The 8 Best Electronic Drum Sets Under $500

​When you consider the amount that you get when you purchase the Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit, it’s hard to define any other as the “best budget electronic drum kit on the market”.

Alesis has always been known to provide high-quality, yet affordable, electronic instruments, and the Alesis Nitro is no different.

The set comes complete with eight different drum pieces and an aluminum mounting rack that is both lightweight and durable. We really dig the Nitro drum module that is programmed onboard, giving you hundreds of presets to choose from, as well as 50+ tracks to play along with.

From practicing to recording, this baby can do it all. You can even use it as a MIDI device with the USB port and 5-pin MIDI. This is perfect for getting that realistic feel when you’re laying down programmed drums.

Beyond the drums, you get everything that you need to start playing including sticks, headphones, a drum throne, and a kick pedal, which most of these drum sets don’t come with right off the bat.

The Alesis Surge is a lot like the Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit and is also an upgraded version of one of Alesis’ low-end budget kits, the Alesis Forge.

The main differences that you’ll notice right off the bat are that the Alesis Surge has a chrome rack instead of aluminum and the kick drum is much larger.  It still retains the same mesh drum heads that are nice and quiet so that you can play during the wee hours without any angry neighbor complaints.

The drum heads also give you a far more realistic feel without the unnecessary rebound that comes from cheaper rubber materials.

There are almost 400 different sounds inside of the Alesis electronic module, and you can also use the MIDI functions so that you can play your programmed drums. Beyond that, you even get 60+ tracks that you can play along with, perfect for anyone who is in their learning phase.

If you’re looking for a kit that is both compact and perfect for beginners, I highly recommend looking at the Roland TD-1K. It’s the ideal kit for smaller apartments or rooms thanks to the slim build.

It’s no question that Roland knows a thing or two about building high-quality electronic drum components, and even on a budget kit like this, they’ve done their best to mimic the characteristics of higher quality products.

For example, you can choke the rubber cymbals just like you would an acoustic cymbal, and you can also play them in two separate “zones” for different sounds.

The built-in metronome function and performance coach makes this kit perfect for beginners, as it helps to refine your skills by providing feedback when you play.

There are 15 preset kits built into the drum set, each of which presents surprising realism, especially when it comes to the cymbals. Like most electronic kits on the market, you can also use this bad boy for recording MIDI.

The Alesis DM7X is an excellent mid-range kit in Alesis’ DM line that came out only a few years ago. There are a lot of reasons to love the DM7X including the vast array of controls, including metronome, voices, patterns, etc., and USB MIDI recording capabilities.

The amount of memory onboard the module is excellent, allowing you to record up to 5,000 notes with ease. This makes writing and programming drums an absolute breeze!

Winthin the electronic module, you have 385 high-quality sounds to choose from. You can pick from one of the 40 kits if you’re not in the mood to build your own.  

The drum heads are made from an ultra-quiet rubber material that gives you the perfect amount of rebound, as well as a low noise Stealth Kick.  

The drum heads include dual-zone playability, and the cymbals include a choke feature that makes them much more realistic.

For those who are living in a compact space, the preassembled, fold-out design makes them super easy to fold up and stow away in the corner when you’re done playing them.

The Carlsbro CSD130 is another one of those electronic drum sets perfect for beginners, as it is incredibly easy to set up and take down. It also comes with a wide variety of playing options that make it exciting to sit down with every time.

You get 250+ voices to mess around and build your own drum kits with. If that doesn't quite work for you, there are also a good number of pre-made kits that you can choose from.

The connections include a headphone out for playing quietly, an AUX input for uploading new sounds, and USB/MIDI ports for programming capabilities.

The beautiful thing about the Carlsbro CSD130 is that it sits within the same price range as most tabletop kits, yet has a professional feeling, stand-up design. Thanks to the small size, it’s effortless to practice with in much smaller spaces.

A “best of” list wouldn’t be complete without an entry from Yamaha. Their DTX400K kit is the ultimate practice kit that provides not only a soft, quiet sound but also total realism when it comes to mimicking the feel of an acoustic drum kit.

This baby comes with pedals for the kick instead of a beater, making it far less annoying to roommates or neighbors. But one of the most unique features of this set is that it comes with a very nice drum throne that you can even use for serious gigs.

There are 297 built-in sounds, each of which are incredibly high-quality. You can use those sounds to create up to 10 different kits too.

The partnered iOS app allows you to easily customize your drum kits, import new sounds from your own drum sample libraries, or use the training programs to help you reach your goals as a drummer.

The RockJam Electronic Drum Set is one of the cheapest electronic drum kits out on the market that gives you mesh heads to play with.

There are nine pieces included with this set, some of which include choke-ready cymbals and the non-beater kick.

The mesh pads feel far more like real drum heads, giving you better playability and feedback that is more reminiscent of acoustic kits.

You can play with a wider velocity range as well depending on how and where you hit the drum heads. Beyond all that, mesh is way quieter to play, making it perfect for those with grumpy neighbors.

The sound module onboard the RockJam set has 30 different kits built into it. While it may not seem like a lot, they each sound great, and they allow you to explore multiple genres with the press of a button.

Lastly, you have your typical connections like USB/MIDI, headphone out, and line out for when you’re ready to rock.

The Pyle Pro Electronic Drum Set is perfect for someone who is on a serious budget. The set comes with five different drum heads that are made of a high-quality, durable rubber.

There are 11 different built-in preset kits onboard, each with four different level variations so that you can adjust the drum tone. This means that any drummers from rock to jazz will be able to find a sound that they like.

In terms of connections, you get your typical outs like the USB/MIDI and headphone jack.

he full adjustability not only makes it great for fitting into odd or small spaces, but the set itself is pretty compact, making it easy to take with you on the go or fit into small apartments/rooms.