XGIMI offers the best overall quality and premium features (best for dedicated home theatre). Nebula by Anker hits the sweet spot for price-performance (best for bedroom ambience and portability). Anker provides the best budget options (best for first-time buyers and travel).
Your choice depends on budget and use case. Read on for detailed model comparisons, real-world testing, and which brand fits your specific needs.
| Brand | Price Range | Best For | Standout Feature | Weakness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XGIMI | £400-£1,200 | Premium home cinema | Harman Kardon speakers | Price |
| Nebula (Anker) | £200-£600 | Bedroom/portable | Price-performance ratio | Speaker quality vs XGIMI |
| Anker | £100-£300 | Budget/travel | Affordability | Lower brightness/resolution |
XGIMI is the premium choice for serious projector users who want the best image quality, sound, and smart features. If you're replacing a TV or building a dedicated home cinema setup, XGIMI delivers cinema-quality experience.
Nebula (Anker's projector sub-brand) hits the sweet spot between quality and affordability. Perfect for bedroom ambience, portable movie nights, and D&D sessions. Best price-to-performance ratio in the mini projector market.
Anker's budget projectors (outside the Nebula line) are perfect for first-time buyers, kids' rooms, travel, and testing whether you'll actually use a projector before investing more. Expect compromises but incredible value at sub-£200 prices.
| Model | Brand | Price | Resolution | Brightness | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horizon Pro | XGIMI | £850 | 1080p | 2200 lumens | Home cinema replacement |
| MoGo 2 Pro | XGIMI | £450 | 1080p | 400 lumens | Premium portable |
| Capsule 3 | Nebula | £450 | 1080p | 200 lumens | Bedroom/portable |
| Solar Portable | Nebula | £350 | 1080p | 400 lumens | Outdoor/portable |
| Cosmos | Nebula | £550 | 1080p | 900 lumens | Home cinema budget |
| Capsule (original) | Anker | £175 | 480p | 100 lumens | Travel/kids |
Winner: Nebula Capsule 3
The Capsule 3 is perfect for projecting fake windows, nature scenes, or fireplace videos on your bedroom wall. It's portable (easy to move between rooms), quiet enough for sleep, and has built-in battery so no cable clutter. At £450, it's affordable enough that dedicating it to ambience use feels reasonable.
XGIMI MoGo 2 Pro is also excellent but £50-100 more for features you won't use for ambience. Budget Ankers struggle with brightness for convincing fake windows.
Winner: Nebula Solar Portable or XGIMI Elfin
D&D projection needs: adequate brightness for table visibility, easy setup/breakdown, and HDMI input for laptops. Nebula Solar (£350) offers the best balance - bright enough for table maps, portable for game night transport. XGIMI Elfin (£550) is better if you're mounting it permanently above a table.
Avoid budget Ankers for D&D - 100 lumens is too dim for battle maps with room lights on.
Winner: XGIMI Horizon Pro
If you're serious about ditching your TV, spend the £850 on the Horizon Pro. The Harman Kardon speakers mean no soundbar needed, 2200 lumens works in moderately lit rooms, and the image quality rivals mid-range TVs. You'll use it daily, so the premium is worth it.
Nebula Cosmos (£550) is a decent budget alternative but you'll notice the compromises in sound and brightness.
Winner: Nebula Capsule 3 or budget Anker
For travel, portability and battery life matter more than ultimate image quality. Capsule 3 is the premium choice (great image, 2.5hr battery, fits in a bag). Budget Anker Capsule (£175) works if you're on a tight budget and okay with 480p quality.
XGIMI models are too heavy and expensive to risk damaging while travelling.
Looking at value for money across all models:
1080p resolution, portable design, decent brightness (200 lumens), Android TV, and 2.5-hour battery. This projector does 80% of what XGIMI MoGo 2 Pro does at the same price, with better portability. It's the model we recommend most often.
If £450 is too much, the Solar Portable at £350 offers better brightness (400 lumens) than the Capsule 3, though in a less portable design. Better for semi-permanent bedroom setups than travel. Amazing value at this price point.
If you can afford it, the Horizon Pro is the best mini projector on the market. The £400 premium over Nebula Cosmos buys you noticeably better sound, brighter image, faster interface, and that "wow" factor when showing friends. Worth it if you'll use it as your primary entertainment device.
The £100-200 budget Anker projectors (480p, 100 lumens) feel outdated in 2026. For £150 more (£350 total), Nebula Solar gives you 4x the resolution and 4x the brightness. Save up the extra £150 - the quality jump is worth waiting for.
All three brands offer auto-focus and keystone correction (automatic image straightening when projecting at an angle). XGIMI is fastest (2-3 seconds), Nebula takes 5-10 seconds, budget Ankers may need manual adjustment. For ambience use where you set it once, this doesn't matter much. For D&D where you move it between sessions, faster is better.
Honestly, mini projectors under £200 in 2026 are compromised enough that we recommend saving for a £300-400 model instead. If you absolutely must buy now, the original Anker Nebula Capsule (£175) is the only one worth considering, and only for travel/kids use.
Best entry point into quality mini projectors. 1080p, 400 lumens, Android TV, 3-hour battery. Works beautifully for bedroom ambience, D&D projection, and casual movie nights. This is the sweet spot for most buyers.
Both excellent. Choose Capsule 3 (£450) if portability matters (ultra-compact can design, fits in a bag). Choose MoGo 2 Pro (£450-500) if you want better speakers and image quality and don't need extreme portability.
XGIMI Elfin (£550) if you're mounting it in one spot (ceiling mount for permanent home cinema setup). Nebula Cosmos (£550) if you want a budget home cinema projector with 900 lumens brightness. Both are great, different use cases.
The flagship. If you're replacing a TV or building a dedicated home cinema and can afford it, this is the one to get. Best image, best sound, best experience. Worth the premium if it's your primary entertainment device.
Learn how to set up window ambience projection, optimal placement, and troubleshooting tips. Plus exclusive deals when mini projectors go on sale.
For most people, Nebula by Anker is the right choice. The Capsule 3 (£450) or Solar Portable (£350) deliver excellent quality for bedroom ambience, D&D, and portable use at a price that doesn't feel risky. You get 80-90% of XGIMI's quality at 50-60% of the price.
Upgrade to XGIMI if: You're replacing your TV, using it daily, or want the absolute best image and sound quality. The Horizon Pro (£850) is genuinely cinema-quality and worth the premium for serious users.
Avoid budget Ankers unless: You're buying for kids, need an ultra-budget travel option, or just testing whether you'll actually use a projector. At £100-200, they work but feel outdated compared to what £350 buys you in 2026.
Our top pick overall: Nebula Capsule 3 at £450. Portable, high quality, versatile, and affordable enough that dedicating it to ambience use feels reasonable. This is the projector we recommend most often for window projection, D&D, and general use.