Best Budget Earbuds Under $100 (2026): Tested Picks

Budget earbuds have closed the gap with premium models to the point where the honest question is not “which cheap pair is least bad” but “which one does the specific thing I need”. These picks come from published testing by CNN Underscored, PCMag and The Verge.

We are summarising other reviewers’ testing, not repeating our own. Prices and availability below should be re-checked before buying.

Best budget earbuds under $50

CNN Underscored’s September 2026 budget roundup names EarFun Air 2 as its best budget pick under $50. For workout use it names Amazfit Up, and for noise cancelling on a budget it names EarFun Air Pro 4.

Best for Apple users

CNN Underscored’s true wireless roundup separates the Sony WF-1000XM5 as its overall pick and Apple AirPods Pro 3 as its pick for Apple users, with Bose QuietComfort for noise cancelling. The Verge’s own roundup names the Sony WF-1000XM5 as its best overall wireless earbud at $248.

If you are comparing at the budget end rather than the premium end, our headphones and earbuds roundup covers the full price range.

What to check before you buy

Fit first. Noise cancelling and bass response depend heavily on the seal. If the included tips do not fit, a budget pair will underperform regardless of its review score.
Codec support. Check whether the earbuds support the codec your phone uses. AAC is universal, but LDAC or aptX support matters on Android if you care about quality.
Call quality. Budget models vary widely on microphone performance, which matters more for work calls than for music.
Case battery. The earbuds’ own battery is only half the story. Check the total with the charging case before judging battery life claims.

What we did not do

We did not test any of these earbuds ourselves, and we did not verify current prices. All picks and assessments come from the published roundups cited below.