The 6 best TVs for $500 or less: Budget-friendly options for binge watchers

If you’re on a budget and don’t need a TV that’s larger than 65 inches, there are plenty of compelling smart TVs available for $500 or less. Any of these TVs can provide fantastic sound and picture for your favorite shows, sports games, blockbuster movies or games.

Pro Tip: While you won’t get the latest TV tech in a TV priced $500 or lower, you should still pay attention to its size, display type, resolution, refresh rate, operating system, and the selection of features each offers which choosing a model that’s best for you.

The best 4K smart TVs priced $500 or lower

Our in-house team of tech experts has curated this roundup of 4K-resolution smart TVs that you can purchase right now for $500 or less. These include TVs from brands like Samsung, Roku, Hisense and TCL. And since for the average size room, a 65-inch TV is more than adequate, we found plenty of options.

Best TV for $500 or less: Samsung 55″ Crystal 4K DU8000 series smart TV

Display size: 55 inches | Display type: LED | Resolution: 4K | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Operating system: Tizen | Overall dimensions: 48.5 x 27.9 x 1 inches (without stand)

Here’s a 55-inch TV from Samsung that offers all of the core functionality you’d expect from a 4K resolution smart TV, including AI upscaling for lower-resolution content and a Motion Xcelerator feature that kicks in for action-oriented programming.

This TV also gives you access to free, on-demand programming from Samsung TV Plus, as well as an integrated gaming hub that (with a subscription) gives you access to hundreds of popular online games that don’t require a gaming console to play.

The DU8000 offers a slim design that looks great on a wall. The display showcases more than 1 billion colors and offers HDR support, so you’ll see plenty of detail, contrast and color accuracy, regardless of what you’re watching. It runs using Samsung’s own Tizen OS operating system, so you get easy access to all of the popular streaming services you subscribe to.

Best 43″ TV under $500: Roku 43″ Select Series 4K HDR smart TV

Display size: 43 inches | Display type: LED | Resolution: 4K | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Operating system: RokuTV OS | Overall dimensions: 37.9 x 22.4 x 3.4 inches (without stand) 

Roku has three TV product lines — Select, Plus and Pro — with the Select series providing entry-level, 4K resolution smart TVs at very affordable prices. 

This TV is available in a 43-inch ($220), 50-inch ($250), 55-inch ($300), 65-inch ($400) and 75-inch $548) size. And as you can see, most sizes are priced well below $500.

The 43-inch version of this Roku TV is ideal for smaller bedrooms, a home office or a kitchen. For enhanced picture quality and color accuracy, it supports HDR10+ and HLG. Among the port options, built into the TV are four HDMI inputs. You also get support for Siri, AirPlay 2, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

This is a budget-friendly, no-frills TV that offers a standard LED display with a 60Hz refresh rate. It comes with a voice remote control. Also built into the TV are a pair of stereo speakers that support Dolby Audio.

Best 55″ TV under $500: Insignia 55″ Class F30 LED 4K smart TV

Display size: 55 inches | Display type: LED | Resolution: 4K | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Operating system: Amazon FireTV OS | Overall dimensions: 48.9 x 28.6 x 3.3 inches (without stand) 

Here’s another affordably priced, 55-inch, 4K resolution LED smart TV. This one runs using the popular Amazon FireTV OS, so it works seamlessly with Amazon Prime Video and all of the other video streaming services you subscribe to. Also integrated into the TV is the Amazon Alexa digital assistant.

This too is a no-frills, entry-level smart TV that comes with a voice remote. It uses a standard LED display with a 60Hz refresh rate that supports HDR10. 

On the back of the TV are three HDMI ports, ethernet, composite video and a USB Type-A port. Within the TV are a pair of downward-firing stereo speakers that generate up to 10 watts of audio power.

Best 65″ TV under $500: TCL 65″ Q65 QLED 4K smart TV

Display size: 65 inches | Display type: QLED | Resolution: 4K | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Operating system: GoogleTV OS | Overall dimensions: 56.9 x 32.7 x 2.7 inches (without stand) 

Like all of the lower-priced 4K smart TVs featured in this roundup, this one offers a 60Hz refresh rate. It does, however, provide Dolby Vision, HDR Pro+ and Dolby Atmos support. Plus, it comes with an integrated game accelerator mode for gaming.

For an average size room — whether its a living room, guest room or bed room — we recommend a 65-inch television. We like this model because of its bezel-free design, so it looks great handing on a wall. With the help of Quantum Dot technology, the TV is able to display rich, vibrant and accurate colors that cover nearly the entire DCI-P3 color gamut.

Thanks to the TV’s AI-driven processor, as you’re watching any type of programming, the TV automatically adjusts the contract, color and clarity to provide a detailed picture that supports HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG. When you’re watching a high-action movie or sports, the TV’s Motion Rate 240 feature kicks in to provide a smooth and fluid picture. Based on the technology and features offered, this TCL smart TV offers a really good value for its sub-$500 price.

Best TV under $500 for gaming: Hisense 58″ Class U6HF 4K smart TV

Display size: 58 inches | Display type: ULED | Resolution: 4K | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Operating system: Amazon FireTV OS | Overall dimensions: 50.8 x 29.6 x 3.1 inches (without stand)

Falling between a 55-inch and 60-inch smart TV comes this 58-inch model from Hisense. It relies on a ULED display with a 60Hz refresh rate and a maximum brightness of 600 nits. The TV comes with a voice remote and runs using the Amazon FireTV OS. This operating system works seamlessly with Amazon Prime Video and all of your favorite video streaming services. Plus, it has Amazon Alexa as its built in digital assistant.

Like so many of Hisense’s smart TVs, this one uses Quantum Dot technology to produce a pure, riche and brilliant picture, with more than one billion accurate colors. The TV also offers up to 32 local dimming zones. Its above average peak brightness and local dimming are critical to correctly reproducing HDR content.

The TV supports Dolby Vision HDR, HDR10, and HDR10+. One of the best aspects of the U6HF is its bezel-less design. This provides the television with a sleek aesthetic that won’t overpower a room with an unnecessarily large frame.

Best TV under $500 for movies and sports: Roku 55″ Plus Series QLED 4K smart TV

Display size: 55 inches | Display type: QLED | Resolution: 4K | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Operating system: RokuTV OS | Overall dimensions: 48.4 x 28.3 x 4 inches (without stand)

Falling into the mid-range of Roku’s TV offerings is this 55-inch Plus Series QLED smart TV. It’s a step up from the Roku Select series, but not as advanced as the higher-end Roku Pro smart TVs we recently reviewed.

This TV is available in a 55-inch ($500), 65-inch ($650) and 75-inch ($900) screen size, although only the 55-inch version falls in this roundup’s $500 target price. Many people love the RokuTV operating system because it’s very intuitive to use. It provides easy access to all of your favorite streaming services, as well as the Roku Channel that offers an assortment of free on-demand and live programming.

You can expect eye-popping detail with spectacular color, contrast and brightness, thanks in part to its Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support. You also get sharp contrast with local dimming for vivid highlights and deep darks. A voice remote is included, but you can also control the TV using the Roku smartphone app. If all you have to spend is $500 on a new TV, this one has a lot to offer.

If you’re shopping for any type of TV, we recommend checking out our coverage of the best TVs for 2024, the best 55-inch TVs of 2024, the best 65-inch TVs of 2024, the best 75-inch (and larger) TVs of 2024, the best TVs for video gamers and the best TVs for watching sports. We’ve also compiled a curated collection of the best home projectors for 2024 and the best TV soundbars for 2024. All of our latest tech coverage, which is continuously updated, is here to help you.