Not legal advice. This page summarizes FCC rules (47 CFR Part 95) from the official sources linked in the text. Rules and fees checked . The FCC sets its fees annually and can change its rules, so confirm the current version on fcc.gov before you rely on it.
Quick picks
The picks at a glance
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Cobra 19 MINI AM/FM CB Smaller than a phone, AM and FM on all 40 channels, VOX, and both a 12V adapter and a hardwire kit in the box. No SWR meter, so borrow one. | Best CB under $100No licenseMid-price | 6.3/10Researched | Check price · Amazon #ad · Disclosure |
| 2 | President Thomas FCC AM/FM CB 4 W on AM and FM with VOX, talkback, PA, channel scan and a 5 V USB socket on the front. The most radio at this tier by a distance. | Best features under the capNo licenseMid-price | 6.6/10Researched | Check price · Amazon #ad · Disclosure |
| 3 | Uniden PRO520XL CB A no-nonsense AM mobile with an S/RF meter, ANL, instant channel 9 and a front mic. The radio work trucks have used for years. | Best basic AM workhorseNo licenseMid-price | 5.8/10Researched | Check price · Amazon #ad · Disclosure |
| 4 | Uniden PRO401HH Handheld CB A one-pound handheld CB with the antenna in the box, running on 9 AA cells or the 12V socket. Add a magnet mount for real range. | Best with nothing to installNo licenseMid-price | 5.3/10Researched | Check price · Amazon #ad · Disclosure |
| 5 | Uniden PRO510XL CB The lowest-priced current mobile CB from a major brand: four controls, an S/RF meter and nothing else to learn. | Best cheapest way inNo licenseMid-price | 6.0/10Researched | Check price · Amazon #ad · Disclosure |
#ad · Prices are set by Amazon and change often, so we don't print them. Scores are ours, built from published specs, manuals and FCC rules, not hands-on tests. Photos are illustrative stock. Tap a row for the full write-up.
CB is one of the few categories where the cheap end is genuinely fine. Every CB sold in the US transmits the same 4 watts, because the rules cap it there (47 CFR 95.967), and nobody needs a license at any price (47 CFR 95.931). A hundred dollars does not buy you a weaker transmitter than three hundred does — it buys you fewer features and, usually, a smaller box.
Everything on this page sat under a hundred dollars at maker list price when we checked on 2026-09-29, and availability for every pick was confirmed the same day on the specialist lists at Right Channel Radios and Walcott Radio — several makers were showing their own current CBs as out of stock the same day. Prices move, so use the buy buttons for the current figure; we do not print prices that could be wrong tomorrow.
What $100 buys in CB
| You can get this under $100 | You cannot, realistically |
|---|---|
| All 40 channels at the legal 4 W | Single sideband (SSB) for real distance |
| AM and FM, on two of these radios | A full-size radio with a big illuminated face |
| An S/RF meter and an ANL noise filter | A built-in SWR meter to tune the antenna |
| Instant channel 9, squelch and RF gain | NOAA weather alerts |
| A handheld with the antenna included | An antenna for a mobile install |
The cost that is not on the box
How we picked
Every radio is scored on our published rubric — real-world reach, ease of use, toughness and weather, power and battery, field features and value — from the makers' own product pages and manuals, plus the FCC rules that set what a CB may do. The method is on how we rank radios. These are research picks from published specs, not test results.
The budget filter is the maker's own list price for the radio as sold, read on the maker's store on 2026-09-29. Where a maker publishes no price or shows the radio out of stock on its own site, the specialist retailer lists above are cited on the product card. These picks sit in our road trips hub alongside best CB radios, which has no price ceiling.
The picks in detail
1. Cobra 19 MINI: best CB under $100
The one that makes the rest of this page look dated. Under an inch tall, smaller than a phone, with AM and FM on all 40 channels, VOX hands-free, instant channels 9 and 19, auto squelch, RF gain, mic channel controls, and both a 12 V plug-in adapter and a hardwire kit in the box (Cobra 19 MINI page). It mounts overhead, on a bracket, or under a dash where a full-size radio will not go.
Buy it if your vehicle has no space and you want the modern feature set. Skip it if you are installing your first antenna with no meter on hand: there is no SWR meter built in.
2. President Thomas FCC: best features under the cap
President put a genuinely modern CB under the hundred-dollar line: 4 W on AM and FM across all 40 channels, VOX, an ANL filter and a noise blanker, public address, channel scan, talkback, a programmable emergency-channel shortcut and a front USB socket rated 5 V / 2.1 A that charges a phone from the radio. It runs on 13.8 V or 27.6 V, so it moves into a 24 V truck, and President backs it with a two-year warranty — five if you buy one of its antennas with it (President Thomas FCC page).
Buy it if you want the longest feature list at this tier, or you drive a 24 V vehicle. Skip it if you want a big classic face and a built-in meter: buy up to a full-size CB instead.
3. Uniden PRO520XL: best basic AM workhorse
The plain one, and there is nothing wrong with that. Forty channels on AM with an S/RF meter, an ANL noise filter, squelch, instant channel 9 and a front-mounted microphone connector (Uniden PRO520XL page). It is the radio that has been in work trucks for years because it does one job and keeps doing it.
Buy it if you want AM CB, a real mic and no menus. Skip it if you want FM: this one is AM only, and the newer radios above are not.
4. Uniden PRO401HH: best with nothing to install
The pick for a vehicle you will not drill, a rental, or a job where the radio has to come out of the truck with you. Forty AM channels, high and low power settings, a backlit display, Auto Noise Cancel, and an antenna, DC power cable and belt clip in the box. It runs on nine AA cells (Ni-MH or alkaline, not included) or the vehicle's 12 V socket, and weighs about a pound (Uniden PRO401HH page).
Be honest about what a handheld CB is, though: a short whip at 27 MHz is a small fraction of a wavelength, so held inside a steel cab it will be the quietest radio in the convoy. Plug it into a magnet-mount antenna and it keeps up.
Buy it if you refuse to install anything, or you want CB in your hand outside the vehicle. Skip it if the rig is permanent: a mounted radio on a tuned antenna beats it every time.
5. Uniden PRO510XL: best cheapest way in
The lowest-priced current-production mobile CB from a major brand. Forty channels on AM, an ANL control described by Uniden as filtering "ignition and electronic vehicle interference", squelch, an S/RF meter with red-lit LED indicators and instant channel 9 — plus a mic, bracket and hardware in the box (Uniden PRO510XL page). Uniden publishes no wattage figure for it; the service is capped at 4 W on AM regardless (47 CFR 95.967).
Buy it if the point is to spend as little as possible on the radio and put the rest into the antenna. Skip it if you want FM, weather alerts or a meter: it has none of them.
In detail
The picks, in full
Rank 01
Stock photoBest CB under $100
Cobra 19 MINI AM/FM CB
Smaller than a phone, AM and FM on all 40 channels, VOX, and both a 12V adapter and a hardwire kit in the box. No SWR meter, so borrow one.
Published specsResearched · not tested by us
How the 6.3 score breaks down
- Real-world reach (30%)
- 5
- Ease of use (20%)
- 8
- Toughness & weather (15%)
- 4
- Power & battery (15%)
- 8
- Field features (10%)
- 6
- Value (10%)
- 8
What the specs support
- Palm-size body mounts overhead or under the dash
- 12V plug-in adapter moves between vehicles; hardwire kit included
- VOX and mic channel controls let you keep both hands on the wheel
Where it falls short
- No SWR meter listed, so tuning the antenna needs a separate meter
- No NOAA weather channels listed
- Antenna sold separately
Skip this if…
…Skip it if you'll install the antenna yourself with no SWR meter on hand: the 19 MINI has none built in, and an untuned CB antenna cuts range sharply.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · How we make money for the link to Cobra 19 MINI AM/FM CB
Rank 02
Stock photoBest features under the cap
President Thomas FCC AM/FM CB
4 W on AM and FM with VOX, talkback, PA, channel scan and a 5 V USB socket on the front. The most radio at this tier by a distance.
Published specsResearched · not tested by us
How the 6.6 score breaks down
- Real-world reach (30%)
- 6
- Ease of use (20%)
- 7
- Toughness & weather (15%)
- 4
- Power & battery (15%)
- 8
- Field features (10%)
- 8
- Value (10%)
- 8
What the specs support
- AM and FM on all 40 channels at a tier where AM-only is normal
- Talkback, PA, VOX and channel scan in a body that fits a modern dash
- A front USB socket that charges a phone from the radio
- 13.8 V or 27.6 V, so it moves into a 24 V truck
Where it falls short
- No built-in SWR meter, so tuning the antenna needs a separate meter
- No NOAA weather receiver
- Antenna sold separately
Skip this if…
…Skip it if you want a full-size trucker CB with a big face and a built-in SWR meter: the Thomas is a compact radio, and you tune its antenna with a separate meter.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · How we make money for the link to President Thomas FCC AM/FM CB
Rank 03
Stock photoBest basic AM workhorse
Uniden PRO520XL CB
A no-nonsense AM mobile with an S/RF meter, ANL, instant channel 9 and a front mic. The radio work trucks have used for years.
Published specsResearched · not tested by us
How the 5.8 score breaks down
- Real-world reach (30%)
- 5
- Ease of use (20%)
- 7
- Toughness & weather (15%)
- 4
- Power & battery (15%)
- 8
- Field features (10%)
- 4
- Value (10%)
- 7
What the specs support
- Compact, simple knob-and-switch controls
- PA function for announcements through an external speaker
- Automatic noise limiter, squelch and RF gain to cut background noise
Where it falls short
- AM only: no FM mode
- No NOAA weather channels and no SWR meter (LED S/RF meter only)
- Antenna sold separately
Skip this if…
…Skip it if your club or convoy uses CB FM mode: the PRO520XL is AM only, so pick the AM/FM Cobra 29 LTD or 19 MINI.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · How we make money for the link to Uniden PRO520XL CB
Rank 04
Stock photoBest with nothing to install
Uniden PRO401HH Handheld CB
A one-pound handheld CB with the antenna in the box, running on 9 AA cells or the 12V socket. Add a magnet mount for real range.
Published specsResearched · not tested by us
How the 5.3 score breaks down
- Real-world reach (30%)
- 4
- Ease of use (20%)
- 8
- Toughness & weather (15%)
- 4
- Power & battery (15%)
- 6
- Field features (10%)
- 4
- Value (10%)
- 6
What the specs support
- Nothing to mount, drill or wire, and the antenna is included
- Runs on AA cells, so it works away from the truck
- A hi/lo power switch to stretch a set of batteries
Where it falls short
- The 9 AA batteries are not included, and they are heavy
- A short handheld whip on 27 MHz is a large compromise in range
- No NOAA weather channels, no FM mode, no SWR meter
Skip this if…
…Skip it if you need CB range from inside a vehicle: held in a steel cab on its own short whip, a handheld CB will be the quietest radio in the convoy. Add a magnet-mount antenna or buy a mobile.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · How we make money for the link to Uniden PRO401HH Handheld CB
Rank 05
Stock photoBest cheapest way in
Uniden PRO510XL CB
The lowest-priced current mobile CB from a major brand: four controls, an S/RF meter and nothing else to learn.
Published specsResearched · not tested by us
How the 6.0 score breaks down
- Real-world reach (30%)
- 5
- Ease of use (20%)
- 8
- Toughness & weather (15%)
- 4
- Power & battery (15%)
- 8
- Field features (10%)
- 3
- Value (10%)
- 8
What the specs support
- The lowest-priced current-production mobile CB from a major brand
- Four controls and an instant channel 9: nobody needs the manual
- An ANL knob that genuinely helps on a noisy engine
Where it falls short
- AM only, so it cannot use the newer FM mode other CBs now have
- No NOAA weather channels and no built-in SWR meter
- Antenna sold separately, and Uniden publishes no power figure
Skip this if…
…Skip it if you want to tune your own antenna without buying a meter, or if your group runs CB in FM mode: the PRO510XL has no SWR meter and no FM.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · How we make money for the link to Uniden PRO510XL CB
AM or FM at this price
FM only became legal on CB in 2021, and the rules now list AM, FM and single-sideband emissions for the service (47 CFR 95.971). Two of the radios here do both; three are AM only. What that means in practice:
FM sounds better and handles noise better on a strong signal. If you and the people you talk to all have FM radios, use it.
AM is what almost everyone else is on. Highway traffic, trail clubs, farms: assume AM unless told otherwise. An FM radio cannot be heard by an AM-only CB on the same channel, which is the one incompatibility to know about.
So AM/FM is a nice-to-have, not a requirement. It costs nothing on the 19 MINI and the Thomas, which is why they rank above the AM-only radios here, but do not pay a premium for it if the AM-only radio has what you need.
What you give up under $100
SSB. Single sideband is where CB's real distance lives, and it is not available at this price — the cheapest SSB radios sit at roughly double the cap. If you want to talk further than a few miles from a fixed antenna, that is the upgrade, and best CB radios for home use covers it.
A built-in SWR meter. None of these has one. The Cobra 29 LTD does, which is why it is the recommendation for anyone installing their own antenna for the first time.
NOAA weather alerts. Not at this tier. If you want weather in the rig, that is the Uniden CMX760 or the Midland 75-822, both above the cap. Our best walkie-talkies with NOAA weather alerts covers the handheld route to the same thing.
A big face and a 9-foot mic cord. The trucker classics are physically larger than these and cost more.
What you do not give up is range. Every CB here is at the same 4 W legal ceiling. Range comes from the antenna, its height and its tuning — which is the same conclusion our how far radios reach page reaches for every other service.
What to look for under $100
- Measure the space first. The two best radios here are small because modern vehicles have no dash left.
- Decide AM-only or AM/FM based on who you talk to, not on the spec sheet.
- Put the saved money into the antenna. Longer, higher, tuned. In that order.
- Borrow or buy an SWR meter. Ten minutes with one is worth more than any feature here.
- Check what is in the box. Only the handheld includes an antenna; the Cobra includes both a plug-in adapter and a hardwire kit.
- Check stock at a specialist, not just the maker. Maker stores in this category go out of stock constantly (handheld CB stock list).
How we scored this
Radios we claim to have lab-tested: 0
Plenty of radio sites say they range-tested everything they list. We haven't, and we say so. Every pick here is labeled Researched: we read each maker's published specs, manuals and range tables, check the license rules against the FCC, and score every radio on a public rubric. Every figure links to where it came from, and every range number is labeled “advertised.”
Scores are editorial judgments from that documented research, not test results. Commissions never set a score or decide a pick. The rubric and its weights are published.
What changed
- Published.
Questions
Frequently asked
What is the best CB radio under $100?
Are cheap CB radios any good?
Do you need an antenna with a CB radio under $100?
Is there a CB radio under $100 with AM and FM?
Do you need a license for a CB radio?
Receipts
Sources
- Cobra: 19 MINI AM/FM product page (checked 2026-09-29)
- President Electronics USA: THOMAS FCC AM/FM product page (checked 2026-09-29)
- Uniden: PRO520XL product page (checked 2026-09-29)
- Uniden: PRO401HH handheld CB product page (checked 2026-09-29)
- Uniden: PRO510XL product page (checked 2026-09-29)
- Right Channel Radios: CB radios collection, stock and prices (checked 2026-09-29)
- Right Channel Radios: handheld CB radios collection, stock and prices (checked 2026-09-29)
- Walcott Radio: CB radios listing, stock and prices (checked 2026-09-29)
- 47 CFR 95.963, CBRS channel frequencies (via Cornell LII, checked 2026-09-29)
- 47 CFR 95.967, CBRS transmitter power limits (via Cornell LII, checked 2026-09-29)
- 47 CFR 95.971, CBRS emission types, including FM (via Cornell LII, checked 2026-09-29)
- 47 CFR 95.931, permissible CBRS uses (channel 9; via Cornell LII, checked 2026-09-29)
We haven't tested the radios on this page and we don't pretend to. Specs and range figures come from each maker's own pages and manuals (linked on every product), and license, power and channel rules come from the FCC and 47 CFR Part 95. Range numbers are the maker's advertised claims and are labeled that way. Prices are set by Amazon and change often, so we don't print them. Where a figure isn't published, we say so. Read the full method.
