Updated October 2026
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The first cordless drill you buy is rarely the last tool. The batteries usually are. DeWalt 20V MAX, Milwaukee M18, and Ryobi ONE+ are the three platforms most US homeowners pick, and they do not share packs. Shop the aisle you will still want in five years, not just this week’s cheapest kit.
This is a platform comparison, not a shop test. We match manufacturer specs and kit contents to the listings we link. Prices move, so this page does not print street prices; check the live page before you order. Specific Amazon kits live on Best Cordless Drills. A hard $100 cap is Best Cordless Drill Under $100.
Milwaukee is a Home Depot exclusive in the US. It is the pro benchmark here. We link Home Depot for Milwaukee. We do not send you to an Amazon third-party listing for a line that is not sold first-party there.
Quick verdict
Buy DeWalt 20V MAX if you want one platform you can shop on Amazon and at a big-box store. The DCD777D1 is the brushless compact kit with one 2.0Ah pack. The DCD771C2 is the brushed two-battery starter. Either one drops you into the same yellow aisle. Check availability on Amazon (often third-party)
Buy Milwaukee M18 at Home Depot if you already work like a pro, already own red packs, or you want the line Wirecutter and Popular Mechanics treat as the 2026 upgrade / overall pick. The compact brushless kit (3601-22CT) is sold at Home Depot. That is the benchmark, not an Amazon recommendation. See the 3601-22CT at Home Depot
Buy Ryobi ONE+ if you want the largest homeowner tool aisle. The PCL201K1 3/8-inch kit is the entry. The P1803 is the 1/2-inch brushless hammer kit if you need a bigger chuck. ONE+ HP kits are real at Ryobi and Home Depot. We do not link HP kits here. No Amazon link: the listing now shows an off-brand ONEAND product (Sep 30)
Already own packs? Stay on that platform. Switching brands means buying batteries and a charger again.
Want something outside the big three? Craftsman V20 (CMCD700C1) is the small Amazon 20V line. Fine for a one-drill household. The aisle is smaller than DeWalt or Ryobi.
Platform comparison
| Platform | Voltage | Typical starter kit | Where to buy | Lock-in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeWalt 20V MAX | 20V MAX (18V nominal) | DCD777D1 or DCD771C2 | Amazon and big-box | Same packs run the 20V MAX saws, impacts, and lights. XR kits cost more. |
| Milwaukee M18 | 18V M18 | 3601-22CT at Home Depot (Wirecutter 2026 upgrade pick) | Home Depot exclusive in the US | Pro aisle. M12 is a second Milwaukee line — those packs do not run M18 tools. |
| Ryobi ONE+ | 18V ONE+ | PCL201K1 (no Amazon link) | Amazon and Home Depot | Huge DIY aisle. ONE+ packs run ONE+ tools. There is no Amazon link for an HP kit here. |
| Craftsman V20 | V20 / 20V class | CMCD700C1 | Amazon | Smallest aisle of the four. Confirm the live listing before you count on it. |
We don’t list live prices. Confirm the current listing.
DeWalt 20V MAX
DeWalt is the default Amazon platform for a US homeowner who wants a name that still shows up on job sites. 20V MAX is 18V nominal — the same voltage class as ONE+ and M18. You are buying the yellow battery family, not a secret extra four volts.
Two DeWalt kits are the usual starting points. The DCD777D1 is the current compact brushless drill/driver: one DCB203 2.0Ah pack, DCB107 charger, belt hook. DeWalt lists an MSRP around $179. DeWalt rates it at 340 UWO, 7.6 inches, 1/2-inch ratcheting chuck. It is not XR. The DCD771C2 is the brushed two-battery kit — two 1.3Ah packs, charger, bag — on B00ET5VMTU. DeWalt rates it at 300 UWO and 0–450 / 0–1,500 RPM. A second catalog ID for the same kit, B07DLWWYRW, is the same kit; check current price and seller on Amazon. The XR compact DCD800D2 ships two 2.0Ah packs.
Who should buy it. First-time buyers who want a 1/2-inch DeWalt they can reorder on Amazon. Household holes, deck screws, TV mounts, furniture. One 2.0Ah (DCD777D1) covers an afternoon. Two 1.3Ah packs (DCD771C2) keep you swapping. Later tools take the same 20V MAX packs.
Who should skip it. Anyone already holding Milwaukee or Ryobi batteries. These starter kits are drill/drivers, not hammers. If you already own 20V MAX packs, buy a bare tool.
Lock-in. Medium-high, and that is the point. 20V MAX is a large aisle. FlexVolt packs can also run 20V MAX tools if you later step into 60V equipment. Start with a compact kit, then add packs by amp-hour.
DCD777D1: Check availability on Amazon (often third-party) · DCD771C2: Check price on Amazon · DCD800D2: Check availability on Amazon (often third-party)
Milwaukee M18 — pro benchmark, Home Depot only
Milwaukee is the professional reference on this page, not an Amazon cart item. In the US, Milwaukee retail is a Home Depot exclusive. Marketplace copies show up on Amazon. They are not first-party stock of that exclusive. We are not linking them.
Wirecutter’s 2026 upgrade pick was the Milwaukee 3601-22CT M18 compact brushless kit, sold at Home Depot: drill/driver, two M18 REDLITHIUM CP2.0 (2.0Ah) packs, M18/M12 charger, and bag. Milwaukee rates it at 550 in-lbs, 0–550 / 0–1,700 RPM, 5.7 inches, about 3.2 lb with the kitted battery, all-metal gear case, 1/2-inch metal chuck. Popular Mechanics’ 2026 overall pick was an M18 hammer (2904). Those are their reviews, not a test from us. Wirecutter also listed the M12 3401-22 at Home Depot. M12 packs do not run M18 tools.
Who should buy it. Pros, and DIY buyers who already live on M18 or who will shop Home Depot for the next saw and impact. Two 2.0Ah packs in the 3601-22CT is a stronger starter than either DeWalt kit on battery count, at a higher kit price.
Who should skip it. Anyone we would send to Amazon for a first drill. Prime and a yellow starter kit is DeWalt. For a green start, look at Ryobi. Do not pay a third-party Amazon premium to dodge Home Depot.
Lock-in. High. M18 is a deep pro aisle — Milwaukee publishes 250+ M18 solutions on the 3601-22CT page — and you will shop it at Home Depot. Warranty on that compact kit is listed as five years on the tool and two on the battery. Confirm current terms on the HD or Milwaukee page.
See the 3601-22CT at Home Depot
Ryobi ONE+
Ryobi ONE+ is the big green 18V homeowner platform. People stay for the aisle: fans, inflators, lights, outdoor tools. Entry cost is the lowest of the three brands here.
The usual ONE+ starter is not ONE+ HP. It is the PCL201K1 3/8-inch kit, with one 1.5Ah battery and a charger. Furniture and light DIY. The 3/8-inch chuck will not take every 1/2-inch shank bit. If you want 1/2-inch and a hammer setting, the P1803 is the brushless hammer kit with one 1.5Ah, charger, and bag. Skip third-party bag bundles when a first-party kit is in stock.
ONE+ HP (PBLDD01 / PBLDD02 and Home Depot’s PBLDD01K1) is a real brushless 1/2-inch line on Ryobi.com and at Home Depot. Manufacturer copy lists up to 750 in-lbs. There is no Amazon link for an HP kit here.
Who should buy it. Shoppers already in ONE+, and anyone who wants a basic kit for household assembly. PCL201K1 is the on-ramp. P1803 if you need 1/2-inch bits or occasional masonry anchors. The platform argument is the next ten tools, not this one motor.
Who should skip it. Heavy driving, large bits, or anyone who thinks the PCL201K1 is HP. One 1.5Ah pack is short. A 1/2-inch brushless DeWalt is the DCD777D1. The pro benchmark is Milwaukee at Home Depot.
Lock-in. High on the DIY side, cheap to enter. ONE+ packs run ONE+ tools. Budget a higher-Ah pack later if the work gets longer.
PCL201K1: No Amazon link: the listing now shows an off-brand ONEAND product (Sep 30) · P1803: Check availability on Amazon
Craftsman V20 — cheap Amazon side door
If the three-way fight is more platform than you need, Craftsman V20 is the small Amazon 20V line. The CMCD700C1 is a brushed 1/2-inch kit: one 1.3Ah pack, charger, double-sided bit. Craftsman rates it at 280 UWO and 0–350 / 0–1,500 RPM. Recheck that B07XRGDJWJ is still a live kit. V20 is fine for a household that will own one drill. If you plan to add a saw and an impact next year, DeWalt and Ryobi both out-aisle it. If the live price has climbed to DeWalt kit money, buy a DeWalt.
Battery and ecosystem guide
You are buying batteries. The drill in the kit is the sample tool. The packs and the charger are the lock-in. A Ryobi starter and a compact DeWalt both make sense if they put you on the aisle you will still want in 2028. A Milwaukee kit makes sense if Home Depot is already where you shop and you want the pro catalog. Mixing brands means two chargers and two stacks of the wrong packs.
20V vs 18V is mostly a label. DeWalt 20V MAX, Craftsman V20, and SKIL 20V sit in the same nominal 18V world as Ryobi ONE+ and Milwaukee M18. What changes the job is motor type (brushed vs brushless), chuck size, amp-hours, how many packs are in the box, and whether you already own that family’s batteries.
Amp-hours beat the carton slogan. 1.3Ah and 1.5Ah starter packs are short. A 2.0Ah pack (DCD777D1, Milwaukee 3601-22CT cells) runs longer per charge. Two small packs can still beat one medium pack because you swap instead of waiting. That is why the two-battery DCD771C2 (two 1.3Ah packs) is worth a look. For other starter kits, see the under $100 list.
Same brand, not always the same platform. Milwaukee M18 and M12 do not share batteries. DeWalt 20V MAX and 12V MAX do not share batteries. Ryobi ONE+ packs run ONE+ tools; HP tools are part of that 18V family. Believe the manufacturer page for that SKU, not a marketplace title.
Where you shop matters as much as torque. DeWalt starter kits are listed on Amazon; check current price and seller there. Milwaukee is Home Depot. If you refuse to walk into HD, do not start a red stack. If you already have a Depot nearby, M18 is easier to service than a gray-market Amazon listing.
Add tools in this order. Drill/driver first (clutch + chuck: holes and screws). Impact driver second if driving fasteners becomes the whole afternoon — hex shank, not a replacement for hole saws. Circular saw or oscillating tool when you are tired of a hand saw. Light and inflator are why Ryobi owners never leave. Keep new tools on the same packs. Bare tools are cheaper once you own batteries; kit boxes are how you should start.
Hammer drill vs rotary hammer. A hammer setting on a compact drill (the Ryobi P1803 on Amazon; various M18 and 20V MAX hammers at retail) is for light anchors in brick or block. It is not a rotary hammer. Real concrete is a different tool.
SKIL and Makita, if you are not locked in yet. SKIL PWR CORE 20 is the value 20V brushless kit on the drill list. Makita 18V LXT is a step-up if you want LXT. Neither is one of the three platforms this page is about. Starting a fourth charger is not “keeping options open.”
How to choose in one pass
1. Already own packs? Buy the next tool on that platform. Stop reading. 2. Pro work, or you already shop Home Depot for red tools? Milwaukee M18. Confirm the live price on the 3601-22CT at Home Depot. 3. Want Amazon, a 1/2-inch chuck, and a current compact DeWalt? DCD777D1. Two batteries in the box is the DCD771C2. 4. Want a basic on-ramp and a huge DIY aisle? Ryobi PCL201K1. Step to the P1803 if you need 1/2-inch and hammer. Shop HP at Ryobi or Home Depot if that is the motor you actually want. 5. One cheap Amazon drill and no platform plans? Craftsman V20 — or the SKIL on the under $100 page if you want brushless for less than DeWalt money.
FAQ
Which platform should I buy in 2026? DeWalt 20V MAX if you want Amazon-stocked kits and a large yellow aisle. Milwaukee M18 at Home Depot if you want the pro benchmark (3601-22CT there). Ryobi ONE+ if you want a basic start (PCL201K1) and the homeowner catalog. Stay on packs you already own.
Is Milwaukee worth it over DeWalt for a homeowner? Sometimes. You pay more for the typical M18 compact kit, you shop Home Depot, and you get the line 2026 magazine roundups treat as the upgrade. You do not get an Amazon first-party listing we will send you to. For furniture, shelves, and a weekend deck, the DeWalt starter kits are the Amazon answer on this site. Milwaukee is the benchmark, not the default cart.
Why don’t you link Milwaukee on Amazon? Because US Milwaukee is a Home Depot exclusive. Amazon listings that appear are third-party. We are not going to collect a commission on a gray-market exclusive. Use the Home Depot 3601-22CT page or walk into a store.
Can I mix DeWalt, Milwaukee, and Ryobi batteries? No. 20V MAX packs run 20V MAX tools. M18 packs run M18 tools. ONE+ packs run ONE+ tools. M12 is not M18. 12V MAX is not 20V MAX. Aftermarket adapters exist. This page does not recommend them. Buy the next tool on the packs you already own.
Is Ryobi “good enough,” or am I wasting money? For household work, ONE+ is how a lot of garages get built out. The PCL201K1 is a 3/8-inch starter, not a contractor drill. If you want a 1/2-inch chuck on Amazon, look at the P1803 or jump to a DeWalt starter kit. If you want HP, shop Ryobi or Home Depot. You waste money when you start green and switch to yellow six months later.
Kit or bare tool? Kit if you have zero batteries. Bare tool if you already own that platform’s packs and charger. Platform lock-in starts with the first charger. Confirm you are looking at a kit with a battery, not a tool-only listing, before you click through.
Prices and offers change. We don’t list live prices; check Amazon for the current price and seller. The DeWalt MSRP is the manufacturer’s list price. For Milwaukee, confirm the price at Home Depot.