Looking for true wireless bluetooth earbuds on a budget?
Apple AirPods aren’t the only bluetooth wireless headphone that is stream lined and convenient.
Initially the airpods looked sort of odd – but they’ve really caught on.
Why do people love AirPods so much?
The fact that they are wire-free and that they are so easy to use has really revolutionized the earbud and headphone market.
They have excellent sound quality also.
But, they are very expensive.
Here are some cheaper alternatives to Apples Airpods.
These are also great if you have an Android phone – Airpods don’t work with Android.
Some of these are much cheaper and more affordable, and some are better in certain qualities (like sound quality).
We’re going to look at the best cheap airpod clones.
These inexpensive choices for those on a budget are gleaned from reddit and amazon.
Just remember, these are cheaper than the Apple Airpods for a reason – they are not going to be as nice.
These are not the cheapest options – but if you check the reviews on the really cheap headphones – you’ll see the headphones that are less than $45 or so have a LOT of problems – they stop working, they don’t charge, they don’t pair easily, etc.
Apple Airpods vs Bluetooth Earbuds
Airpods have a fancy name, but really there are a few key criteria that makes them what they are.
First of all they are earbuds – which means a headphone in a form factor that fits directly in your ear.
They are wireless and use Bluetooth technology. They pair with a variety of devices including iPhones and Apple Laptops.
They have easy to use controls – a variety of functions can be performed by simply tapping on the earbuds.
They have very good battery life – and come with a convenient carrying case which also functions as a charger.
We also recommend you find a pair with water resistance. Because these earbuds can fall out of your ears – or because you may be perspiring excessively – it is best to get water resistant ear buds.
To be clear – water resistant doesn’t mean waterproof. The IPX7 standard means you can immerse the item briefly in up to 3 feet of water and they should be undamaged.
IPX6 and below won’t be helpful for water immersion – so be careful not to drop them in the water.
The IPX6 rating does mean you should be OK with rain, sweatproof, etc.
Comfort is also important – they earbuds should stay in place and be comfortable for long wear.
This aspect of the earbud can be an individual thing – you may prefer one style over another strictly based on comfort.
Lastly, for earbuds they have very good sound quality.
Now that we understand what makes a good competitor to the airpod let’s look at some cheaper alternatives.
Before you buy earbuds – make sure you understand the difference between passive and active noise cancellation. A lot of vendors describe their product as “noise canceling” – but there is a difference between passive, active, and noise-canceling mics.
Our Top Pick For Airpod Alternative – the Anker Liberty Air Wireless Earphone
Let’s start with the winner of this competition – this is our TOP PICK.
The Soundcore Anker Liberty Air (Buy on Amazon) are not the cheapest option – but they are one of the best.
Anker’s Soundcore line is a brand that is known for making quality accessories – at a significantly cheaper price point.
Want the airpod look but have an Android phone?
Then this is one of your best options.
These also pack a lot of features into them – noise canceling mic, touch control, and more.
What can you do with the touch control?
Play/Pause, Answer Call/End Call, Next Track, Previous Track, and bring up the Voice Assistant.
You do these things by either one or two touches on the earbuds. For example, touch the right earbud for “next track” and the left earbud for “previous track”.
And they have a charging case – just like the airpods.
You can get about 5 hours of use from these earbuds, and up to 20 hours total from the charge case.
And, it’s a nice charging case – it holds the earbuds in magnetically , and closes with a magnet as well.
Anker has done their homework and tried to re-create the Air Pod experience as closely as possible (without infringing on Apple’s design).
And perhaps best of all – the Liberty Air come with a complete set of ear tips.
These fit snugly within your ear canal – to give you better sound isolation (“passive noise cancellation”).
But – it also means these have significantly better sound (especially bass) as compared to the Airpods.
This is a big plus for music lovers.
Don’t like the tight fit and feel of the ear tips? Take them off!
When used without the ear tips you’ll still get good sound – just without the bass.
- Incredible Sound Loved by 20 Million+ People
- Expertly Tuned Sound: Graphene drivers oscillate with extreme precision to deliver sound with pinpoint accuracy and clarity across a wider soundstage. aptX technology delivers consistently high-quality audio via Bluetooth.
- Calls with Exceptional Clarity: Liberty Air X wireless earphones are equipped with dual microphones and the latest cVc 8.0 noise reduction technology. Your voice is optimized while background noise is minimized—ensuring you sound louder and clearer on the other end.
- 28-Hour Total Playtime: A full 7 hours of listening on a single charge is extended to a huge 28 hours of playtime with the included charging case.
- Integrated Touch Control: Answer calls or play, pause, and skip music via the touchpad on Liberty Air X wireless earphones.
Don’t want the airpod-like aesthetic of all white color?
Good news – unlike the Airpod – the Liberty Air comes in black also (Buy on Amazon).
Still need convincing?
We have a full review of the Anker Soundcore Liberty Air vs Apple AirPods.
Let’s look at some other contenders for best cheap airpod alternative.
More Cheap Alternatives to Airpods
Don’t care whether the earbuds look like Air Pods , but want the quality and cost effectiveness of an Anker product?
Take a look at this model:
- Expertly Tuned Graphene Drivers: As graphene’s earliest pioneers, we have used our experience to create a new driver for Liberty Neo wireless earbuds that takes full advantage of the material’s remarkable properties. 100 times harder than steel and 35% lighter than traditional driver diaphragms, it oscillates with extreme precision to give your music a wider soundstage with exceptional accuracy and crystal-clear clarity across the entire frequency range.
- Bass You Can Feel: Our exclusive BassUp technology analyzes your audio’s low frequencies in real-time and instantly increases the bass by up to 43%. Stop simply listening to your music, and start really feeling it.
- Unbreakable Connectivity: An external antenna combines with Bluetooth 5.0 to create an almost unbreakable link between your wireless earbuds and your device—even in busy places. No skips, no drops.
- IPX7 Protection: SweatGuard protection creates a watertight barrier for the wireless earbuds against rain and sweat. It even resists water from the tap when you’re washing away the sweat after a hardcore workout.
- Power a Week of Listening: Using our Anker heritage and high-efficiency power cells, Liberty Neo delivers over 5 hours of wireless playtime from a single charge and an extra 15 hours from the compact charging case.
The Anker Soundcore Liberty Neo Earbud (Buy on Amazon) are an especially lightweight design.
Each earbud is only .2 oz in weight – you can see they are smaller (as compared to the Liberty Air model.)
The downside to this is you don’t get as much play time – there is simply less battery capacity on these.
But, you will get about 3.5 hours of playtime, and another 9 hours with the charging case.
These are also fully sweat proof – so they’d be great for a workout or gym option.
Best of all, they retail for less than $50.
Let’s look at some more options.
No products found.
The No products found. are very similar to the Libery Neo – and slightly cheaper.
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- Bluetooth 5.0 Offer seamless connection. These true wireless earbuds are third-generation True wireless earbuds with Bluetooth 5.0 technology. You could take calls and listen to music without worrying about dropouts.
- Automatically on/off and re-connected. Enables simple wireless pairing with your Bluetooth-enabled device. All you need to do is to flip the case open and bring them close to your compatible device.
- Sound QUALITY is rich and full. Powerful sound. The 6mm drivers deliver crisp, clear and balanced sound with solid bass. As far as sound goes, the Bluetooth earbuds produce terrific mid-range sound and bright highs.
- Comfortable and secure fit. Snug design. Adjustable wing and ear tips that come in small, medium and large. No matter how much you move or sweat, these earbuds stay in place and fit securely.
- Great battery life. 4 hours of battery life per charge puts among the best on the market, and a charging case adds 4 extra charges on the go. Notation: battery life depends on many factors.
Best Airpods Alternative that Looks Like AirPods
Looking for a pair of earbuds that are a dead ringer for the real thing?
You won’t find something that looks exact, but you might find something close.
(Apple likely takes legal action against anyone that makes a direct visual clone of the airpods!)
But, take a look at these.
These don’t look exactly like airpods, but they are a higher quality model.
Anker is a known brand with many quality, but affordable products.
And it’s pretty high quality – for HALF the price of Apple Air Pods.
- Incredible Sound Loved by 20 Million+ People
- Expertly Tuned Sound: Graphene drivers oscillate with extreme precision to deliver sound with pinpoint accuracy and clarity across a wider soundstage. aptX technology delivers consistently high-quality audio via Bluetooth.
- Calls with Exceptional Clarity: Liberty Air X wireless earphones are equipped with dual microphones and the latest cVc 8.0 noise reduction technology. Your voice is optimized while background noise is minimized—ensuring you sound louder and clearer on the other end.
- 28-Hour Total Playtime: A full 7 hours of listening on a single charge is extended to a huge 28 hours of playtime with the included charging case.
- Integrated Touch Control: Answer calls or play, pause, and skip music via the touchpad on Liberty Air X wireless earphones.
Here’s another one.
No products found.
Again, it’s close – but not quite.
Best Airpod Alternative for Sound Quality
OK, this option is not cheaper than the Apple Airpods – they are actually more expensive.
But this model is our pick for outstanding sound quality.
Bang and Olufsen is a name that is synonymous with sound quality.
- Cord free, truly wireless - be play E8 2. 0 are fitted with Qi wireless charging, making the product truly wireless. E8 2. 0 are splash and dust resistant and sport a subtle, elegant design.
- Up to 16 hours of playtime with easy recharging on the go – E8 2. 0’S leather carrying case features wireless charging (Qi), USB-C, and holds three full charges.
- Touch interface gives you controls over music, calls and voice commands – with simple taps on the earphones you can switch between tracks, take calls, and transparency mode and voice commands.
- Leather case Fitted with wireless charging and a brushed aluminum inlay – with a secure magnetic click, your ear buds stay in place.
- Earphones- 1 x 1 x 1 inches. Charger-2.8 x 1.8 x 1.3 inches
High End Airpod Alternatives
Not all these options are cheap.
The No products found. are a great alternative to an Apple product.
Have an Android phone and want a good pair of earbuds?
Or maybe you do have an iPhone but don’t want to buy further into the Apple eco-system/walled garden.
In that case, these are a good choice.
.
No products found.
Amazon Alex Echo Buds
And coming soon – we’ll have the Echo Buds (Buy on Amazon).
Amazon is diving into the earbud market – and doing it in a big way.
These aren’t out yet – but you can pre-order.
First of all, expect a quality product.
These aren’t cheap – but they are cheaper than Airpods – and will work with iPhone or Android.
They’ll have Bose Active Noise Reduction built in – that’s advanced technology from a proven vendor. Bose makes amazing noise canceling headphones.
It’s a “sealed” ear bud design and comes with 3 options of ear and wing tips to ensure a perfect fit.
They’ll come with a convenient charging case – and you’ll get 5 hours of use on a charge – with a very short 15 minute “quick charge” capability when you need to top up.
And – it’s got Amazon’s Alexa technology built right in – just install the Alexa app on your phone and you can get help from this smart assistant anywhere and anytime.
These are also IPX4 waterproof rated – so they should be good for your workout – or for use out in the real world.
- Immersive sound – Premium speaker drivers deliver crisp, dynamic audio. Bose Active Noise Reduction Technology and sealed in-ear design limits background noise.
- Hands-free with Alexa – Echo Buds work with the Alexa app to stream music, play Audible audiobooks, make calls, or get directions—just ask.
- Access other assistants – Supports access to Siri or Google Assistant from a supported device—just press and hold your earbud.
- Long-lasting battery – Get up to 5 hrs music playback per charge, up to 2 hrs with a 15-min quick charge, and up to 20 hrs with the charging case.
- Customizable fit for better sound – 3 sizes of ear tips help form a comfortable in-ear seal for immersive listening.
Check back here in November and we’ll have a full hands-on review of this new earbud.
Apple Air pods Alternatives – In Summary
In summary there are a lot of alternatives to Apple’s airpods.
Some are cheaper, but some work better (for sound quality, etc.)
The things you should look for are sound quality (both for voice calls and music) and how well the microphone works.
Battery life is also an important factor.
But for those on a budget – you can do pretty good.
And we think the Anker Soundcore Liberty Air is the best option for most people.
You might also want to check out our Echo Buds review.
The Echo Buds are not very cheap – but they have advanced features like passive and active noise cancellation.
Last update on 2025-01-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
