Best Budget Webcams 2021

Never has having a webcam been more essential than since the start of the pandemic. With so many people shifting to working at home, not to mention kids now attending classes from home, there is little to no way around having a webcam – and those can get pricy.

Not everyone can or wants to drop several hundred dollars on a top-tier webcam… which is why we sat down and had a look at some of the best affordable webcams on the market. Quality without breaking the bank – it can be done.

The NexiGo StreamCam N930E is a particularly appealing option for any aspiring streamer or YouTuber. It comes with a 12 white LED ring light built in, making it easy for the user to adjust their lighting conditions to optimal levels. It can be adjusted with the press of a button, separately from the webcam itself, so you can change it on the fly.

As for the camera itself, it offers decent performance, with a 1080p resolution, a slide-on privacy cover to cover the lens when not in user, and an auto-focus feature. It’s a decent selection of functions available for about $50 maximum – definitely worth that, even if it’s not from a known brand.

By far the cheapest 2k camera you could ever hope to own, the Depstech 2k QHD will set you back a whopping $20. Boasting noise control, an 86-degree viewing angle and light correction, it just about has everything a user could want… well, more or less.

It’s a fantastic deal on a high-resolution device, however it lacks the sort of brand recognition that a Microsoft or Logitech webcam might have – and as such is also not going to last as long. The company manufacturing it otherwise mostly creates medical devices like endoscopes – if you don’t mind that, the performance for this price is definitely worth a gamble.

This $25 or so camera is one of the better super-cheap ones you can get. Not only does it have the usual Logitech quality, it also has decent stats. 720p recording and calls, with 30FPS isn’t exceptional, but it’s plenty for casual use or the occasional Skype call.

The adjustable clamp grip makes it ideal to fix it to any sort of computer, or even a shelf if you want a higher viewpoint. It doesn’t have any fancy features whatsoever, but it’s a cheap device that will last you a good while.

Usually available around the $50-$60 mark, this is one of the better cameras you can buy on a budget. It has all the staples – 1080p resolution, colour correction, Skype integration and a high-quality microphone. It also boasts a fairly wide field of view, meaning that your colleagues or classmates will see more than just your forehead on their screens.

Since the camera rotates 360 degrees, it’s quite versatile, and thanks to Microsoft’s TrueColour system, it will shift between exposure presets to keep you looking your best, even when you’ve just woken up from a nap.

These are some of the best budget webcams you can buy. They each have different selling points – and each of them is a solid choice if you need to regularly make video calls and don’t want to spend hundreds on a professional webcam meant for streamers. Did you pick one of them? If so which one, and would you recommend it to other users? Let us know!