Dash cams have improved significantly in just a few short years. No longer do they produce grainy, sub-HD footage or overheat the moment the sun comes out from behind some clouds. They are, for the most part, dependable, with high-quality imaging sensors, good design, and, if you spend a bit of money, a huge amount of functionality.
But what if you just want the basics? What if you’re on a tight budget and don’t see the point of always-on 4G connectivity, live streaming and 4K video with HDR? Well, thankfully you’re in luck. Because while the top end of the dash cam market has grown to accommodate $600-plus models with all the bells and whistles, the lower tiers have had a boost too, with high image quality, good design and useful features now more affordable than ever.
And I’m not just talking about dash cams from unfamiliar names. In 2025 big brands like Garmin, Nextbase and Thinkware all produce excellent budget dash cams. Highly respected upstarts like Viofo and Miofive also offer considerable bang for your buck, too.
Read on to learn more about some of my favorite budget dash cams, all of which I’ve tested to go beyond the spec sheet and discover what they’re really like.
Alistair has been a journalist since 2011 and used to be Deputy Technology Editor at IBTimes in London. His specialist tech subjects include smart home gadgets, phones, wearables, tablets and dashcams. He is the host of The AutoChat Podcast
Our top picks
Best overall
The Nextbase Piqo offers fantastic value for money. There are two versions, the cheapest records in 1080p and the other in 2K. Both offer Wifi and GPS, while being extremely compact.
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Most compact
Now in its third generation, the Garmin Mini is the best budget compact dash cam. It really is tiny yet packs 1080p video, parking mode and a newly integrated polarizing lens for even clearer video.
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Best sub-$100
Another compact dash cam with Full HD video, good low light performance and the option of adding GPS for speed camera warnings and more.
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Cheap display
A budget dash cam with a 2.5in display for easy setup and video playback, plus Full HD and parking mode (hardwire installation required).
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Best for safety
A feature-packed dash cam that records in 1080p with HDR, plus it has voice control, GPS, speed camera warnings and optional cloud storage (subscription required).
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Best value
The Miofive S1 Ultra really impressed our reviewer. Most of all, this low-price dash cam stands out for its ability to record in 4K from both front and rear.
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The best budget dash cams
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Best budget dash cam overall
The Nextbase Piqo is currently my favorite budget dash cam. Its design is inspired by the company’s larger (and much more expensive) iQ flagship, but shrunk down significantly. The Piqo isn’t quite as small as the Garmin Mini 3, but it’s still compact enough to practically disappear behind your rear-view mirror.
Nextbase sells two models of Piqo. The slightly cheaper of the two makes do with 1080p image resolution and a 140-degree lens, while the slightly more expensive Piqo 2K has its resolution bumped up to 1440p, and the lens is fractionally wider, at 145 degrees. I would suggest not sweating the details here, as these two upgrades are relatively small and don’t necessarily warrant the extra $20 Nextbase charges in the US.
That said, at the time of writing (September 2025), the Piqo 2K has been reduced from £128 to £115 in the UK, which feels like great value. Whichever Piqo model you go for, you’ll get GPS – this adds speed and location data to your recordings, and is something other budget dash cams, like the Garmin Mini 3, miss out on.
See our full Nextbase Piqo review for more details
Best compact budget dash cam
The Garmin Mini 3 is currently my favorite compact budget dash cam, and it’s easy to see why. This is a quality product from a reputable brand, with excellent build quality and a tiny footprint that takes up practically no space at all. In many cars it’ll actually hide entirely behind the rear-view mirror, making for a fully distraction-free experience.
New for the latest, third-generation Garmin Mini is an integrated polarizing filter, which cuts down on reflections caused by light bounding off the dashboard, and results in clearer, cleaner footage. Also new is how Garmin has flipped the orientation of the Mini from portrait to landscape. This doesn’t change how the dash cam works, or the footage it produces, but means it takes up slightly less vertical space – a benefit that drivers of small cars with shallow windshields will appreciate.
Garmin’s voice control is among the best of any dash cam company, and it works just as well here on the budget Mini 3 as it does on the flagship X310. Just say “Okay Garmin” then issue commands like “save video,” “take a picture” or “stop audio” to manually capture content or turn off the microphone.
The Garmin Mini 3 also benefits from Garmin’s nicely designed Drive smartphone app, which makes it easy to adjust the dash cam’s settings and transfer recordings to your phone via Wi-Fi. The company offers cloud storage, called Garmin Vault, and the Mini 3 can be hardwired for a cleaner installation with constant power, if you prefer – and that also enables the dash cam’s parking mode.
See our full Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3 review for more details
Best sub-$100 dash cam
Thinkware is a top brand in the dash cam sector, and the F70 is one of its most compact, and affordable, options to date. This forwards-facing camera features a 2.1MP CMOS sensor that records Full HD (1920 x 1080) footage at 30fps.
The lens is 140 degrees, which isn’t the widest we’ve seen but is par for the course in the sub-$100 end of the market. Like most dash cams, there is no battery. Instead, a supercapacitor holds enough charge to ensure footage is saved and the camera switches off correctly when it is unplugged or the car is switched off.
Additional features include a parking mode (which requires the optional hardwiring kit, sold separately) and there’s a port for adding Thinkware’s optional GPS antenna.
See our full Thinkware F70 review for more details.
Best cheap dash cam with a display
It’s not the newest dash cam around, but the 222 by Nextbase is still a great option for drivers who are both on a budget, and want a dash cam with a screen. Having a screen makes it quick and easy to adjust settings and view recordings instead of having to rely on a smartphone app.
The Nextbase 222 has a 2.5-inch display on its rear, records in Full HD 1080p resolution and also has infrared night vision for its parking mode, which is enabled when installed with Nextbase’s hardwiring kit, sold separately.
Although not as compact as Garmin’s simple ball-and-socket connection, I’ve always liked how Nextbase’s windshield mount attaches to its dashcams with a magnet. This makes it easy to switch the dash cam between vehicles.
Best for safety features
For years now, Garmin has consistently made some of the best dash cams I’ve ever used. And while it’s not quite in the same league as the flagship X310, or older 67W, the company’s cheaper Dash Cam 47 is a fantastic product that can be found for a great price.
Although remarkably compact, the 47 shoots in Full HD with HDR, has Wi-Fi for easy video transfer to your phone, uses GPS for location and speed data, and there’s a parking mode available if you pick up Garmin’s OBD cable for constant power.
This is also one of the very few budget dash cams to offer cloud storage. Called Vault, this works with all Garmin dash cams and means recordings of incidents will be automatically uploaded to the cloud (using the dash cam’s Wi-Fi connection to your phone) right after a collision is detected. Vault costs $9.99 / £9.99 a month and footage is held online for seven days before it is deleted, giving you time to view and download it. All that said, the 47 also records directly to a microSD card like all other dash cams.
I also like the Garmin’s voice control system, which is reliable and works quickly, and in testing, I’ve consistently liked the company’s windscreen mounts, which use a coin-sized magnet that sticks to the screen and takes up very little space.
Lastly, this dash cam even offers optional driver assistance and safety functions, including forward collision and lane departure warnings, speed camera alerts, and a handy notification that pings if you’ve not noticed the vehicle ahead has started moving.
The best value dash cam
I was really impressed by the Miofive S1 Ultra despite its affordable price. Most of all, this high-end dash cam stands out for its ability to record in 4K resolution from both front and rear cameras.
Released in 2024, its recommended retail price is $199.99 / £199.99 – but is often found heavily discounted. It comes with a 64GB microSD card. You get WiFi, GPS, HDR, and Bluetooth capabilities, along with a 3-inch display and parking mode.
Overall, the design is simple yet premium-feeling, with a carbon-style effect on the front panel. We found it offers good video quality, especially in well-lit conditions, with sharp and clear footage. The front camera records at 30 fps in 4K, while the rear camera manages 25 fps at 4K resolution.
Note that the 4K resolution produces large file sizes, although the included 64GB card can store about four hours of dual 4K footage. And while 4K might be overkill for some people, the Miofive S1 Ultra makes a compelling case for higher resolution in dash cams.
If you want to save even more money, the front camera can be bought on its own.
Read our full Miofive S1 Ultra review for more details
How to choose the best budget dash cam
Naturally, price is a key factor when choosing the best budget dash cam. And since these models tend to offer fewer features than more expensive versions, video quality is also vitally important; ultimately, your task as the buyer is to pick the dash cam that strikes the best balance between price and picture quality.
Design may also play a part, but instead of the dash cam’s aesthetics we recommend you focus on the size of the product and whether it will fit discreetly in your car. A dash cam should ideally be fitted behind the central mirror, where it is neatly hidden from view and can’t distract the driver, but also where its buttons (especially the one to manually save video) are comfortably within reach.
If your budget stretches a little further, GPS and Wi-Fi are useful extra features. The former adds speed, location and direction data to video recordings, while the latter makes it quick and easy to transfer footage from the dash cam to your phone, instead of removing the memory card and using a computer.
How we test budget dash cams
Before we write a review or include a dash cam in a buying guide like this one, the product is installed in a car and used for several days. This includes daytime and nighttime driving, and during that time we will try out all of its features, and even dig into the settings menu and decide on the best way to set everything up. For example, a dash cam sometimes produces better quality video with a higher frame rate and a lower resolution.
This being a test of budget dash cams, we paid close attention to their value for money. Instead of being drawn to the most expensive dash cam with the most features and the highest-resolution video, this was a lesson in bang-for-buck, where points were scored by the dash cams that produced the best video and provided the best user experience at the most attractive price.
Commonly asked questions
What is the most important feature of a budget dash cam?
The answer to this one has to be video quality. This is the core function of any dash cam, and since budget models might not offer much else, their video quality has to be the center of attention.
Almost every model in this guide shoots at 1080p Full HD, which is usually plenty sharp enough for dash cam footage. Models that record at 720p, known as regular HD, can still work, but their nighttime footage generally suffers as a result. At the other end of the scale, some of today’s budget dash cams can record at 1440p (sometimes known as 2K resolution) or even 4K.
Are 4K dash cams worth the extra cost?
As tempting as it is, try not to be drawn in by claims of 4K. Because, while the footage might technically be that resolution, it will not look anything like the 4K footage you’re used to seeing on TV. The size and quality of the image sensor is equally important, along with the dash cam’s low-light abilities.
The best way to determine good video quality from a dash cam is to look at details like vehicle plates and road markings. Are they clear and legible? If so, then that dash cam should be worthy of your consideration. Sometimes even models shooting in 4K struggle to produce sharp video, especially in challenging lighting conditions.
Can budget dash cams be hardwired?
Yes. Almost every single dash cam can be hardwired. This usually involves buying a separate wiring kit that connects the dash cam to the fuse box of your car, giving it a constant source of power from the 12-volt battery (a common component of all cars, including petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric). This ensures the dash cam keeps running when the car is switched off, at which point the dash cam’s parking mode kicks into life.
Some dash cams can be plugged into the vehicle’s OBD-II (on-board diagnostics) port, which is also an industry-standard connection and is usually found in the cabin. Hardwiring (or using an OBD cable) is a great idea if you want to use the parking mode of a dash cam, or you want a neater installation than a cable untidily plugged into a USB port.
What is more important, resolution or frame rate?
There is no certain answer here, but it is worth digging into the settings of your dash cam and seeing what resolution and frame rate options are available. Some models will lower the resolution (from 1440p to 1080p, for example) and increase the frame rate (usually from 30 fps to 60 fps). While the lower resolution might seem like a step backwards, a higher frame rate generally adds smoothness and makes it easier to see details when footage is paused. This could be crucial when trying to read a road sign or vehicle registration plate. We recommend experimenting with your dash cam to see what setup works best for you.
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