Best AirPods alternatives in 2024

Weight: 5g per bud (59g with the case) | Battery life: 50 hours (10 hours on a single charge) | Wireless charging: Yes | Noise cancellation: Yes

The Soundcore Liberty 4 NC are our default recommendation for anyone searching for top true wireless earbuds at a sensible price. They're comfy to wear, have loads of features, massive battery life and such good active noise-cancelling that they rival pairs that cost three times as much. That's a lot of value given the £80 price tag. They sound great too, with distinct instrumental separation, a lot of clarity and low distortion, in addition to an in-app hearing test and loads of equaliser customisation.

For the majority of people, the Liberty 4 NC deliver everything you need from AirPods dupes for the lowest possible price. They have the familiar stem design, long battery life, noise-cancelling, and a good choice of ear tips (with a test to help you find the right fit in the app). We like these as a reliable option for travel, for the commute or general wear – the active noise-cancelling (ANC) is so impressive when commuting that we have no problem using them in place of our over-ear cans.

Uninspired by the plain white colour of AirPods? Aren't we all? Well, these come in a range of five fun shades. Our review unit is in the sleek navy blue, but you could also pick minimalist black, light blue, white or pastel pink. They all look great. We could complain that the stem feels quite long compared to some of the competition, or that the touch controls are a little inexact compared to the pinch control of the Nothing models. But who are we kidding? At this price, they're a steal.

Weight: 5g per bud (42g with the case) | Battery life: 35 hours (7 hours on a single charge) | Wireless charging: No | Noise cancellation: No

If you're not bothered about ANC and app control but care a lot about making the most out of your music, there's no point in overspending and Final Audio's ZE2000 make for the best option for those after simple wireless earbuds. They're light, compact and super pocketable, with a unique angular style that isn't like any option from rival brands we've tried. The design fits snugly in your ears and they pump out superb sound without the frills many of us don't need.

Japanese audio experts Final advertise these saying they're based on the ZE3000 buds but with a more impressive bass response, however, we find both pairs excellent at this price. The ZE3000 has a wider soundstage while the ZE2000 is slightly more affordable and delivers a more intimate stage with rich and natural details. Like the ZE3000, they're balanced and capable of revealing subtleties in your music. They also pack in AAC, SBC, aptX, and aptX Adaptive, making for a wider range of codecs supported than you'd expect at the price. The presence of aptX Adaptive, in particular, will help get a top-tier music experience out of compatible devices.

After accurate bass, crisp highs and a neutral midrange for one of our favourite wireless listening experiences? Make this your starting point. But just be aware you'll miss out on app-based extras and noise-cancelling and that while we like the simple touch controls, they can't be tweaked.

Weight: 4.62g per bud (61.14g with charging case) | Battery life: 5.2 hours on a single charge with ANC on (up to 24 hours with charging case) | Wireless charging: Yes | Noise cancellation: Yes

With the debut product from London-based Nothing, the Ear (1), much of the hype was around the distinctive design of the buds. The second-gen flagship earphones honed the sound quality, and now the most refined version yet – the latest Nothing Ear (the brand dropped the numbering system) – further improves the sound, battery life and in-app customisation. They're the full package, and the best Nothing buds yet.

We're impressed by the detailed, refined and natural audio experience – and we're confident you will be too. These buds sound tremendous. Not just excellent for £129, but tremendous full stop. They compare well with far more expensive rivals, with a focus on balance, accuracy and personalisation through the app-based hearing test and comprehensive equaliser for all the audiophiles out there.

Compared to the first-gen and second-gen models, they're still tiny, comfortable, and lightweight, with impressive noise-cancelling and solid battery life. These are excellent all-rounders, although it's worth noting that a few others at this price can offer a lot more battery life.

Weight: 4.8g per bud (49.2g with charging case) | Battery life: 5.5 hours on a single charge with ANC on (up to 24.5 hours with charging case) | Wireless charging: No | Noise cancellation: Yes

We think you'd struggle to find a more well-rounded pair of earbuds under £100 than the Nothing Ear (a), which only makes minor compromises to lower the price compared to the flagship Nothing Ear.

You're getting the same ANC strength as the more expensive model, the same customisable on-bud pinch control system, extra functions in the Nothing X app, high-res audio support, lots of battery life and a comfortable and compact design.

We're big fans of the expected transparent design from the brand, available here in white, black, and a new yellow shade. The charging case lacks wireless charging but is super pocketable and easy to refuel via USB-C.

The fit, which is a lot like AirPods Pro in size and weight, stays comfortable for hours. And, we're happy to say you'll be more than impressed with the sound quality. They pump out a balanced and engaging sound signature that you can tweak to your liking with an equaliser and a "bass enhance" slider in the companion app.

Weight: 4.3g per earbud (38.7g with charging case) | Battery life: 7 hours (up to 30 hours with the charging case) | Wireless charging: No | Noise cancellation: Yes

Apple's AirPods are all notorious for not playing well with Android devices. While you can technically pair them up, you won't be able to access any of the key settings or firmware upgrades. We're sure you'd agree that it somewhat defeats the point. So, what if you want that AirPods Pro look but you're using an Android phone like a Google Pixel 8a?

This Oppo pair follows a lot of the same design cues as Apple's flagship and almost look identical at a glance. They give you sleek style, a slim charging case, a comfy fit, impressive noise-cancelling and intuitive on-bud touch controls (with full volume control). We also like how they have Google Fast Pair for a seamless pairing experience – it's just as effortless as it is to link AirPods to an iPhone.

But, it's sound quality that matters, right? These offer a detailed sound with a lot of dynamism – they're an enjoyable listen for a range of genres. We threw on our favourite Tidal playlists, and they delivered excellent instrumental separation and vocals when we listened to pop, classic rock and electronic beats.

Weight: 5g per bud (58g with charging case) | Battery life: 5 hours (up to 15 hours with charging case) | Wireless charging: No | Noise cancellation: Yes

We reckon many buyers on the hunt for alternatives to AirPods are simply looking for the Studio Buds from Apple-owned Beats without realising it. These share many similarities with AirPods and AirPods Pro models while being more affordable and getting on with Android phones much better.

The first in that list of similarities is that Apple owns Beats, so these are technically Apple-produced earbuds. That means using them with iOS devices is seamless; they pair instantly to every device linked to your iCloud account. They also play well with Android phones, offering quick setup via Google Fast Pair and an app for customisations.

We like how Beats hasn't used the typical Lightning port that Apple used to rely on for charging iPhones and AirPods, instead using USB-C on these. Beyond connectivity, they also offer a punchy sound and boast reliable noise-cancelling and transparency. They fit well and are sweat-resistant if you're taking them to the gym.

Weight: 4.8g per bud (58g with charging case) | Battery life: 10 hours (up to 40 hours with charging case) | Wireless charging: Yes | Noise cancellation: Yes

There's a lot to like about the JBL Live Pro 2 buds, and they appeal as some of the best all-rounder buds on this list, offering adaptive and personalised active noise-cancellation, customisable sound with an in-app equaliser, in-ear detection for automatic play and pause, multipoint, an ear tip fit test and wireless charging.

That's a superb amount of value for the price, and although they're challenged by lower-cost alternatives like the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC and Beats Studio Buds, we still reckon these are competitive, especially with the terrific dynamism of the sound on offer.

We like the minimalist design, compact charging case and comfortable fit of the buds, as well as the decent range of colours and reliable touch controls (although we wish the JBL app offered more customisation of these). The main draw is that they sound fun, lively and energetic without any tweaking and that the responsive equaliser in the app enables you to customise the audio reproduction to your liking.

On test, we listened to the Dune soundtrack, Hozier, Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar and everything we played sounded fantastic without us needing to amend it. At full price, they're just a little more expensive than some rivals on this list but they're excellent value because they're well-built and feature-packed enough to compete with flagship pairs too.

Weight: 4.8g per earbud (54g with charging case) | Battery life: 6.5 hours (up to 22 hours with the charging case) | Wireless charging: No | Noise cancellation: Yes

Proper noise-cancelling tech for under £50? It sounds impossible but the Buds Pro buds from CMF by Nothing deliver. Sure, the ANC here isn't going to be quite on the same level as the others with this feature on our list (if you've got the extra cash, we'd suggest going for the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC or higher-end Nothing buds), but they are more than half the price of some rivals and won't disappoint if you need to cancel out the drone of a train or a fan.

We like the hockey puck look of the charging case and the comfortable AirPods-like fit of the earbuds, even if the plastic used on these does feel notably more budget than others we've tried. They're straightforward to control with simple taps and we like the level of customisation available within the companion Nothing X app, especially as you can change the equaliser to suit your tastes and get the most out of your music.

The bass-heavy default sound is going to appeal to many listeners, we like the minimal look of these and how they deliver more than enough life in the battery department. Overall, you'll have a hard time finding much better than this within a sub-£50 price, and the CMF Buds Pro are a quality pair of noise-cancelling earbuds for their low cost.

Weight: 5g per bud (45g with the case) | Battery life: 18 hours (5.5 hours on a single charge) | Wireless charging: No | Noise cancellation: Yes

If Bluetooth multipoint isn't on your list of must-have features in a new pair of earbuds, then it should be. This is far more capable than the platform-specific auto-switching you'll find on Apple or Samsung earbuds. It allows you to connect to several devices at once and have your earphones switch between them without effort.

Two-device multipoint is more commonplace nowadays, but Technics has just unveiled its new range with three-device multipoint. The compact EAH-AZ40M2 is the most affordable in that lineup, and this pair does a fantastic job.

We tested our three-device multipoint with a MacBook Air, a Pixel 7 and an iPhone 14 Pro, and it had no problem switching to the device playing audio at the time. Need to hop on a call? There's no need to disconnect and reconnect, just pause audio on your phone and start the call on your laptop, these stay connected and work out where they're needed most. They're solid for calls, although pricier Technics pairs are better, and the noise-cancelling is serviceable but not as good as the best.

The battery life on these also leaves some room for improvement, especially when models from Soundcore now offer twice the battery from a single charge. These sound excellent and come in three classy colours. Overall, though, we think the EAH-AZ40M2 make for a top pick if you regularly need to move your connection between three different devices on different ecosystems.

Weight: 4.8g per earbud (57.8g with charging case) | Battery life: 6 hours (up to 32 with the charging case) | Wireless charging: No | Noise cancellation: Yes

Like the fit of the original and 2nd-gen AirPods but think you'll sometimes need noise-cancelling too? Don't worry, you don't need to buy two pairs. This JBL model offers the ability to wear them with either an open or closed design. Want the awareness afforded to you by an open earbud design like that on the original AirPods or the now-discontinued Nothing Ear (stick)? You can fully remove the ear tips on these, and they're still comfy to wear.

When you do need isolation, just add them back on. Once that's done, you'll get the added benefit of some pretty decent active noise-cancelling too. We're fans of the diminutive charging case for these earbuds; it's a proper pocket option.

The sound is solid – it's heavy on the bass and punchy overall, but you'll predictably get a richer quality out of some of the pricier models here, and the audio performance is affected by using them without the sealing ear tips. They're also budget-friendly with a sub-£90 price tag.