Buying guide
By PedalBro · Updated October 13, 2026 · We do not test pedals, here is how we rank them
A cheap delay should be simple to set, small enough for a crowded board and happy on a standard 9V supply. Everything here sells new for $100 or less, so the real choices are size, how long the repeats can run and whether you need stereo.
Our best overall pick is the EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening, which drew the strongest reviews of any pedal in this price range. Read this before you buy it, though: every reviewer describes it as a single-knob amp simulator for headphones and pedalboards, not as an echo pedal. If that is the tool you need, it is small, easy and very well liked.
If you want repeats, start with our budget pick, the TC Electronic Echobrain Analog Delay. It is one of the cheapest pedals on this list, sips power and sells itself on an analog-style echo, but only one source stands behind it.
Top pick · Best for a tiny, single-knob amp tone on your board, if that is what you are after
The EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening has the strongest reviews of any pedal here, with critics praising how small and easy it is. But we would only buy it once you are sure you want a single-control amp simulator, because reviewers do not describe it as a delay.
Budget pick · A good choice if you want a basic analog-style echo for as little as possible
The TC Electronic Echobrain Analog Delay is one of the cheapest pedals on this list and pairs an analog-style echo with very low power needs. But we wish more reviews stood behind it, because only one source has weighed in so far.
Who this is for
This guide suits players who want a basic delay or a simple board tool without spending more than $100. If you need stereo, presets, MIDI or tap tempo, none of these pedals lists those features clearly, so you will likely have to spend more.
Is it really a delay?
The EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening is listed as a delay, but reviewers describe a one-knob amp-style pedal. The other pedals here are echo units.
How long the repeats go
Listed maximum delay times vary a lot. The JHS Pedals 3 Series Delay reaches 800ms, the Outlaw Effects Quick Draw Delay 600 ms and the Behringer VD400 Vintage Delay 300ms.
Board space
The Outlaw Effects Quick Draw Delay, Nobels DEL-Mini and EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening use small enclosures. The TC Electronic Echobrain Analog Delay and Behringer VD400 Vintage Delay take up noticeably more room.
Power and batteries
All of these take a standard center-negative 9V supply and are listed as able to run on a battery. Current draw is low across the board, from 25 mA on the Echobrain to 80 mA on the Easy Listening.
How we picked
We looked at every pedal that fits this guide and is on sale new today, then ranked them by what reviewers and buyers say, how many sources say it, and what it costs. The full method is here.
What we do not do
We do not test pedals. Everything here comes from published reviews, retailer ratings and player discussion, so you can follow it back to its sources.
PedalBro is an index of guitar pedals, not a testing lab. For this guide we gathered the published reviews, retailer star ratings and player discussion we hold for every pedal that fits, turned them into a single PedalBro score, and ranked the pedals on that score, how many sources stand behind it and price. A person reads every guide before it is published. 63 pedals fit this guide and 15 of them had a score we could rank.
Best for a tiny, single-knob amp tone on your board, if that is what you are after
PedalBro score 75/100 · 5 sources, medium confidence
Reviewers love it. Guitar Player and Premier Guitar each awarded a perfect 5 out of 5, and MusicRadar and Guitar.com each landed on 4 out of 5. Nobody else on this list has that many published reviews.
Its appeal is simplicity. One control does the work, and reviewers say it gives a clean, balanced foundation with enough headroom for the rest of your pedals to sit on top. MusicRadar framed it as a headphone amp for players who already run a pedalboard.
It is easy to fit anywhere. At 45.2 x 94 mm it is among the smallest pedals here, and it draws 80 mA from a standard 9V supply. It sits near the top of this list on price but stays under the $100 limit.
It does one thing. MusicRadar called it limited, noted that some players would prefer to load their own impulse responses, and Guitar Player wished for even a basic tone control. Guitar.com said it does not quite feel like a real amp and would have liked a USB-rechargeable battery.
It is mono only, and it is not an echo pedal by reviewers' accounts. If you came here for repeats, any of the true delays on this page will serve you better.
Who should skip it: Skip it if you want actual echoes; the TC Electronic Echobrain Analog Delay is the better pick for that.
A good choice if you want a basic analog-style echo for as little as possible
PedalBro score 68/100 · 1 source, medium confidence
It is a genuine delay at a low price. TC Electronic pitches it as an analog-voiced echo, and it sits among the least expensive pedals in this guide, well under the $100 cap.
It is easy to power. It pulls just 25 mA from a 9V supply, the lightest draw here, and it is listed as battery compatible, so it will not strain a shared power supply.
Next to the EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening, it is the more straightforward choice for anyone who wants repeats rather than an amp-style tone.
Evidence is thin. Only a single source rates it, so you are leaning more on the brand and the price than on a body of reviews.
It is bulky for a budget pedal. At 73.7 x 130.8 mm and 300 g it takes far more board space than the Easy Listening or the mini delays further down.
Who should skip it: Skip it if board space is tight; the Outlaw Effects Quick Draw Delay or Nobels DEL-Mini is much smaller.
These did not make the top three, but some of them are the right choice for the right player.
If you want the smallest true delay here: the Outlaw Effects Quick Draw Delay measures 41.9 x 95.3 mm, offers up to 600 ms of repeats and adds voicing modes. Premier Guitar's verdict was 4 out of 5, but that is the only review, and no tap tempo, stereo or presets are listed.
The Nobels DEL-Mini won a full 5 out of 5 from Bonedo, whose reviewer liked its overall sound quality, convincing analog and tape-style echoes and value. We held it back because the spec sheet lists it as mono while that review mentions stereo jacks, so confirm the outputs before you buy.
If you want the longest repeats on this list: the JHS Pedals 3 Series Delay runs from 80ms to 800ms, and a toggle switches between a clearer and a darker echo. It is among the dearer options here and rests on a single source, which kept it out of the top spots.
The TC Electronic Bucket Brigade Analog Delay earned 4.5 out of 5 from Bonedo, whose reviewer praised its warm sound, faultless build and flexible modulation. The catch is an internal trim pot that you can only reach by taking the case apart, and the cheaper Echobrain from the same brand covers basic echo for less.
The Behringer VD400 Vintage Delay is an analog bucket-brigade delay with noise reduction and buffered bypass, and it draws only 30 mA. Its 300ms maximum is short next to the JHS or Outlaw, it is mono, and just one source rates it.
Not by reviewers' accounts. Guitar Player, Premier Guitar, MusicRadar and Guitar.com all describe the EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening as a single-knob amp-style pedal, and MusicRadar calls it a headphone amp. If you want echoes, choose the TC Electronic Echobrain Analog Delay or another delay in this guide.
The JHS Pedals 3 Series Delay lists the longest range, from 80ms to 800ms. The Outlaw Effects Quick Draw Delay reaches 600 ms and the Behringer VD400 Vintage Delay tops out at 300ms.
Not clearly. The EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening and Behringer VD400 Vintage Delay are listed as mono. The Nobels DEL-Mini is also listed as mono, although Bonedo's reviewer mentioned stereo jacks, so check before buying if stereo matters.
Every pedal in this guide is listed as battery compatible and also takes a standard center-negative 9V supply. Guitar.com's reviewer did wish the EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening had a USB-rechargeable battery.
We looked at delay pedals sold new for $100 or less that had at least one published review or retailer rating. Then we weighed how well reviewers scored them, how many sources backed those scores, and where each pedal sits on price.
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