Best budget telescopes under $500 2024: Great telescopes that won't break the bank

Try out one of the best telescopes under $500 and discover the wonders of the night sky without breaking the bank. If you are new to star gazing, you will soon discover that kit can be very expensive, and when searching for affordable options, it can be difficult to know what is good value and what is subpar quality. Some of the best beginner telescopes offer a good starting point, but you might find that some edge into pricier territory.

While it's important to be careful when shopping for budget products, our expert reviewers have diligently assessed the options in this guide based on their optics, technology, build-quality and overall value for money. They've given their honest opinions, noting the benefits and drawbacks of each scope to help you make an informed decision. 

If money is less of an important factor for you when choosing your equipment, we also have guides to the best telescopes overall, best telescopes for seeing planets and best telescopes for deep space.

Best budget telescopes Frequenty Asked Questions answered by:

Best budget telescopes Frequenty Asked Questions answered by:

Josh Dury

Josh Dury is a recognized landscape astrophotographer, presenter, writer and educator based near the Mendip Hills AONB in Somerset, United Kingdom. His work has been recognized by several photographic bodies, including The Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year Competition, UNESCO, to major UK and international publishing and media outlets, including the BBC and ITV to name but two and photography suppliers Sigma and Benro. Josh has been recognized by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) as an active campaigner for Dark Skies. He also graduated with first-class honors from his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Photography at the University of the West of England (UWE).

Best budget telescopes under $500 we recommend in 2024

The quick list

This is a quick overview of what's in the best budget telescopes under $500 in the guide below. The links allow you to check out the detailed review quickly.

The best budget telescopes we recommend in 2024

The best overall telescope under 500 dollars

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In our Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ review, we wrote in detail as to why this is an excellent telescope for those on a budget. It's a perfect entry-level choice for new astronomers, and it sports great optics and an impressive aperture. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Let's really delve into why the StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ is the best budget telescope under $500.

Aperture: A generous 130mm aperture means the StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ can gather a lot of light, resulting in bright and clear images. It's great for viewing the moon, sure, but also capable of gazing at further away celestial objects, like star clusters, planets and nebulas.

Optics: The telescope offers up pleasingly clear and bright images, thanks in part to its highly reflective coatings. It has a five-inch primary mirror.

Technology: We love the StarSense app technology that supports the StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ. The app allows you to identify which objects should be visible in the night sky, then will guide you towards them. It's great fun to use, even for more advanced stargazers, but it's an ideal way to introduce beginners to astronomy.

Accessories: The Explorer DX 130AZ comes packaged with multiple eyepieces, a finderscope, a tripod and a smartphone deck. If you want eyepieces with more powerful viewing, however, you'll have to buy them separately — but what's included still makes this a worthwhile product.

Quality of build: The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ doesn't feel cheap in the slightest. It's very sturdy, with a well-designed mount and optical tube. Despite its large aperture, it still manages to be lightweight too, without compromising on quality. If portability is a key issue for you, however, it's worth noting that this guide also includes the DX 102AZ model, which is even lighter and more portable — if not quite as good.

• Read our full Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ review

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The best budget telescope under 500 dollars

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If you're a relative beginner who's looking for something that makes navigating the night sky easy and intuitive, then the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ may be the telescope for you. It works seamlessly alongside the StarSense app to help you choose and locate different objects of interest in the night sky above you, and it's also fairly light to transport with you out in the field.

Aperture: As the name implies, you get a 102mm aperture with this telescope, and that's enough to offer bright images of the Moon and planets. 

Optics: The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ includes a doublet lens made from two different types of glass with a focal ratio of f/6.5. This allows it to offer a wide field of view and bright images within a fairly compact tube, which aids transportation but can lead to a little bit of color fringing at high magnifications.

Technology: The StarSense app makes is very easy to locate any objects you wish to view. Once you've selected your object of choice, a set of arrows on the screen tells you which way to move your telescope to get to your target object, making it one of the fastest finding systems we've come across.

Accessories: Alongside the telescope itself, you get two eyepieces: a 25mm and 10mm, offering 26x and 66x magnification. The package also contains a StarPointer red-dot finderscope, a star diagonal and a tripod.

Quality of build: Although we noted some stiffness all around, especially on the clutch that holds the telescope in altitude, it is generally well-built for the price, with thoughtful details down to the plastic covers supplied for keeping the eyepieces safe.

• Read our full Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ review

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The best budget telescope under 300 dollars

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As we get further away from that $500 price point, it's becoming evident that there are fewer and fewer great telescopes available for our money. There are still some excellent options out there, though, and spending less doesn't mean you need to sacrifice on quality.

Enter the Orion Starmax 90. This is a solid tabletop design telescope which we think is perfect for newcomers to astronomy. It's lightweight, portable and has decent optics to boot.

Aperture: The Orion Starmax 90 has a 90mm aperture (hence its name), which is on the smaller side compared to other telescopes in this list — but it's still respectable enough, especially considering the price point it sits at. It might struggle for viewing very deep space objects, but it'll let plenty enough light through for viewing our solar system.

Optics: You're getting a 1250mm focal tube which features an internal focuser. It moves the primary lens backwards and forwards.

Technology: This isn't a GoTo telescope, and so you won't find smartphone connectivity, app support or a motorized mount here. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though: If you prefer the idea of more traditional astronomy, this might even be a positive for you.

Accessories: Orion has really gone to town on included accessories, which do seem to be compensating for the lack of technology. You have multiple eyepieces, a moon map and a reflex sight included in the box: It's everything you need to get started, and you won't need to buy anything else to start looking at the stars.

Quality of build: We're generally impressed with the build quality of the Orion Starmax 90. It's sturdy, and the optics combine with the aperture give good (and surprisingly wide) views considering its price point.

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The best budget telescope under 200 dollars

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The 5-inch reflector and German equatorial mount on the Celestron Powerseeker 127EQ make it an attractive package for serious beginners who are looking to upgrade their stargazing without having to spend too much money. It's a good starting point for viewing stars, planets and nebulas, but it performs best if you're willing to invest in some additional eyepieces.

Aperture: With a 127mm aperture, you're getting a good amount of light-gathering capability for your money here, and enough to allow you to see sights such as the Andromeda nebula M31.

Optics: The Celestron Powerseeker 127EQ uses a spherical mirror with additional optical elements to correct the resulting distortions, which increases the telescope's focal length and allows Celestron to squeeze 1000mm of focal length into a 440mm tube. This is great from a handling perspective but does entail some optical compromise, with the resulting images being a little dimmer than they otherwise could be.

We found the inclusion of a 20mm erecting eyepiece a slightly unusual decision since it requires additional lenses and prisms to produce a right-side-up image, thereby degrading the optics even further. We'd therefore recommend purchasing your own eyepieces separately to get the best optical experience from this telescope.

Technology: This is a fairly no-frills telescope aside from its smooth equatorial mount. It comes with a basic edition of the Starry Night software, but this feels a bit dated compared to modern apps and can only be installed on PC and Mac computers rather than on your smartphone.

Accessories: The telescope comes with an aluminum tripod, the 20mm erecting eyepiece mentioned above, a 4mm higher-power eyepiece and a 3x Barlow lens. Whilst the combined 4mm and 3x Barlow lens can theoretically give up to 750x magnification, you'll find that the usable magnification is more limited in practice.

Quality of build: The German equatorial mount is well-engineered, and the aluminum tripod felt reassuringly sturdy, though some accessories like the finderscope had a bit of a plastic feel. Overall, it's well-built for the price, but requires better-quality eyepieces to get the best results.

• Read our full Celestron Powerseeker 127EQ review

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The best budget telescope under 100 dollars

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We're in serious budget territory here, and as the name suggests, the Celestron FirstScope 76 is made with the youngest astronomers in mind — though that's not to say this wouldn't be a suitable telescope for an adult beginner on a strict budget. 

We think this type of telescope is useful for seeing if stargazing is for you without breaking the bank. If it becomes a hobby you spend more time on, it may be worth splashing out on something a little fancier.

Of course, a telescope costing under $100 isn't going to compete with the leading models in terms of power, optics, technology or build quality. But that's not to say that the Celestron FirstScope 76 doesn't have plenty of merit at its super-budget price. Below, you can take a closer look at the specs that this telescope boasts. 

Aperture: There's a 76mm aperture here, which probably isn't going to let in enough light for viewing those distant, deep sky objects. But it's plenty good enough for getting some great views of the moon and nearby stars.

Optics: In our Celestron FirstScope 76 review, we remarked it was a little difficult to collimate (i.e. aligning the mirrors within the tube), which is unfortunate — especially on a telescope aimed at beginners. But get past that and you'll find a fast focal ratio and a 300mm focal length, which together allow for excellent views of the night sky, particularly the moon's surface.

Technology: You won't find any advanced technology here, but that's no bad thing. Aimed at beginners, there's nothing complex to learn: it's simply a case of looking through the eyepiece and finding your target. We should add that it has a pleasingly fast focal ratio at least.

Accessories: again, this telescope is ready to use out-of-the-box and is very much a no-frills scope. However, that does mean that it lacks accessories and unfortunately, that also means a finderscope is not supplied. 

Quality of build: Surprisingly, this telescope is quite sturdy, which is unexpected since it didn't score well in terms of technology and accessories. Given its price, you might have expected something flimsy. However, it boasts a solid build and can likely withstand bumps and knocks when used by younger stargazers.

• Read our full Celestron Firstscope 76 review

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Best for deep space observing

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Aperture: This is a reflector telescope, which comes with a 450mm focal length and a 4.5 inch aperture. That's plenty big enough to gather lots of light, allowing for bright and clear images of most celestial objects.

Optics: We're really impressed with the optics in the Orion StarBlast II 4.5. Its primary mirror is made from high-quality glass, with a secondary mirror that's aluminum-coated with a special, reflective film that sends more light to the eyepiece. The overall result is an improved, bright viewing experience.

Technology: There's not much technology here, since this isn't a GoTo telescope. There's no app support or motorized mount, for example. But it does feature a fast focal ratio, meaning it can collected a lot of light in a shorter amount of time — it's an ideal function for deep-sky viewing.

Accessories: You'll find everything you need to begin in the box for the Orion StarBlast II 4.5. Inside you'll find 25mm and 10mm Plossl eyepieces (giving 18x and 45x magnification). There's a smartphone adapter, a red dot finder, a 2x Barlow lens and and adjustable height tripod. Further, there are also some really useful educational tools here: A DeepMap 600 star chart and MoonMap 260.

Quality of build: Considering the price point of the Orion StarBlast II 4.5, we're pleasantly surprised with its build quality. It's solid, will last for several years, and we're pretty sure it can withstand the odd accidental bump

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Best for backyard moon and planet gazing

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Here's another telescope that's aimed at beginners. In our review of the Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ we called it a decent option for viewing the planets, but if you're wanting to gaze into the deep sky, it might not be the best option for you. Read on for more details on the Explorer LT 114AZ's specifications.

Aperture: The aperture on the Explorer LT 114AZ is 114mm/4.5 inches. Coupled with its focal ratio of f/9, it favors the magnification of bright objects. That means that you might not get much light and/or detail when viewing deep sky objects.

Optics: There's a Newtonian reflector within the Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ. It's easy enough to use, and viewing the likes of Jupiter and its moons was a cinch, but it doesn't have the best color rendition. There's also a noticeable amount of chromatic aberration, but for the most part views of the moon and nearby planets are sharp enough. We wouldn't recommend this telescope for deep sky viewing, however: We tried to view the Andromeda galaxy (M31) but could only see a small, faint blob.

Technology: Like the StarSense in this telescope's name suggests, this is a "push to" telescope that's designed to work with the StarSense app. It's a fantastic tool for helping budding astronomers find their way around the night sky. We love using it: it's fast, accurate and very easy to use.

Accessories: Inside the Explorer LT 114AZ's box you'll find two Kellner eyepieces (25mm and 10mm) and a 2x Barlow lens. There's a StarPointer, a red dot finderscope and a solid tripod made from aluminum. 

Quality of build: Although its aluminum tripod is a pleasing touch, we found the quality of this telescope to be a little disappointing. The bearings were a little too stiff, and positioning the scope was a challenge at times. Better hand controls would have gone a long way here.

• Read our full Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ review

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Best for smartphone astrophotography

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For beginners and young astronomers, there's some fun to be had with the Celestron Inspire 100AZ. It's great for viewing the moon and planets with, but probably not the best choice if you'd like to gaze deeper into space.

Aperture: The relatively short focal length of 660mm means the Celestron Inspire 100AZ isn't great for viewing more than the moon and planets — though we did manage to get a decently clear view of Andromeda (M31). If you want to go further into deep space, though, you're going to need a wider aperture than the 4 inches/100mm offered here.

Optics: There's some chromatic aberration in the form of purplish halos to be seen, but it's less intrusive than other budget telescopes. If you're able to see past that, you'll get some beautifully bright and detailed views of the likes of Jupiter and Saturn with the included 20mm eyepiece. Unfortunately, the 10mm eyepiece was a little more blurry.

Technology: There's a lot of things we like about the Inspire 100AZ. Its alt-azimuth mount is very to use, and its tripod is easy to put up and down, which is a nice touch particularly for younger users. The built-in red light is useful for finding your accessories in the dark, too. Perhaps the best feature, though, is the smartphone mount: You can use the dust cap to align your phone's camera with the eyepiece, allowing you to take some great astrophotography shots.

Accessories: In the box you get 10mm and 20mm Kellner eyepieces, the dust cap smartphone mount, a StarPointer Pro red dot finder, a 90-degree image erect diagonal and a large tripod.

Quality of build: We found the altazimuth mount to only be of average quality, so it lacks a bit of precision, with the left-right swivel being a bit stiff and having some unwanted recoil. However, the altitude movement is much more precise, and the mount feels fairly solid and easy to nudge into place.

• Read our full Celestron Inspire 100AZ review

• Read our full Celestron Inspire 100AZ review

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Best for children

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The Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ is aimed at beginners who want to get natural-looking views of the Moon, planets and other objects within our solar system. Its affordable price makes it a good choice for kids and newcomers to astronomy, but its scope beyond that is ultimately limited.

Aperture: The Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ contains a 2.7-inch/70mm achromatic refractor which will give you bright views of objects within our solar system and allow you to spot the different planets, but it won't reach much beyond that.

Optics: Many other achromatic refractor telescopes aimed at beginners suffer from chromatic aberration — an optical effect that presents you with fuzzy halos of color around the edges of objects. But the AstroMaster 70AZ overcomes this by using its unusually long length and focal ratio of just below f/13 to show you the planets in their natural colors.

However, whilst it is highly beneficial when looking at bright and nearby objects, this focal ratio makes deep-sky objects appear quite dim and poorly defined. So you should only consider this telescope if your main interests lie within our solar system.

Technology: The AstroMaster 70AZ is a no-frills manual telescope, but it comes with a pan handle and clutch for securing it into position and making adjustments, which is an unusual but welcome feature at this price point.

Accessories: You get a very complete package with this telescope, including an adjustable tripod, a StarPointer finderscope, an L-shaped erect image diagonal and two Kellner eyepieces: a 20mm for wide-angle views at 45x magnification and a 10mm for high-power views at 90x magnification. Everything a beginner could need is included in the box.

Quality of build: Although the tripod is very solid, the mechanical build quality means that the AstroMaster 70AZ isn't very easy to aim, and the overreach and recoil make it difficult to keep targets within the eyepiece when you find them. This is not at all uncommon on budget telescopes, but it may frustrate beginners who are trying to get to grips with it as a new hobby.

• Read our full Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ review

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Best EQ mount for young skywatchers

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Aperture: The Orion Space Probe II has a 76mm aperture, which allows you to enjoy fantastic views of Saturn's rings and moons — along with some of the brighter nebulas in the night sky.

Optics: This is where the Orion Space Probe II really shines, having much better optics than many other telescopes at a similar price point. The views are fantastic, but the tube features collimation screws on both mirrors, so you may need to align the optics to get the best out of the scope. 

Technology: As a more traditional telescope, you won't find much technology within the Orion Space Probe II. If you're more of a traditionalist and want to manually search across the sky, this is a good choice for you. 

Accessories: Inside the box of the Orion Space Probe II you'll get two Kellner eyepieces (25mm and 10mm), a red dot finder scope and a MoonMap 260. It's a nice set of features — and we found the eyepieces to be particularly great consider the telescope's price.

Quality of build: There's an okay-to-decent build quality here. The optical tube is great, which is a bonus, but the mount feels a little flimsy: We don't imagine it's very durable. If you're careful with it, though, the Orion Space Probe II should last long enough to get your money's worth. But if you stick with astronomy, you'll likely want to upgrade to something more durable after some time.

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The best budget telescopes under 500 dollars comparison

Best budget telescopes under 500 dollars Frequently Asked Questions

The top most frequently asked questions on the best budget telescopes under $500 as answered by our contributing expert, astronomer Josh Dury.

How to choose the best budget telescope for you

When choosing the best budget telescope for you, there are a few different factors you should consider. They range from what you want from your stargazing experience to value for money, to overall quality and more. Here, we'll highlight what you should be looking for and go into detail for each category. 

Budget: unfortunately, this factor is arguably the most important one, and the reason we pulled together this guide. It's vital you know how much you're willing to spend so you can see what's in your price range. Once you've settled on a budget, you can start looking for a scope to match. It also sets expectations as telescopes can cost thousands and it's unlikely that models costing hundreds (or less) can compete with the power or sophistication of those top-end models. Remember, a low budget doesn't mean you have to miss out on a fulfilling stargazing experience.

Value for money: another important factor to consider is whether or not you're getting good value for money. When looking for telescopes on a strict budget, you need to be sure that you aren't sacrificing too much on the quality of the product. For this, we recommend sticking to known manufacturers and reputable retailers. If you find a deal, great. But, sometimes if a deal seems too good to be true, it is. However, it's important to look at what you're getting for your money. Are you getting quality optics? Are there sufficient accessories? Have you got enough technology to satisfy your wants and needs? Sometimes waiting and saving to spend a little more can be worth it in the long term, so make sure to shop around before purchasing.  

Intended use: now this is crucial because if you're not looking to jump in at the deep end or you just want to see the moon and some stars, then something like the Celestron FirstScope 76 is ideal. But that wouldn't work if you wanted to explore nebulas and galaxies. So you must consider what you want to view and how much time (and money) you want to invest into stargazing. 

Quality: this one might seem a bit obvious, but it's important to know you're getting a quality product when you purchase a telescope. Have a look at the materials the scope is made of, have a look at the reviews and check out the specs of what you're buying. It doesn't matter how cheap a product is, you don't want it if it doesn't work. Research, knowing what you're buying and checking for quality are all important.

Manufacturer/Retailer: this point ties in with some of the others above but when you're looking for a budget telescope, you'll find that there's a seemingly endless number of options. Not all of them are reliable. Therefore, you should stick to known manufacturers you can rely on and have a history of producing good products. You should also stick to known retailers so that you know you're getting what you pay for and there's some accountability, and often a warranty, should something go wrong. 

How we test the best budget telescopes under 500 dollars

Here at space.com, we get knowledgeable writers or expert in-the-field freelancers to review the telescopes that we recommend personally. Most of the telescopes you see in the guide above have been thoroughly tested and reviewed by people who know what to look for. Of course, most doesn't mean all. Where we haven't personally tested and reviewed a telescope, only models that have been carefully researched and approved make the cut. 

We've included links to reviews in the guide above and in those reviews we consider design, performance, key specs and whether or not a telescope is worth purchasing. You will also find key points both for and against a particular model, bullet-pointed, and more often than not, we suggest alternative telescopes if what you're reading isn't for you. 

It's not just budget telescopes under $500 that we review — we test a plethora of products, from high-end telescopes, binoculars and cameras, to headlamps and power banks. Our writers also review each product on its own merit and with complete impartiality so that our readers can rely on and trust in our opinion for credibility. 

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