Contents
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- Best Portable Microwave – Complete Buyers Guide - April 3, 2023
- Clean Stainless Steel Appliances – 10 Surprsing Ways - February 21, 2023
There’s no denying that with their exceptional quality blenders, Vitamix sits at the very top of the blending industry.
Founded in the 1950s, Vitamix continues to dominate the market with high-end blenders, offering impressive performance and an array of features. However, Vitamix blenders come at a cost.
Not everyone can afford to spend $350+ on a blender, so we need alternatives. If you’re looking for a high-performance blender but can’t afford a Vitamix, you’re in the right place.
In recent years a wide range of new, versatile, powerful blenders has come to the market. They claim to offer a similar performance to the Vitamix blender but at a fraction of the price.
With an oversaturated market it can be difficult to find these Vitamix alternatives but with our help, you’ll make a great decision.
To help you find the best blender for under 200 dollars, we have compiled a list of the best Vitamix alternatives. We’ll look at each blender’s durability, features, and power.
We’ve even included a useful buyer’s guide that will help you make your final decision.
Without further ado, let’s get started!
#1 Cleanblend Commercial Blender
We kick the list off with a commercial-type blender full of power, but available for almost half the price of most Vitamix blenders.
A good alternative to the Vitamix 5200, this blender has a reliable and durable all-metal motor, blade shaft, drive socket, and blade coupling.
Thanks to its 1800 watt motor, this Cleanblend motor offers impressive versatility.
You can easily pulverize fruits and vegetables to make a beautifully smooth smoothie, crush ice to produce high-quality frozen desserts, make nut milk, and produce a lovely hot soup in just 10 minutes.
These are just some things the blender can do. Other things include kneading dough and making baby food.
In terms of design, this blender looks fantastic. The stylish blender that fits well in most kitchens has a jar shape, top centering pad, control panel, and motor to blade coupling.
When we reviewed this Vitamix alternative, we were pleased with how well it performed. We particularly like the cleaning feature. Simply fill the blender with soap and water. The blender will do the rest.
Pros
- High-quality containers – This blender is fitted with a Tritan copolyester resin 64 oz container.
- Good performance – For half the price of a Vitamix blender, the Cleanblend commercial blender delivers a solid performance.
- Simple to use control panel – The control panel on this blender makes it very easy to change speed settings.
Cons
- Durability issues – Some users have reported durability issues with this blender. While Cleanblend claims a low failure rate, they will happily replace any blender that doesn’t perform up to standard.
Also available at
#2 KitchenAid 5-Speed Diamond Blender
If it’s a simple, yet effective Vitamix alternative you’re after, take a look at the KitchenAid 5-speed diamond blender.
Available at an incredibly good price, this blender offers no-nonsense performance without any unnecessary accessories and features.
With dimensions of 8.5 x 9 x 16.5 inches and weighing just 10.8 lbs, this blender has a stylish but straightforward design featuring a 60 oz pitcher and a simple base.
Easier to store in smaller kitchens than the larger Vitamix blender models, the KitchenAid’s best feature has to be its speed. You have the option of five different speeds, a pulse setting, and an option that allows you to crush ice.
When we tested this blender, we found that it was more than capable of chopping, mixing, crushing, and liquifying even the toughest of fruits and vegetables.
We were also impressed with the sensing mechanism that changes the blender’s speed automatically to improve performance.
Overall, this reliable alloy steel blender with a 600-watt motor is a solid choice for anyone looking for a simple and affordable Vitamix alternative.
Pros
- Quiet motor – You can blend early in the morning with this blender without waking your family up.
- Scratch-resistant – The pitcher on this blender is resistant to scratches.
- Compact – You can easily store this blender away after using it.
Cons
- Not as versatile – Despite having a number of good features, this blender doesn’t have the same capabilities as the Cleanblend commercial blender.
#3 Ninja Mega Kitchen System
While not offering quite the same performance as Vitamix’s high-end blenders, the Ninja mega kitchen system comes equipped with a variety of useful features, allowing you to perform a wide range of extremely useful functions.
Available in four different models, this blender comes with a 1,500-watt motor capable of blending any soft ingredient to make a smoothie, crushing and shaving ice, producing nut butter, chopping, and mincing vegetables, kneading dough, and grinding soft oats.
Aside from a solid performance, the Ninja mega kitchen system is much-loved thanks to the great accessories that come with each purchase.
Each kitchen system comes with 4 containers. Depending on the model you choose, this will include the 72 oz. main pitcher, 64 oz. food processor, 16 oz. single-serve blender attachment, and an extra mini-prep food processor bowl.
We like the two 16 oz. single-serve attachments most. These two cups come with a to-go lid, so you can take your drink with you when heading to work, or out to the gym. This also lets you create your own personalized drink.
Pros
- Neat locking mechanisms – The locking mechanisms on the base and lid of the blender prevent any leaks.
- Powerful motor – The Ninja mega kitchen system is fitted with a 1,500-watt motor.
- Additional accessories – This blender comes with a variety of great accessories.
Cons
- Hard to clean cups – The narrow 16-inch cups can be hard to clean by hand.
#4 NutriBullet RX Blender
Nutri Bullet has a strong reputation for producing powerful, reliable blenders before selling them at a very reasonable price.
Almost 4 times cheaper than most Vitamix blenders, the NutriBullet RX is a great example of an affordable, yet high-performing blender.
If you’re looking for a lighter-weight blender you might want to consider another blender from our list, but if a weight of 14 lbs is okay with you, you’re in for a real treat.
The NutriBullet RX is an aluminum blender with a 1,700-watt motor. This motor is capable of effortlessly blending even the hardest of ingredients.
In fact, this blender’s powerful motor specializes in nutrition extraction. It easily grinds through the toughest of ingredients to produce creamy, smooth smoothies, soups, and drinks.
One neat feature is the auto blend technology that makes the blender do all the work for you. It will choose the right speed and the correct blend time.
Each blender comes with three different pitcher options. These are personal size, family size, and specialized heating pitcher. Impressively the heating pitcher is capable of heating soup in just 7-minutes.
Pros
- Sleek design – The NutriBullet RX looks great.
- Versatile – You can chop, blend, mix, or heat food with this blender.
- On the go cups – Each blender comes with containers that double up as on-the-go cups.
Cons
- Blending requires liquid – This blender requires liquid for every recipe.
Also available at:
#5 Dash Chef Series Digital Blender
The Dash Chef digital blender is a large, hefty unit with a powerful 1,400-watt motor. This motor is capable of rotating the blades of the blender at speeds of 240MPH and 35,000 RPM.
The strong motor has an all-metal drive socket, drive gear, and nut retainer that easily connects the pitcher to the blade. In terms of functionality, we found that this blender performed very well, offering a solid and reliable alternative to the Vitamix blenders.
Making perfect, smooth smoothies, no matter how tough the fruit is easy. Crushing ice to make frozen desserts is an effortless task, heating soups only takes 8-minutes, and producing nut butter, or chopping vegetables can be done with ease.
All of these functions are also easily started thanks to the clear, straightforward dial on the front of the blender. Simply select one of the 8 presets and let the blender do the rest.
Presets include smoothie, purée, crush, soup, frozen, rinse, pulse, and manual.
When you purchase the Dash Chef digital blender, you’ll receive a 64 oz. container. Made from Tritan copolyester, this container closely resembles the jar that comes with most Vitamix blenders
Overall, we would say this blender is one of the closest blenders you’ll find under $200 that provides similar performance to Vitamix.
Pros
- Variety of colors available – This blender is available in 5 different colors.
- Strong motor – The 1,400-watt motor makes light work of most tasks.
- Stylish – We can see this blender in your kitchen already.
Cons
- Cracks in the pitcher – Some users have reported experiencing cracks in the pitcher as a result of a faulty bearing.
Also available at:
Buyer’s Guide
Choosing the right blender for you can be a tricky task. There are a lot of key factors you need to consider in order to make the best decision.
This buyer’s guide should make things a lot easier. In this buyer’s guide, you will find some of the most important things you need to consider before making a purchase.
By taking these into account, you will be able to make a decision you can be 100% satisfied with.
Motor Power and Blades
One of the most critical things to consider when looking for a reliable blender is its power and blade quality.
If you want a blender capable of cutting through the toughest of foods, you need to look for one that has sharp blades and enough power to grind through foods easily.
Generally speaking, when it comes to power, the higher a blender’s wattage the more powerful it is. For example, a blender with a 1,500-watt motor is a lot more likely to cut through hard foods than a blender that only has a 600-watt motor.
If you only need to cut soft foods with your blender, a 600-watt motor will be fine. If you need to grind nuts or chop carrots, you have to buy a blender with a higher wattage.
In terms of the blender’s blade, you need to find a blender that can cut effectively for years to come.
We recommend only looking at blades made from reliable and durable metals such as steel or aluminum. With both of these metals, you can guarantee solid performance for a number of years.
Versatility
How versatile does your blender need to be? This is the question you should be asking yourself when looking for a blender.
It makes little sense to purchase a blender with an infinite amount of features if you simply want to make yourself a fruit smoothie in the morning.
On the other hand, you don’t want to buy a blender only capable of making smoothies if you need to make soups, crush ice, or want to make nut butter.
By not considering how versatile your blender needs to be you could easily waste money on a blender that does more than you need or not enough.
Before looking for a blender, take time to think about what you need and why.
Container Size
Container sizes vary from blender to blender. Some are only 16 oz., while others are 64 oz. Some blenders come with 3 or 4 different containers whilst others only have one.
This is something you need to take into consideration. If you live on your own you might not require a blender with a large container. Instead, a smaller container could be perfect.
If you have a large family, a blender with a 64 oz. The container might suit your needs more because you will need to fit more into the blender to cater to your family’s needs.
You might also want to consider whether the blender comes with on-the-go cups. Some blenders have on-the-go cups so that you can make a smoothie before taking it out with you.
This comes in extremely useful for individuals in a rush. It also gives families the opportunity to make personal smoothies without having to use a large container.
Heating Cycle
If you want to use your blender to heat up soup, you must find one that has built-in heating capabilities.
Some models have a specialized container used to do this, while others have a preset setting that can be accessed via the control panel.
If the manufacturer doesn’t specifically state in the description of their blender that it has heating capabilities, we advise you to look elsewhere. A manufacturer will always state whether their blender can heat soup.
Budget
The fact you’ve read through our list would suggest you have a fairly tight budget to work with and don’t want to spend too much money.

Luckily for you, every blender on this list is available at a very reasonable price. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t save yourself even more money.
Blenders with more features and accessories tend to be more expensive than those without. If you need these additional features and accessories, the more expensive blender might be your only choice.
However, if you only require a simple, yet effective blender with only a few features, why not save yourself more money by going for this cheaper option. By doing this you could quite easily save yourself another $80 to $90.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Vitamix Make The Best Blenders?
Vitamix is definitely one of the top brands when it comes to producing high-quality blenders. However, we don’t think anybody can conclusively say that one brand is the best.
Everyone has a personal preference and taste so while a Vitamix blender might be the best option for one person, it might be a complete waste of money for another.
What we will say though is that in terms of performance, durability, and versatility, Vitamix blenders are hard to beat.
What Is The Most Budget-Friendly Blender?
If you’re looking for the best budget-friendly blender that still performs exceptionally well, you have a lot of options to choose from.
Every blender on our list offers incredible value for money. Having said that, if we had to select one blender that was the most budget-friendly but still performed amazingly well, we would have to go with the KitchenAid 5-speed diamond blender.
This blender has some fantastic features and does a fantastic job when it comes to meeting our blending needs.
Does Ninja Make Good Blenders?
Yes, Ninja makes brilliant blenders capable of meeting everyone’s blending needs and requirements. Ninja’s blenders are a great low-cost alternative to the rather expensive Vitamix blenders.
More often than not Ninja blenders give you the same versatility and power, giving the user a wide range of different options and settings.
Final Thoughts
Blenders come in a huge variety of shapes, sizes, and prices, with each blender offering its own features and unique design specifications. While Vitamix sits at the top of the market in terms of offering the best blenders, there are alternatives.
As you can see from our list, you don’t have to purchase your blender from the biggest brands that charge the most. In this article, we have identified five excellent alternatives that could be just what you’re looking for.
A good Vitamix blender alternative will provide the user with a wide variety of blending options in a unit that is powerful, reliable, and durable.
Though the blender you choose comes down to personal preference, we can confidently say that you will be happy with any blender from our list.
Now you have our list and buyer’s guide at your fingertips, take some time to narrow down the options until you find the blender that suits all of your needs and requirements.
Choosing one of the blenders from our list will save you time, while still giving you everything you would expect from a blender.