Best Telescopes Under $100 in 2026: 8 Picks and What They Show

The best telescope under $100 is the Celestron Travel Scope 70, a 70mm refractor with two eyepieces, a full-height tripod, a backpack and a 2-year US warranty. For the most aperture $100 buys, get the Koolpte 80/600. For a child under 8, get the Celestron FirstScope Moon, a tabletop scope with nothing to set up. For the smallest scope, get the Sarblue Mak60. All eight picks below cost under $100 on Amazon on October 11, 2026. Four of them sell within about $10 of the cap, so check the price before you buy.

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Tell the finder who the telescope is for, what you want to see and where you will use it. It ranks the eight telescopes for you and shows what each one shows of Jupiter, Saturn and the Moon.

What a telescope under $100 can and can’t do

One hundred dollars buys a lens or mirror 50mm to 80mm wide. That is enough for the Moon, the bright planets and a few bright star clusters. It is not enough for galaxies or nebulae, which need 130mm or more. The table shows what each size shows on an average night from a suburb.

Target	50-60mm	70-80mm
Moon	Craters and peaks	Fine craters and valleys
Jupiter	Disc and 4 moons	2 cloud belts, 4 moons
Saturn	Tiny ringed oval	Rings clear of the planet
Mars	Orange dot	Small orange disc
Orion Nebula	Faint glow	Glow with some shape
Andromeda	Faint smudge	Oval smudge, no arms

Five things are out of reach under $100. No telescope at this price finds objects for you with an app or a motor; the cheapest app-guided scope costs about $200. None tracks the sky, so long-exposure photos are out. The Great Red Spot on Jupiter and the dark markings on Mars are beyond 80mm on most nights. Every tripod in this price range shakes when you touch it. And a 70mm scope shows Jupiter small: at its sharp limit of about 105x, Jupiter looks about two and a half times the size of the full Moon to the naked eye. Our article on what a 70mm telescope shows has photos of these views, and the telescope simulator lets you compare them with larger scopes.

If those limits rule out what you want to see, a bigger budget buys a different kind of telescope. The best telescopes under $200 include app-guided scopes and 90mm refractors, and the best telescopes under $500 include 6-inch Dobsonians that show galaxies.

The best telescopes under $100

The eight picks fall into three price tiers: under $80, $80 to $94 and $95 to $99. Prices come from the Amazon US buy box on October 11, 2026.

Best under $100: Celestron Travel Scope 70

The Travel Scope 70 is the best telescope under $100 because it is the one branded scope at this price with a full kit: a 70mm f/5.7 lens, 20mm and 10mm eyepieces (20x and 40x), a finderscope, a star diagonal, a full-height tripod and a backpack that holds all of it. Celestron backs it with a 2-year US warranty, and more than 14,000 Amazon buyers rate it 4.2 stars.

The 400mm focal length gives a wide view that frames the whole Moon and bright clusters such as the Pleiades. The short lens also adds a purple fringe around bright objects, and the light tripod shakes at 40x and above. Use it at low power and add a 6mm or 9mm eyepiece later for planets. The list price is $119.95; at $89.99 it is a discount, and the scope leaves this guide when the discount ends. Our travel telescope guide covers it against larger portable scopes.

Best under $100

Best for: First-time buyers and families who want a branded scope that packs into a backpack

Aperture

70 mm (Refractor)

Focal length

400 mm (f/5.7)

Sharp power

About 105x

Mount

Alt-azimuth tripod

Eyepieces

20 mm and 10 mm (20x, 40x)

Also in the box

Backpack, finderscope, star diagonal

Best used

Balcony, backyard, travel

Shows best

Moon, deep sky

Price tier

$80 to $94

What you will see: Sharp up to about 105x. At 105x Jupiter looks about 2.5 times the size of the full Moon. The Moon is crisp at every power. Jupiter shows its two main cloud belts and four moons. Saturn shows its rings clear of the planet. No gap in the rings and no Great Red Spot.

A 70mm Celestron refractor with two eyepieces, a full-height tripod and a backpack.

Pros

• Celestron 2-year US warranty and US-based support
• Tube, tripod and eyepieces pack into the included backpack
• The star diagonal gives an upright view, so it also works as a spotting scope
• More than 14,000 Amazon reviews at 4.2 stars

Cons

• The light tripod shakes at 40x and above
• The short f/5.7 lens puts a purple fringe on the edge of the Moon and bright planets
• List price is $119.95; at that price it leaves this guide

$89.99 on Amazon on 2026-10-11, down from a $119.95 list price. Check the price before you buy.

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Most aperture under $100: Koolpte 80/600

The Koolpte 80/600 is the largest lens you can buy new for under $100. Its 80mm aperture gathers about 30% more light than a 70mm, and its longer f/7.5 focal ratio shows less color fringing than the f/5.7 scopes. That makes it the best of the refractors here on Jupiter and Saturn: at about 120x, Saturn’s rings stand clear of the planet and the moon Titan sits beside it.

The kit holds 25mm and 10mm eyepieces (24x and 60x), a 3x Barlow, a 5×24 finderscope, a phone adapter, a remote and a carry bag. Koolpte is an unbranded import also sold as Hexeum, so quality varies more than with Celestron. The Barlow on the 10mm eyepiece gives 180x, past what the lens can show; leave it off for planets.

Most aperture under $100

Best for: Older kids and adults who want the biggest lens $100 buys

Aperture

80 mm (Refractor)

Focal length

600 mm (f/7.5)

Sharp power

About 120x

Mount

Alt-azimuth tripod

Eyepieces

25 mm and 10 mm (24x, 60x), 3x Barlow

Also in the box

Finderscope, phone adapter, remote, carry bag

Best used

Backyard, travel

Shows best

Moon, planets, deep sky

Price tier

$80 to $94

What you will see: Sharp up to about 120x. At 120x Jupiter looks about 3 times the size of the full Moon. The Moon fills the view with detail. Jupiter shows two cloud belts and four moons. Saturn shows its rings and its largest moon, Titan. The gap in the rings shows only on the steadiest nights.

Pros

• 80mm gathers about 30% more light than a 70mm
• The f/7.5 lens shows less color fringing than the f/5.7 scopes
• Finderscope, phone adapter, remote and carry bag in the box

Cons

• Unbranded: quality varies from unit to unit
• The 3x Barlow pushes past the sharp limit; about 120x is the real ceiling
• The longer tube and taller tripod need more room than a Travel Scope

Also sold under the Hexeum name. $90.24 on 2026-10-11, down from a $139.99 list price.

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Best for young kids: Celestron FirstScope Moon

The FirstScope Moon is a 76mm tabletop reflector with Moon artwork on the tube. It comes out of the box ready to use. A child turns the tube by hand on its low base, and there is no tripod to knock over. Celestron’s 2-year US warranty covers it.

The 20mm eyepiece gives 15x and frames the whole Moon. The 4mm eyepiece gives 75x, which is the limit of the short f/3.9 spherical mirror. It needs a table, a stool or a car hood to stand on, and it has no finderscope, so you aim by sighting along the tube. It is the same telescope as the FirstScope 76, which now sells for more. For more scopes like it, see our best tabletop telescopes and our picks for children 5 and under.

Best for young kids

Best for: Children under 8, and anyone who wants a scope that sits on a table with no setup

Aperture

76 mm (Newtonian reflector)

Focal length

300 mm (f/3.9)

Sharp power

About 75x

Mount

Tabletop

Eyepieces

20 mm and 4 mm (15x, 75x)

Also in the box

No finderscope

Best used

Balcony, backyard

Shows best

Moon, deep sky

Price tier

Under $80

What you will see: Sharp up to about 75x. At 75x Jupiter looks about 2 times the size of the full Moon. The Moon is crisp at every power. Jupiter shows its two main cloud belts and four moons. Saturn shows its rings clear of the planet. No gap in the rings and no Great Red Spot.

Pros

• Nothing to assemble: lift it out of the box and look
• The low, stable base is easy for a small child to reach and turn
• Celestron 2-year US warranty
• The 15x eyepiece takes in the whole Moon

Cons

• Needs a table, a stool or a car hood to stand on
• No finderscope: you aim by sighting along the tube
• The 4mm eyepiece (75x) is at the limit of what the mirror can show

Same tube and base as the FirstScope 76, which now sells for more. The spherical f/3.9 mirror turns soft above about 75x.

Check price on Amazon

Most compact: Sarblue Mak60

The Sarblue Mak60 folds a 750mm focal length into a tube 20cm long. A Maksutov-Cassegrain uses a curved lens and a mirror, so it shows no color fringe and suits the Moon and planets. It weighs 1.1kg with its tabletop tripod and fits in a daypack. The included star diagonal gives an upright view, so it works by day on birds and boats.

It ships with one 20mm eyepiece (37.5x). Add a 10mm eyepiece for 75x on planets. The narrow field makes it harder to aim by hand than the refractors, and its 60mm aperture shows little beyond the Moon, planets and double stars. At $99.99 it sits one cent under the cap. Read about Maksutov and Newtonian telescopes for the tradeoffs.

Most compact

Best for: Adults who want a small, sharp scope for the Moon, planets and daytime viewing

Aperture

60 mm (Maksutov-Cassegrain)

Focal length

750 mm (f/12.5)

Sharp power

About 90x

Mount

Tabletop

Eyepieces

20 mm (37.5x)

Also in the box

Tabletop tripod, star diagonal, phone adapter

Best used

Balcony, travel

Shows best

Moon, planets

Price tier

$95 to $99

What you will see: Sharp up to about 90x. At 90x Jupiter looks about 2.5 times the size of the full Moon. The Moon is crisp at every power. Jupiter shows its two main cloud belts and four moons. Saturn shows its rings clear of the planet. No gap in the rings and no Great Red Spot.

Pros

• The tube is 20cm long and weighs 1.1kg
• The Maksutov design shows no color fringe
• The long 750mm focal length suits the Moon and planets
• The diagonal gives an upright view for daytime use

Cons

• One eyepiece (37.5x); a 10mm eyepiece adds 75x
• The narrow field makes it harder to aim by hand
• 60mm shows little beyond the Moon, planets and double stars

$99.99 on 2026-10-11, one cent under the cap. A small price change takes it out of this guide.

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Best kit for older kids: Koolpte 70/500

The Koolpte 70/500 is a 70mm refractor with a 500mm focal length, which gives 50x with the included 10mm eyepiece against 40x on the 400mm scopes. The box holds a 25mm eyepiece, a 3x Barlow, a finderscope, a phone adapter, a remote and a carry case. That is the most complete kit here for a child of 8 to 13, who can take Moon photos with a phone from the first night. See our telescopes for 10-year-olds for more options at that age.

Best kit for older kids

Best for: Kids 8 to 13 who want a complete kit with a phone adapter

Aperture

70 mm (Refractor)

Focal length

500 mm (f/7.1)

Sharp power

About 105x

Mount

Alt-azimuth tripod

Eyepieces

25 mm and 10 mm (20x, 50x), 3x Barlow

Also in the box

Finderscope, phone adapter, remote, carry case

Best used

Backyard, travel

Shows best

Moon, planets

Price tier

$80 to $94

What you will see: Sharp up to about 105x. At 105x Jupiter looks about 2.5 times the size of the full Moon. The Moon is crisp at every power. Jupiter shows its two main cloud belts and four moons. Saturn shows its rings clear of the planet. No gap in the rings and no Great Red Spot.

Pros

• The 500mm focal length gives 50x with the 10mm eyepiece
• Carry case, phone adapter and remote in the box
• About 3,700 Amazon reviews at 4.3 stars

Cons

• Unbranded optics: quality varies from unit to unit
• The 3x Barlow pushes past the sharp limit
• Light tripod: touch it and the view shakes

$84.49 on 2026-10-11.

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Most reviewed: Gskyer 70/400

The Gskyer 70/400 has more than 22,000 Amazon reviews at 4.3 stars, the longest track record of any generic telescope. It uses the same 70mm f/5.7 optics as the Travel Scope 70 and adds a 3x Barlow, a phone adapter, a remote and a bag that holds the telescope and tripod. It costs more than the Travel Scope and has no brand warranty behind it, so buy it when the Travel Scope is out of stock or over $100.

Most reviewed

Best for: Buyers who trust a long review record more than a brand name

Aperture

70 mm (Refractor)

Focal length

400 mm (f/5.7)

Sharp power

About 105x

Mount

Alt-azimuth tripod

Eyepieces

25 mm and 10 mm (16x, 40x), 3x Barlow

Also in the box

Finderscope, phone adapter, remote, carry bag

Best used

Backyard, travel

Shows best

Moon, deep sky

Price tier

$95 to $99

What you will see: Sharp up to about 105x. At 105x Jupiter looks about 2.5 times the size of the full Moon. The Moon is crisp at every power. Jupiter shows its two main cloud belts and four moons. Saturn shows its rings clear of the planet. No gap in the rings and no Great Red Spot.

Pros

• More than 22,000 reviews at 4.3 stars
• The telescope and tripod fit in the included bag
• The wide 16x view frames the Moon and bright star clusters

Cons

• Same 70/400 optics as the Travel Scope 70 for more money
• The f/5.7 lens shows color around bright objects
• Generic build: quality varies from unit to unit

$96.99 on 2026-10-11, down from a $129.99 list price. It sits close to the cap.

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Cheapest Celestron: PowerSeeker 50AZ

The PowerSeeker 50AZ is the cheapest telescope with Celestron’s warranty. Its long f/12 lens keeps color fringing low, and a slow-motion rod on the yoke mount makes small pointing moves easy. A 50mm lens gathers about half the light of a 70mm, so the Moon is its main target: Jupiter shows its four moons, and its cloud belts sit at the edge of what the scope can show. Buy it for a young child on a strict budget. Our 50mm telescope guide shows what to expect.

Cheapest Celestron

Best for: A small first telescope for a child on the tightest budget

Aperture

50 mm (Refractor)

Focal length

600 mm (f/12)

Sharp power

About 75x

Mount

Alt-azimuth tripod

Eyepieces

Four eyepieces, 3x Barlow

Also in the box

Finderscope, star diagonal

Best used

Balcony, backyard, travel

Shows best

Moon

Price tier

Under $80

What you will see: Sharp up to about 75x. At 75x Jupiter looks about 2 times the size of the full Moon. The Moon shows craters and mountains. Jupiter is a small disc with its four large moons; its cloud belts are hard to see. Saturn is a tiny oval with the rings just visible.

Pros

• Cheapest scope with Celestron’s 2-year US warranty
• The long f/12 lens keeps color fringing low
• The slow-motion rod makes small pointing moves easy

Cons

• 50mm gathers about half the light of a 70mm
• Jupiter’s cloud belts are at the edge of what it shows
• The high-power eyepieces promise more than the lens delivers

$59.99 on 2026-10-11.

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Cheapest 70mm: Amazon Basics 70/400

The Amazon Basics 70/400 is the cheapest 70mm refractor worth listing. Its kit matches the Gskyer: two eyepieces, a 3x Barlow, a finderscope, a phone adapter and a remote. Its listing says plainly that planets look like small points, which undersells it a little: at 40x Jupiter shows as a small disc with its moons. It has 3.6 stars from about 250 reviews, the weakest record here. For $27 more, the Travel Scope 70 adds a backpack and a warranty.

Cheapest 70mm

Best for: The lowest price for a 70mm lens, when the Moon is the main target

Aperture

70 mm (Refractor)

Focal length

400 mm (f/5.7)

Sharp power

About 105x

Mount

Alt-azimuth tripod

Eyepieces

20 mm and 10 mm (20x, 40x), 3x Barlow

Also in the box

Finderscope, phone adapter, remote

Best used

Backyard, travel

Shows best

Moon

Price tier

Under $80

What you will see: Sharp up to about 105x. At 105x Jupiter looks about 2.5 times the size of the full Moon. The Moon is crisp at every power. Jupiter shows its two main cloud belts and four moons. Saturn shows its rings clear of the planet. No gap in the rings and no Great Red Spot.

Pros

• Cheapest 70mm refractor in this guide
• Phone adapter and remote in the box
• The listing says plainly that planets look small

Cons

• 3.6 stars from about 250 reviews, the lowest rating here
• Same optics class as the Gskyer, with a far shorter track record
• Light tripod

$62.99 on 2026-10-11. For $27 more, the Travel Scope 70 adds a backpack and a warranty.

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Telescopes under $100 compared

Sharp power is the magnification each telescope holds before the view turns soft: about 1.5x the aperture in millimeters for these lenses and mirrors, and less for the FirstScope’s spherical mirror. The boxes print higher numbers. Scroll the table sideways on a phone.

How to choose a telescope under $100

Buy aperture, not magnification

Aperture, the width of the lens or mirror, decides how much a telescope shows. Magnification comes from the eyepiece and can be changed for $15. Boxes that promise 300x or 500x pair a tiny eyepiece with a Barlow lens. A 70mm scope tops out near 140x in theory and about 105x in practice. Our guide to the Barlow lens explains when one helps.

Pick a refractor unless the scope sits on a table

Six of the eight picks are refractors. A refractor needs no mirror alignment, keeps dust out of its sealed tube and works by day with a star diagonal. The FirstScope is the one reflector here, a tabletop scope with nothing to adjust, and the Mak60 is a sealed Maksutov that needs no adjusting either. Skip 114mm reflectors on tripods under $100: their mirrors and mounts are the weakest parts in the market. Read the pros and cons of refractors and of reflectors, or see every design in types of telescope.

Prefer a longer focal ratio for planets

The focal ratio is the focal length divided by the aperture. Short f/5.7 refractors give a wide view for the Moon and star clusters, with a purple fringe around bright planets. Longer f/7 to f/12 scopes, such as the Koolpte 80/600, the Mak60 and the PowerSeeker, show planets with less color. The article on achromatic and apochromatic refractors explains the fringe.

Branded or unbranded

Celestron sells three of the picks with a 2-year US warranty and US support. The Koolpte, Gskyer and Amazon Basics scopes come from generic factories, often under several names, and quality varies more from unit to unit. They make up for it with bigger kits: a Barlow, a phone adapter and a bag. Buy branded for a gift, and buy from Amazon so a bad unit goes back easily.

Skip the toys

Toy telescopes, such as the NASA Lunar Telescope and the GeoSafari Starview, are built for small hands rather than for the sky. They show the Moon and little else. For a young child, the FirstScope Moon costs a little more and shows far more.

When to spend more than $100

Spend more if you want galaxies and nebulae, if you want an app to show you where to point, or if the buyer is an adult who will use it for years. A 130mm tabletop Dobsonian shows the gap in Saturn’s rings, cloud bands on Jupiter and the shape of the Orion Nebula, and it costs about $200 to $300. Compare picks at every price in the best budget telescopes, or answer a few questions in the Telescope Finder.

Accessories for a telescope under $100

These five cost under $25 each and fix the usual gaps in a cheap kit.

A Moon filter makes the bright Moon comfortable to look at; see do you need a Moon filter. A better 10mm eyepiece is the first upgrade that changes the view.

Which telescope under $100 should you buy?

• Most buyers: Celestron Travel Scope 70.
• The best views of Jupiter and Saturn: Koolpte 80/600.
• A child under 8: Celestron FirstScope Moon.
• A child of 8 to 13: Koolpte 70/500.
• The smallest scope for a bag or a desk: Sarblue Mak60.
• The lowest price with a warranty: Celestron PowerSeeker 50AZ.

FAQ