What Does $100 Buy From Ryobi Vs. DeWalt?

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If we have $100 to spend on DIY-quality tools we'll likely get the most bang for our buck by shopping among competitive prosumer brands like Ryobi or DeWalt. While Lowe's doesn't sell Ryobi tools, you'll have to decide whether you should buy DeWalt tools at Lowe's or Home Depot. With cash in our pocket we'll head to the orange big-box home improvement store to do our shopping, since Home Depot outshines Lowe's with its affordable selection of power tools, which includes offerings from both of our target brands.

Inside Home Depot, or online, we can peruse a variety of items from both brands, including some new Ryobi products coming out in 2026 that aren't power tools. To narrow our options and focus our energy, we can filter the online search results at Home Depot by brand and only look at items priced between $50 and $100. However, that strategy returns 303 DeWalt products and 399 from Ryobi.

Ryobi and DeWalt are well-known for offering dependable cordless power tools aimed at serious DIYers. DeWalt offers several battery types for its 20V power tools, and Ryobi has a variety of 18V One+ batteries as well.

If you're already a part of the ecosystem surrounding one brand or the other, buying a power tool in tool-only form outside of that brand isn't going to do much good. Shopping in the Ryobi section, we can get a variety of power tools that include a 2.0 amp-hour 18V One+ battery for under $100. They include handy items like a 13-inch string trimmer, an oscillating multi-tool, a 4.5-inch circular saw, or a one-handed reciprocating saw. Another handy kit from Ryobi that lists for $99, is the 2-tool drill/driver and impact driver combo that comes with a 1.5 Ah One+ battery.

The only cordless DeWalt power tools you can buy for $100 are tool-only versions, like the 20V Max XR Drywall Screw Gun. DeWalt 20V batteries can also max out our $100 budget with options like the 20V Max Lithium-Ion 2.0 Ah or the higher capacity XR Powerstack 5.0 Ah battery, although none of those options come with a suitable battery charger.

When deciding whether corded or cordless power tools are better, it's important to consider the tradeoffs of one type versus the other. Cordless power tools offer versatility beyond the reach, and hassle, of an extension cord, while corded tools often have more power and don't need to recharge or swap batteries in the middle of the project.

Home Depot's most popular corded DeWalt power tool in our price range is the $89.00 7-amp 4.5-inch Angle Grinder. It comes with a removable dual-position handle that allows two-handed operation when needed and a toolless-adjustable "1-touch" safety guard. The DeWalt angle grinder is backed by a 90-day money back guarantee, one year of free service, and a 3-year limited warranty.

A similar 4.5-inch corded angle grinder from Ryobi lists for $69.00 at Home Depot and comes with a more powerful 7.5-amp electric motor and a 3-position removable handle. The Ryobi angle grinder also features tool-free safety guard adjustment, and it's backed by a 90-day return policy and a 3-year warranty but does not offer a free service contract.

If you're a homeowner, or an apartment dweller, just starting to build a DIY tool kit to use around the house, Home Depot sells a Ryobi One+ 18V Cordless Drill Kit that comes with a 1.5 Ah battery and 53 accessories. The kit includes many of the Ryobi hand tools that any home mechanic will want in a handy storage bag for $99.97.

In addition to the ⅜-inch capacity cordless drill/driver featuring an on-board LED work light, variable speed trigger, and keyless chuck, the kit includes a 1-pound fiberglass claw hammer, 25-foot tape measure, dual-function torpedo/line level, ¼-inch bit drivers with 21 impact driver bits, a set of black oxide coated drill bits in common sizes, 16 hex keys, and a permanent marker.

While DeWalt doesn't offer a similar kit, we can buy some of the essential pieces from Home Depot with our $100. We won't be able to get a DeWalt cordless drill or some of the other items, but we can get a DeWalt 21-ounce fiberglass framing hammer, a 25-foot DeWalt tape measure, a 9-inch DeWalt torpedo level, a 30-piece set of DeWalt screwdriver bits, and a 10-piece DeWalt twist drill bit set and stay under budget.