10 Best Cheap Telescopes 2025 in the United States

The Gskyer Telescope 600x90mm AZ is an affordable option for amateur astronomers and casual stargazers. With a 90mm aperture and a 600mm focal length, it offers a clear and bright view of celestial objects, making it great for beginners. The fully coated optics enhance image quality while protecting your eyes, ensuring a good viewing experience. The included three eyepieces (24X, 60X, 120X) along with a 3x Barlow lens allow for versatile magnification options, which is a fantastic feature for exploring various objects in the night sky.

Portability is another strong point, as the adjustable aluminum tripod makes it easy to set up and use in different locations. Its height range of about 31.5 inches to 49 inches caters to users of various heights. Additionally, the telescope is designed to be user-friendly, requiring no tools for assembly and offering quick focusing, which is ideal for novices.

There are some drawbacks to consider. Weighing 18 pounds, it’s not the lightest telescope out there, which might hinder portability for some users. The manual focus can be a bit challenging for those who prefer more automatic mechanisms. Also, while it's suitable for viewing planets and the moon, its performance may not be adequate for deep-sky objects, limiting its use for more advanced astronomical pursuits.

The Gskyer 70mm aperture telescope with a 400mm focal length is a solid choice for beginners and kids interested in exploring the night sky without spending much. Its 70mm lens allows enough light to see the moon, some planets, and brighter stars clearly, making it suitable for casual stargazing. The included 3x Barlow lens increases magnification, and the interchangeable eyepieces offer flexibility in zoom levels—helpful for trying different views. The altazimuth mount is simple to use, allowing smooth up-and-down and side-to-side adjustments, which is perfect for newcomers who need easy aiming.

Portability is another plus, thanks to the adjustable aluminum tripod and the included carry bag, making it convenient to take outdoors or on trips. The addition of a smartphone adapter and wireless remote is a nice touch, letting users capture moon or star images with their phones, which adds to the fun and learning experience. However, the manual focus and smaller aperture mean it’s not designed for deep-sky viewing or highly detailed observations—the image quality might not satisfy more experienced users.

While the materials are decent for the price, the telescope weighs nearly 6 pounds and has a somewhat long tube, so younger kids might need some help setting it up. This telescope balances ease of use, portability, and decent optics for a beginner-level, budget-friendly astronomy tool, but it will not replace a higher-end model if you want more detailed views or advanced features.

The Sky-Watcher Skymax 180mm Maksutov-Cassegrain is a solid choice if you're looking for a budget-friendly telescope with a large aperture. With an 182mm objective lens, it gathers a good amount of light, which helps produce clear and bright images of the moon, planets, and some deep-sky objects. The Maksutov-Cassegrain design means the telescope is relatively compact compared to traditional reflectors with similar aperture sizes, making it easier to handle and somewhat portable despite its 19-pound weight.

It comes with an altazimuth mount, which is simple to use and intuitive for beginners, although it won’t provide the precise tracking you’d get with more advanced mounts. The included 28mm eyepiece and 9x50 finderscope make it ready to start exploring right away. The fully baffled tube and high reflectivity mirror coatings improve image contrast by reducing stray light, giving you sharper views. However, the focal length is relatively long, which can lead to higher magnifications but narrower fields of view, potentially making it trickier to locate objects if you're new to stargazing. Also, while the telescope offers autofocusing features, it operates manually and doesn’t include motorized tracking, so you’ll need to adjust it yourself as the sky moves.

This model suits hobbyists who want a quality optical system at a reasonable price and don’t mind a bit of manual setup and handling. It may not be the best pick for those who prioritize ultra-lightweight portability or computerized features, but it delivers strong optical performance for its class.