Lightweight · Under $700
Grills & Pizza showdown
Z Grills vs Pit Boss: The Lightweight Pellet Grill Showdown (2026)
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- contenders compared
- 2
- owner ratings · Z Grills + Amazon + Pit Boss
- 1,048
- verified pull-quotes
- 2
- data last verified
- July 2026
Two popular budget pellet grills, both proving you don’t need to spend a grand to smoke like a pro. So which one belongs on your patio if money’s tight?
This is the Lightweight class — entry-level price, first-pellet-grill buyer — so it comes down to a simple trade: the most owner-loved pick, or more grill and a real sear for less money. A head-to-head — two grills, one winner. Here’s who wins, and for whom.
The short version:
🏆 Best-loved budget pick: Z Grills 700D4E — the deepest, highest owner rating in this comparison (4.9 stars from 754 owners), a WiFi PID controller, and a remarkable amount of grill for the money. The most owner-trusted way into pellet grilling.
🔥 Most grill for the money: Pit Boss Navigator 850 — 932 sq in and a Flame Broiler slide-plate for direct-flame searing, plus WiFi — and more cooking area per dollar than the Z Grills. The most grill for the money.
Quick comparison
| Model | Best for | Max temp | Cook area | Hopper | WiFi app | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Z Grills 700D4E WiFi | Best budget | 500°F | 697 sq in | 28 lb | Yes | Check price → |
| Best for more space & searing | 500°F | 932 sq in | 30 lb | Yes (Pit Boss Grills app) | Check price → |
Prices move constantly — tap through for today's number.
Best-loved budget pick: Z Grills 700D4E
If you want the most owner-trusted way into real pellet grilling, this is the one.
The 700D4E gives you 697 square inches, a 28-lb hopper, a handy storage cabinet, and — refreshed for 2025 — a WiFi PID controller that now tops out at 500°F. That PID holds temperature steady for the money, and owners rate it sky-high — 4.9 stars from 754 owners, the deepest and highest owner rating in this comparison. For a first pellet grill, it’s a remarkable amount of capability for the price; check today’s price on the card below.
What you give up: it’s the smaller of the two, the accessory and recipe ecosystem is smaller than the big brands’, and the WiFi can be hit-or-miss on a weak backyard signal. None of that stops it from turning out excellent low-and-slow barbecue on day one.
Z Grills 700D4E WiFi
Best budget · 697 sq in · 500°F · WiFi PID · best price per inch
Your pick if you want the most grill per dollar — 697 sq in, WiFi PID control, and the highest owner love here (4.9★ across 754); the cook area is smaller and searing tops out at 500°F.
Check price at Z Grills →“If you want an easy to use smoker then the Z Grills 700D4E is a great entry point into the world of pellet grills.”
Z Grills 700D4E WiFi
Best budgetYour pick if you want the most grill per dollar — 697 sq in, WiFi PID control, and the highest owner love here (4.9★ across 754); the cook area is smaller and searing tops out at 500°F.
“If you want an easy to use smoker then the Z Grills 700D4E is a great entry point into the world of pellet grills.”— Jeff Rice, Smoked BBQ Source
- Best price per square inch of any pellet grill we compared
- Steady PID temps for the money (holds within ~±5°F)
- Big 28 lb hopper plus a handy storage cabinet
- WiFi + app on the current (2025) model — rare at this price
- Smaller cook area than the Pit Boss (697 vs 932 sq in)
- 500°F max — fine for smoking, modest searing headroom
- Smaller accessory and recipe ecosystem than the big brands
- WiFi reliability can be hit-or-miss
Best for more space & searing: Pit Boss Navigator 850
The Navigator 850 is what you buy when you want more grill and a real sear without leaving the budget tier.
At 932 square inches it’s the bigger cooker here, with a 30-lb hopper and the same set-and-forget WiFi PID convenience. Its trick is the Flame Broiler slide-plate: pull it open and you get direct-flame heat for searing steaks and burgers, something most pellet grills at this price can’t do. It also gives you more cooking area per dollar than the Z Grills, so you get noticeably more cooking room and more grilling versatility for the money.
The honest catches: its independent Amazon rating is still a thin, early base — 4.6★ from 45 reviews (4.3★ from 249 on Pit Boss’s own page). The Z Grills’ 4.9★ is higher, but that figure comes from Z Grills’ own page (it isn’t sold on Amazon to cross-check), so it isn’t a clean apples-to-apples comparison. Some owners also mention the heat can run a little uneven side-to-side, and only one probe is included. But if you cook for a crowd or want to grill as well as smoke, the extra space and the flame-broiler earn their keep.
Pit Boss Navigator 850
Best for more space & searingYour pick if you want the most cook space and open-flame searing per dollar — 932 sq in and a flame-broiler; the independent Amazon base is still thin (4.6★/45), and heat can run uneven side-to-side.
“The Navigator is sturdy, smoky, and better at open-flame grilling than most pellet grills in this price range.”— Jared Brown, Burning Brisket
- Big 932 sq in cook area — the most space here for the money
- Flame Broiler slide-plate for direct-flame searing
- WiFi + Bluetooth with the Pit Boss app; big 30-lb hopper
- 5-year warranty
- Independent Amazon base is thin (4.6★/45 — early data); 4.3★/249 on Pit Boss's own page
- Reviewers note heat can run uneven side-to-side
- Only one meat probe included
- App and build less refined than premium brands
How to choose between them
Skip the spec sheet and answer two questions:
- What matters most — owner-proven peace of mind, or more grill? Want the highest owner ratings here → Z Grills 700D4E. Want more cooking space, more grill per dollar, and a direct-flame sear → Pit Boss Navigator 850.
- Will you grill, or mostly smoke? If you only smoke low-and-slow, both are excellent and owners rate the Z Grills highest. If you also want to sear steaks and burgers, the Pit Boss’s flame-broiler pulls ahead.
For most people reading this, that’s the Z Grills 700D4E — the most owner-trusted path to great barbecue. Want more room and a real sear — the Pit Boss Navigator 850 gives you more grill for the money.
Ready to step up? When you want more refinement, heat, and ecosystem, our Middleweight pellet grill showdown covers the ~$900 tier (Traeger, recteq, and Weber).
What to look for in a budget pellet grill
- A real PID controller. This is what holds your temperature steady. Both here have one; cheaper no-name grills often don’t, and they swing wildly.
- WiFi + app (a rare budget bonus). Remote temp control and probe alerts genuinely change how you cook — and both of these include it, which is unusual under $700.
- Cook area for your crowd. ~700 sq in (Z Grills) suits most families; ~930 sq in (Pit Boss) gives you room for big cooks.
- Searing ability. A flame-broiler or direct-flame option (the Pit Boss) lets a pellet grill sear, not just smoke.
- Hopper + cleanup. A bigger hopper means fewer refills; an easy grease/ash cleanup will make you happier than any extra feature — and it’s a real safety point.
FAQ
Which budget pellet grill is best in 2026?
For most people, the Z Grills 700D4E — it's the best-loved by owners here (4.9 stars from 754 owners), runs a WiFi PID controller, and is a remarkable amount of grill for the money. Choose the Pit Boss Navigator 850 if you want more cooking space (932 vs 697 sq in) — and more cooking area per dollar — plus a flame-broiler slide-plate for direct-flame searing.
Can a budget pellet grill smoke as well as an expensive one?
For low-and-slow, largely yes. Both of these have a PID controller that holds your set temperature, so ribs, brisket, and chicken come out great. What you give up versus premium grills is build refinement, a bigger accessory ecosystem, and higher searing temperatures — not the core smoking ability.
Do these budget grills have WiFi?
Yes — both. The Z Grills 700D4E runs the Z Grills app and the Pit Boss Navigator 850 runs the Pit Boss app (WiFi + Bluetooth). Both let you set the temperature and watch your meat probe from your phone, which is rare at this price.
How big are they?
The Z Grills 700D4E has 697 sq in of cooking area; the Pit Boss Navigator 850 has 932 sq in. Both are plenty for a family, with the Pit Boss giving you noticeably more room for big cooks.
Should I spend more on a mid-tier pellet grill?
Only if you want more refinement, more searing heat, or a bigger ecosystem. For getting started, these budget picks smoke beautifully. If you're ready to step up, see our Middleweight pellet grill showdown (~$900 picks).
Are pellet grills safe?
Yes, with normal care: run it outdoors with clearance from walls and overhangs, keep the firepot and grease tray clean to avoid flare-ups, and don't leave it unattended on high. Neither pick here has an active CPSC recall (checked June 2026).
Update history
- July 2026 — Liveness re-verify (next-oldest audit, 2026-07-27). Both current, no drift: Pit Boss Navigator 850 (Amazon B0F8F4SVSX) title-verified 'Pit Boss 850 Navigator Series Wood Pellet Grill', correct model + live; Z Grills 700D4E remains Z Grills' current flagship (Amazon link still #TODO — editorial, no live buy path; its 4.9/754 is a Z Grills brand-page figure). Ratings unchanged (within the 6-month window). No content change; priceChecked → July.
- July 2026 — Pit Boss Navigator 850 owner rating switched to the independent Amazon read (Brad, signed-in, 2026-07-27): 4.6★/45 primary (thin/early base); pitboss-grills.com 4.3★/249 kept as a labeled secondary. Reworked the Pit Boss honest-catch to flag that the Z Grills' 4.9★ is a brand-page figure (Z Grills isn't on Amazon to cross-check), so the owner-love comparison is source-mismatched — not a clean apples-to-apples rank. The Z Grills winner framing (its own 4.9/754 brand-page number) is unchanged.
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