The price of the mic isn't the price of the setup. Enter today's prices for every part you need, in one currency, then compare setups that do the same job.
Each pick’s maker lists it for this setup. Its catch is right under it.
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Budget, with a headphone jack
Elgato's USB mic comes with a stand, a riser and a pop filter, and has a headphone jack.
It's a condenser: keep it close and pointed at you, or it hears your keyboard too.
Or: JLab GO Talk, with a mute button and a headphone jack.
Photo: Amazon
Maker price $89.99 at Elgato ↗ · checked November 2
Cheapest with a mute button
HyperX's USB mic has tap-to-mute with a light, so your squad can see when you're off.
No headphone output is listed, and HyperX states PC support only.
Or: JLab GO Talk, with a mute button and a headphone jack.
Photo: Amazon
Maker price $59.99 at HyperX ↗ · checked November 2
Cheapest for a loud keyboard
A $56.99 dynamic mic that FIFINE says cuts keyboard clicks better than a standard cardioid mic. USB now, XLR later.
No XLR cable in the basic box, and its controls stop working over XLR.
Or: Samson Q2U, dynamic, USB and XLR, both cables included.
Maker price $56.99 at FIFINE ↗ · checked November 2
PS5, small and simple
HyperX lists PS5 and PS4; one USB-C cable and tap-to-mute with a light.
No headphone jack: keep your controller's headset for game sound.
Or: FIFINE AmpliGame AM8, PS5 stated by FIFINE, with a headphone jack.
Maker price $83.32 at HyperX ↗ · checked November 2
Enter two quotes in the same currency. Use 0 for an included part or something you already own. A blank price keeps that setup out of the comparison.
A cheap dynamic mic with USB and XLR in the box, for a noisy keyboard
Windows PC: Works
The cable is mini USB, an older plug: keep the supplied cable or buy a mini USB one.
A USB mic for PC, Mac and PS5 with touch mute, and a pop filter and riser in the box
Windows PC: Works
Its headphone jack plays your computer's sound, not your own voice, so you can't hear yourself through the mic.
Photo: Amazon
Maker price $89.99 at Elgato ↗ · checked November 2
A small, cheap USB mic HyperX lists for PC, Mac and PS5, with tap-to-mute
Windows PC: Works
No headphone jack, so you cannot hear yourself through the mic; use your chat app's mic test.
Maker price $83.32 at HyperX ↗ · checked November 2
Windows PC: Works
Very light (130 g), with a 5/8-inch thread to mount it on a mic stand or arm.
Maker price $49.99 at JLab ↗ · checked November 2
Windows PC: Works
JLab now sends Talk shoppers to the newer JBuds Talk; check which one a listing names before you buy.
Maker price $99.00 at JLab ↗ · checked November 2
Windows PC: Works
Razer's voice processing works over USB; on XLR, add an interface and do the processing there.
Photo: Amazon
Maker price from $249.99 at Razer ↗ · checked October 15
A dynamic mic with USB and XLR: plug it into your PC today, or into an interface or mixer later
Windows PC: Works
At 900 g it needs a sturdy arm or stand.
Photo: Amazon
Maker price $209.00 at RØDE ↗ · checked November 2
A cheap dynamic mic that Samson says is less sensitive to background noise, with USB now and XLR for later
Windows PC: Works
There is no gain knob on the mic: set the level in Windows, macOS or your interface.
A dynamic USB-C mic for chat with Shure's adjustable denoiser, and a headphone jack to hear yourself
Windows PC: Works
It's USB only: if you plan to move to a mixer or interface later, pick a mic with XLR too.
The Amazon button goes to the Gen 1 listing.
Photo: Amazon, Gen 1
Maker price $169.00 at Shure ↗ · checked October 31
A dynamic mic for USB now, with touch mute and a headphone jack, and XLR when you add an interface
Windows PC: Works
On XLR you lose the touch mute, the headphone jack and the voice processing: your interface does that job.
Photo: Amazon
Maker price $299.00 at Shure ↗ · checked October 31
Windows PC: Works
In XLR mode the mute button, gain, headphone jack and lighting stop working; the interface does that job.
Maker price $56.99 at FIFINE ↗ · checked November 2
A USB mic for PC and Mac with a tap-to-mute light and a headphone jack to hear yourself
Windows PC: Works
HyperX lists the QuadCast 2 S for PC and Mac; it doesn't list any console.
Photo: Amazon
Maker price $159.99 at HyperX ↗ · checked November 2
A small, simple USB mic for a Windows PC, with tap-to-mute and a thread for a boom arm
Windows PC: Works
HyperX doesn't list a headphone jack, so check your voice with your chat app's mic test.
Photo: Amazon
Maker price $59.99 at HyperX ↗ · checked November 2
A dynamic USB mic for PC and Mac that Logitech says rejects key clicks, with a mute button and a gain wheel
Windows PC: Works
Logitech doesn't list a headphone jack, so check your voice with your chat app's mic test.
Photo: Amazon
Maker price $169.99 at Logitech G ↗ · checked November 2
Windows PC: Works
Logitech doesn't list a mute button or a headphone jack: mute in your chat app and use its mic test to hear how you sound.
Photo: Amazon
Maker price $69.99 at Logitech G ↗ · checked November 2
A USB mic for PC and Mac: press the gain knob to mute, and plug headphones into it to hear yourself
Windows PC: Works
NZXT's product page listed PS5, but the Capsule Elite manual covers only PC and Mac and gives no PS5 setup, so treat PS5 chat as unconfirmed.
A USB mic for a Windows PC with mute, gain and a headphone jack, plus SteelSeries' Sonar app for voice effects
Windows PC: Works
SteelSeries lists the Alias for Windows PCs; it doesn't list Mac.
Photo: Amazon
A USB/XLR dynamic mic with tap-to-mute and a headphone jack for a PC, a Mac or a PS5; FIFINE says it does not work on Xbox
Windows PC: Works
In XLR mode the mute button, gain knob and headphone jack stop working; the interface does that job.
Maker price $67.99 at FIFINE ↗ · checked November 4
A USB/XLR dynamic mic with a mute button that works on both outputs and a headphone jack, for a Windows PC or Mac now and an interface later
Windows PC: Works
No gain knob: over USB you set its level with the computer's input volume; over XLR on the interface.
A Windows XLR mic and desk mixer kit: mute and a headphone jack on the mixer, and it can feed two PCs
Windows PC: Works
The mic is XLR: SteelSeries sets it up with the Stream Mixer in the box, which connects it to your PC over USB.
Photo: Amazon
Maker price $334.99 at SteelSeries ↗ · checked November 2
An XLR condenser for gamers who have, or will buy, an audio interface with 48 V phantom power; Audio-Technica sells the AT2020USB-X for plugging straight into USB
Windows PC: Maker doesn't say
It has no USB: it needs an XLR cable and an audio interface or mixer before a PC, Mac or console can hear it.
A low-cost handheld dynamic XLR mic for a first interface setup: it needs an XLR cable, an interface and a stand
Windows PC: Maker doesn't say
It has no USB: it needs an XLR cable and an audio interface or mixer before a PC, Mac or console can hear it.
A dynamic XLR mic: you need an XLR cable and an audio interface to use it
Windows PC: Maker doesn't say
Add an XLR cable and an interface with a microphone preamp. A USB cable or passive XLR adapter alone cannot connect this microphone to the computer.
Photo: Amazon
Maker price $99.99 at Elgato ↗ · checked November 2
An XLR-only dynamic mic for a desk boom arm, for gamers who already own or will buy an audio interface or mixer; RØDE's PodMic USB is the version that also plugs straight into USB
Windows PC: Maker doesn't say
It has no USB: it needs an XLR cable and an audio interface or mixer before a PC, Mac or console can hear it.
Maker price $99.00 at RØDE ↗ · checked November 4
The XLR-only version of Shure's MV7 for a desk boom arm, for gamers who already have an audio interface; the MV7+ is the one with USB
Windows PC: Maker doesn't say
It has no USB: it needs an XLR cable and an audio interface or mixer before a PC, Mac or console can hear it.
Try a different platform or headset edition, remove a control filter, or shorten the model name.
USB alone does not confirm console chat support.
25 models in this guide.
Start with a working signal chain, then enter a current quote for every line item. A direct USB basket can include the microphone, a data cable or adapter, a stand or arm, headphones when monitoring is required, and shipping or tax where the merchant quote excludes them. An XLR basket can add an interface, XLR cable, stand or arm, host cable or adapter, and headphones. A condenser may also require an interface that supplies the exact phantom power it needs.
Use one currency and the same tax treatment across every basket. If one quote includes VAT and another adds it at checkout, normalize them before comparing totals. Record the merchant and quote time because availability, bundles, and regional pricing change. The page's user-entered totals are a worksheet for current local offers; they are not a stored market-price claim.
Do not equate fewer parts with lower cost. A complete USB bundle may need no separate interface but still cost more than a discounted XLR basket built around parts already owned. Conversely, a low microphone price can lead to a larger total once a suitable interface, cable, arm, and monitor path are added.
Wave Neo includes a desktop stand, riser, pop filter, USB-C to USB-A cable, and multiple thread adapters. MV6 includes a desktop stand and USB-C to USB-C cable. QuadCast 2 S includes a desk path, a long C-to-C cable, and a USB-A adapter. Yeti GX, Yeti Orb, SoloCast 2, Alias, and Capsule Elite also include their named stand and computer cable. Check whether those exact pieces fit the available port and speaking position before assigning them zero additional cost.
Included does not always mean optional to the path. Alias Pro is a kit whose Stream Mixer, XLR cable, and power adapter create its computer connection; do not compare the microphone by itself to a direct USB model. A wireless headset's included dongle is similarly part of the supported wireless route.
Budget for a required cable, mount or adapter separately unless it is included in the exact package you are buying. Store bundles can differ from the standard box and from other versions of the same microphone.
Decide requirements before reading totals: host platform, chat app, hardware mute, visible mute state, direct monitoring, included desk support, and future XLR use. A cheaper basket that lacks a required monitor output or a compatible platform path is not an alternative to a basket that satisfies those needs.
For a simple computer path, SoloCast 2 or Yeti Orb may have fewer documented hardware controls than QuadCast 2 S, Capsule Elite, Alias, or Yeti GX. If app mute and software level control are acceptable, that may be fine. If a hardware mute or headphone monitor is required, budget for a model or interface that explicitly supplies it rather than assuming an unlisted feature.
For a future analog path, hybrid MV7+, PodMic USB, and Seiren V3 Pro can work over USB first and XLR later. Price both modes separately. The later XLR basket needs an interface and cable, and USB-only processing, mute, or headphone behavior should not be carried into the XLR comparison unless documented.
Make one list per setup that works, enter current local prices, and leave unavailable items blank rather than zero. Add each complete basket only after all required rows are filled. Compare totals alongside the controls and compatibility result. The least expensive valid basket for one reader may differ for someone who owns an interface, needs a boom arm, pays in another currency, or requires PS5 support.
The mics on this page start at $49.99 at their makers. Decide by the controls you need, such as mute, a headphone jack to hear yourself or USB plus XLR, then price the whole setup: a stand or arm, headphones, and for XLR an interface and cable. Discord and party chat compress your voice heavily either way.
Placement first: any cardioid mic a hand's width from your mouth, aimed away from the keyboard, picks up less of the room than one at arm's length. The type alone doesn't decide it. Some makers of dynamic mics, FIFINE for the AM8 and Samson for the Q2U, say their model picks up less background noise; that is their claim for that model, not a test of ours.
No. A desk stand works if it puts the mic close to your mouth. An arm helps when your desk is busy or the stand leaves the mic down by the keyboard. Check the arm's weight limit and the mic's thread before buying one.
Only if your P and B sounds thump. Most mics have a foam or mesh cover already, and speaking slightly across the mic rather than straight into it fixes most pops for free.
Check the exact platform, connection and required controls. Then measure the stand or arm position before adding mounting parts.