If you’re in the market for an OLED TV, you’ll likely find yourself choosing between two types of OLED displays: QD-OLED or WOLED.
While all of the best OLED TVs deliver the same core benefits — perfect black levels, unparalleled contrast and super-wide, accommodating viewing angles, just to name a few — these two OLED subtypes have their own benefits and drawbacks.
QD-OLED vs WOLED TVs: Which are cheaper?
Being the older of the two technologies, WOLED is often cheaper to manufacture. Not all WOLED TVs are cheaper than QD-OLED TVs, but in recent years, the cheapest OLED TVs on the market are of the WOLED variety.
When QD-OLED TVs made their debut in 2022, they were few and far between and limited to just 55- and 65-inch models. These days, there are tiers of QD-OLED TVs just as there are tiers of WOLED TVs, so those shopping for a QD-OLED have more options available to them, and some of these models rival mid-range WOLED TVs in price.
That said, entry-level WOLED TVs are still more affordable on average than the most affordable QD-OLED TVs you can buy. The gap has closed dramatically in a few years’ time, but an affordable WOLED TV will almost always save you more money than an affordable QD-OLED-based set.
Entry-level WOLED TVs are still more affordable on average than the most affordable QD-OLED TVs.
For instance, as one of the most affordable WOLED TVs of 2025, the 55-inch LG B5 is just $896 at Amazon right now. As the most affordable QD-OLED TV in 2025, the 55-inch Samsung S85F is $997 at Amazon.
But while all five size options in the LG B5 series leverage the same WOLED display, only two of the four size options in the S85F series use a QD-OLED panel: 55 and 65 inches. The remaining sizes use standard WOLED panels.
And therein lies the rub: You have a wider range of options when shopping for a value-forward WOLED TV than you do by sticking to QD-OLED, and they’re spread out across more size points, too.
Are QD-OLED TVs really worth it?
QD-OLEDs have one distinct advantage over their WOLED-equipped counterparts: Thanks to their efficient use of quantum dots (nanocrystals in the display energized by blue light), these sets almost always deliver brighter, more voluminous color.
Mid-range QD-OLEDs sometimes offer slightly better highlight brightness during HDR movies and shows, too, but mid-range WOLEDs like LG's excellent C5 OLED are catching up in recent years. Ultimately, you'll have to decide for yourself whether these performance benefits are worth the added cost at the 55-, 65-, or 77-inch size point.
What are the best-value QD-OLED TVs in 2025?
As mentioned, there aren't as many value-forward QD-OLED TVs as there are WOLEDs, but there are two I'd recommend and both of them are Samsung TVs.
Samsung (which also offers a flagship-level QD-OLED in the Samsung S95F) is the only major TV brand bringing QD-OLED TVs down to an aggressively competitive price point.
What are the best-value WOLED TVs in 2025?
There are two WOLED TVs this year that I would recommend above the rest if you're hoping to squeeze as much value as possible out of an OLED TV that leverages WOLED technology.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.
More from Tom's Guide
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
