Best Telescope Under $100 (Top 5 Low-Priced Options)

Looking for the best telescope under $100, and not sure where to start? You’ve come to the right place! The most important thing to know is that the best telescope for you is the one that you will use and have fun with. The $100 price point is certainly sufficient to try out whether you’re interested in astronomy, enjoy views of the moon and also have an extremely portable option to bird watch or throw in a pack and take camping or hiking. We’re excited you’re getting interested in astronomy and hope this guide helps you get off to a great start.

Of course, with telescopes, as with many things, you get what you pay for. Telescopes under $100 are not going to offer top notch images or a lot of room for product differentiation. There are a lot of solid brands, white label products and options in this range, and so we’ve focused our recommendations on the most trusted names (Celestron, Orion and Meade) as a proxy for the highest quality in the category.

We would also recommend checking out our recommendations for the best telescope for kids and for the best telescopes under $200.  This will give you a few more options to compare with, in our opinion, the 5 best telescopes under $100 set out below.

(Before we begin, please note that product pricing, price categories and availability are accurate as of the date of this post, but are subject to change. This post includes the author’s opinion, based on research and experience, of the “best” or “top” telescopes in this category; the opinions of others may vary.)

Our Take on the Best Telescopes Under $100 (Top 5 Recommendations)

Orion 10033 FunScope 76mm Tabletop Reflector Telescope

Image Credit: Orion (Used with Permission)

If you’re looking for a tabletop telescope to try out astronomy from home, we can recommend the Orion 10033 FunScope. The Orion 10033 FunScope makes a good purchase for kids or family viewing, with a low price and lightweight (only 4 pounds). The scope is sufficiently powerful to see craters on the Moon, bright planets in our solar system, and brighter sparkling star clusters and nebulas.  It’s a great beginner telescope option on a very small budget.

The telescope includes a 76mm optic that allows 60% more light than a 60mm aperture.  It comes with two Kellner eyepieces as well as the Orion Moon Map 260. The short focal length allows for a very wide field of view, and the moon map will help you find and identify features of the Moon. Keep in mind this is meant for tabletop viewing, so while lightweight, it’s not as flexible as some of the other best telescopes under $100.

Scorecard – Orion 10033 FunScope 76mm Tabletop Reflector Telescope

Why We Like It

The Orion 10033 Funscope is one of the best telescopes under $100, particularly for tabletop viewing and family enjoyment.

The ultra-wide field of view makes it fun, and you can get some good views of constellations and astronomical objects. The trade-off with the wide field is less ability to zoom in on planets and smaller objects of course.

Also, while very light, this tabletop scope is not the most versatile of the bunch.  Overall, we can highly recommend this scope, particularly if you are looking to share with family or kids.

Image Credit: Brian Taylor / TelescopeGuide.org

Pros

• Great tabletop option for introduction to astronomy
• Very user / child friendly
• Lower price

Cons

• Limited astronomical use beyond observing the moon

Orion SpaceProbe II 76mm Alt-Azimuth Reflector Telescope

Image Credit: Orion (Used with Permission)

This alt-azimuth mounted telescope is an easy way to get started with stargazing.  With its 3″ aperture and 700mm focal length, it provides sharp views. You can see not just the moon and planets, but star clusters and nebulae.

The telescope comes with two Kellner eyepieces (25mm and 10mm, for 28x and 70x magnification, respectively), plus a red-dot reflex sight, 1.25″ rack-and-pinion focuser, and Orion’s MoonMap 260.

Orion GoScope III 70mm Refractor Travel Telescope

Image Credit: Orion (Used with Permission)

The Orion GoScope III is all about portability. It offers a lightweight (4.2 lbs) 70mm option that you can grab, pack in the carrying case / backpack (included) and head outdoors with. A couple hours of stargazing or daytime exploration could not be easier.  The telescope is great for hiking, camping and easy portability. It comes with a rugged that backpack holds the telescope, tripod and all accessories.

The Orion GoScope III is just as good for daytime birdwatching as observing the moon at night. It includes a 5×24 finder scope for easy aiming and two 1.25″ telescope eyepieces (20mm and 9mm). The standard Orion MoonMap 260 seen with other Orion options also helps you learn the lunar features. The GoScope is definitely one of the contenders for the best telescope under $100 when considering the complete package.

Scorecard – Orion GoScope III 70mm Refractor Travel Telescope

Why We Like It

The Orion GoScope III 70mm Refractor is a versatile option, and comes with a good set of accessories.  It’s ideal for travelling, hiking and camping given its ultra-lightweight build. It excels at daytime bird watching, studying nature, and long-distance viewing. After the sun goes down, it of course is perfect for nighttime stargazing and Moon-watching.

The scope comes with a 70mm-aperture achromatic lens, finder scope, retractable aluminum tripod, prism diagonal, anti-reflection coated 1.25″ Kellner eyepieces (20mm and 9mm), as well as the standard Orion MoonMap.

Pros

• Great option for portability and exploration
• Good accessories like the Orion Moon Map and backback
• Can be used for bird watching and daytime viewing
• Lower price

Cons

• Limited astronomical use beyond observing the moon
• Not the best mount on the list

Orion Observer 60mm AZ Refractor & Starter Kit

Image Credit: Orion (Used with Permission)

The Orion Observer 60mm AZ refractor telescope comes with a lot of beginner-friendly material to help you get started in the world of astronomy. This includes the standard Orion Moon Map 260 as well as an Exploring the Cosmos book and a Star Target planisphere star chart, which can identify what’s in the sky at any point throughout the calendar year. Reading through the books that Orion provides is a great way to get used to the terminology of space exploration. The telescope itself uses a 60mm refractor with basic 25mm and 10mm eyepieces.

Pros

• Lots of fun accessories
• Easy to setup and use
• Can be used for daytime viewing
• Lower price

Cons

• Limited astronomical use beyond observing the moon

Meade Instruments Infinity 50mm Refractor Telescope

The Meade Instruments Inifity 50mm Refractor Telescope offers you a flexible, low priced option in Meade’s great entry-level refracting telescope family.  We would encourage you to consider Meade along with Celestron and Orion for quality telescopes in the lowest priced category.  The Meade Infinity line, inluding the 50mm option, is a solid choice for someone seeking a single scope to stargaze, bird watch and view other terrestrial objects.

Scorecard – Meade Instruments Infinity 50mm Refractor Telescope

Why We Like It

We encourage beginners to review a variety of telescope brands before making a decision. The Meade Instruments family of Infinity telescopes is a great place to start when looking for the best telescope under $100.  We like the flexibility (ultra-portable at less than 3 lbs) and solid optics of the 50mm option. Meade also provides a one-year factory warranty.

The Meade Instruments Inifity 50mm Refractor comes with a great set of starter accessories and features. These include a simple altazimuth mount, dual slow-motion control knobs, three 1.25″ eyepieces (SR 4mm (150X), H 12mm (50X) and H 20mm (30X)), red dot viewfinder, diagonal mirror, full size tripod, 50 mm lens and 600mm focal length, as well as AutoStar Suite PC compatible DVD astronomy software to help map the night sky.

The Meade Instruments Infinity 50mm Refractor is not terribly high-powered, but it has the performance to view the moon and other solar system objects, and double as a daytime scope when you’re hiking or c

amping by using the diagonal mirror. If you need more power, you can always check out one of the slightly higher end models (e.g., 60mm or 70mm models and still fall in the same price ballpark – for example: See it on Amazon.com).  Overall, one of the best telescopes under $100 for stargazing at night and exploring / bird watching during the day!

Pros

• Good company known for solid products in the Inifity line
• Ultra-portable and ultra-lightweight at under 3 lbs.
• All the accessories you need

Cons

• Not for high-powered viewing
• For daytime viewing, it’s recommend to purchase an erecting prism: See it on Amazon.com

Additional Options (If Your Budget is a Little Higher or Lower)

Honorable Mention #1: Celestron 70mm Portable Refractor Telescope Travel Scope

In our opinion, the best travel telescope in its price range.  You’ll love this ultra-portable telescope that has everything you need for viewing on the go.  Celestron’s 70mm travel scope is one of the most popular telescopes on the internet and for good reason.  With its all-glass optics and 70mm aperture, it packs plenty of light collection and magnification ability for the beginner, and the refractor design makes it simple and easy to use.

If you have a little more money to spend you might consider the 80mm instead as it’s slightly brighter and includes a smartphone mount – but you really can’t go wrong with the 70mm at its price point!

Scorecard – Celestron 70mm Travel Scope

Why We Like It

The top reason to buy this 70mm Celestron travel telescope is for portability. Weighing in at 3.3 lbs. (seriously!), the telescope and all its accessories (even the tripod) packs easily into a custom canvas backpack so you can take it anywhere.  It’s easily one of the most versatile telescopes for traveling, hiking, camping, and many other activities where you need a light, compact, easy-to-setup telescope that you can pack up and and carry just about anywhere.

Additionally, it comes with a good set of starter accessories, including two eyepieces (20mm and 10mm), an erect image star diagonal, a finder scope, full-height adjustable tripod, and of course the traveling backpack.  Additionally, the mount is Alt-Azimuth, which is ideal for a traveling scope.

It’s not the highest-powered telescope in the world, with magnification of 20x to 40x using the included eyepieces – but that’s plenty for viewing the moon, other solar system objects, planets, and star clusters.  Plus, with the star diagonal you can use it as a spotting telescope in the daylight.  (So, if you’re hiking, you can use this telescope anytime – you can admire nature and wildlife during the day, then stargaze at night!)  The optics are fully-coated glass and the telescope is backed by Celestron’s two-year warranty, so you can buy with confidence in Celestron’s quality and support.

Overall, this is an incredibly popular telescope because it’s hard to beat the value offered at this price point.

Pros

• Designed for “on the go” viewing
• Ultra-portable and ultra-lightweight at just 3.3 lbs.
• All the accessories you need including tripod and travel backpack

Cons

• Not for high-powered viewing
• Does not include the smartphone mount like the 80mm Celestron travel scope

Honorable Mention #2: Celestron 21041 PowerSeeker 60AZ Telescope 

Another great beginner option from Celestron, the 21041 60mm PowerSeeker provides decent power and versatility into a compact package.  This makes the Celestron 21041 PowerSeeker one of the more popular telescope lines in this price category.

Celestron intended this telescope to be the perfect introductory scope for the new beginner or youth. They wanted to combine good construction, a variety of features and quality optics into a high value package. In our view, they hit the mark.

Scorecard – Celestron 21041 PowerSeeker 60AZ Telescope

Why We Like It

The Celestron 21041 PowerSeeker 60AZ works great for adults and kids alike. Its compact form factor comes lightweight for high portability. The assembled weight reaches about 7.5 lbs. This is definitely a telescope you could port around camping, hiking and adventuring outdoors. Celestron packed a lot of features in with the PowerSeeker 60AZ. The 60mm lens and 700mm focal length provide good quality images for the price point. 

The telescope comes with two eyepieces (20mm and 4mm), an erect image diagonal, an alt-azimuth adjustable mount, and a finderscope. It also comes with an amazing 3x Barlow lens (more than we usually see in this price range), which will triple the magnification power of each eyepiece.

Additionally, Celestron provides a free downloadable version of top-rated astronomy software, and wraps the entire thing in Celestron’s fantastic two-year warranty with unlimited access to technical support.  It’s also possible to purchase the Celestron 21041 PowerSeeker 60AZ with a basic smartphone adapter, allowing for some basic astrophotography and added fun.

Like the others in the category of best telescope under $100 (or around that ballpark), the Celestron 21041 PowerSeeker 60AZ is not going to win any power records. That said, considering the features/accessories, quality, versatility and Celestron warranty that come with this package, we believe the Celestron 21041 PowerSeeker 60AZ to be a clear favorite in its price range.

Pros

• Good construction and images for the price
• Very portable and lightweight at around 7.5 lbs.
• Comes with a great barlow lens and other good features
• Can be purchased with a smartphone adapter: See it on Amazon.com

Cons

• Not for high-powered viewing

Honorable Mention #3: Celestron FirstScope

The Celestron FirstScope is a great choice if you’re looking for something small and portable the whole family can use. Its compact, lightweight construction means it can be easily carried and transported almost anywhere, while the Dobsonian mount makes it easy for anyone to use.  Observers only need to turn the scope from side to side or up and down in order to aim the scope at a target.

Image Credit: Richard Bartlett / TelescopeGuide.org

The Celestron FirstScope is meant to be an entry-level telescope for anyone just beginning the hobby. Unlike similar scopes, it’s designed to be used straight out of the box, with little or no set-up necessary.

However, there are a few limitations. Firstly, this is not a powerful telescope. It has a very short focal length – just 300mm – and that, coupled with its small 76mm aperture, means it’s not capable of high magnifications. (Celestron state the maximum usable magnification is 180x, but I would halve that.)

The only accessories supplied with the scope are the two eyepieces. Surprisingly, there’s no finderscope, which is both confusing and frustrating as a finderscope is pretty essential. There are, however, screws on the telescope that will allow a finderscope to be attached – you just have to buy one first.

(For more on this one, see our full review of the Celestron FirstScope.)

Scorecard – Celestron FirstScope

Pros

• Compact, lightweight and very portable
• Very easy to use (with a finder)
• Decent quality views (with decent eyepieces)
• Good value for money

Cons

• No finderscope
• Poor quality eyepieces
• Inability to collimate the mirror
• Limitations in what you can see

Final Thoughts: Best Telescope Under $100

While it’s challenging to find a good telescope in this price range, it’s possible to find one that helps you get started with astronomy.  Even on a tight budget, we still recommend you stick with brands like Orion, Celestron, and Meade, like the ones we’ve included in this article.

In general, the size of the aperture, combined with ease of use, are perhaps the most important considerations.  70mm and above will give you brighter images; and an alt-azimuth or tabletop mount will be easiest to work with as you’re getting started.  The 50-60mm refractors in this article are decent choices in this price range if you’re primarily interested in lunar and planetary viewing.

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Feature Image Credit: ClaudioVentrella / iStock