Best Budget Monitors

Monitors are one of the most expensive components in any PC build. But as time has progressed the display technology has gotten significantly cheaper. It has gotten cheaper to the point where companies have started to provide great options at very inexpensive prices.

Now the panels used in budget monitors have good sometimes great colour accuracy, excellent response times and nominal refresh rates up to 75Hz. Things like minimal design and thin bezels that were once reserved only for the expensive monitors have now trickled down their way to the budget offerings. Even the brightness and contrast ratios on the budget monitors have gotten very good.

Not everyone wants to spend thousands of rupees on monitors especially those who want one for temporary use. It is one of the moments where these monitors make the most sense as they provide very good features for a very nominal price.

As always there are a lot of options in the market to choose from. It could be a very daunting task to choose from an overcrowded monitor space. Here we have curated the best monitors that you can buy on a tight budget.

These monitors listed below are proof that you don’t have to compromise much on a monitor by spending less.

Top 10 Budget Monitors

1. Acer 21.5-inch LED Backlit Computer Monitor ET221Q

Acer is one of the most prominent players in the budget monitor space. They are known to provide good products with a great design on a limited budget. Acer has a similar design to all their monitors. They state it as their zero-frame design. The bezels are very thin all around with a thicker chin.

The stand has a rectangular base for better stability. But it offers very limited adjustment with only tilt.

The monitor uses an IPS panel with a size of 21.5 inches. The resolution is FHD (1920x1080p). Refresh rate caps in at 60Hz. Response time is quite good at 4ms. Brightness is average at 250 nits. The contrast ratio though is good with 1000:1. The aspect ratio of the monitor is 16:9. Viewing angles are good as it is an IPS covering 178 degrees.

Acer provides some quite useful features to go together with the monitor. Eyecare is the primary focus. The monitor is eco display certified. The comfy view feature helps in reducing the blue light emissions and flickers. This results in a decreased strain on the eyes for extended viewing comfort. The low dimming feature helps in drastically reducing the brightness to be used in low lighting conditions.

Connectivity is limited with 1 x HDMI and 1 x VGA port. Acer also provides VGA cable in the box. Acer provides inbuilt 2W x 2 speakers that are a great value addition to the budget monitor. It comes in handy for casual listeners. The ET221Q is an excellent choice for those looking to buy a 22-inch multipurpose monitor with good design and inbuilt speakers.

2. Zebronics 24-inch LED Monitor with Full HD Display – Zeb-A24FHD

Zebronics is a brand that focuses on bringing good quality products for a very decent price. The Zeb A24FHD is no different except it also has an excellent design. The design as stated is excellent, especially for a budget monitor. The bezels are very thin on all sides with silver accents complimenting it. The silver accents give the monitor a premium look.

Despite the stand offering very limited adjustability it is metal which adds to the premium touch. The monitor is also wall mountable.

The display stands at 24 inches. Zebronics does not state the panel it uses. The resolution is FHD 1920x1080p. The aspect ratio of the monitor is 16:9. The response time is 5ms which is quite good. Brightness is on the lower side at just around 250 nits. But the contrast ratio is not compromised at 1000:1. The viewing angles are also good at 178 degrees. The colour accuracy should also satisfy most people.

There aren’t much in the way of features. The monitor just advertises the slim design. Aside from that, there aren’t any others with the monitor.

The connectivity is quite decent with 1 x HDMI, 1 x VGA, a 3.5 mm jack and a DC input. The monitor also has inbuilt speakers which is a good addition. Zebronics also provides 3 years of aftersales warranty. The A24 is a good choice for those who need an excellent monitor at a cheaper price of less than 10000.

3. Dell E Series E2421HN 24-inch Full HD Monitor

Dell is one of the most trusted brands when it comes to monitors. E2421HN is a decent entry-level monitor. The design is decent with moderately thin bezels with a bit thicker bezel containing a brand logo. The monitor looks quite utilitarian with a monotone black colour. The stand though supports only tilt adjustment. The stand has a rectangular base for increased sturdiness.

Dell uses a 23.8-inch IPS panel with a refresh rate of 60Hz. The resolution is FHD (1920x1080p). It has a maximum brightness of 250 nits with a contrast ratio of 1000:1. The typical response time is 8ms GTG and can be reduced to 5ms GTG under fast mode. The colour accuracy is also good covering 72% of the NTSC colour space. The viewing angles are also good at 178 degrees. The colour depth is 6-bit + FRC colour depth.

The feature list is quite limited. The monitor is an ECO environment certified. The display is covered by anti-glare 3H coating to diffuse the reflections. The monitor also consumes very less power at just 12.3 watts.

Connectivity is good as it limited to an HDMI port and a VGA port. Dell provides an HDMI cable in the box. The Dell E2421HN is a good choice for those who want a decent well-rounded monitor with Dell branding. Dell branding is important for a lot of people as they provide great after-sales.

4. DELL 21.5 inch SE2219HX Ultra Thin Bezel Monitor

Dell produces some of the best-looking budget monitors. The SE2219HX is one of the showcases of dell’s industrial design. The monitor simply looks great with extremely thin bezels and a very minimal design. The stand has a square base for additional stability. But the adjustability is quite limited.

Dell uses an IPS panel measuring 21.5 inches. The resolution is FHD (1920x1080p). The refresh rate of the panel is 60Hz. The typical response time is on the higher side at 8ms. The brightness stands at 250 nits and the contrast ratio is 1000:1. The monitor covers 72% of the NTSC coverage. The viewing angles are also great at 178 degrees.

Dell does not provide any additional features with the monitor. That being said the monitor is said to focus on the essentials and the monitor delivers. The screen has an antiglare 3H coating.

The connectivity is limited with 1 x VGA and 1 x HDMI port. The monitor does not have any inbuilt speakers. This simply is one of the best-looking monitors. It is an excellent choice for those looking to buy a great-looking monitor that does the basics right.

5. Lenovo D24-20 23.8″ Work+Play Near Edgeless Monitor

Lenovo provides some well-designed monitors at an affordable price. Starting with design the bezels are thin on three sides except for the bottom bezel with the branding. The stand has a round-shaped base for additional stability. The stand supports only tilt adjustment.

Lenovo uses a VA panel with a screen size of 23.8 inches. The resolution is FHD (1920x1080p). The refresh rate of the panel is 75Hz. The contrast ratio is low for a VA panel as it is only 1000:1. The rated viewing angles though are good at 178 degrees. The 4ms response time is at the faster mode and the typical response time is 6ms. The colour accuracy is great with coverage of 72% of the NTSC colour space.

The feature list is also quite good. It is TUV certified for eye comfort which means that it has very less blue light emissions. This directly leads to a more comfortable viewing experience. The monitor is also flicker-free. It also supports AMD free sync for tear-free gaming.

The connectivity is decent with 1x HDMI, 1x VGA and an audio port. Acer provides 3 years of warranty. The D24-20 is a good 24-inch monitor choice for people looking for an all-round monitor with a good design. It also has great colour accuracy to go by.

6. BenQ GL2480 24″ Eye-Care LED Monitor

BenQ is a well-established player in the value-for-money monitor space. The GL2480 is no different with some great features on offer. The design is quite outdated with thick bezels on all sides. Despite the thicker bezels, they are symmetrical. The stand has a rectangular base but offers very limited adjustment.

The monitor uses a TN panel and the size is 24 inches. TN panels have their advantages and disadvantages. The refresh rate of the monitor is 75Hz. Response times are excellent at 1ms. The brightness maxes out at 250 nits and the contrast ratio is also decent at 1000:1. The monitors also cover 75% of the NTSC colour space. The viewing angles suffer a bit as it is a TN panel.

BenQ provides a load of features. Their brightness intelligence technology returns in this monitor. It uses an ambient light sensor to dynamically adjust the brightness and colour temperature. It has a low blue light and zero flicker technology. This combined with ePaper mode helps in excellent viewing comfort. The colour weakness mode mutes down certain colours.

The connectivity is pretty good with 1 x HDMI, 1x VGA and 1 x DVI ports. The Gl2480 is a great choice for those looking for eye comfort for long use and low response times.

7. Dell 21.5 inch Full HD Monitor (E2219HN)

Dell being one of the major players in the monitor space provide multiple offerings in a similar price bracket. This monitor is from the essential series. So, they focus on providing just the essentials. The design is simply put outdated. The bezels are very thick but are symmetrical on all four sides.

The stand offers good stability with the rectangular base but the adjustment is limited. The stand only supports tilt. They also monitor offers VESA mount 100 x 100mm support.

The monitor uses an IPS panel with a size of 21.5 inches. The resolution is FHD (1920x1080p). The refresh rate of the monitor is 60Hz. Response times are very high at 14ms. Brightness is average at around 250 nits. The contrast ratio is 1000:1. The viewing angles are great as it is an IPS panel. The viewing angles are rated at 178 degrees.

As the monitor is rated as essential there aren’t much in the way of features. It has the dell comfort view for the reduced blue light emission. There is an antiglare 3H hard coating to help with the viewing angles of the monitor.

Connectivity is quite limited. It only has 1 x HDMI and 1 x VGA port. The monitor does not come with any inbuilt speakers. The EE2219HN is a decent choice if you are looking for a monitor that does the essentials right. It is also a good choice for those looking for a hassle-free after-sales experience.

8. PHILIPS 221S8LHSB/94 21.5″ Smart Image LED Monitor

Philips returns at it once again with the 221S8. The design is quite unremarkable with not so thin but uniform bezels all around. The stand has a circular base but offers very limited adjustment. But the monitor supports a VESA mount which is a bonus.

Philips uses a 21.5-inch TN panel with the monitor. It has a resolution of FHD (1920x1080p). The refresh rate of the monitor is 60Hz. The response times are excellent at 1ms. Brightness and contrast are average at 250 nits and 1000:1. The monitor also covers 72% NTSC colour gamut. The viewing angles are limited as it a TN panel. It has 170 degrees of horizontal and 160 degrees of vertical viewing angle.

The monitor has a decent array of features. The monitor is TCO certified. It has an antiglare coating rated at 3H to reduce reflections. The monitor is also flicker-free. It has picture enhancement and easy read mode from other Philips monitors. The monitor also has an sRGB colour mode. The monitor has AMD free sync for a tear-free experience.

The connectivity is limited with only 1 x VGA and 1 x HDMI port. It also has an audio out port. The 221S8 is a great choice for those looking to buy a budget monitor with a 1ms response time and free sync.

9. AOC 24B2XH 23.8″ Ultra Slim Monitor

AOC is a brand focused on providing the best value for money products. The AOC 24B2XH is one such monitor with good specs and design. The design is very good with thin bezels on all the sides with a thicker bezel on the bottom. The stand has a squarish base for additional stability. The stand though offers very limited adjustment. The monitor also comes with wall mount support.

AOC uses an IPS panel measuring 23.8 inches. The resolution is FHD (1920x1080p). The refresh rate of the monitor is 75Hz but the response time is quite slow at 8ms. The colour accuracy is excellent good covering 90% of the NTSC and 106% of the sRGB space. The brightness maxes at around 250 nits and the contrast ratio is decent at 1000:1. Viewing angles are also good covering 178 degrees.

The monitor comes with quite a few useful features. The e-saver mode helps in automating the power consumption and leads to reduced electric costs over time. The monitor is also flicker-free and has a low blue light mode for increased viewing comfort. There is also an inbuilt multitasking function.

Connectivity is limited with 1 x HDMI and 1 x VGA port. It also comes with an audio port. The AOC 24B2XH is an excellent choice for content creators. It has excellent colour accuracy with a great design and is also a great option for content consumption.

10. HP 21.5 inch Full HD Anti Glare Surveillance Monitor – 2QU15AA

HP makes office monitors in all the price segments it competes in. The HP 2QU15 is marketed as a surveillance monitor for office use. It is also a good choice for people looking to buy a monitor for home office use. The design of the monitor is utilitarian with quite thick bezels and an all-black design. As it is a surveillance monitor it is also wall-mountable despite the stand that offers very limited adjustment.

HP uses a 21.5-inch TN panel with the monitor. The resolution is FHD (1920x1080p) and the refresh rate is 60Hz. The response time clocks in at 5ms. The colour accuracy should be good enough for normal use. The contrast ratio is average at 1000:1. HP could have used an IPS panel with the monitor. TN panels have pretty limited viewing angles.

The monitor does not provide any additional features. It has an antiglare coating for better viewing angles. The monitor is designed to consume very less power. This adds up to lower power consumption and electricity costs over a limited time.

Connectivity is decent with 1 x VGA and 1 x HDMI port. This monitor is focused on low power consumption and surveillance. It is an excellent choice for those use cases as it is exclusively tailored towards those use cases.

11. Philips 22 inch VA Monitor – 221V8/94

Philips is not the first name that comes to mind when you think of monitors. It especially focuses on the lower end of the price spectrum. It should be said that the 221V8 is an underrated offering. The design of the monitor is good. The bezels are thin all around with a thicker chin. It has a round stand base. The adjustment is limited with only tilt.

Philips uses a VA panel with a resolution of FHD (1920x1080p) and the size is 21.5 inches. The refresh rate of the monitor is 75Hz. Brightness is very low at just 200 nits. The contrast ratio is amazing at 4000:1. It is one of the monitors with the highest contrast ratio be it any price segment. The response time of the monitor is 4ms GtG. The rated viewing angles are good at 178 degrees. Philips states that the monitor covers a wider sRGB colour space.

There are quite a lot of useful features with the monitor. It comes with a 3H antiglare coating to compensate for the lower brightness. As the monitor has a wide contrast ratio it has a smart contrast feature where it adjusts the contrast ratio dynamically. The monitor is also flicker-free. It combined with low blue mode helps in reducing eyestrain. AMD adaptive sync helps in a smooth tear-free experience while gaming.

Connectivity is decent with 1 x VGA, 1 x HDMI and an audio out port. The monitor comes with both HDMI and VGA cables in the box. Philips provides you with 3 years of warranty. The 221V8 is a perfect choice for media consumption with amazing contrast and a good set of features. It is an even better choice for those in dimly lit rooms.