The 5 Best Gas Grills Under $500 – Fall 2026

If you wanted to buy a decent gas grill for under $500 a few years ago, you had plenty of models to choose from.

While the price of most grills has gone up (thanks inflation), you can still find some cheaper models that will serve you well in this price range. Cheaper gas grills tend to be smaller, but we’ve managed to include a full-sized 4-burner for your consideration.

You can also watch a video where we share the results of our testing.

Our Top 5 Choices of the Best Gas Grill Under $500

We’ve cooked on and tested dozens of gas grills from $229 all the way up to $6000. Below, you’ll find our recommendations for the best gas grills you can buy for under $500. We’ve assembled and cooked on all of these grills in the last year. You may also want to check out our picks for the best small gas grills, the best stainless steel grills, or the best infrared grills.

1. The Best Gas Grill Under $500 – Weber Spirit E-325

Read our full Weber Spirit review

The Weber Spirit is our pick for the best gas grill in the $500 range.

Weber overhauled the Spirit design in 2025 and dropped the II from the name. The new models get some premium features previously only found on the Genesis, including a sear zone, upgraded ignition, and a new design.

The new sear zone on the Weber Spirit E-325 combines the two right burners to deliver a concentrated blast of heat, reaching up to 700°F.

Quick Specs

Total Cooking Area (Sq in)	450 (360 primary + 90 warming)
Grate material	Porcelain-enamel coated cast iron
Total BTU’s	31,000
Assembled Dimensions (W*D*H)	48.30 x 26.60 x 46.20 (inches)
Weight	98.1 Pounds
Warranty	10 years

Watch our full review video below, where we go through our experience cooking on this grill.

Unlike previous models, the cart has a door to hide the propane bottle and the grease pan, and with the bottle inside both side shelves now fold down.

The 360 square inches of cooking space can easily accommodate 6 pork chops or steaks at once. You also get a warming rack, but I typically leave that off as it gets in the way when flipping and rotating meat.

The cast iron cooking grates get a great sear. Burners lit up instantly every time.

The front right and left ran a little bit cooler during our burnt toast test.

The redesigned grease management system is a big step up from older models. Instead of scraping into a narrow catch basin, you now get a removable drip tray and grease pan that slide out for easy access.

It’s simple to scrape down after cooking and slide back in, with no need to remove the grates or burners. This is one of the most useful upgrades for day-to-day grilling and makes cleanup much less of a hassle.

The three-burner E-325 is perfect for small to medium families who want a grill that will last a long time. One advantage of Weber is the huge range of accessories they offer, including rotisserie and griddle grates, plus that 10 year warranty and Weber customer service.

The Spirit does come in a few other sizes with more burners and a natural gas version, so check the Weber website for more details, although they will all exceed the $500 budget.

What we like:

• Sear zone – The two right burners team up for about 40% more heat in that zone, and it hits 700°F with no trouble.
• Reliable ignition – Pull the flavor bars off, and you can see the SnapJet system light the full length of each burner. It lit instantly every time we cooked.
• Built to last – Weber keeps parts available for years, and with the 10-year warranty, this is a grill you maintain rather than replace.
• Easy cleanup – The redesigned drip tray and grease pan slide out the front, with no need to pull the grates or burners.
• Tidy cart – A door hides the propane tank and grease pan, and both side shelves fold down when you’re done.

What we don’t like:

• Peg legs and plastic wheels – Fine on a patio, but flimsy if you’re rolling it down a bumpy driveway every week.
• Cooler front corners – In our toast test, the front left and right ran a little cooler than the rest of the grill, so rotate food that’s sitting there.

2. The Best Large Gas Grill Under $500 – Monument Mesa

Read our full Monument Grills Mesa review.

If you want the most grill you can get without blowing past $500, this is it. The Monument Mesa is a full-size, four-burner stainless grill with an infrared sear burner and a side burner.

Square inch for square inch and dollar for dollar, nothing else on this list beats it. You can see the Monument in action in our review video below.

Quick Specs

Total Cooking Area (Sq in)	630 (450 primary + 180 warming)
Grate material	Enamel coated cast iron
Total BTU’s	62,000
Assembled Dimensions (W*D*H)	55.0*22.0*45.5 (inches)
Weight	91.5
Warranty	1-8 years depending on component

The sear burner is what really sets this grill apart. Monument calls it the Broil Zone, and in our tests it hit 630°F in about 10 minutes. With everything cranked during the burn-off, the dome gauge read 750°F.

Throw a ribeye over that zone, and it’ll reward you with one heck of a sear. I also like it for reverse-sear finishes on prime rib.

The rest of the grill is pretty even too. In our toast test, only the back right corner came out a little lighter, so I use that spot as a holding zone while everything else finishes.

The side burner is a nice bonus. If you like doing brats, you can simmer them in beer and onions right there at the grill instead of trekking back and forth to the kitchen. It brought a pot of water to a rolling boil in under two minutes, so it’s plenty for sauces and sides too.

You also get a few features you don’t usually see at this price. The clear lid lets you check your food without opening the hood, and the LED knobs light up so you can see what you’re doing after dark (plus they look cool).

What we like:

• Separate sear burner – It has its own knob, so you can run it flat out for a hard sear while other burners stay low for gentler cooking.
• Huge cooking area for the price – 630 sq in of total cooking space is the most on this list, with enough room for a big cookout or a full week of meal prep.
• Side burner – Simmer brats in beer and onions, warm a sauce or cook a side right at the grill instead of running back and forth to the kitchen. It boiled a pot of water in under two minutes.
• LED knobs – The knobs light up, so you can see your settings when you’re grilling after dark.
• Cabinet storage – The double-door cabinet holds the propane tank with room left over for tools and accessories.

What we don’t like:

• Build quality – The tradeoff for the extra size and features is that it comes in a step below the Weber Spirit in fit and finish.
• Plastic casters – They’re basically office chair casters. They’re fine on a patio, but frequent trips in and out of the garage will wear them out, and on gravel they skid more than roll.
• Long assembly – It took two experienced people about an hour and a half, so set aside an afternoon.
• Glass gets dirty – The window clouds up quickly with grease and smoke. Plan on wiping it with a little vinegar every few cooks.

Monument sells this grill directly as the Mesa 415BZ for $499, but you can grab the Lowe’s exclusive Mesa 405BZ. It’s virtually the same grill and it usually costs about $50 less.

You’ll also see Lowe’s list it as a “5-burner” grill, which can be confusing. Lowe’s counts the infrared sear burner along with the four main burners. I call it a four-burner because those four do your everyday grilling across the whole chamber.

Monument also sells the confusingly named Mesa II. It’s more of an entry-level grill, starting around $299, so it’s a good option if your budget can’t stretch to the original. You do give up a fair bit, though.

3. Best Budget Gas Grill – Charbroil Performance Series 4-Burner

I get it. Not everyone wants to spend $499.99 on a gas grill.

Some of us just want one that lights every time, can grill steak, burgers, and hot dogs, and doesn’t break the bank.

If you want a full-size four-burner grill while spending the least money possible, the Char-Broil Performance 4-burner is the grill to buy.

It’s not a Weber, but for half the price you get an extra burner with 565 square inches of cooking space, which is hard to beat.

Quick Specs

Total Cooking Area (Sq in)	565 (435 primary + 130 warming)
Grate material	Porcelain-coated cast iron
Total BTU’s	Not listed
Assembled Dimensions (W*D*H)	50.4 x 21.9 x 45.6″
Weight	70 lbs
Warranty	5-year limited

The steel is a lot thinner. It’s not flimsy, but it isn’t sturdy either. At this price, it doesn’t need to be. It just needs to cook a normal dinner without any drama, and it did exactly that. I ran steaks, brats, burgers, and pork chops through it with no issues, and got great searing and color on all of them. It also had no problem getting up to 700°F, so if you want to crank it, it’s going to crank.

It’s also one of the bestselling gas grills at Lowe’s, and Char-Broil is one of the most popular brands out there. If something does break down the road, parts aren’t hard to find.

What we like:

• Four burners for around $250 – Hard to beat on price. You get enough burners to set up a hot side and a cooler side for two-zone grilling.
• Gets hot – It reached 700°F with no trouble and put a great sear on steaks and pork chops.
• Easy to find parts – Char-Broil is everywhere, so replacement burners, grates and igniters are easy to track down.

What we don’t like:

• Thinner steel – It doesn’t have the heft or fit and finish of the Weber or the Mesa. You’ll notice the difference as soon as you open the lid.
• Weak wagon wheels – They’ll do the job, but they aren’t strong. If you can leave the grill in one spot, they’ll last a lot longer.

4. Best For Small Spaces – Weber Q2800N+

Read our full Weber Q2800N+ review.

If you’re working with a balcony, a small patio, or any spot where a full grill cart won’t fit, the Weber Q2800N+ is the one.

Set it on any sturdy table, or grab it with the Weber cart if you want it at standing height with a shelf underneath. It’s compact, but it still grills like a full-size pit. With 320 square inches of cooking space, you can easily feed a family, and the plus burner gives you enough heat to put a real sear on a couple of ribeyes.

It’s built heavy duty too. The lid and cookbox are cast aluminum, so even though it’s small, it doesn’t feel cheap. There’s a reason it also topped our best small gas grills list.

Quick Specs

Total Cooking Area (Sq in)	320
Grate material	Porcelain-enamel coated cast iron
Total BTU’s	18,000 + 4,000
Assembled Dimensions (W*D*H)	30.00 x 19.70 x 16.70 (inches)
Weight	31.6
Warranty	2-5 years

In our tests, the Q+ easily got up to temperatures of 750°F, making this a searing machine.

In our burnt toast test, every piece was cooked pretty even, although the edges were slightly less charred.

The side tables are surprisingly sturdy for such a small grill and can be removed and stored under the grill.

Weber also recommends using a standard 20-pound liquid propane tank, not one of the smaller ones.

What we like:

• Compact footprint – Fits on a balcony, a small patio or a sturdy table, and the side shelves pop off and tuck underneath when it’s time to put it away.
• Serious searing heat – The plus burner helped it hit 750°F, so you’ll get a proper crust on steaks and chops.
• More room than you’d think – 320 sq in feeds a family, and the tall dome fits two small whole chickens.
• Heavy-duty build – The cast aluminum lid and cookbox feel solid, not like a cheap tabletop grill.
• Easy cleanup – Drop a disposable foil pan in the drip tray and toss it when it’s full, or pull the tray, wipe it and slide it back in.
• Five colors – Handy if you want it to match your patio.

What we don’t like:

• Price – It costs nearly as much as a full-size grill, so you’re paying for the compact build and the Weber quality.
• Single-zone cooking – With one main burner, indirect cooking for bigger cuts is tough.

Weighing in at under 40 lbs, you can relatively easily move this grill back inside for storage. If you’ll mostly be taking it camping or tailgating, skip down to the Traveler.

5. Best Portable Gas Grill – Weber Traveler

Read our full Weber Traveler review.

Most grills are a greasy, heavy nightmare to take anywhere. Even if you have the space for them, the mess they leave is not worth the effort.

With the Traveler, you just fold it up. Press a button, and the cart collapses, and the grates and drip tray stay right where they are. Lock the lid, tip it onto the wheels, and roll it to the car. It slides into the back of an SUV, wheels first, with room left over for the cooler.

And those wheels are the real deal. Weber knows you won’t always be rolling across a smooth patio. Campgrounds have roots, little stumps and ruts, and the Traveler just goes pull, clunk, plunk and keeps on rolling. We dragged it across 50 yards of patchy grass and it didn’t care.

Cooking Area (Sq in)	320
Grate material	Porcelain-enamel coated cast iron
Total BTU’s	13,000
Fuel	1 lb propane canister (20 lb tank compatible with adapter)
Burners	1
Weight	47 lbs
Assembled Dimensions	43.6 x 23.0 x 37.2″ open 44.0 x 26.0 x 15.0″ folded

It’s no toy once it’s lit, either. The 320 square inches of cooking space took a full 10-pack of burgers in one round, and it climbed to around 600°F, plenty to put a good sear on a steak.

Just know what you’re buying. There’s one burner and one knob, so indirect cooking is tough and low and slow is off the table. You’re also paying a premium for those portability features, so if you won’t be taking it on the go regularly, you’re better off looking at the Q2800 or the Spirit.

For burgers, brats, steaks and chicken thighs at the beach or a campsite, though, there aren’t many portable gas grills built as well as this one.

What we like:

• Folds up with everything inside – The grates and drip tray stay in place, and the lid locks shut, so there’s nothing to pack separately.
• Wheels that handle rough ground – Big, sturdy wheels built for campground roots and grass, not just smooth concrete.
• Plenty of grill space – 320 sq in is enough for a full round of burgers for the whole crew.
• Hot enough to sear – It gets up to around 600°F, which is plenty for steaks and chops.
• Almost no assembly – Clip on the wheels and you’re done. No tools needed.

What we don’t like:

• One burner – There’s no real two-zone setup, so indirect cooking and low and slow are out.
• Fiddly propane connection – The tank has to be angled just right to connect, and it’s hard to see what you’re doing.

How we tested

Our recommendations above are what we think are the best gas grills under $500 for most people.

We selected these grills based on price, availability, and features. Each of these grills was supplied to us by the manufacturer for the purpose of reviewing, but no money changed hands, and we were free to share our honest opinion of each grill’s performance.

To test each grill out, we just used them as we owned it. We assembled each grill ourselves, and then put them through an initial burn off to remove any leftover chemicals.

Following that, we grilled a variety of foods, including steak, pork chops, burgers, and brats on each grill over a number of weeks and months.

We also did a ‘toast test’ on each grill, which allows us to easily determine where any hot or cold spots are.

What to look for in a cheap grill

Buying a gas grill for under 500 dollars is all about prioritization.

If you’re OK with a 2- or 3-burner grill, then you can get an entry-level Weber with great build quality, support, and warranty.

If you don’t mind going for a more value-oriented brand like Monument Grills, then you can get a whole lot more features for your money.

Number of Burners/Cooking Size

Having more burners gives you more control as you can create hot and cooler zones which is essential for cooking larger cuts of meat, or if you are grilling steak and veggies at the same time.

We prefer grills with three or more burners for this reason.

More burners usually means more grilling area, but not always, so check the specs. The single-burner Weber Traveler has 320 square inches of cooking space, not far off the 360-square-inch main grate on the three-burner Spirit.

Burner shape matters too. The Traveler’s single burner loops around the cookbox, which is how it covers so much grate with one burner. The trade-off is one heat zone, which is why the hottest spots sit right over the loop.

Portable grills can get away with fewer burners, as you’re more likely going to be sticking to burgers, hot dogs, and steak where you don’t need to create multiple zones.

Some grills like the Monument Mesa we reviewed include additional searing or broil burners, which increase the heat in a certain zone, making them great for high temperature searing.

BTU Level/Heat Flux

The BTU number is often used by manufacturers to advertise how powerful a grill is, but it’s really more of a measure of how much fuel it will use in a given period of time.

While it’s good to have a high BTU rating, keep in mind that higher BTU numbers don’t necessarily translate to faster cooking time.

How fast your meat cooks depends on your BTU rating, your cooking surface, and how much space has to be heated at one time.

This delivery ratio of BTU per square inch is also called “heat flux”.

For instance, small gas grills with lower BTU ratings can often produce more concentrated heat.

They can cook a few burgers more quickly than a larger gas grill with a higher BTU rating that has to cook twice the amount of meat.

Portability

There are some excellent portable grills available at this budget, but you’ll usually be giving up quite a lot of size.

You should think about if you really need a grill that you can pick up and take with you, or if you just need a compact grill that will sit in one place.

Shelving and Storage Space

We prefer grills that include some prep areas, preferably with foldable side tables that include tool hooks.

Some models also have shelves or storage areas in the cart. This will allow you to store sauces, tools, trays, and other accessories that you might use during your cooking session, plus it’s nice to keep your propane bottle out of the way.

Final thoughts

Buying a grill for under $500 can be done, but it does require careful prioritisation. After months of testing, we’re confident in recommending the Weber Spirit E-325 which can often be had on special for under $500.

If you need a larger grill, then the Monument Mesa gives you more burners, space and features, with slightly worse build quality.

If you want to look at more options, you can browse our full database of gas grill reviews, and if you have any questions about any of these grills, or a suggestion for a grill we should review, leave a comment below.