each price range. We factor in price (a cheaper TV wins over a pricier one if the difference isn't worth it), visitor feedback, and availability (no TVs that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you'd like to do the work of choosing yourself, below is a list of budget TVs we've tested over the past couple of years, with a price limit of $650. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While no TV is perfect, most TVs are great enough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.