The Best Audio Interfaces Under $150

Best for: Solo podcasters, singer-songwriters, and streamers who want one great mic input and rock-solid drivers.

The Scarlett Solo has been the default recommendation for years, and the 4th generation keeps that spot with clean preamps and Focusrite's well-supported drivers. You get one mic input and one instrument input, plus an Air mode that adds a bit of brightness for vocals. It's the interface most beginners can buy once and not outgrow for a long time.

🦉 Owl's take: The safe, do-everything pick if you only need one mic.

Best for: Two-person podcasts, interview setups, or anyone who needs to record two mics at once on a budget.

The UMC202HD gives you two combo inputs with Midas-designed preamps for a price that undercuts most dual-input rivals. Each channel has its own gain and phantom power switch, so it handles two condensers or a mic-and-instrument pair easily. It's a lot of capability for the money if you can live with a slightly more utilitarian feel.

🦉 Owl's take: The cheapest honest way to record two mics well.

Best for: First-time recorders and tight budgets who just need one mic and one instrument line in.

The M-Track Solo is one of the least expensive interfaces worth buying, with a Crystal preamp on the XLR input and a separate line/instrument channel. It records at up to 24-bit/48kHz, which is plenty for podcasts and demos even if it won't hit the higher sample rates. For getting a mic into your computer without spending much, it does the job.

🦉 Owl's take: Bare-bones but dependable when every dollar counts.

Best for: Vocalists and podcasters who want a warmer, more finished sound straight off the input.

The Volt 1 brings Universal Audio's build quality and a switchable Vintage preamp mode that adds analog-style warmth to vocals and voice. It's a single-input box, so it's aimed at the solo creator rather than the two-mic setup, but the sound and metal chassis feel a step above most interfaces at this price. The included software bundle is genuinely useful too.

🦉 Owl's take: The best-sounding single input near this budget.

Best for: Newcomers who want a two-input box that comes with a real DAW and learning tools.

The AudioBox USB 96 pairs two combo inputs with PreSonus's Studio One Prime software and Studio Magic bundle, so a beginner can go from unboxing to recording without buying anything extra. The metal chassis is tougher than most budget interfaces, and the straightforward controls make it easy to learn on. It's a solid all-in-one starting point for a home studio.

🦉 Owl's take: A dual-input starter kit with the software included.

Best for: Guitarists and podcasters who want a tough, no-nonsense box with one mic and one instrument channel.

The Onyx Artist 1-2 leans on Mackie's mixer heritage with a solid metal chassis and an Onyx mic preamp that stays clean at high gain. It has one mic input and one instrument input, making it a natural fit for a vocalist-guitarist or a single-mic podcast. Direct monitoring lets you track without latency in your headphones.

🦉 Owl's take: Built like a tank for the guitar-and-vocal creator.

Best for: Two-mic setups on a strict budget, or creators who want stereo instrument input for cheap.

The M-Track Duo is a two-channel interface at a price close to many single-input boxes, giving you two combo inputs with phantom power. It records at up to 24-bit/48kHz, which suits podcasts and voiceover well. It's a compact, inexpensive way to get two sources in without stepping up to a pricier interface.

🦉 Owl's take: Two inputs for barely more than a one-input price.