Pellet Grills
Best Pellet Grills Under $400
This is the tier where a pellet grill stops being a compromise — PID temperature control arrives here, and it is the single biggest quality jump in the whole market.
By Mike M. · Last updated November 6, 2026 · How we pick
Best under $400
Z Grills 600D2
Z Grills · score 9.8/10 · Best overall value under $400
572 sq in, PID 3.0 and a storage cabinet for well under $400 — the best all-round budget pellet grill we track.
Quick picks
Ranked by our value-weighted score. Prices are live from Amazon as of November 7, 2026 — tap a price to check it now, or tap a row to jump to the full write-up.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Z Grills 600D2572 sq in, PID 3.0 and a storage cabinet for well under $400 — the best all-round budget pellet grill we track. | Best overall value under $400 | 9.89.8 out of 10 | $339.00Amazon |
| 2 |  Z Grills 550B2PID 3.0 temperature control for low-$300s. The best temperature accuracy per dollar anywhere on this site. | The tightest temperature hold under $400 | 9.79.7 out of 10 | $329.00Amazon |
| 3 |  Pit Boss 500 FB2 SeriesThe cheapest full-size pellet grill we would actually recommend — 518 sq in, direct-flame searing, five-year warranty. | First pellet grill on a tight budget | 9.19.1 out of 10 | $357.30Amazon |
| 4 |  Z Grills 200A TabletopPID control in a 25-inch tabletop grill for low-$200s. The cheapest honest way to get wood-fired flavor. | Apartments, balconies, RVs and the tightest budgets | 9.19.1 out of 10 | $239.00Amazon |
#ad We earn a commission on Amazon purchases made through these links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes the ranking — here is the method.
What $400 buys in 2026
Under $400 you can get 550-575 square inches, a PID controller that holds temperature within about 20°F, a meat probe and a three-year warranty. What you cannot get is WiFi, a big hopper, or a ceiling above 450°F.
A few years ago this tier meant a dial board and a 50°F temperature swing. It does not any more, and that changes the advice: there is now no good reason to spend under about $320 on a pellet grill, because the models just above that price have proper closed-loop control and the ones below do not.
The comparison table
| Grill | Cooking area | Controller | Temp range | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Z Grills 600D2 | 572 sq in | PID V3.0 | 180-450°F | The best buy in the tier |
| Z Grills 550B2 | 553 sq in | PID 3.0 | 180-450°F | Cheapest PID board we trust |
| Pit Boss 500 FB2 | 518 sq in | LCD digital | 180-500°F | Only one here that sears |
| Z Grills 200A | 202 sq in | PID V3.0 | 180-450°F | Tabletop, for balconies and RVs |
Why the Z Grills 600D2 wins this tier
572 square inches is the same cooking area as a Traeger Pro 22 that costs well over half again as much. You also get a PID V3.0 controller, auto-start ignition, a bottom storage cabinet, a side shelf with tool hooks and wheels with brakes. Z Grills quotes 24 burgers, 5 rib racks or 4 chickens, which is a real family’s worth of food.
What you give up is WiFi and a 500°F ceiling. Neither is fatal. If you want searing heat, a set of sear grates costs a fraction of the price step to a 500°F grill and gets you better crust than the grill would anyway.
The Pit Boss 500 FB2 is here for one reason
It is the only grill under $400 with a Flame Broiler slider, which opens a gap in the heat deflector and gives you direct flame up to 1,000°F. If steak is a weekly event, that single feature may outrank the Z Grills’ better controller. It also carries a five-year warranty against Z Grills’ three.
The compromise is severe in one place: a 5 lb hopper. At smoking temperatures that is roughly four hours. Any long cook means standing by with a bag of pellets. If you mostly grill, fine. If you want to smoke a pork shoulder, buy the Z Grills or move up a tier.
What to skip at this price
- Anything with a dial-only controller. The temperature swing is wide enough to matter on ribs, and PID boards now exist at the same money.
- Anything with a hopper under about 8 lb, if you plan to smoke. The refill schedule will put you off the hobby.
- No-name brands with no published warranty. Every grill on this page has a three- or five-year warranty you can look up. If a listing does not state one, that is the answer.
Budget the extras, not just the grill
Spending the entire budget on the grill is the classic first-time mistake. Three things make a cheap pellet grill materially better and cost very little:
- A cover. Weather, not price, is what kills budget grills.
- A separate thermometer. The built-in probe tells you about the meat; a good instant-read tells you the truth.
- A sealed pellet container. Damp pellets crumble and jam the auger, which is the most common failure on any pellet grill.
Prices in this tier move more than any other, because these are the models retailers discount to clear outdoor stock. The price in each button is read from Amazon daily — if a grill has slipped over $400 since we ranked it, that is why.
The picks in full
#1 · Best overall value under $400
Z Grills 600D2
Z Grills · score 9.8/10
572 sq in, PID 3.0 and a storage cabinet for well under $400 — the best all-round budget pellet grill we track.
Published specifications
- Cooking area
- 572 sq in (24 burgers, 5 rib racks or 4 chickens)
- Hopper
- Hopper with cleanout
- Temperature range
- 180-450°F
- Controller
- PID V3.0, meat probes included
- Connectivity
- None
- Warranty
- 3 years
How it scores
Weighted rubric score: 8.6/10. Value carries the most weight on this site by design. On our published scale that is 9.8/10.
What it does well
- Matches a Traeger Pro 22's 572 sq in for well under half the money
- PID V3.0 with auto-start and an intelligent temperature display
- Bottom storage cabinet and a side shelf with tool hooks
- Wheels with brakes, so it stays put
Where it falls short
- No app and no WiFi
- 450°F ceiling
- Powder-coated steel, not stainless — keep it covered
#2 · The tightest temperature hold under $400
Z Grills 550B2
Z Grills · score 9.7/10
PID 3.0 temperature control for low-$300s. The best temperature accuracy per dollar anywhere on this site.
Price as of November 7, 2026. #ad how this is funded
Published specifications
- Cooking area
- 553 sq in
- Hopper
- Hopper with cleanout and viewing window
- Temperature range
- 180-450°F
- Controller
- PID 3.0 with LCD, meat probe included
- Connectivity
- None
- Warranty
- 3 years
How it scores
Weighted rubric score: 8.5/10. Value carries the most weight on this site by design. On our published scale that is 9.7/10.
What it does well
- PID 3.0 holds temperature better than the LCD boards on Pit Boss grills costing more
- 553 sq in for low-$300s
- Hopper cleanout for quick flavor swaps — rare at this price
Where it falls short
- No WiFi or Bluetooth
- 450°F ceiling, so searing needs a cast iron skillet or GrillGrates
- Z Grills has a thinner dealer network than Pit Boss or Traeger if something breaks
#3 · First pellet grill on a tight budget
Pit Boss 500 FB2 Series
Pit Boss · score 9.1/10
The cheapest full-size pellet grill we would actually recommend — 518 sq in, direct-flame searing, five-year warranty.
$399.9911% off
Also direct from Pit Boss — $399.99 (list price as of 2026-11-07)
Price as of November 7, 2026. #ad how this is funded
Published specifications
- Cooking area
- 518 sq in across two tiers
- Hopper
- 5 lb
- Temperature range
- 180-500°F in 5°F steps
- Controller
- LCD digital, one probe included, two ports
- Connectivity
- None
- Warranty
- 5 years
How it scores
Weighted rubric score: 7.9/10. Value carries the most weight on this site by design. On our published scale that is 9.1/10.
What it does well
- Full-size 518 sq in chamber for close to what a portable costs
- Flame Broiler lever opens direct flame for searing up to 1,000°F — rare at this price
- Five-year warranty is unusually long for a budget grill
Where it falls short
- 5 lb hopper is the real compromise: expect to refill on any long smoke
- No connectivity at all
- Thin-gauge body loses heat in cold weather, so winter cooks run longer
#4 · Apartments, balconies, RVs and the tightest budgets
Z Grills 200A Tabletop
Z Grills · score 9.1/10
PID control in a 25-inch tabletop grill for low-$200s. The cheapest honest way to get wood-fired flavor.
Price as of November 7, 2026. #ad how this is funded
Published specifications
- Cooking area
- 202 sq in
- Hopper
- 8 lb, about 10 hours of low-and-slow
- Temperature range
- 180-450°F, +/-20°F
- Controller
- PID V3.0, LCD, meat probes included
- Connectivity
- None
- Warranty
- 3 years
How it scores
Weighted rubric score: 7.8/10. Value carries the most weight on this site by design. On our published scale that is 9.1/10.
What it does well
- 25 x 20 x 13 in — fits a balcony, a truck bed or a cupboard
- PID control at a price where everything else uses a simple dial
- 8 lb hopper runs about 10 hours at smoking temperatures
Where it falls short
- 202 sq in feeds two or three people
- Needs a wall outlet
- Check your lease and local fire code before putting it on a balcony
Our recommendation
Top pick
Z Grills 600D2
Best overall value under $400.
Runner-up
Z Grills 550B2
The tightest temperature hold under $400.
Price as of November 7, 2026. #ad how this is funded
Questions people actually ask
Is a pellet grill under $400 any good?
Yes, as long as it has a PID controller. The Z Grills 600D2 holds temperature as well as grills costing twice as much. What you give up at this price is WiFi, hopper capacity and searing heat — not cooking ability.
What is the cheapest pellet grill worth buying?
The Z Grills 550B2 — it is the lowest-priced grill we would recommend that still has PID 3.0 temperature control. Below that you are into simple dial boards with swings wide enough to affect a long cook.
Can you smoke a brisket on a $400 pellet grill?
You can, but hopper capacity decides whether it is pleasant. The Z Grills models here will run a long cook; the Pit Boss 500 FB2’s 5 lb hopper means a refill roughly every four hours. For unattended overnight cooks, step up to a 20 lb-plus hopper — see under $700.
Do any pellet grills under $400 have WiFi?
Not among the models we would recommend. WiFi reliably appears from around $650 (Traeger Westwood) and $800 (Pit Boss Navigator 850). If connectivity is a must, see best pellet grills with WiFi.
Sources
Read next
Pellet Grills
Best Pellet Grills Under $500
Six grills under $500 — the tier where real capacity arrives.
Pellet Grills
The Best Budget Pellet Grills
Cheap grills that hold temperature — and the one spec that decides it.
Reviews
Z Grills 600D2 Review
Traeger Pro 22 grate area, a PID board, under $400.
Pellet Grills
The Best Pellet Grills for the Money
The value ranking — grate area and controller quality per dollar.