Best Monitor Under $100 in 2026: Real Picks for Every Use Case

Quick Answer: The best monitor under $100 in 2026 is the Dell SE2425HM — a 23.8-inch 1920x1080 IPS panel running at 100Hz with TÜV Rheinland low-blue-light certification, typically around $90. For gaming, the Sceptre E225W-FW144 gets you a genuine 144Hz refresh rate for around $70, the ASUS VA24EHF is the best pick for office and eye comfort at around $95, the Sceptre E248W-19203R is the cheapest no-frills option at around $80, and the AOC C24G42E is the best budget curved gaming monitor at right around $99. All five clear the bar that matters most under $100: a real 1920x1080 panel with a refresh rate above the old 60Hz baseline.

Sub-$100 no longer means settling for a dated 60Hz panel. Per DisplayNinja’s budget-monitor testing, manufacturers at this price point standardize almost entirely around 1920x1080 resolution paired with high refresh rates, since 144Hz-and-up panels now reliably clear the $100 line where they used to start closer to $150. The trade-offs are predictable rather than painful: stands are nearly always tilt-only, DisplayPort is often missing in favor of HDMI and VGA, and 1440p or 4K resolution stays out of reach. We ranked the best monitors under $100 for general use, gaming, office work, and pure budget, and flagged exactly what each one cuts to hit the price.

Best monitors under $100 at a glance

1. Dell SE2425HM — Best Overall

The SE2425HM earns the top spot because it doesn’t feel like a compromise once you’re actually using it. You get a 23.8-inch IPS panel at 100Hz, a refresh rate that beats the old 60Hz budget-monitor standard by a wide margin, plus TÜV Rheinland ComfortView Plus certification that reduces blue light through hardware rather than a software filter that washes out color. Build quality and viewing angles are a step above typical sub-$100 panels, per DisplayNinja’s testing. The one thing to watch: only the HDMI input carries the full 100Hz, so if you’re using the VGA port for an older machine you’ll be capped at 75Hz. For a wider look at the resolution, see our best 1080p monitor guide.

2. Sceptre E225W-FW144 — Best Gaming Value

Stocking up on more than one budget monitor for a multi-screen setup? A free Amazon Prime trial gets you fast, free shipping on this whole list, which matters more than usual at this price point where shipping costs eat into the savings.

Few things illustrate how far budget gaming has come like this monitor: a genuine 144Hz refresh rate for around $70, a spec sheet that cost well over $150 just a few years ago. The 21.5-inch VA panel gives up some size and viewing-angle sharpness next to the IPS picks on this list, but the trade pays off in motion clarity, with a 1ms response time and AMD FreeSync keeping fast-paced games smooth and mostly tear-free. Built-in speakers are a genuine bonus at this price — most rivals skip them entirely. If 144Hz isn’t quite enough, compare it against our best 144Hz monitor and best gaming monitor under $200 guides for the next tier up.

3. ASUS VA24EHF — Best for Office & Eye Comfort

ASUS markets the VA24EHF as an “eye care” monitor, and the certifications back that up: a TÜV-certified flicker-free backlight and low-blue-light mode that don’t rely on a warm color cast to work. For anyone staring at spreadsheets, code, or documents all day, that matters more than raw speed. It still covers 99% sRGB for accurate color and runs at 100Hz, so it isn’t a compromise if you occasionally game on it too, and the frameless bezel design makes it a clean choice for a two- or three-monitor desk. Pair it with our best monitor for productivity or best monitor for eye strain guides if office comfort is your main priority.

4. Sceptre E248W-19203R — Cheapest No-Frills

Not everyone needs 100Hz-plus or eye-care certifications — sometimes you just need a working 24-inch screen for the least money possible, and that’s exactly what the E248W-19203R delivers at around $80. It sticks to a modest 75Hz refresh rate, but still covers 99% sRGB and throws in built-in speakers, so it’s a genuinely usable everyday display rather than a stripped bare-bones panel. Dual HDMI ports mean you can hook up two sources without an adapter. If your priority is simply the largest, cheapest usable screen, see our best budget monitor and best 24-inch monitor guides for more options at this size.

5. AOC C24G42E — Best Budget Curved Gaming

If you want the wrap-around feel of a curved screen without leaving the sub-$100 tier, the C24G42E is the pick, sitting right at the price ceiling for this list around $99. Its 1500R curved VA panel running at 180Hz with a 0.5ms MPRT response is a legitimately fast spec sheet for the money, and it’s one of the few budget monitors here with a real DisplayPort 1.4 input rather than HDMI-and-VGA only. AOC also backs it with a 3-year zero-bright-dot warranty, which is unusually generous at this price. The trade-off is a tilt-only stand and weaker built-in speakers, but for solo gaming in a dim room it’s the most immersive pick on this list. Compare it against flat options in our best curved monitor guide.

What actually matters in a monitor under $100

• Refresh rate has caught up to price. 100-180Hz is now realistic under $100, and even a genuine 144Hz panel (the Sceptre E225W-FW144) is available for around $70 — don’t settle for 60Hz unless it’s the absolute cheapest option you can find.
• Panel type still trades off the same way. IPS (Dell SE2425HM, ASUS VA24EHF) gives wider viewing angles and better color for office and general use; VA (Sceptre E225W-FW144, AOC C24G42E) gives deeper contrast, better suited to gaming and dark-room viewing.
• The stand is almost always the first cut. Expect tilt-only adjustment across this entire price tier — budget for a separate monitor arm if ergonomics matter to you.
• Check which input carries the full refresh rate. Several sub-$100 monitors, including the Dell SE2425HM, only hit their advertised refresh rate over HDMI, with VGA capped lower.
• 1920x1080 is the resolution to expect. 1440p and 4K stay out of reach at this price without a real trade-off elsewhere, so don’t chase resolution over refresh rate or panel type here.

Monitors under $100 by the numbers

• 144Hz for around $70. The Sceptre E225W-FW144 delivers a genuine 144Hz refresh rate at a price that would have only bought a 60-75Hz panel a few years ago, per current Amazon and Walmart pricing (up from roughly $65 earlier in 2026) — still the clearest sign of how far budget gaming monitors have come.
• From 16.7ms to about 5.6ms per frame. Moving from a 60Hz panel to the 180Hz AOC C24G42E cuts the time each frame stays on screen from roughly 16.7ms to about 5.6ms (1000 divided by refresh rate, the frame-time math popularized by Blur Busters), the difference you feel as smoother motion and less input lag.
• 1920x1080 dominates this tier. Per DisplayNinja’s budget-monitor coverage, manufacturers under $100 standardize almost universally on 1920x1080 resolution rather than 1440p, reserving the higher-resolution panels for pricier tiers.
• Two of five picks here include DisplayPort or dual HDMI, a connectivity level that used to be reserved for monitors well above $100 — a sign that ports, not just panels, have improved at the budget tier.

The bottom line

The Dell SE2425HM is the best monitor under $100 in 2026 — a 23.8-inch 1080p IPS panel at 100Hz with genuine low-blue-light certification that no rival matches at the price. Choose the Sceptre E225W-FW144 for the fastest, cheapest true 144Hz gaming panel, the ASUS VA24EHF for office and eye comfort, the Sceptre E248W-19203R if you just want the cheapest usable 24-inch screen, or the AOC C24G42E for an immersive curved gaming setup right at the $100 ceiling. Shopping a specific need? Read our best budget monitor, best 1080p monitor, and best gaming monitor under $200 guides, or compare panel types in our IPS vs VA monitor breakdown.