► The best budget dashcams tested
► Dual and front-facing considered
► The beast value-for-money options recommendations
A dashcam isn’t just an extra bit of kit for gadget lovers – it’s fast becoming an essential motoring companion. It’s easy to see why: according to statistics from Nextbase, a hefty 41% of surveyed motorists reckon that fitting a dashcam is the mark of a ‘responsible driver’. Couple that with research suggesting that 11% of 10,000 observed drivers were spotted being distracted behind the wheel, and it’s little surprise dashcams are seeing a surge in popularity.
Should the worst happen and you’re involved in a shunt that isn’t your fault then a dashcam stands ready to help prove your innocence. Many of the latest models also double up as round-the-clock security guards for your car, thanks to clever motion-detecting modes that could be enough to send would-be thieves scuttling down the road. There’s a financial upside, too: some insurers offer discounts if you’ve got a dashcam on board, sweetening the deal for savvy drivers.
The best budget dashcams 2026 at a glance:
• The best budget dashcam: Orskey S900 – buy from Amazon
• Editor’s pick: Miofive S1 Ultra – buy from Amazon
• The best for quality: Iiwey J01 – buy from Amazon
Today’s dashcams are slicker, smarter, and more affordable than ever. You don’t need to fork out for flashy, flagship units either: many compact, budget-friendly cameras are more than capable of capturing the vital footage you need, all while tucking neatly out of sight behind your rear-view mirror.
Of course, with temptingly low prices come a mind-boggling array of choices. That’s why we’ve sifted through the options to steer you toward the best budget dashcams on sale right now. Not sure which features matter? Don’t worry – just scroll down for our expert guide on picking the right dashcam for you.
How we tested budget dashcams
Our experts have been hard at work finding the best budget dashcams so you can make an informed decision when spending your hard earned cash. Each camera that we test has been carefully selected based on price, quality, and easy of use. We handpick each product and test it extensively.
Each camera is installed as instructed by the manufacturer, using the documents enclosed. After fitting the camera we assess it over the course of a couple of weeks to allow us to experience a range of situations, including low-light and rainy weather conditions. Where possible, the recommended app is downloaded and used in conjunction with the camera.
Once testing has been concluded, we remove the memory card and install all the footage on a PC or laptop, to take a deeper look at footage quality. This is the most important aspect of appraising a dashcam, followed by built quality, and easy of use. Remember, we only recommend dashcams that we believe offer great value for money, so you know you’re getting a good deal.
The best budget dashcams 2026
Orskey S900
The best budget dashcam
Pros: Great image quality from front camera, good value for money, 170-degree wide angle lens + 140 degrees at the rear
Cons: Rear footage quality isn’t great, tricky to mount rear camera inside the cabin
The ORSKEY S900 camera is great value for money for anyone that’s looking for an affordable camera. It offers decent coverage around the car, with a bunch of features like a G-sensor, parking monitoring, and motion detection. I particularly like how easy it is to navigate the menus and shoot footage with loop recording. In addition to this the S900 comes with a 32GB memory card.
It can record footage in 1080p at 30fps, and generally the footage is decent quality, but sometimes it can be a little blurry. Low-light footage isn’t premium quality, but it still does a great job of recording the scene well. A 170-degree wide angle lens is great for having a wider field of view.
The rear camera isn’t as good as the front, making it difficult to make out number plates of vehicles behind you. I also found it tricky to mount the rear camera, which meant I resorted to mounting it outside the car.
If you want a dual dashcam with decent quality for 310 degrees of coverage then the Orskey is sure to satisfy most budgets.
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Miofive S1 Ultra
Editor’s pick
Pros: Dual 4K resolution, impressive features as standard, built-in GPS
Cons: Frequent voice alerts, mounting arm could be stronger
The Miofive S1 Ultra is one of my favourite dashcams currently for sale. It provides incredible value as it’s priced as a budget dashcam but offers impressive features like dual 4K recording and 5G Wi-Fi. In addition to this you also get GPS and a 24-hour parking mode. The 140-degree field of view isn’t quite as wide as some other cameras, but it’s adequate. At the rear you get a 112-degree field of view.
The 3.0-inch LCD screen is brilliant at displaying footage and to navigate menus, and I found the downloaded footage to be clear. The app lacks some features that I would have preferred, but its simplicity makes it intuitive at least. Low-light footage is also rather consistent, with minimal glare and blurriness.
The quality of the camera and wires is fantastic, despite it being a budget dashcam. The only part I found to be of lesser quality was the mounting arm, which I would have liked to have been a little stronger. Besides, other dashcams have done away with mounting arms altogether.
If you’re wanting a budget dashcam then chances are you’ll be wanting to spend under £100, but if you’re willing to extend your budget slightly then you could have a budget dashcam that does a brilliant job of competing with the high-end cameras – the Miofive S1 Ultra.
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IIWEY J01 4K Dashcam
The best for quality
Pros: 4K recording resolution, Wi-Fi built in, memory card included
Cons: Low-light footage isn’t as good as high-end cameras, not the easiest to connect using phone
The stand-out feature of the IIWEY J01 is that it can capture footage in 4K resolution. The frame rate is still the same as other dashcams in this price-range at 30fps, and so is the 160-degree field of view. I found the footage quality to be better than I expected when using this budget dashcam.
The 3.0-inch LCD screen is large enough to get a good quality view of the video, and you can even set it to display the time as a screensaver. This is particularly useful for eliminating distractions. In general, I enjoyed using the J01 as its clever design means that even though it might appear to be bulky it doesn’t take up much space on the windscreen. This, added to the pleasant sound when turning the camera on, means that my driving experience was great.
Night vision has been improved using the SONY Starvis sensor, but I’d have prefered it to be a little clearer in the rain. For the price, the J01 provides impressive footage quality, but number plates are difficult to make out from a distance. When you’re ready to transfer video footage to your phone or tablet you can simply connect via Wi-Fi, plus you get peace of mind when you’re away from the vehicle with Smart Parking Monitoring.
As a budget dashcam, the J01 excels in footage quality, which is the main consideration when buying a dashcam. It’s beautifully simple without being frustrating. Easy to use and reliable in capturing footage – what more could you want?
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Vantrue E1 Pro
Best mini budget dashcam
Pros: Lovely compact design, small size with a screen, impressive footage quality
Cons: Very sensitive to bumps, don’t bother with electrostatic sticker
A lovely little unit, the Vantrue E1 Pro is basically a 4K mini dashcam with the added benefit of having a 1.54-inch screen. While that may not be large enough to make out smaller details when watching the footage back, it did fill me with some confidence as it meant that I could simple lean over and check that the footage was being capture whenever I wanted. It’s good to have the peace of mind, since you don’t want to find out the camera isn’t recording when you need it the most.
The small size means that the entire unit can be mounted behind the rear-view mirror so it’s out of sight, if you want distraction-free driving. The footage quality is great thanks to the CPL filter that is included. This, in addition to the 158-degree field of view meant that I was able to capture more of the road than some other dashcams. The colour is also rather rich, revealing details in the footage that may otherwise be washed out.
Installing the E1 Pro is easy, but I wouldn’t bother with the electrostatic stickers as I found the camera to fall off a couple of times. The app is also easy to setup as I didn’t need to create an account to use it – I could simply connect my device and use it as a guest. The only part of the experience I wasn’t too keen on was the overly frequent ‘incidents’ that the camera would detect. Whenever I drove over a medium-sized bump the camera would take a picture and save the footage. Still, at least it’s vigilant.
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Iiwey D2 Pro
Best all-rounder
Pros: Brilliant design, great front camera footage, easy to setup with memory card included
Cons: Rear camera footage could be better, if you want voice alerts then look elsewhere
A dual dashcam on a budget, the Iiwey D2 Pro offers 4K resolution from the front camera and 1080p from the rear. While the field of view isn’t explicitly stated, the wide 3.39-inch screen gives the impression that wide coverage shouldn’t be an issue. I quite like the wide-screen design which makes sense, since it occupies less space on the windscreen than a traditional dashcam screen.
Footage quality is decent. It doesn’t seem to be quite wide, so I wouldn’t be able to determine the exact angle, but I would speculate it to be around 140-degrees. The 4K footage is relatively clear, but I did find the edges of the footage to be blurry at times. Low-light footage is, again, decent for a budget dashcam. Rear footage is only 1080p which is acceptable, but I would prefer 2K footage to be able to read number plates better.
Installing the D2 Pro is easy, since it isn’t difficult to find the perfect position to mount the camera. Once mounted, the quick-release mount pad means you can remove the camera whenever you want and you’ll still be able to mount it back in the exact same place. A 64GB memory card is included to make it easier to setup.
Using the D2 Pro is equally satisfying as the Iiwey J01 since it makes the same noise when starting up. During everyday use the D2 Pro doesn’t really give any voice alerts, though I did hear it speak on one occasion but I couldn’t make out what it was saying. I wasn’t able to make it speak again after that. I found the GPS to be accurate when reporting speed, and the date and time were automatically set correctly which makes setup a lot easier.
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Nextbase 222 Dashcam
Best easy-to-use budget dashcam
Pros: Fantastic design and usability, excellent mounting system, intelligent parking mode
Cons: No SD card supplied, magnet may not be reliable
The Nextbase 222 is useful in a number of situations thanks to the high-precision G sensor which is able to detect an accident and save the footage so it is not overwritten. The intelligent parking mode is also useful when you’re away from your car as it can detect bumps and start recording – if someone has hit your car, for example.
It comes with Nextbase’s Click and Go PRO powered car mount, which is much more secure than a suction cup, but might be less reliable than a 3M adhesive pad. It does make the 222 easier to set up and allows you to connect the dashcam with just one hand.
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Road Angel Halo Go Dashcam
Best budget dashcam without a screen
Pros: Full HD recording, compact design, dedicated smartphone app
Cons: Instructions could be better, no display
The Road Angel Halo Go dashcam is a compact device that can easily be tucked away behind the interior mirror, so it will feel like it’s not even there. While this camera doesn’t have a display, it is a capable piece of kit at a reasonable price.
The Halo Go records in full HD at 1080p at 30fps through the 140-degree wide-angle F1.8 aperture lens. Parking mode protection means your vehicle is protected while you’re away thanks to the time-lapse mode, but once the camera detects movement it can revert to normal recording mode. If you hard wire the camera, it comes with a handy winter mode which will keep a section of the screen clear of frost and ice to allow continuous recording.
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Frequently asked questions about dashcams
How do I record and store the footage?+
Some dashcams come with memory cards, but for those that don't, you'll have to invest in a micro SD card. San Disk's High Endurance MicroSD cards are ideal for use in dashcams as they are not only fast and reliable but can store full HD or 4K video.
The high endurance card is built to work faultlessly in a variety of temperatures since your dashcam may be sat in the sun or suffer from those cold winter mornings. It's also shockproof so those pesky bumps and potholes won't affect its performance.
Our pick of the lot is the 64GB version, which is good for all circumstances except perhaps high-quality dual recording, in which case we suggest getting one of the larger ones. It even comes with an SD adaptor.
What features should I look for in a dashcam?+
There are a number of factors which can affect the quality of the footage from your dashcam, so it's important to find one that's right for you.
One of the most important things to consider is the video resolution, which dictates the number of pixels in each frame of video. In short, any dashcam with 1080p footage or more (2K/4K) should be ideal for most purposes. We would suggest avoiding any that shoot in 720p. All the dashcams mentioned above are 1080p or better.
The frame rate is an important consideration as a faster frame rate would mean you get smoother footage. The more frames per second the better the footage will appear, especially when you're driving at higher speeds like on the motorway.
You may also want to choose a dashcam with low light performance, which enhances night driving recordings. The last thing you'll want is disappointing dashcam quality when you really need it.
The dynamic range is rather important like the low light performance, since the dashcam will be exposed to a variety of lighting situations so it important that it captures everything accurately. In short, a good dynamic range means that dark colours appear dark and light colours appear light with a good level of contrast.
Lastly, you should get a dashcam with a wide lens, at least 120-degrees, in order to capture a wider field of view. This will ensure you're best placed to capture as much as possible while out on the road.
What else should I consider?+
Mounting the dashcam is important, since some will come without a mount and you must buy one separately. The majority of dashcams do come with mounts that secured to your windscreen using 3M double-sided adhesive stickers to offer a more permanent and secure solution.
At some point you may want to access the footage from the dashcam. For most dashcams this can be done by plugging the device into your computer, or you could even take the micro SD card out of the dashcam and simply insert that into your computer using the provided adapter. Some cameras go one step further and allow you to access the footage by simply connecting your mobile device and checking the app. These dashcams are usually more expensive but can prove to be rather practical.
Some dashcams can record audio, but this feature can usually be turned off, so be sure to check if this is a requirement for you.
We must mention that it is also important to keep your windscreen relatively clean, as a dirty windscreen can affect the quality of the footage, so be sure to check out some of our recommended glass cleaners to ensure good footage every time you go for a drive.
How to fit a dashcam?+
There are a couple of ways to fit a dashcam, but the most simplest way is to connect it to your car's 12V socket. If you're wanting a more permanent solution then you can get a hardwire kit to connect the camera directly to your car's electricals. It is important to find one that is compatible with both your dashcam and your vehicle.
When attaching the dashcam to the windscreen it important to place it in a position that doesn't impede the driver's view. This means by law you cannot attach the camera more than 40mm within the swept area of the windscreen. The swept area is defined by the area that is covered by the wipers.
Once you've attached the dashcam it is important to tuck away any wires, which are usually hidden around the top of the windscreen and run down the A-pillar. Some dashcams are sold with a handy tool that can help make this an easier job than you'd imagine.
Why choose a budget dashcam?+
Since dashcams are now more advanced than they've ever been, they command a higher price. Many high-end dashcams can cost over £300, so if you're not interested in some of the more elaborate features then a budget dashcam might offer just what you need at a lower price.
Priced less than £150, budget dashcams sits at a more accessible point so you can still be covered while on the road. Don't think that budget dashcams offer inferior footage quality either, because most budget dashcams offer 4K footage quality, just don't expect features like ADAS and voice alerts to be common.
Is it worth having a dashcam in the UK?+
Yes, and we cannot stress that enough. Having at least a front-facing dashcam is highly recommended to ensure you have video footage should you need it. The main reason being to show your insurance company should you be involved in a road traffic accident. On the subject of accidents, a dashcam can help prove your case should you find yourself on the wrong end of a 'crash for cash' scam.
If you hardwire your dashcam then you can make use of the 24-hour parking features (if your dashcam has it) which can detect movement around your car made by anyone trying to get inside. It acts as a security device that can alert you and record vital footage. If your dashcam is visible then it may even act as a deterrent, putting the would-be thief off in the first place.
Lastly, be sure to check with your insurance provider, as some insurers will offer a reduced premium if you have an approved dashcam fitted.
How much should a good dashcam cost?+
There's no specific price that dictates a good dashcam. Budget dashcams offer value for money and simplicity whereas high-end dashcams offer more features at a higher price. Our advice is to consider your needs and then find the most affordable dashcam that fits your criteria. Be sure to check out our guides if you need any help in deciding.
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