The best instant cameras under $100
Under $100 is where most of this category sits, and the cameras here are more alike than the marketing suggests. The film cost is what separates them.
Under $100, the instax mini 12 and mini 13 are the best buys: simple cameras on 85-cent-a-shot film. The Polaroid Go Generation 3 at $89.99 is the only real Polaroid in the bracket, but its film costs $1.37 a shot and its print is smaller than an instax mini.
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| # | Product | Best for | Cost per shot | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Fujifilm instax mini 12The cheapest camera to own in the category, not just to buy. | Best value overall | $0.85 | Check price |
| 2 |  Fujifilm instax mini 13The self-timer version of the same camera, for the same running cost. | Best under $100 for groups | $0.85 | Check price |
| 3 |  Polaroid Go Generation 3A genuine Polaroid for $89.99 listed — as long as you know the print is tiny. | The only real Polaroid under $100 | $1.37 | Check price |
| 4 |  HP SprocketNot a camera at all — a sticker printer for the pictures already on a phone. | Best under $100 if the photos already exist | $0.60 | Check price |
Most of this category lives under $100, which means the cameras here are not compromises — they are the mainstream. What changes under $100 is that the film cost becomes the dominant number, because the hardware prices are close enough to each other to stop mattering.
1. Best value overall
Fujifilm instax mini 12
The cheapest camera to own in the category, not just to buy.
- Buy it for
- Anyone under $100 who wants the lowest total cost over the first year.
- Skip it if
- Anyone who wants a large print or a self-timer.
- 85-cent film is the whole argument: at 100 shots a year it saves about $52 against Polaroid Go film and about $152 against full-size Polaroid.
- AA batteries mean no charging cable and no dead battery two years in when a built-in cell stops holding charge.
- Nothing to learn, which is what you want in a sub-$100 gift.
Running cost: instax mini works out at $0.85 a shot. See every format’s cost.
How it scores8.5/10 overall
- Total first-year cost10
- Easy for a beginner10
- Print size5
- Build and feel6
Our editorial scoring, built from published specifications and reviews by outlets that test hardware — see how we pick. We have not handled these products, so these are not test results.
Engadget, which publishes hands-on reviews, calls it “a basic instant camera ideal for newbies that lets you get started shooting”.
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2. Best under $100 for groups
Fujifilm instax mini 13
The self-timer version of the same camera, for the same running cost.
- Buy it for
- Anyone who will put the camera on a table at a gathering.
- Skip it if
- Someone squeezing the last few dollars out of the budget.
- A 2- or 10-second self-timer, which no other simple instax has.
- Identical 85-cent film and AA batteries, so the saving above is unchanged.
- The current model, so film and accessories will stay easy to find.
Running cost: instax mini works out at $0.85 a shot. See every format’s cost.
How it scores8.7/10 overall
- Total first-year cost9
- Easy for a beginner10
- Group and party use8
- Build and feel6
Our editorial scoring, built from published specifications and reviews by outlets that test hardware — see how we pick. We have not handled these products, so these are not test results.
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3. The only real Polaroid under $100
Polaroid Go Generation 3
A genuine Polaroid for $89.99 listed — as long as you know the print is tiny.
- Buy it for
- Someone who wants the Polaroid name and the white-framed square specifically.
- Skip it if
- Anyone who assumes 'Polaroid' means the big print. The Go photograph is 2.6 x 2.1 inches, smaller than an instax mini, and costs $1.37 a shot.
- At **$89.99 listed**, it is the cheapest route to an actual Polaroid rather than an instax.
- Rechargeable, with up to 15 film packs per charge, plus a self-timer and double exposure.
- Engadget rates it "basic and relatively cheap, but it offers a lot", while flagging that the autofocus "delivers spotty results".
Running cost: Polaroid Go works out at $1.37 a shot, so a hundred photographs in the first year puts the real total at about $243.92 including the camera. See every format’s cost.
How it scores7.3/10 overall
- Total first-year cost5
- Easy for a beginner8
- Print size4
- Build and feel8
Our editorial scoring, built from published specifications and reviews by outlets that test hardware — see how we pick. We have not handled these products, so these are not test results.
Engadget, which publishes hands-on reviews, calls it “basic and relatively cheap, but it offers a lot”.
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4. Best under $100 if the photos already exist
HP Sprocket
Not a camera at all — a sticker printer for the pictures already on a phone.
- Buy it for
- Teenagers, and anyone whose camera roll is full and whose walls are empty.
- Skip it if
- Anyone who wants the moment of a print developing in their hand. There is no camera here, and ZINK color accuracy is the weakest of the three print technologies.
- ZINK paper is peel-and-stick, which is exactly what gets photos onto a laptop lid or a locker door.
- About **60 cents a print** on 2 x 3 ZINK paper, well under any instant film.
- No film to load and nothing to waste — you print the photograph you already chose.
Running cost: ZINK 2 x 3 works out at $0.60 a shot. See every format’s cost.
How it scores7.6/10 overall
- Total first-year cost8
- Easy for a beginner9
- Print quality5
- Novelty for a teenager9
Our editorial scoring, built from published specifications and reviews by outlets that test hardware — see how we pick. We have not handled these products, so these are not test results.
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The sum that decides this bracket
Two cameras ten dollars apart can cost fifty dollars apart over a year. Here is the same four cameras with film included:
| Camera or printer | 50 shots | 100 shots | 200 shots |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fujifilm instax mini 12Hardware price not published — film cost only | $50.973 packs of instax mini | $84.955 packs of instax mini | $169.9010 packs of instax mini |
| Fujifilm instax mini 13Hardware price not published — film cost only | $50.973 packs of instax mini | $84.955 packs of instax mini | $169.9010 packs of instax mini |
| Polaroid Go Generation 3$89.99 listed at polaroid.com | $177.954 packs of Polaroid Go | $243.927 packs of Polaroid Go | $375.8613 packs of Polaroid Go |
What you cannot get under $100
- A full-size Polaroid print. The cheapest camera that shoots it is the Polaroid Now Generation 3 at $119.99 listed at launch.
- A screen. The instax mini Evo, which lets you choose what to print, sits well above this bracket — and it is the camera that saves the most on film, which is the irony of the budget end.
- Manual controls. The instax mini 99 is the camera with dials, and it is a $150-plus proposition.
- A wide print. The instax WIDE 400 is above $100, and its four AA batteries add to the running cost too.
Where the money is better spent
If your budget is exactly $100, the best split is usually not $100 on the camera. An instax mini 12 plus two 20-exposure packs of film and a $15 album uses the same money and produces a gift that works on the day and keeps working. A camera alone, with no film, is a gift that needs a shopping trip before it does anything.
That is also the honest answer to the cheaper question people ask next: see what $50 actually buys, where the short version is that no new instant camera sits under $50 and the money is better spent on film.
Questions people ask
What is the best cheap instant camera?
The Fujifilm instax mini 12, because the camera is simple and the film is the cheapest in the category at about 85 cents a shot. Over a year of normal use it costs less to own than any other camera in this bracket, including ones with a lower sticker price.
Is there a good instant camera under $100?
Several. The instax mini 12 and mini 13 both sit under $100 and are the best-value options overall; the Polaroid Go Generation 3 is $89.99 listed and is the only genuine Polaroid in the bracket. All three are simple enough to hand to someone who has never used one.
Why is the cheapest camera not always the cheapest option?
Because the film is the real cost. A hundred photographs on instax mini film is about $85; the same hundred on Polaroid i-Type film is about $237. A camera that costs $30 less but uses film costing $1.50 more per shot is more expensive within the first forty pictures.
Should I buy a used instant camera to save money?
It is a real option but a risky gift. Instant cameras have few moving parts, but a worn-out built-in battery cannot be replaced on most models, and a faulty film-eject mechanism wastes expensive film. If you do buy used, prefer an AA-powered model like the mini 12, because the battery is not a wear item.
Read these next
Best instant cameras under $50
The honest answer: there are none new, and here is what to do instead.
Best instant cameras overall
The full ranking, with no price ceiling.
The cheapest instant film
Every format ranked cheapest first, with per-shot costs.
Polaroid Now vs Polaroid Go
Which Polaroid you are actually buying, and the print-size surprise.
Gifts under $100
The same budget, organized as complete gifts rather than cameras.
Sources
- Fujifilm instax mini 12 specifications — Manufacturer specification page, checked 13 October 2026
- Fujifilm instax mini 13 specifications — Confirms the self-timer the mini 12 and mini 41 do not have
- Pro Photo Supply — instax mini film, 20 exposures — $16.99 on 13 October 2026, the basis of the 85c-per-shot figure
- Polaroid — Go film — $21.99 for 16 photos on 13 October 2026
- Polaroid — instant cameras — Listed prices, 13 October 2026
- Engadget — the best instant cameras — Cited for published verdicts on handling and image quality. We do not test hardware
Found something out of date or wrong? Tell us and we will correct it with a dated note. Our picks are re-checked quarterly — see our editorial policy.