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Top 3 Best Cheap Baofeng Radios For 2025

Looking for the best cheap Baofeng radios? You’re about to discover three budget-friendly options that offer great performance without emptying your wallet. We’ve carefully reviewed and selected these radios for their reliability, durability, and value.

Whether you need a basic model for everyday use, a rugged gmrs radio for outdoor adventures, or a compliant radio for ham operators, we have something for everyone.

So let’s start!

Number 3. BAOFENG UV-5R+

At a glance, Baofeng UV-5R+ looks very much like a cosmetic facelift of the good old UV-5R. To some extent, that is true – this HT is not radically different from its predecessor.

However, it does have a few changes that amp up its performance and general quality of use. The biggest change that a visual inspection will show is the shiny and glossy shell of the radio.

Its casing is tougher than its predecessor, it looks better, and lasts longer since the tougher body can take some abuse and hold up well eventhough it’s not indestructible. While the finish is metallic, the body is still plastic. Also, the comparison is with the UV-5R. So, while the casing for the UV-5R+ is better, I would not overestimate it.

Also the UV-5R+ is more expensive than its predecessor, but it’s still a 25 bucks radio.

The next change is the buttons. They appear to have better feedback and feel more tactile and satisfying. That’s especially true for the PTT button, which appears to have acquired a rather satisfying push.

While there is no visual difference on the buttons, it feels like they’re of better quality than the preceding model.

Other aspects like the display, speaker, and battery remain the same between both models. So, the speaker is basic at best, the display is acceptable, and the battery works pretty well.

Besides, you can tap into the world of UV-5R accessories to get a bigger battery, should you feel the need for one.

There doesn’t seem to be a significant change to the innards and circuits of the 5R Plus. Yet, the radio appears to have a better signal and audio quality.

Perhaps it’s the greater attention to quality control that makes these improvements possible. But again, remember that the comparison is necessarily with the UV-5R. So, though the signal and audio quality are better, they’re not groundbreaking.

Other features and accessories for the UV-5R+ remain similar to the basic model. It comes with a rubber ducky antenna, which you will want to replace for better quality. The earpiece is a waste of space, though the belt clip, lanyard, charging cradle, and programming cable are acceptable.

It’s accompanied by a good-quality programming cable with a Kenwood-style connector and it is compatible with CHIRP and Baofeng’s software, and can be programmed with relative ease.

Overall, the Baofeng UV-5R+ is a decent upgrade and facelift over the trusty workhorse, that is the Baofeng UV-5R. While the features on both models remain similar, the cosmetic upgrades on the 5R Plus make it a decent pick. The radio also has a metallic finish and is available in several colors and styles.

Number 2. Baofeng GMRS-9R

Pricing has always been the attractive side of Baofeng radios, but things get sweeter with the better build quality and performance of radios like the GMRS-9R.

There are improvements here that go beyond the CCR stereotype for Baofeng radios. These are visible in several aspects like the programming, firmware, and even visually with the casing and design. It has an IP67 rating, which means it is dustproof and waterproof, to the point of surviving if submerged in water for up to 30 minutes.

To keep the HT waterproof, components like the battery, charging port, and programming port have a tight fit. The flap on the side for the programming cable comes with a screw to keep it firmly in place. Although it fits snugly, the 2800 mAh battery is fairly easy to remove and replace.

Many packages of this radio include two batteries, so you can have the radio working while one battery sits in the cradle and charges. Though this is a likable solution, repeated use is likely to weaken the waterproofing seal over time. That’s not really this radio’s fault, that’s just how things work.

The front of the GMRS radio shows a clear screen and a backlit and rubberized keypad. As with much of the newer crop of Baofeng radios, this one too says goodbye to the old rubber ducky antenna and embraces a whip antenna.

Some packaging also includes an 18.8-inch Abbree tactical antenna for improved performance. Other accessories include a charging dock and Abbree microphone.

What’s conspicuously missing, however, is the programming cable. The radio works with CHIRP, but you’ll need to purchase the cable separately. Although, you might be able to use it right out of the box since it isn’t programmed to narrowband or proprietary tones.

Also it does have a strange quirk. When scanning, it will stop whenever it encounters a NOAA channel. You could set it to skip NOAA channels in scanning, but that will require programming.

Moving on the rated maximum RF power output for this radio is 5W with the minimum at 0.5W. Though as with most cheap radios, the max RF output can be variable and might be lower than the advertised number.

When it comes to the competition it would be only natural to compare it to another famous, waterproof and budget GMRS, the Baofeng UV-9G. Practically, both of these are the same radio and even share the same FCC ID. Baofeng GMRS-9R simply happens to be in a more modern housing!

Overall, Baofeng GMRS-9R is a decent and well-priced GMRS radio. It’s sturdy, waterproof, and generally useful to anyone who wants a reliable GMRS transceiver on a budget.

Number 1. Baofeng GT-5R

Baofeng GT-5R is the company’s attempt to create a ham radio that’s absolutely compliant with FCC requirements. And these attempts have resulted in a slightly higher cost but better performance when compared to the UV-5R, although the form factor and appearance of both radios are the same.

In making the radios compliant with FCC requirements, Baofeng has ensured that the GT-5R remains solidly within the VHF/UHF ham radio frequencies.

Additionally, they’ve worked to remove the spurious emissions at the antenna terminal.

There also appears to be greater attention to quality control, so the radio feels like it’s made better and has a more decent performance. Even so, the casing, buttons, and other aspects of the GT-5R are pretty much the same as the UV-5R.

To be clear, Baofeng GT-5R is intended to be legal and within FCC equirements and essentially, there is no effort to improve quality. The perceived improvement in performance likely comes from these attempts at staying legal.

Other than those changes, this radio is pretty much the Baofeng UV-5R. It supports CHIRP and is programmable through the same settings as the UV-5R, a Kenwood-style two pin programming cable is included in the box for this purpose.

And it’s a nice touch, considering many transceivers, including more expensive ones, skip the programming cable, making it necessary for the buyer to source one separately. The included earpieces, as you might guess, are not very useful.

The rubber ducky antenna does its job, but those who want better performance might consider replacing it with a better quality aftermarket antenna.

GT-5R draws power from an 1800 mAh Li-ion battery. It is also compatible with UV-5R battery accessories, including the 3800 mAh BL-5 Li-ion battery. The highest RF output power for the radio is 5W and the lowest is 1W. Good management here would allow the battery to last a fairly long time.

If you’re new to the hobby, using Baofeng UV-5R tutorials could work as easily for the Baofeng GT-5R. While Baofeng provides a good and detailed manual with the HT, the UV-5R is more popular and has been around longer as such, there’s a good volume of tutorials and troubleshooting guides for the UV-5R on the internet.

Overall, Baofeng GT-5R is a decent starter radio and takes away much of the headache for those new to amateur radio. It’s priced low and is specifically designed to stay within the constraints of legal requirements. So, new users don’t mistakenly end up on the wrong side of the FCC. Besides, this radio is basically the well-known Baofeng UV-5R, so there’s plenty of documentation and help available for new users.

So what do you think? Which of these is the best Cheap Baofeng radio for you?

Or do you think another Baofeng radio is better?

Tell us in the comments below.