By South Summit Team. Updated November 5, 2026. Every pick was in stock at the listed price when this was published.
The best cheap butterfly knife for most buyers is the Shogun Wave Quick-Balance Butterfly Knife at $12.99. Its listing gives a 4-inch American tanto blade in 440C stainless steel, steel handles and a T-latch, and it costs $6 less than our best-seller. Buyers spent the most on the Prism-Flow Performance at $18.99. The smallest is the Micro Grid at $4.99, which is 2 inches closed. Never flipped before? Buy a trainer first. All ten picks below are cheap butterfly knives under $20, ranked by orders.
Under $20 covers most of the shelf. Of the 114 butterfly knives in stock today, 106 cost less than $20 and 15 cost less than $10. Skip the Shogun Wave if weight bothers you: at 5.94 ounces it has the heaviest listed weight on this list. The Six-Hole Flow Balance lists 4.43 ounces and is still 9 inches open. Skip it too if you want a spear or drop point, since most of the other picks have one. The full range, including the CNC and Damascus models above $20, is on the butterfly knives collection, and those higher-priced picks are ranked in best butterfly knives.
Cheap butterfly knife picks compared
| # | Pick | Price | Listed blade | Handle and latch | Listed weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prism-Flow Performance Butterfly Knife - Rainbow Titanium | $18.99 | 4.25 in spear point | Steel, spring latch | 5.25 oz |
| 2 | Shadow Split Performance Butterfly Knife - Black Titanium | $18.99 | 4.25 in spear point | Steel, spring latch | 5.25 oz |
| 3 | Micro Grid Quick-Flip Keychain Butterfly Knife - Satin Steel | $4.99 | 1.625 in drop point | Stainless steel, T-latch | 1.28 oz |
| 4 | Six‑Hole Flow Balance Butterfly Knife - Matte Gold | $15.99 | 4.125 in spear point | Steel, latch | 4.43 oz |
| 5 | Shogun Wave Quick-Balance Butterfly Knife - Teal Katana Wrap | $12.99 | 4 in American tanto, 440C | Steel, T-latch | 5.94 oz |
| 6 | Shadowflow Balanced Butterfly Knife - Matte Black | $13.99 | 4.125 in spear point | Steel, latch | 4.43 oz |
| 7 | Silent Balance Minimalist Balisong Knife - Silver Steel | $15.99 | Spear point, length not listed | Steel | Not listed |
| 8 | Electric Flow Flip-Ready Butterfly Knife - Blue Titanium | $18.99 | 4.25 in spear point | Steel, spring latch | 5.25 oz |
| 9 | Twin Shade Pivot-Balanced Butterfly Knife - Silver Titanium | $18.99 | 4.25 in drop point | Steel, spring latch | 5.25 oz |
| 10 | Shadow Grid Micro Butterfly Keychain Knife - Black | $4.99 | 1.625 in drop point | Stainless steel, T-latch | 1.28 oz |
How we ranked these
These are the in-stock butterfly knives under $20 with the highest 30-day order score, which measures the dollar value of orders across our store network over the last 30 days. In other words, buyers chose them with their own money. Each one was in stock at the listed price on the day this was published. We did not test them by hand, nobody paid to be on the list, and every description comes from the product's listed specifications. Trainers are left out because they have their own ranking.
The 10 best cheap butterfly knives under $20
1. Prism-Flow Performance Butterfly Knife - Rainbow Titanium ($18.99)
This is the most-ordered balisong under $20 this month. The listing gives a 4.25-inch spear point blade, 9.5 inches open and 5.5 closed, 5.25 ounces, steel handles with a titanium finish and a spring latch.
See the Prism-Flow Performance in rainbow
2. Shadow Split Performance Butterfly Knife - Black Titanium ($18.99)
It has the same listed numbers as #1 (4.25-inch spear point, 5.25 ounces, spring latch) in a black two-tone finish. Pick it if rainbow is too loud for you.
3. Micro Grid Quick-Flip Keychain Butterfly Knife - Satin Steel ($4.99)
This miniature has a listed 1.625-inch drop point blade, is 3.75 inches open and 2 inches closed, and weighs 1.28 ounces. The stainless steel handles have a satin finish and a T-latch. It ties with #10 for the lowest price on this list.
4. Six‑Hole Flow Balance Butterfly Knife - Matte Gold ($15.99)
The listing gives a 4.125-inch spear point blade and 9 inches open. At 4.43 ounces it ties with #6 as the lightest full-size pick here. The blade is matte gold and the handles are steel with a standard latch.
See the Six-Hole Flow Balance in gold
5. Shogun Wave Quick-Balance Butterfly Knife - Teal Katana Wrap ($12.99), our pick
The listing gives a 4-inch American tanto blade in 440C stainless steel, 9 inches open, 5.375 closed and 5.94 ounces, with steel handles in a teal katana-style wrap and a T-latch. Only five butterfly knives in stock name 440C, and this is the one buyers order most.
6. Shadowflow Balanced Butterfly Knife - Matte Black ($13.99)
It has the same listed frame as #4 (4.125-inch spear point, 9 inches open, 4.43 ounces) in matte black, and it costs two dollars less.
See the Shadowflow in matte black
7. Silent Balance Minimalist Balisong Knife - Silver Steel ($15.99)
This is a plain silver spear point with matte steel handles. The listing gives no blade length, weight or latch type. If size is your priority, look at the product photos before you buy.
8. Electric Flow Flip-Ready Butterfly Knife - Blue Titanium ($18.99)
This is the blue version of the #1 frame, with a 4.25-inch spear point, 5.25 ounces and a spring latch.
9. Twin Shade Pivot-Balanced Butterfly Knife - Silver Titanium ($18.99)
It uses the same 9.5-inch frame and spring latch, but the listing gives it a drop point blade. That makes it the only full-size drop point among these ten.
10. Shadow Grid Micro Butterfly Keychain Knife - Black ($4.99)
Its listed specs match #3: a 1.625-inch drop point, 2 inches closed, 1.28 ounces and a T-latch. Despite the name, the listing gives a silver blade with a satin finish.
How to choose a cheap balisong
- Learn on a trainer. Artisan Cutlery's first-balisong guide says every balisong journey should begin with a trainer, which has an unsharpened blade. Our butterfly knife trainers start under $10, and they are ranked in best butterfly knife trainers.
- Expect pins and rough edges under $20. Knife Pivot Lube's price-tier guide says most balisongs at this price are pinned together, made from rough-cut materials and prone to quality control problems. It also says a $20 butterfly knife will flip better than no balisong at all. Our listings don't state the pivot type, and we don't rank these by smoothness.
- Look for washers when a maker names them. A Grindworx budget guide says washers between the handle and blade "will dramatically help the way the knife moves." It adds that pinned handles can't be tightened, while screws can work loose.
- Weigh the handle material. Artisan Cutlery calls stainless steel the cheapest handle material and the heaviest. Every pick here has steel handles, and listed weights on the full-size models run from 4.43 to 5.94 ounces.
- Check the latch. The same Artisan guide says spring latches hold more securely for pocket carry but can interfere with flipping. Picks #1, #2, #8 and #9 list a spring latch, while the Shogun Wave and both minis list a T-latch.
- Read the steel line. Artisan Cutlery says entry-level balisongs typically use 440C or 8Cr13MoV stainless. Most of our under-$20 listings say only "steel" or "stainless steel." Five name 440C, and all five cost $12.99.
If you expect to flip for hours a day, Knife Pivot Lube's novice guide says price usually tracks quality. It points first-time buyers to the under-$100 range, with some options near $50. A knife from this list is a low-cost way to find out whether flipping is for you.
If you want a knife that opens and closes with a thumb slide, look at our OTF knives. Every OTF we sell is double action.
Check your state and city rules before ordering.
Questions buyers ask about cheap butterfly knives
What is the cheapest butterfly knife?
The Micro Grid and the Shadow Grid Micro, at $4.99 each. Both are miniatures with a 1.625-inch blade. For full size, eight more models with blades of 3.75 inches or longer are listed under $10 on the collection page.
Cheap butterfly knife vs expensive: what changes?
Knife Pivot Lube's price guide says knives under $20 are usually pinned and rough-cut, and that real pivot systems appear around the $50 tier. Its novice guide calls bushings the favorite pivot of most flippers, and they cost more again.
What is the best cheap butterfly knife trainer?
The most-ordered trainer in stock is the Rhythm Flow Balisong Trainer Bottle Opener at $9.99. It is listed as a trainer with a 3.5-inch blade, 8.5 inches open, a stainless steel handle and a latch.
Is this the cheap butterfly knife from CS2?
No. In Counter-Strike 2 the Butterfly Knife is a virtual skin, and csdb.gg lists 36 finishes, the cheapest of which (Safari Mesh) was priced above $350 when we checked. South Summit is not affiliated with the game's publisher, and these are real knives, not licensed merchandise.