The Best Streaming Microphones for Beginners Under $100

Your viewers will forgive a grainy webcam. They will not forgive tinny, echoey, or distant audio. Nothing kills a stream faster than a mic that sounds like you're shouting into a soup can from another room. The good news: you don't need a $400 studio rig to sound pro. We tested the top USB microphones under $100 to find the ones that deliver the things actually worth buying for new streamers.

Dynamic vs. Condenser: The One Decision That Matters

Before we get to the picks, you need to understand the single biggest choice you'll make: dynamic or condenser.

• Dynamic mics (like the ATR2100x and Q2U) reject background noise — fans, keyboards, room echo — because they capture sound primarily from the front, up close. They're the move if your desk is in a bedroom, a basement, or anywhere untreated.1
• Condenser mics (like the Yeti Nano and Seiren Mini) are more sensitive and capture a wider, more detailed soundstage. They sound richer in a quiet, treated room — but they'll pick up your neighbor's dog, your mechanical keyboard, and the hum of your PC fans.1

All of our picks are USB (not XLR), meaning you plug them in and they work — no audio interface, no phantom power, no extra cables. That's the whole point for beginners.

The Best Streaming Microphones Under $100

1. Audio-Technica ATR2100x-USB — Best Overall

Best for: Streamers who want one mic that can grow with them.

The ATR2100x is the goldilocks of budget streaming mics. It's a dynamic microphone, so it naturally rejects room noise and keyboard clatter — a huge win for anyone streaming from an untreated space. But what sets it apart is dual USB-C and XLR output: today you plug it into your PC via USB; tomorrow, if you upgrade to a mixer or audio interface, you can switch to XLR without buying a new mic.1

The sound is warm, clear, and focused. It has a built-in headphone jack for zero-latency monitoring, a mute button (essential for those "cough off-stream" moments), and a sturdy metal build that won't tip over mid-raid. At around $80, it's the best value on this list.

Caveat: It's a cardioid dynamic, so you need to speak within a few inches of the grille. That's normal for dynamic mics — but if you want to lean back in your chair, this isn't the one.

2. Samson Q2U — Best for Noisy Rooms

Best for: Streamers in untreated, echoey, or shared spaces.

The Samson Q2U is the ATR2100x's friendly rival — and for good reason. It's also a dynamic USB/XLR hybrid with a cardioid pickup pattern, a mute button, and a headphone monitoring jack. The key difference? It's usually $10–15 cheaper, making it the best entry point for anyone on a tight budget who still needs noise rejection.1

In our testing, the Q2U handles plosives (those hard "P" and "B" sounds) slightly better than the ATR2100x out of the box, thanks to its included foam windscreen. It's also a touch lighter, which makes boom-arm mounting easier.

Caveat: The build feels slightly less premium than the Audio-Technica — more plastic, less metal. But at this price, the sound quality punches well above its weight.

3. Blue Yeti Nano — Best Plug-and-Play Condenser

Best for: Streamers in quiet rooms who want rich, detailed audio.

If your streaming space is treated (or just naturally quiet — thick carpets, soft furniture, no echo), a condenser mic will give you a fuller, more broadcast-ready sound. The Blue Yeti Nano is our favorite under-$100 condenser because it's dead simple: plug in via USB-C, select your polar pattern (cardioid or omnidirectional), and go.1

It's smaller and lighter than the full-size Yeti, which is a blessing for desk real estate. The sound is crisp with good low-end presence — great for voiceover, commentary, and podcasting. Blue's software also lets you tweak EQ and gain easily.

Caveat: It's a condenser. It will pick up keyboard clicks, mouse taps, and room echo. Only buy this if your space is genuinely quiet.

4. Razer Seiren Mini — Best Budget Pick

Best for: Absolute beginners who want a compact, no-fuss setup.

At around $50, the Razer Seiren Mini is the cheapest mic on this list that we'd actually recommend. It's a condenser with a super-cardioid pickup pattern that's tighter than most budget mics, which helps reject some side noise. It's tiny — about the size of a Red Bull can — and sits on a compact, vibration-dampening stand.1

The sound is surprisingly clear for the price. It won't rival the ATR2100x or Yeti Nano in richness, but for a first-time streamer who just needs to be heard clearly without breaking the bank, it delivers.

Caveat: No headphone monitoring jack, no mute button, and no USB/XLR hybrid. This is strictly a plug-and-forget starter mic.

5. Elgato Wave:1 — Best for Content Creators

Best for: Streamers who want software-powered audio mixing.

The Elgato Wave:1 is a condenser mic that costs just under $100, and its hardware is solid — cardioid pickup, built-in pop filter, mute button, headphone monitoring. But the real story is Wave Link, Elgato's free digital mixing software.1

Wave Link lets you create up to four independent audio channels (game audio, voice, music, alerts) and mix them in real time — then route them to separate tracks in OBS or Streamlabs. For streamers who want to fine-tune their audio without buying a hardware mixer, this is a game-changer.

Caveat: The mic stand is wobbly — plan on buying a boom arm. And as a condenser, it's not ideal for noisy rooms.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Which One Should You Buy?

• If your room is noisy (fans, echo, keyboard): Get the Audio-Technica ATR2100x or Samson Q2U. Dynamic mics save your audio.
• If your room is quiet and you want richer sound: Get the Blue Yeti Nano or Elgato Wave:1.
• If you're on a shoestring budget: The Razer Seiren Mini will get you on air for $50.
• If you want room to grow: The ATR2100x or Q2U let you upgrade to XLR later without buying a new mic.

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