Best Cheap Boat Brands for the Budget Conscious

It’s true that most boats are expensive, and price tags for the best boat brands are often eye-popping. That said, expense is a relative term, and boat shoppers need to look at boat pricing in a comparative fashion. Do so, and even though the numbers may be large, some are much lower than others. Of course, no one wants to buy a boat that’s poorly constructed or downright unsafe. So, who builds the best cheap boats? We’ll round up some top picks, while noting that these are National Marine Manufacturer certified boat builders, which means that they maintain a higher level of construction and safety standards than the law requires.

Pontoon Boat Brands

Most pontoon boat builders, including the very best pontoon boat brands, offer a wide range of models from small and simple, to big and complex. As you might guess, those big fancy models are anything but inexpensive, but even top-tier builders generally offer some options that qualify as affordable pontoon boats.

Bennington

Bennington is certainly known for building high-end pontoon boats, but their “S” lineup of 16’ to 25’ boats features simplicity and low, low pricing. In fact, they start at around the $30,000 mark—less than one third of the base MSRP for pontoon boats in their top-tier lineup. Bennington boats for sale

Bennington SV22. Bennington photo.

Sea-Doo

When you hear the brand name Sea-Doo you probably think of personal watercraft, but their line of Switch pontoons features innovation, performance, and best of all affordability. Their hulls are rotomolded polyethylene rather than being constructed of aluminum, and these sporty little craft are jet-powered. Sea-Doo pontoon boats for sale

Sea Doo Switch Compact. Sea Doo photo. 

Sun Tracker

There’s no doubt that Sun Tracker belongs in any conversation about which are the best cheap boats, because they have a number of offerings that are built every bit as well as their larger, more expensive pontoons yet they keep price in check. And while these models don’t have all the trappings of luxury models, they do have a solid list of basic standard features like Bluetooth stereo systems, telescopic stainless-steel boarding ladders, and extruded Z-bar deck supports. Sun Tracker boats for sale

Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 16 XL Select. Sun Tracker photo. 

Bass Boat Brands

We need to be clear right up front that the best bass boat brands generally focus on building highly engineered, stoutly constructed, high-tech fishing machines that foot-for-foot are some of the most expensive boats on the water. When you’re looking for a cheap bass boat, you simply can’t expect the same level of performance. Scale back your expectations and plan to run for the hotspots at 25 or 30 mph rather than 60 or 70 mph, however, and you’ll find that there are plenty of affordable models.

Lowe

This builder has a wide range of aluminum bass fishing boats headlined by the Stinger and Skorpion lines. Small aluminum boats are usually less expensive than fiberglass models, which is certainly true in this case, plus since they’re lighter they require less power (and thus less expensive motors). Still, these are fully featured fishing machines with livewells, rod boxes, tackle stowage compartments, and more. Lowe boats for sale

Lowe Skorpion 17. Lowe Boats photo. 

Nitro

Nitro’s appearance on this list will surprise some, and their affordable options are quite limited, but they do have some models that cost a lot less than you might expect. They’re significantly smaller than most bass boats and don’t feature the same level of electronics nor raw power as high-dollar models, but they do represent one of the least expensive ways to get into a fiberglass bass fishing machine as opposed to buying an aluminum bass boat. Nitro boats for sale

Nitro Z17. Nitro photo. 

Tracker

This boat brand returns to our roundup thanks to their line of aluminum bass boats that starts with the Classic XL—one of the least expensive dedicated bass boats on the water, with a starting MSRP well under the $20,000 mark. What about the rest of the range? It reliably undercuts the competition’s pricing. Tracker boats for sale

Bass Tracker Classic XL. Tracker boats photo. 

Center Console Boat Brands

Center console boats can be expensive. Very expensive. But if you narrow the field to center consoles under 25 feet and aluminum center consoles, you’ll have no problem finding some affordable brands.

Bayliner

Center console models by Bayliner are all under 25 feet and while they don’t have the luxury features of more expensive brands, their all-composite construction makes them some of the best cheap boats around for people who want a fiberglass center console. Plus, they do have a surprising number of features (like livewells, integrated fishboxes, and flush-mount rodholders) for being relatively affordable center consoles. Bayliner boats for sale

Bayliner Trophy 20CC. Bayliner photo.

Crestliner

Crestliner makes a number of aluminum center consoles in their Retriever line, which is designed for combined fishing, hunting, and utility use. They feature all-welded construction, available camo finish, and options for tunnel hulls for those who want to fish the shallows or get into the marsh. Crestliner boats for sale

Crestliner 2070 CC. Crestliner photo.

G3

The Gator Tough Jon boat series from G3 features a number of aluminum options with center consoles. Though these don’t have the rough-water capabilities of a deep-V fiberglass boat, they certainly hold their own in most inshore venues, both freshwater and salt, thanks to rugged all-welded construction backed up with a five-year bow-to-stern warranty and a limited lifetime external seam warranty. G3 boats for sale

G3 Gator Tough 18. G3 Boats photo.

Speed Boat Brands

Speed boats are certainly not known for their affordability. If you’re willing to make some sacrifices when it comes to size, however, you can feed your need for speed in a significantly more affordable manner.

Scarab

This builder makes the roundup by virtue of a single model, the 165 ID. It’s a small but potent jet boat that’s packed with power—and primed for fun. With a Rotax 170 ECT blasting water through the jet drive, you’ll be in for a serious thrill ride; upgrade to the 300 hp ACE 1.6L engine and everyone had better hold on tight. Scarab boats for sale

Scarab 165 ID. Scarab photo. 

Yamaha Waverunner

Personal watercraft are boats, too, and if you want to blast out of the gate with acceleration that even puts most wheeled vehicles to shame, no other type of boats can match them. The Yamaha Waverunner performance models may only hold up to three people and certainly don’t have all the perks and comfort features of boats with consoles and cabins, but these things are lightning-fast and are exceptionally affordable when compared to full-blown boats. Yamaha Waverunner boats for sale

Yamaha Waverunner GP-HO. Yamaha photo.

Sea-Doo

Another personal watercraft option with some serious oomph is the Sea-Doo performance lineup. For less than the cost of most high-end motorcycles they’ll rival their acceleration from a dead  stop and, in our estimation, prove every bit as thrilling plus a whole lot more fun. Sea-Doo for sale

Sea Doo RXT-X. Sea Doo photo.

Ski Boat Brands

News flash: dedicated ski boats are anything but cheap. In fact, there are only a handful of ski boats built these days, and they generally MSRP at over or well over $100,000. So, what’s a budget-conscious water skier to do? The first choice is to look on the used boat market. Your second choice would be to settle for a bowrider or runabout, which may not be ideal for competition level skiing but certainly will provide plenty of fun.

Best Cheap Wake Boats

Mission control, we have a problem… again. This is another type of boat that commands extremely high pricing, and there really aren’t any cheap wake boat brands to speak of. Search for used models or check out these moderately expensive options.

Chaparral

Diehard wakesters will argue for inboard power, only, but Chaparral utilizes a stern drive with Volvo Penta’s Forward Drive instead. While this may eliminate it from professional-level wake surfing, it will still do the trick for most of us amateurs, and the smaller models are slightly more affordable than dedicated inboard wake boats. Chaparral boats for sale

Chaparral 21 Surf. Chaparral photo.

Heyday

Heyday’s line of wake sports boats certainly isn’t cheap, but all of their offerings do start at under the $100,000 mark. Um, yay? Still, in the world of dedicated wake boats that’s an affordability accomplishment.

Heyday WT - 2DC. Heyday photo.

Bay Boat Brands

Bay boats are an excellent choice for inshore anglers, and they’re some of the most popular types of center consoles around. In fact, many of the top bay boat brands build wide ranges of center consoles of all sizes and price ranges. Still, there are plenty of affordability standouts in the world of cheap fishing boats including these top picks.

Carolina Skiff

Carolina Skiff produces plenty of boats that would rank as expensive, but they also have the “E” lineup, which keeps things simple and affordable. While they’re billed as skiffs rather than bay boats, they have many of the appropriate attributes, like elevated casting decks, shallow draft, and a center console layout. Plus, these are all-composite fishing machines. Carolina Skiff for sale

Carolina Skiff E21 DLX. Carolina Skiff photo.

Lowe

Again, we see the difference between aluminum pricing and fiberglass become plain when looking at the bay boats built by Lowe. They won’t necessarily be considered “cheap” by everyone, but they do undercut most fiberglass models. They also come well equipped, with bow-mount electric trolling motors, multiple livewells, and elevated fore and aft casting decks. Lowe boats for sale

Lowe Bay 22. Lowe Boats photo. 

Mako

The Mako Inshore Pro Skiff lineup is eminently affordable compared to most bay boats. It also features Mako’s “Advanced Inverted V” hull design, which helps smooth out the chop and enhance stability. Rounding out the attraction, these all-composite boats are sold in complete boat-motor-trailer packages with a full slate of fishing features. Mako boats for sale

Mako Pro Skiff 17 CC. Mako photo.

Cabin Boat Brands

Again, we’ve come to a category where affordability is a tough goal. Few cabin boats built in this day and age manage to keep pricing under $100K, but there are a few. Feel free to peruse those used boat listings to get into truly affordable territory, but meanwhile there are a couple of brands to check out.

Arima

Arima builds a line of very small cabin boats ranging from 19 to 21 feet. Naturally the cabins are compact, but they do offer full protection from the weather and, in most cases, a berth to stretch out on. They tend to be well-outfitted for fishing and feature foam-filled stringers and hand-laid fiberglass hulls. Arima boats for sale

Arima Sea Ranger 21. Arima photo.

Jeanneau

A few of the smaller offerings in Jeanneau’s cuddy cabin boat line won’t cause sticker shock for those who are familiar with the pricing on new cabin boats. They also have some nice perks, like cockpits with modular layouts and Seanapps remote monitoring and geofencing. Jeanneau boats for sale

Jeanneau Leader 6.5 Series 3. Jeanneau photo.

Again, we want to point out that affordability is in the eye of the beholder, so naturally, what constitutes the best affordable boats will vary for people with different budgets. We’d also note that buying a cheap boat can be risky in some ways if the brand is unknown or you’re shopping the used market. You can feel confident that the brands we’ve called out here, however, are well-known, reliable, and safe. As to whether you find them affordable too, well… that’s for you to say.