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Best options by budget

Best noise-cancelling earbuds under $100

Two feature-rich AirPods Pro alternatives for shoppers prioritizing active noise cancellation and battery life on a tighter budget.

Last verified:

Quick decision

The short answer

Choose EarFun Air Pro 4 for codec flexibility and water resistance; choose Soundcore Liberty 4 NC for its mature app, adaptive ANC, and long case battery life.

How to use this guide

Start with the job, then compare the compromise

This page is written for shoppers researching best noise cancelling earbuds under $100, best ANC earbuds under $100, AirPods Pro alternatives under $100, EarFun Air Pro 4 vs Soundcore Liberty 4 NC and trying to decide whether a lower-priced product can replace a premium reference. SameWise does not assume the cheapest option is the best option. We compare the job the product must do, the features that make ownership easier, the support signals behind the product, and the trade-offs that are easy to miss on a retailer page.

The products in this guide include EarFun Air Pro 4 - Black and Soundcore Liberty 4 NC. Read the quick decision first, then use the comparison table to identify the biggest differences. If two products look close, the individual product notes and FAQ usually matter more than a small score difference because they explain what you may give up in materials, ecosystem features, accessories, app support, service coverage, or day-to-day convenience.

Prices and availability are checked during editorial review, but they can change after publication. Before purchasing, confirm the exact model, bundle contents, seller, return window, warranty terms, and whether the product is new, renewed, marketplace-sold, or shipped by a third party.

Side-by-side

Product comparison

Comparison EarFun Air Pro 4Soundcore Liberty 4 NC
Price at verification $89.99$99.99
Performance 86/10093/100
Features 90/10094/100
Build quality 82/10088/100
User experience 84/10091/100
Warranty and support 78/10090/100

What we compared

  • Noise cancellation
  • Sound quality and codecs
  • Battery life
  • Connectivity and app
  • Comfort and support

Reviewed lineup

Products in this guide

EarFun Air Pro 4 - Black Reviewed alternative

Lower-priced match

EarFun Air Pro 4 - Black

$89.99

A much lower-priced ANC earbud with a broad feature set and strong everyday battery life.

Why it matchesAdaptive noise cancelling, multipoint, wireless charging, and app EQ match the features most shoppers use daily.

Trade-offApple ecosystem integration, transparency realism, and microphone consistency are less refined.

  • Performance86/100
  • Features90/100
  • Build quality82/100
  • User experience84/100
  • Warranty and support78/100
Check price at Amazon · $89.99
Soundcore Liberty 4 NC Reviewed alternative

Lower-priced match

Soundcore Liberty 4 NC

$99.99

A substantially lower-priced ANC earbud option with strong daily sound, battery life, and cross-platform features.

Why it matchesAdaptive noise cancellation, customizable sound, LDAC support, multipoint pairing, wireless charging, and long battery life cover the features most shoppers use every day.

Trade-offApple device switching, transparency behavior, hearing-health integration, and ecosystem polish are less seamless than AirPods Pro 3.

  • Performance93/100
  • Features94/100
  • Build quality88/100
  • User experience91/100
  • Warranty and support90/100
Check price at Amazon · $99.99

Before you buy

Checks that matter more than the sale price

Noise cancellation

Check whether this point affects your daily use, not just the spec sheet. A lower-priced product is easier to recommend when the compromise is visible, acceptable, and unrelated to the feature you care about most.

Sound quality and codecs

Check whether this point affects your daily use, not just the spec sheet. A lower-priced product is easier to recommend when the compromise is visible, acceptable, and unrelated to the feature you care about most.

Battery life

Check whether this point affects your daily use, not just the spec sheet. A lower-priced product is easier to recommend when the compromise is visible, acceptable, and unrelated to the feature you care about most.

Connectivity and app

Check whether this point affects your daily use, not just the spec sheet. A lower-priced product is easier to recommend when the compromise is visible, acceptable, and unrelated to the feature you care about most.

Comfort and support

Check whether this point affects your daily use, not just the spec sheet. A lower-priced product is easier to recommend when the compromise is visible, acceptable, and unrelated to the feature you care about most.

Retailer and support details

Verify current price, seller identity, return policy, warranty coverage, replacement parts, and included accessories on the live retailer or brand page before ordering.

Editorial standard

How we researched this guide

SameWise evaluates products using manufacturer specifications, publicly available documentation, retailer information, and human editorial review. We have not conducted hands-on laboratory testing unless a page explicitly states otherwise.

Official sources

Common questions

FAQ

Are both earbuds normally under $100?

Both met the limit on the verification date, but prices and promotions can change.

Which model supports more high-resolution codecs?

EarFun Air Pro 4 supports aptX Adaptive and LDAC according to its official specifications.

Which model has longer advertised total battery life?

Compare the current official battery claims because results vary with ANC, codec, volume, and feature use.

Are these identical to AirPods Pro 3?

No. They preserve key ANC and wireless-audio functions but do not match Apple's ecosystem integration or hearing features.

Did SameWise physically test these earbuds?

No. This guide is based on manufacturer documentation, retailer information, and human editorial review.

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