Best Microscope under $100

Are you tired of looking for a budget-friendly cheap microscope? One that has all the amazing features? Then take a deep breath and exhale all your worries because this article tells you about the best microscopes under $100.

Microscopes are one of the greatest blessings of science. It has countless uses. From schools and colleges to research centers, laboratories, and industries, microscopes have incredible importance. You will be amazed to know that there is a whole new world that we cannot see with our naked eye and a microscope is the means through which we can explore this world.

There is a variety of different types of microscopes available in the market. Each has unique features. The reason for this variety is that every task requires a microscope with different specifications.

It’s a myth that microscopes are a very expensive tool. Budget-friendly microscopes are something very easy to find. There are tons of microscopes available from so many reputable brands that are cheap and have all the features you want.

So when looking for a cheap microscope, you should be very precise about what features you want and what is the purpose of buying that microscope. Microscopes under $100 are the best for learning.

It is always recommended to start with a low-priced microscope so that you can first have your hands on a lower price microscope and then move on to an expensive one. So are you ready to start the hunt for a budget-friendly microscope?

Best Microscopes in Our View

To save you from hours of searching, we have listed here the top microscopes. These are the best ones available under $100. When looking for a budget-friendly microscope, you can select anyone from this.

Quick Comparison

Microscope	Magnification	Illumination	Type of Specimen
LCD Digital Microscope by YINAMA	50X	8 LED lights	Solid objects
Swift Compound Monocular Microscope SW200DL	40x-1000X	Dual LED lights	Solid and transparent objects
AmScope M150C-PS25 Compound Monocular Microscope	Up to 1000X	Bright Field Illumination	Solid, Live, and transparent
AmScope – M40-K-MDM35 IQCREW	Up to 1200X	LED Illumination	All types of specimen
Foliv 7″ LCD Digital Microscope	Up to 1200X	LED Illumination	Coins
Old Ted 40x – 1000x Microscope	Up to 1000X	LED Illumination	Cells and tissues
PalliPartners LCD Digital Microscope	Up to 1200X	LED Illumination	Circuit boards, Coins, Plants
Vanstarry Beginners Microscope Kit	Up to 1000X	LCD	Plants, Bacteria, Tissues
AmScope Optical Glass Lens All-Metal LED Compound Microscope	Up to 1000X	LCD	Bacteria, Cell Tissues, Fungi
National Optical 40X-1000X Compound Microscope	Up to 1000X	LED	Cells and Tissues

YINAMA LCD Digital Microscope

1080P Compound handheld Microscope Camera	50x and 1000x Magnification	8 LED Lights
Rechargeable Battery	Built-in 4.3 Inch Screen	8 LED Lights 8G SD Card

LCD Digital Microscope by YINAMA is a fantastic microscope to fulfill all your cravings for exploring new things. It’s one of the best gifts for students hobbyists and children. It has features that will take your learning experience to a whole new level.

To provide you with a highly magnified, colorful image of the specimen, the microscope has a built-in 4.3-inch screen. The LCD digital microscope can be connected to a PC via a USB cable, so this makes it very easy to view everything in detail and also makes teaching and learning very easy.

The magnification levels of the YINAMA digital microscope are 50x and 1000x. This magnification lets you observe the finest details in the specimens. You can observe macro objects like coins, insects, and diamonds through this microscope. It is also suitable for electronic repairs.

Another feature that makes it way better than a compound or a stereo microscope is that it has an 8 GB TF card so you can save the images and videos you are viewing to be observed later. This feature makes it one of the best learning microscopes.

Image clarity is one of the most important features of a microscope. The LCD digital microscope also has coarse and fine adjustment functions. You can adjust the focus by placing the object close to the lens and then rotating the focus wheel.

The batteries of this learning microscope are another feature worth mentioning. They are rechargeable and have a working time of 4 hours. The base of the microscope is sturdy and prevents shaking while observing. So all in all, this is a cheap microscope with incredible features. It is best suited for classrooms and hobbyists. The price of the LCD digital microscope is under $100. You can click the link below to check the price.

Swift Compound Monocular Microscope SW200DL

40x-1000x Magnification	Dual Light	Widefield 25x Eyepiece
Precision Fine Focus	Objective lenses of 4x, 10x and 40x	360-degree rotating Monocular Head

The Swift Compound Monocular Microscope is best suited for middle and high school students as well as hobbyists. It has a rugged design with a metal arm and base, which makes this microscope sturdy and long-lasting.

It has a monocular head that is 360 degrees rotatable. So it allows you to have a one-on-one discussion. The features of these microscopes make them one of the best learning microscopes for students.

The most important feature of a microscope is its magnification. The compound microscope by Swift has a magnification power of 40x, 100x, 250x, 400x, and 1000x. So you can observe a variety of specimens on low and high magnification.

The Swift Compound microscope has three objective lenses of 4x, 10x, and 40x on a rotatable nosepiece. The eyepiece has a wide field with a magnification power of 10x and 25x.

One amazing feature of this Compound microscope is that you can observe both solid and transparent specimens. It has dual LED lights. So the light under the stage lets you observe transparent specimens, and the LED light on the arm enables you to view solid objects.

The Swift compound monocular microscope is very easy to use. It is sturdy, so it will last for a long time. There are very few cheap microscopes with amazing features.

AmScope M150C-PS25 Compound Monocular Microscope

Durable Metal Body	360 degree rotation	LED Illumination with great optical intensity
Up to 1000X Magnification	WF10X & WF25X eyepieces	45-degree vertical inclination

AmScope MC150 microscope is built with a high-quality monocular compound with interchangeable ten wide fields and 25 x wide-area eyepieces. The microscope contains many excellent features, and one of them is that it comes with a set of 25 prepared slides of various plants, minerals, and animals. It is an excellent addition for students and the labs of schools. AmScope microscope makes and made M150C-PS25 compound monocular Microscopes durable, and all mechanical components are made of metal. The solid metal has a smooth enamel finish, which resists stains quickly.

The monocular viewing head helps to reduce strain on the eyes and neck. Likewise, coaxial coarse and fine knobs allow in speed, focusing on both right and left-hand viewers. The microscope has a Bright field illumination system that lights up to provide the specimen’s enhanced visibility and present the object with more translucence and transparency. In examining an item, the focus and full view are most important to drive the results.

AmScope microscope allows the user to better focus on LED illumination, and 0.65 NA single lenses provide it with maximum optical intensity and concentric view. A monocular microscope is user-friendly and includes a forward-facing nosepiece. It contains three 4X 10X 40X DIN achromatic full-glass objectives. These three DIN objectives provide high-resolution color-corrected images and enhance the user experience.

AmScope 120X – 1200X Premium Microscope – M40-K

85 pieces kit (20 eyepieces)	Rugged ABS Plastic Storage	USB2.0 Eyepiece Camera
Specimen Editing Tool	4-year guarantee	All-metal body

The kit Amazingly comes below $100 with a complete 85+ piece set that joins together to form a microscope along with light sources, magnifications, and slides to examine the specimens. It is best to enhance cognitive learning and improve practical science skills. The microscope body is wholly made of metal to provide a real microscope experience.

The kit comes with 20 eyepiece magnifications between 120x to 1200x and two light sources for precision. It also has a built-in filter wheel with numerous colors to get an adequate specimen image. Prepared slides and the how-to section help the kids understand the function of the microscope, and blank slides encourage them to create their specimen slides. Besides natural light, children can rotate the mirror to turn on the LED light for dual illumination.

The parts, tools, and experiment ideas are adequately packed in a compact plastic carrying bag for portability. The digital eyepiece camera USB 2.0 captures a clear image that they can connect the device to a laptop or a computer to observe their specimens on the screen and copy images for school presentations. This kit is value for money if your children are interested in computing and science experiments. However, this kit is suitable for children under 3 years of age, and supervision is recommended.

Foliv 7″ LCD Digital Microscope

1200x magnification	2000 mAh battery	Remote control
7” rotatable LCD Display	16 MegaPixel camera	32 GB TF Card

If you have been looking for a less costly microscope with a long battery life and digital display, the Foliv 7” LCD Digital microscope is one of the best choices. It is suitable for observing coins, stamps, jewelry circuit boards, etc. This microscope has a wide 7-inch rotatable screen that gives a clear broader view of the specimen for easy observation compared to other digital microscopes. You can tilt it up to 90 degrees to see your desired view. It uses a 16 Megapixel camera that offers high-resolution photos which most other microscopes do not give.

The Foliv digital microscope comes with a remote control to manage functions like the menu, take photos and record videos without touching the microscope button, and enable consistent observation. Apart from 1200x magnification, high-quality pictures, and a large screen, the rechargeable lithium battery works up to 4 hours after charging to ensure uninterrupted examination of samples. It is leakage and explosion safe with a capacity of 2000mAh.

It is one of the best under-hundred-dollar microscopes for student and laboratory use. It helps develop cognitive abilities and a love for science in your children. Foliv 7″ LCD Digital Microscope comes with five white sample pieces to observe and discuss. The TF card slot allows you to save the pictures and videos on the provided 32GB TF card and display them on the computer screen through a USB.

Old Ted 40x – 1000x Microscope

1000x magnification	Sturdy metal body	Dual power supply
LED light	Mobile phone picture holder	Ideal for gift

The Old Ted compound microscope is an incredible microscope on a 100 dollar budget with an attractive design. It is equally good for young children and adults interested in science and love to experience new kinds of microscopes. This microscope is also an ideal choice for parents to bond with their children through playful education and shared interests.

It has a sturdy metal design that distinguishes it from many other microscopes for children. The microscope comes with a cell phone picture holder to show the observed image to family and friends. If you wonder if it is another toy microscope, it is more suitable for children who understand microscopes and slides well. The microscope has an adjustable stage to help you focus on the specimen. The eyepieces are 10x and 25x, whereas the objective lens ranges from 4x to 40x magnification.

This microscope comes with a 12-page manual with instructions about setting it up and observing slides. The packaging contains 5 blank slides, 10 specimen slides, and 20 coverslips to prepare your slides. It is an excellent choice for a gift as it contains all the instructions, and children will enjoy creating their slides and observing them under the dual-powered microscope.

PalliPartners LCD Digital Microscope

1-1200x magnification	8 LED lights	White balance
Battery-powered	32 GB SD card	9.45 x 8.19 x 3.23 inches

The PalliPartners LCD Digital Microscope is perfect for observing samples in the textile industry, circuit board testing, biological observation, and children’s education testing. Like Tomlov 4.3″, It is also widely chosen as an under $100 microscope gift for students and children who love microscopes and want to explore various types. The most common applications include examining coins, insects, plants, stamps, and similar objects.

It comes with a 7″ large digital screen with 1080/ 720p resolution for observing fine details of the specimen. The focusing wheel helps you adjust the object to the lens to observe fine details. It has a rechargeable lithium battery with a massive 3000mAh capacity and up to 5 hours long battery life after charging. The microscope is independent and lightweight, so you can carry it everywhere for easy usage. You can observe outdoor specimens conveniently.

You might love to know that you can adjust the tilt screen angle to as much as 270° to observe samples from the angle you want without tiring your neck. The PalliPartners LCD Digital Microscope has 8 illuminating adjustable LED lights to provide enough brightness to the specimen. The external fill lights make it possible to take pictures and videos in the dark.

Attach your microscope to a computer to view the readings on a larger screen for clear observation and high accuracy. Study the images or save them on a 32 GB SD card.

Vanstarry Beginners Microscope Kit

1000x magnification	Ergonomic design	Mobile phone holder
Dual LED lights	Dual operated	10 x 6.5 x 15 inches

The Vanstarry Beginners Microscope Kit is the perfect choice for curious science lovers who want to learn about microscopes. It has a full metal sturdy body that keeps it rigid on the surface for young children to use conveniently. It is an excellent low priced microscope with numerous functions that any laboratory microscope would have.

You can obtain as high as 1000x magnification to observe cells and tissues besides other magnifications that include 40x, 100x, 250x, and 400x. These magnifications allow students and keen observers to examine objects in different resolutions and understand the differences. The examination is facilitated by dual LED lights that provide transmitted, and incident LED light sources to illuminate the object from the upper and lower sides properly.

While some microscopes give you to option of attaching a phone holder, the Vanstarry Beginners Microscope Kit comes with one within the packaging. You can fix your phone onto the phone adapter to observe the specimen properly on a larger screen. Pictures and videos can be taken and recorded to share with friends and family. It uses three AA batteries that come with the microscope or attach to an outlet to operate it inside. The best microscope below $100 comes with five blank slides and 7 prepared slides to observe specimens and record results.

AmScope Optical Glass Lens All-Metal LED Compound Microscope

All-metal body	1000x magnification	Easy to use
LCD light	360 degree	13 x 6 x 9 inches

What’s better than getting an all-metal microscope in the range of $50 to $100 along with free returns? The AmScope Optical Glass Lens All-Metal LED Compound Microscope has a single lens condenser with a disc diaphragm and gives magnification up to 1000x with 5 magnification powers. It has a complete metal framework, making it suitable for use in school laboratories and at home to observe specimens clearly.

The microscope receives illumination through its built-in LED illumination, giving the perfect amount of light to the sample for examination. The monocular head is 360 degrees rotatable and 45 degrees inclined to ensure that you do not strain your neck while working for long hours.

The quality of the AmScope Optical Glass Lens All-Metal LED Compound Microscope is top-notch and manufactured to last a long time. The body is completely made of metal and glass optical parts to provide clear and accurate images. You can observe intricate details of the specimen with magnifications of up to 1000x from 400x. If you opt for the microscope world, you can engage your children in pre-prepared slides like leaf cells, onion cells, etc., or let them prepare slides themselves to study bacteria, fungi, and cell tissues. You can use it with three AA batteries or plug it into the power socket indoors. You can check for a microscope digital camera by AmScope here.

Buyer’s Guide

Magnification

The first and foremost thing when choosing a microscope is what magnification you want. For viewing solid objects, go for low magnification stereo microscopes. They have a magnification power of up to 50x. If you want to view cells and other micro-organisms, then you should go for a compound microscope or find the best microscopes for microbiology that have a magnification power of up to 1000x or more.

The magnification power of a microscope is calculated by multiplying the power of the objective lens and eyepiece. A compound microscope usually has three to four objective lenses so you can view a specimen at different magnification levels.

Lighting

This is an essential factor to consider when buying a microscope. Some microscopes have a mirror that reflects incident light onto the specimen. Others have an LED bulb, tungsten light, halogen, and fluorescent light.

Among these always prefer LED light because it gives a bright cool light and has a high lamp life. LED bulbs are inexpensive and very easy to replace as compared to others. LCD 44340 by Celestron is a great piece of Digital Biological microscope

Monocular Head vs Binocular Head

A microscope has three types of heads; monocular, binocular, and trinocular, thus are called monocular, binocular, and trinocular microscopes. If you are looking for a microscope for children, then go for binocular microscopes as children do not have a wide space between two eyes. Here are the best fits for kids. Adults should always have a monocular head.

Coarse and Fine Focus Knobs

Coarse and fine focus knobs are essential components of a microscope. They create a sharply focused image of the object, or in other words, they are vital for image clarity.

When buying a microscope, you should always make sure that the coarse and fine adjustment knobs are of metal. Don’t buy a microscope with plastic knobs as they are not sturdy, and you will end up with broken ones very soon.

Portability

If a learning microscope is portable, then it’s the best thing ever. This is because you can take it with you in a garden or anywhere else to conduct experiments and explore whatever you want. New microscopes are powered with batteries so you can carry them with you. Meanwhile, carrying can be a problem due to size. It is good to go for pocket microscopes if you want to take them outside.

Best Microscopes under $100- FAQ

Here are some queries that people encounter the most while buying a microscope.

What is the Difference between a Stereomicroscope and a Compound Microscope?

A stereo microscope has two optical paths that create a 3D image of the specimen. It is used to view solid objects. A compound microscope, on the other hand, has a single optical path and creates a 2D image of the specimen. Thinly sliced/transparent specimens can be viewed on a compound microscope as it has higher magnification power as compared to a stereomicroscope.

What can you see with a 1000x microscope?

Microscopes have different magnification powers so you can view your specimen at different magnification levels. A 1000x microscope shows details at 0.180 mm. A magnification of 1000x is used to view the details in a cell. Omax microscopes are good for this purpose.

How can you calculate the magnification of a microscope?

The magnification of a microscope is calculated by multiplying the magnification of its objective lenses and eyepiece.

Why do you have to start with the lowest magnification to see a slide?

When viewing a slide, always start with the lowest magnification which is 4x. This is because the lowest magnification has the highest field of view. So you can locate the specific area you want to magnify.

Conclusion

The above-reviewed microscopes are the best below $100. However, my favorite among these is the Swift Compound Monocular Microscope. It is one of the best learning microscopes available in the market below $100. It is sturdy and has a high magnification power. Buying an affordable microscope does not mean that you have to compromise on quality. The microscopes mentioned above are all cheap but have amazing features and are from trusted brands.