“What’s the best paintball marker in my budget?” That’s a question that pops up pretty frequently on forums and Reddit. Here are my recommendations for the best bang for the buck markers going into the 2025 paintballs season. A couple notes:

  1. My recommendations assume that you are buying your first paintball gun. There are some great options out there, especially on the used market, that are a good value but are not ideal for someone who is new to paintball.
  2. My used recommendations are based on current pricing. These may jump or drop depending on supply and demand but most of my recommendations have been in their price bracket for well over a year so they should be roughly in these ranges for a while yet.
  3. For new prices I used ANS Gear. We have no affiliation with them. I live in Canada and needed somewhere using USD to pull from and I have ordered from ANS Gear before, so they are where I chose to pull my prices from.
  4. I have not shot every marker on this list. The PB Post is independently funded and I do not have the funds to try everything on the market (yet).

$100 And Under

Azodin Kaos 3

At the time of writing this the Azodin Kaos 3 is selling for $99.95 and is the lowest price paintball marker on the new market I can recommend in good conscience. Compared to the $100 guns of the past these are pretty solid. They are a standard stack tube blowback but they are miles better than the ones I grew up with. Gas through grip instead of a hose going right to the front ASA? Adjustable metal feedneck instead of a plastic elbow? You kids are spoiled. It even has a regulator. I have paid nearly the price of a Kaos 3 on a regulator, so it is hard to fault this marker at this price.

Used: The Invert Mini

Want a fully tournament ready marker with a bolt system that can handle the most fragile paint out there? A used Invert Mini is the only answer in this price range. They are light, quiet, and efficient. The ergonomics are not for everyone as they do live up to their name, but at $100 you cannot expect the moon. There is one on my local BST for roughly $100 and another on the Reddit BST for $120 so if you are patient I assure you, you can find a Mini in this price range. There will be wear and tear so a local sale where you can test it is highly recommended.

$100-200

New: The GoG eNMey

This is one of my favorite markers ever made, period. If it wasn’t for the Emek stealing its thunder for the best inexpensive mechanical marker I suspect it would be the first recommendation on everyone’s list. Essentially a mechanical Ion, the eNMey is light, quite, and simply fun to shoot. It runs off of a three way valve and the bolt stays forward when you shoot giving it a satisfying feel to using it. It does hog gas though, so keep that in mind. Also note that GoG has officially discontinued the valve for these markers so parts will be drying up over the next few years so though I love this marker keep in mind it may not be a long term investment.

Used: The Empire Axe

Yes, I have a type. The Axe is essentially a larger upgraded Mini. I found one for my wife for around $80 that needed a $2 part and it has worked flawlessly since. My personal Axe was around $175 and holds up against everything out there. If you can’t win with an Axe, it’s you. The Axe is a little quieter than the Mini thanks to a lower operating pressure making it a rock star in the woods. Find our full Axe review here.

$200-300

New: The Emek 100 “Mechanical Speed Paintball Gun Package Kit”

I almost never recommend buying a paintball kit but this is an exception. At the time of writing this ANS has one of the best deals in paintball right now. A regular Emek 100 is a good deal at $289.95 but the package deal at the moment is something else. They have an Emek 100 with a Speedster loader and Shaft 2 barrel for $289.99. There is no point in currently getting a regular Emek, just jump on the kit. They also have an “Operator” variant that is only $10 more if you want the EMC kit for the more tactical look.

Used: Planet Eclipse Emek 100 or Etha 2

An Emek can be had used for around $200 and is a steal at that price. It is one of the best mechanical markers out there, new or used, other than maybe the upgraded Etha 3M. If you can find an Etha 3M for under $300 I would go for that, but at $289.95 new for the Emek 100 with a loader and an upgraded barrel I actually recommend you skip the used market and go for the new package deal.

If you are wanting electronic, a used Etha 2 falls under the $300 range and is an amazing choice. At home on the speedball field or in the woods the Etha 2 is a great value and just overall a great gun.

$300-400

New: The Axe 2.0

Though I have a hard time recommending the Axe 2.0 while the original Axe can be had for such a low price, the peace of mind of a warranty and tech support can be worth spending a bit more on. Like the original Axe before it, the Axe 2.0 offers everything you would want in a marker at a fraction of the cost of higher end options. A 2.0 can be had new for as little as $329.99 if you aren’t picky about color and at that price it’s hard to recommend much else in this price range. There are some good options like the Dye CZR+ but the ease of maintenance and proven reliability of the Axe platform pushes it past the finish line for me.

Honorable mention goes to the Etha 3M as it can be had for $399.95 with a free Speedster loader, making it a great option if you want a mechanical marker instead of electronic.

Used: The Empire SYX and Planet Eclipse Etha 3

There are countless options once you start getting into this price range but to me these two markers are the stand out.

Want a bullet proof design that much like the Axe I keep mentioning has all of the features you get from markers three times its price, look no further than the Etha 3. Perfectly at home in the woods and on the x ball field, the Etha 3 is all a new paintballer or seasoned competitor would ever need.

That said, maybe you want more features and a higher end fit and finish. This is where the SYX comes in. A follow up to the Axe Pro, the SYX is a goofy looking marker that did not catch on. It was released at around a $700 asking price but between low sales and SYXs being offered as both part of sponsorship packages and as prizes at events the resale value of these tanked. I would not be surprised if you can find one brand new for under $400 and used for $300. Just make sure that if it is not a 1.5 version that the software/settings are updated as the first release had some paint handling issues that have now been largely resolved.

$400-500

New: The Empire SYX

For the same reasons I recommend a used SYX in the $300-400 price range, the SYX 1.5 takes my number one recommendation in the $400-500 range. It is at the top of that price bracket but with a price drop to $499.95 the SYX 1.5 is an amazing value. It has all the advantages of the Axe bolt system, with improvements like an o ring seal rather than a plastic one, combined with features like an OLED screen for easy setting adjustment. The SYX 1.5 should be competing with the likes of the 180r and Shocker Era but is now priced lower than an Etha 3. If it wasn’t for the SYX I would be saying that in this price range spend the extra $30 and get an Etha, but at its current price it is hard not to point to the SYX

Used: The MacDev Prime XTS

There are so many options in this price range on the used market but a standout for me is the XTS. The XTS is still available for $1400 but frequently pops up for under $500 on the used market. This was for a variety of reasons that I will not get into here, but none of those reasons were because of the quality of the marker. The XTS has all of the reliability, features, and build quality of a $1400 marker. You can see my full review here.