Costco Vs. Walmart: Which Is Better For Cheap Tech?

As tech seems to get more expensive, especially with the current RAM crisis, we're all looking for ways to save money on the electronics we want. While it's always great to look for key days of the year to shop like Cyber Monday or Black Friday to find good prices — like these big Anker gadget discounts — you can also protect your wallet by shopping at the right store. Both Walmart and Costco are known to have affordable tech, but which store you shop at will specifically depend on what you're looking for.

For example, if you're looking at purchasing a new printer, you can find multiple different products at Walmart for less than $60. As of this writing, Walmart is offering a HP DeskJet 2942 with six months of free ink for $39. Comparatively, the majority of printers at Costco are well over $100. It's no different when it comes to televisions. For a 55-inch television, Walmart's TVs start at $198 as of this writing. Costco's TVs of the same size start at $279.

However, Costco is a store only Costco members can shop at, which costs a fee. If you're a member, though, you can get exclusive membership deals and included warranties for TVs and computers. So Costco may actually get you a better deal depending on what you're buying if you're a member.

Walmart offers some great tech for good prices, and items like earbuds and smart LED bulbs made our list of cheap Walmart gadgets worth buying. Walmart has a variety of tech items that you can find for a good price point, but note that these items at these prices were what was available as of that writing.

If you're looking to add to your gaming collection, Walmart has some good offers. A wireless Xbox controller usually costing $64 is on sale for $49, which includes universal support for PC and Android gaming, button customization, and a headset audio jack. To compliment that, Walmart has a Razer BlackShark V2 X Wired Esports Multi-platform Headset for $35, compatible not only with Xbox and PC but also PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.

Some of the absolute cheapest tech found was a Roku smart LED light strip, with over 32 feet, costing $22. A Galayou Outdoor Security Camera that's wireless costs $30, which is pretty impressive considering it includes two-way audio, night vision, a motion detector feature, and is waterproof. When it comes to shopping at Walmart, it's a good strategy to keep an eye on tech you want. Walmart frequently puts items on sale, and you can grab what you're after for a good bargain with a little patience.

There are some tech items at Costco that outshine Walmart in price — including in our list an Anker power bank and a digital air fryer. The main appeal to looking at Costco over Walmart for better deals, though, comes down to membership benefits.

A standard Costco membership costs $65 a year, whereas an Executive Membership costs $130 a year. The benefit of paying more comes with special shopping hours for Executive Members only and a monthly credit on same-day delivery. That means in times of good sales you could get to the store before everyone else to grab that item you want, or you can get some money back to spend on the next tech item you need.

Costco offers savings on certain products like AT&T and T-Mobile cell phones, as well as Big & Bulky items. Prices vary across stores at different points of the year, so it's a good idea to compare what you want at Costco versus Walmart to see what has the best deal for you at the time of shopping. One great savings point for TVs, computers, and major appliances is two free extra warranty years and included setup assistance and tech support. Comparatively, if you were to purchase a Lenovo Chromebook at Walmart, one year of tech support and setup would cost an extra $58, and a three-year warranty is another $69.