When you’re looking for your first greenhouse, you are probably wondering what kind of budget you need to be able to give it a real go. Look no further, let us walk you through the different price factors and find the perfect greenhouse for your needs, whether you have a big budget or not.
Price factors
Size
The price of a greenhouse is determined by many different factors, but the most obvious one is the size. Are you a beginner greenhouse enthusiast or an experienced gardener? Do you have a big yard or do you need to fit your greenhouse on a balcony or patio? Find out more about the right greenhouse size for your needs here and take a look at the many options.
A good choice for a budget greenhouse is 6’x8′, it will give you enough room to plant several vegetables and/or plants but will still provide good value for money. However, if you’re just looking to grow some herbs and spices, you might only need a mini or portable greenhouse.
Material
A second factor that influences your greenhouse budget is the material it’s made of. The three most common materials are glass, polycarbonate and plastic foil (for tunnel greenhouses). Glass or Victorian greenhouses are the most expensive kind of greenhouses, these beautiful structures are a great addition to your yard, but are not the best choice when you’re looking for a lower budget greenhouse.
Tunnel greenhouses are usually very cheap but will not give you the real greenhouse feel and have many limitations. Because of these reasons, the perfect choice for a budget greenhouse is by far the polycarbonate greenhouse. They come in many sizes and forms and are durable, strong and very practical.
If your greenhouse budget is a little higher and you want to invest in a sustainable and beautiful lawn ornament, take a look at the Victorian greenhouses. These traditional, British structures are made out of glass and are very classy.
Greenhouse accessories
The last factor that will influence your greenhouse budget, are the accessories. Do you need automatic ventilation and will you be investing in a greenhouse heating system? How will you organize your greenhouse? Will you want to use your greenhouse year round or only during spring and summer? When you’re looking for the best greenhouse experience and fresh veggies all year long, it might be worth your while to take a look at the most useful greenhouse accessories!
Weโll try to give you a good overview of the different price categories and the benefits and downsides of each one.
Best greenhouses under $200
When you are working with budget greenhouses in this price range, you will most likely end up with a mini or portable greenhouse or a tunnel greenhouse. A mini greenhouse is perfect when you have limited space and still want to grow some nice fresh herbs and spices. These greenhouses are suited for beginners that donโt want to invest too much in their first greenhouse.
Take into account that when you really get into it, you might soon outgrow these models. Tunnel greenhouses are not always seen as greenhouses, and mostly give you the opportunity to grow plants under a plastic cover. They are not as stable as plastic or glass greenhouses, and will offer your plants less protection.
Our recommendation:
Ikea Greenhouse
This Ikea greenhouse is an easy to assemble and budget-friendly option for smaller plants. The polycarbonate panels provides indoor protection against pets. The roof vents can be placed in a halfway open position to allow air to circulate and the temperature to cool. Not the best design to keep in humidity, but the greenhouse maintains a decent amount of heat for the plants.
๐ Advantages
- Budget friendly
- Great for indoor gardening
- Easy to assemble (10 min)
- Perfect protection against pets
- Cute design
๐ Disadvantages
- Not waterproof, needs protection if you want to use it outside
- Not easy to move
Product unavailable.
Our recommendation:
Best Choice Products 40in Wide 4-Tier Mini Greenhouse
This 4-Tier Mini Greenhouse has a budget-friendly and spacious design to protect your plants inside or outdoor. The PE cover with four zippers keeps your plants safe from wind or pets and provides a constant humidity for them to grow. Although the design is lightweight, it offers a sturdy base and strong shelves to install your plants.
๐ Advantages
- Very budget friendly
- Very spacious
- Four zippers to open top or bottom
- PE cover keeps your plants safe from the elements while maintaining a constant humidity that is ideal for growing and germinating seedlings
- Easy to assemble
- Good protection against pets
- Shelves hold more weight than you expect
- Lightweight but sturdy
๐ Disadvantages
- The pole connections MUST be secured with a rubber mallet
- No floor pan
- Use some extra zip ties to secure
- Not the best quality but good for the price
Our recommendation:
Quictent 12′ X 7′ X 7′ Portable Greenhouse
The Quictent portable greenhouse offers a large walk-in space for seedlings. The design comes with two double zippered doors to make it easier to move plants. The greenhouse is easy to assemble and provides a wind and storm proof space. The manufacturer also offers warranty for most of the parts.
๐ Advantages
- One Year Warranty for All Poles, 6 Months Warranty for Cover, Lifetime Replacement for Connectors, as pictured.
- Double zippered front & back doors, 2 entrances make it easy to move plants
- Easy to assemble
- Wind and storm proof
- Very sturdy
- Great customer service
๐ Disadvantages
- You need to properly stake it when using in winds
Best greenhouses under $500
When youโre looking for a greenhouse under $500, your options are still a bit limited. Polycarbonate greenhouses will be your best shot, as well as the โfancierโ mini greenhouses. Glass greenhouses in this price category will be almost impossible to find (let us know if you do!).
In this price category, most greenhouses have plastic covers, which make them less solid against weather conditions and will give you fewer options to regulate temperature. Still, if you search well, there are some perfect starter greenhouses under $500, mostly 6 ft wide. Here are our absolute favorites.
Our recommendation:
King Canopy GH1010
The King Canopy greenhouse is a budget-friendly greenhouse made with durable materials. It is easy to assemble and very roomy to fit custom made shelves. The plastic is heavy duty material that can last a couple of years. Although the material is sturdy, it might not be strong enough for heavy wind storms.
๐ Advantages
- Good quality
- Easy to assemble (3 hours)
- Plastic is heavy duty, good for a couple of years
- Durable materials
- Very sturdy
- Very roomy to fit custom made shelves
๐ Disadvantages
- Not the best in heavy wind storms
- Poor instructions, but not very necessary
Best greenhouses under $1000
In this category thereโs quite a broad range of polycarbonate greenhouses, mostly 6 or 8 ft wide. When you choose your needed width, take into account the room you are willing to make in your yard and the amount of time you will be able to spend there.
Our recommendation:
Palram – Canopia Hybrid 6′ x 8′ Greenhouse – Silver
The Palram Canopia Hybrid is a very durable and easy to assemble. The design comes withย panels to block the harmful UV rays and a built-in gutter system for effective water drainage and collection. The adjustable vent window for air circulation balances the humidity and temperature inside the greenhouse. The hinged door with with magnetic door catch can be assembled as either a right or left hand door to gardener’s preferences.
๐ Advantages
- Panels block harmful UV rays
- Single hinged door can be assembled as either right or left hand door to gardener’s preferences.
- Magnetic door catch include
- Built-in gutter system for effective water drainage and collection
- Adjustable vent window included for air circulation to balance humidity and temperature
- Very windproof
- Easy to assemble
- Make everything 75% tight, and do a final tightening only after everything is fully assembled
- Very durable
๐ Disadvantages
- Weak vent
- You need to use the anchor kit
- You need to build it on a perfectly flat base
Our recommendation:
Outsunny 6′ L x 6′ W Walk-in Polycarbonate Greenhouse
This Outsunny greenhouse is a polycarbonate greenhouse for the winter. The design is lightweight and can use some extra anchoring. It features rain gutters and an adjustable roof for proper ventilation. It also provides maximum light transmission while retaining heat for early seed sprouting.
๐ Advantages
- Maximum light transmission while retaining heat for early seed sprouting
- The adjustable roof of the winter greenhouse can be positioned to different angles for proper ventilation
- Lightweight
- Includes rain gutters
- For best results, caulk all exterior seams with 100% GE brand silicone
๐ Disadvantages
- Instructions are difficult to understand
- Material is easily dented
- Needs some extra anchoring
Our recommendation:
Palram – Canopia Oasis Greenhouse – 7′ x 8′ x 9′ – Gray
The Palram Canopia Oasis Greenhouse is a beautiful polycarbonate greenhouse with an inventive design. The panels protect from harmful UV rays, while at the same time offering enough sunlight for your plants to grow. The adjustable side Louvre Window provides air flow and allows for the regulation of humidity levels. Moreover, the design has a built-in gutter system for effective water drainage and collection.ย
๐ Advantages
- Panels give 90% light transmission with 100% protection from harmful UV rays
- Easy installation using a sliding panel assembly system
- Adjustable side Louvre Window provides air flow and allows for the regulation of humidity levels
- Built in gutter system for effective water drainage and collection
- Beautiful design
๐ Disadvantages
- The roof is more difficult to assemble
- Very thin plastic
Best greenhouses under $2000
In this category you will find mostly 8 ft wide greenhouses in polycarbonate. So when youโre looking into greenhouses between $1,000 and $2,000, you are mostly in the โmedium sizeโ greenhouse category. These greenhouses are big enough to grow a substantial amount of vegetables and are comfortable to move around in. You will also find some special greenhouses (check out the garden igloo below), perfect if you want something different.
Our recommendation:
Palram – Canopia Mythos 6′ x 8′ Greenhouse – Silver
The Palram Canopia Mythos is a spacious greenhouse that distinguishes itself with their magnetic catch door with lockable handle. Although the greenhouse is not that easy to assemble, once put together it provides a good environment for the plants. The forest green color of the metal base makes the greenhouse perfectly fit in any garden.The greenhouse is very sturdy and offers snow and wind protection for your plants during the winter time.
๐ Advantages
- 70% light transmission with 100% protection from harmful UV rays
- Easy installation using a sliding panel assembly system.
- Single hinged door can be assembled as right or left door
- Magnetic door catch included
- Built in gutter system for effective water drainage and collection
- Very sturdy, snow and windproof
- Easy directions to assemble
๐ Disadvantages
- No flooring included
- Two people needed for installation
Best greenhouses over $2000
As you may have noticed, no glass greenhouses have been mentioned in the previous categories so far. As discussed in our greenhousing beginners guide, glass greenhouses are generally more expensive than polycarbonate. Thatโs why they’re in this pricy category. The larger polycarbonate greenhouses are also available in this category.
If youโre ready to invest in your greenhouse and you want to widen your options and possibilities, this is the category for you. Enrich your yard and enjoy the Victorian style glass greenhouses or choose one of the large polycarbonate options!
Our recommendation:
Palram – Canopia Chalet 12′ x 10′ Greenhouse
The Palram Canopia Chalet is a perfect walk-in greenhouse for the gardener who wants enough space for his plants. The design distinguishes itself with the creative integration of the wall and roof panels. Although the greenhouse is a challenge to set up, once assembled it is very cohesive and strong. The design comes with an anchoring kit, threshold ramp, two roof vents, galvanized steel base and lockable wide double doors. It is recommended to buy an auto-vent kit with it.
๐ Advantages
- Finished product is very cohesive and strong
- Creatively designed integration of the wall and roof panels
- Beautiful design
- Doors are flimsy but sturdy
- Recommended to buy auto-vent kit with it
- Very spacious
- Includes anchoring kit, threshold ramp, two roof vents, galvanized steel base and lockable wide double doors
๐ Disadvantages
- You have to set up on a wind-free day
- Instructions not very clear
- Some pieces donโt fit together very well
- Takes some time to assemble (2 days)
- Plastic
Our recommendation:
Exaco Junior Victorian
The Exaco Junior Victorian is a luxurious greenhouse that offers a lot of space and protection for gardening. The design includes a high foundation frame, two automatic roof windows and one sliding door. The glass material keeps the temperature steady and at the same time assures snow and wind protection for the plants in winter time.
๐ Advantages
- Includes 3″ high foundation frame, two roof windows, one window auto opener and one sliding door.
- Windows are held in place by substantial rubber seals
- Automatic windows
- Temperature keeps up very well
- Snow and windproof
- Glass material
- Video instructions
- Spacious
๐ Disadvantages
- Instructions could be better
Our recommendation:
Exaco Royal Victorian
The Exaco Royal Victorian is a bit pricey, but it is a high quality greenhouse. Moreover, the greenhouse has a beautiful design that enriches your garden. The design comes with Includes 2 automatic openers and 2 spindles, 2 full-length gutters and downspouts. It is a sturdy and strong option for gardeners who also want to stay busy in the winter season.
๐ Advantages
- Automatic windows
- Includes 2 automatic openers and 2 spindles, 2 full-length gutters and downspouts
- High quality greenhouse
- Video instructions
- Strong and sturdy
- Beautiful design
๐ Disadvantages
- More expensive option
- Bad instructions
DIY greenhouses
Are you a real handy(wo)man who knows his or her way around the hardware store? Are you looking for a cool DIY challenge? There’s always the possibility to build a greenhouse yourself! Take a look at this greenhouse DIY guide to help you get started!
Didn’t find what you were looking for? Let us know in the comments below!
