Top 5 compared
The best multimeters
Find the dead car battery, the blown fuse or the broken wire in minutes, without guessing.
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The top 5 at a glance
A multimeter measures voltage, current and resistance through a pair of test leads, with a dial to choose which. It goes back to the AVOmeter, devised in the 1920s by British Post Office engineer Donald Macadie and named for the amps, volts and ohms it measured. Manual-ranging meters need the dial set to the right range; auto-ranging ones find it themselves.
Every meter here reads AC and DC volts and resistance and carries a CAT III 600V safety rating, the maker’s own, which covers outlets, appliances and the breaker box as well as cars and batteries. Fluke’s advice is to choose a meter rated for the highest category it could be used in. Anything beyond testing, such as changing the house wiring itself, is a job for a licensed electrician.
What matters
- True RMS, for accurate AC readings from dimmers, motors and electronics.
- AC current as well as DC, to check what appliances draw.
- A backlit screen, for dim corners and the breaker box.
#1Fluke 17B+ Digital Multimeter
$100–$150
Fluke’s tough, simple meter for people who use one every week: CAT III 600V, AC and DC current to 10A, and temperature with the thermocouple in the box, plus capacitance, frequency and duty cycle. It’s built to work one-handed, even in gloves, and the big white-backlit display reads at a glance.
What owners say: HVAC and electrical workers trust its accuracy, from tiny microamp readings up to 10 amps, and say it’s built to survive years in the field. The big, clear display and the temperature reading win praise; opinions differ on how quickly it settles on a reading.
A closer look: The type K probe plugs into the input jacks and reads up to 752°F, plenty for an AC vent or a furnace duct; pull it out again to go back to volts. It runs on two AA batteries, so spares are never hard to find, and the TL75 test leads in the box are Fluke’s own.
- Works one-handed, even in gloves
- Volts up to 1000V
- Probe included, reads to 752°F
- Runs on 2 AA batteries
Best for: Regular electrical and HVAC work
- Display counts
- 4,000
- Auto-ranging
- Plus manual
- True RMS
- No
- Safety rating
- CAT III 600V
- Current
- AC and DC, to 10A
- Also measures
- Capacitance, temp, Hz, duty
- Backlight
- Yes
#2AstroAI M4K0R TRMS Digital Multimeter (4,000 counts)
$10–$20
True RMS and auto-ranging: it picks the scale itself, reads AC accurately from dimmers and motors, and adds a non-contact voltage alarm and a battery test for 1.5V, 9V and 12V cells that lights green or red.
What owners say: A big, easy-to-read display and a solid feel in the hand impress owners, and the backlight helps in dark corners; some use the battery test to check smoke alarm batteries, and the 12V and continuity readings are dead-on for others.
A closer look: Wave the top of the meter along a cord or near an outlet with the NCV setting on and it beeps and flashes when it senses AC voltage, no leads needed. The battery test lights green for a good cell and red for a weak one, which makes clearing out the junk drawer quick work.
- Built-in flashlight
- Tests 1.5V, 9V, 12V cells
- Double ceramic fuses
- Silicone protective cover
Best for: Home, car and batteries
- Display counts
- 4,000
- Auto-ranging
- Yes
- True RMS
- Yes
- Safety rating
- CAT III 600V
- Current
- AC and DC, to 10A
- Also measures
- Capacitance, NCV, batteries
- Backlight
- Yes
#3Klein Tools MM325 Manual-Ranging Digital Multimeter
$20–$30
A straightforward meter from the electricians’ brand: LEDs light up beside the jacks the leads should go in for each setting, so it’s hard to measure current with the leads in the wrong place. A kickstand and lead holders on the back keep it tidy on the bench.
What owners say: Simple to use and does everything they need, owners say, with accurate readings, a sturdy case and a bright backlit screen; some have saved themselves an electrician’s service call with it. Durability splits them, lasting for years for most but not for a few.
Heads up: It reads DC current only, so it can check car circuits and battery projects but not what a plugged-in appliance draws.
A closer look: Manual ranging means turning the dial to the range just above what you expect, the one above 12V for a car battery, say, then stepping down if the screen shows only a digit or two. Klein sells a magnetic hanger separately that clips on the back for hanging it from a steel panel.
- Lit jacks guide the leads
- Kickstand and lead holders
- Survives a 6.5 ft drop
Best for: Beginners and basic checks
- Display counts
- 2,000
- Auto-ranging
- No
- True RMS
- No
- Safety rating
- CAT III 600V
- Current
- DC only, to 10A
- Also measures
- Battery test
- Backlight
- Yes
#4Crenova MS8233D Digital Multimeter
$20–$30
A 6,000-count display, auto-ranging with a manual override, and AC current, capacitance, frequency and a non-contact live-wire check on top of the basics. Alligator clips and a hard carry case come in the box.
What owners say: The solid probes and the hard-shell carry case get noticed first; owners find it easy to read and use, with clear, accurate readings, and one figures it saved them hundreds in repair bills.
A closer look: Clip the alligator leads onto a car battery or a circuit board and both hands stay free for the dial and the screen. Start on auto-range for anything unfamiliar and let the meter choose the scale; the RANGE button holds one scale when a reading keeps jumping between two.
- Alligator clips included
- Hard carry case
- Holds readings on screen
- 3 readings a second
Best for: Hands-free tests with alligator clips
- Display counts
- 6,000
- Auto-ranging
- Plus manual
- True RMS
- Yes
- Safety rating
- CAT III 600V
- Current
- AC and DC
- Also measures
- Capacitance, Hz, NCV
- Backlight
- Yes
#5Klein Tools MM420 Auto-Ranging TRMS Digital Multimeter
$50–$75
The step up from Klein’s MM325: auto-ranging and true RMS, AC current as well as DC, and temperature with the thermocouple in the box, plus capacitance and frequency. Klein builds it to survive a 6.6 ft drop.
What owners say: Accurate enough for everything around the house and sturdily built, owners say, with one finding it a match for a Fluke. Auto-ranging pleases most but frustrates a few, and durability reports are mixed.
A closer look: The thermocouple reads from -40°F up to 1832°F, so it can check a furnace flue or a car’s exhaust as well as an AC vent. The test leads come with CAT III/CAT IV safety caps; keep them on the probe tips when testing at the breaker box.
- Probe reads -40°F to 1832°F
- Survives a 6.6 ft drop
- Lit jacks guide the leads
- Safety caps for probe tips
Best for: Moving on from a basic meter
- Display counts
- 4,000
- Auto-ranging
- Yes
- True RMS
- Yes
- Safety rating
- CAT III 600V
- Current
- AC and DC, to 10A
- Also measures
- Capacitance, temp, Hz, duty
- Backlight
- Yes
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Fluke 17B+ | #2AstroAI M4K0R | #3Klein MM325 | #4Crenova MS8233D | #5Klein MM420 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | ||||
| Picked Rating | 9.5 | 9.4 | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.1 |
| Price | $100–$150 | $10–$20 | $20–$30 | $20–$30 | $50–$75 |
| Display counts | 4,000 | 4,000 | 2,000 | 6,000 | 4,000 |
| Auto-ranging | Plus manual | Yes | No | Plus manual | Yes |
| True RMS | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Safety rating | CAT III 600V | CAT III 600V | CAT III 600V | CAT III 600V | CAT III 600V |
| Current | AC and DC, to 10A | AC and DC, to 10A | DC only, to 10A | AC and DC | AC and DC, to 10A |
| Also measures | Capacitance, temp, Hz, duty | Capacitance, NCV, batteries | Battery test | Capacitance, Hz, NCV | Capacitance, temp, Hz, duty |
| Backlight | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Regular electrical and HVAC work | Home, car and batteries | Beginners and basic checks | Hands-free tests with alligator clips | Moving on from a basic meter |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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