Top Drones for Beginners Guide
Drones can capture epic aerial photographs. You should carry a drone with you if you are going on vacation or traveling to a beautiful place. Also, you can fly and enjoy drone racing with your friends. It’s all fun!!
As a beginner, learning and improving your flight skills are important. There are so many drones in the market with advanced features but choosing one is sometimes difficult. Jumping right into a high-end drone like the DJI Phantom 4 could be a big (and costly) mistake for beginners if something goes wrong.
There are so many factors to consider like different camera specs, price, flight software, battery life, and durability of drones. It is important to do your research and to make sure you’re buying a drone that’s suited to your needs. Our best drone guide is made for beginners, so if you’re just starting out or looking to improve your skills before upgrading to a better drone model, this is for you! Get hooked on drones without busting the bank!!
Stay safe while flying your drone. Every country has different rules for drones, so read the rules & other details on your region’s aviation authority site.
Some of the common Drone Regulations are:
- Take permission from local authorities.
- Fly at or below 400 feet.
- Don’t fly near other aircraft, especially near airports.
- Don’t fly over stadiums or sports events.
- Don’t fly over restricted areas.
Cheap Beginner Drones under $400
1. Ryze Tello (DJI Tello)
BEST FOR: Selfies | Type: Mini Drone | Price: Below $100
REASONS TO BUY: +Flight technology designed by DJI +Small & Fast +Programmable
Tello Drone is one of those drones which gives good specifications and flexibility with a budget-friendly price. The flight technology in this drone is made by DJI company. Ryze Tello is fully programmable. You can customize its flights and modes by editing code.
It can capture up to 720p quality videos. You can perform flying stunts, shoot quick videos with EZ Shots, and learn about drones with coding education. Ryze Tello is a really good Mini Drone for educational purposes. Ryze Tello is VR Headset compatible so you can fly with a breathtaking first-person view.
2. Yuneec Breeze 4K
BEST FOR: 4K Stills | Type: Beginner Drone | Price: Below $150
REASONS TO BUY: +Captures 4K photos and videos +Compact Design
New Yuneec Breeze 4K is a compact beginner’s drone for capturing life on the go. The drone gives valuable options in decent value under $200 price tag. It has a 13-megapixel 4K camera, Selfie mode, Orbit and follow me mode, Autonomous flight mode.
The Yuneec Breeze 4K is ideal for use almost anywhere. You can program the Breeze through the app to follow a set route guide by its integrated GPS system.
If you want good selfies, follow me mode, a drone which is stuffed with features then Yuneec Breeze 4K is a great drone in its price.
3. HUBSAN H502S X4
BEST FOR: Outdoor | Type: Beginner Drone | Price: Below $150
REASONS TO BUY: +GPS Navigation +Return Home Feature +GPV Video Feed
HUBSAN H502S X4 is the best cheap drone for GPS and stable flight. It gives a steady flight feature with its GPS. The H502S X4 also offers tracking, orbit, follow me features.
The stand out feature of Hubsan H502S X4 is its Return to Home feature. In case you lost control or sight of the drone, you can simply push the Home button and drone will automatically come back to its take-off spot.
It also has Headless Mode so in case you lose orientation of this drone, you can activate this mode to make the drone fly relative to you, regardless of which way it is pointing.
4. HOLY STONE HS110D
BEST FOR: Aerial Photography | Type: Beginner Drone | Price: Below $150
REASONS TO BUY: + 120° Wide-angle camera +Altitude Hold
Holy Stone HS110D is a mid-sized drone for beginners. This drone is a perfect choice for getting started with aerial photography. It has a 120º wide-angle lens to capture more area. You can shoot video at 720p with its wide-angle lens.
You can also connect Holy Stone HS110D to VR to enjoy immersive flying experience. It has also advanced sensors, good battery life, easily swappable batteries. Holy Stone HS110D has flight control options to allow users to easily fly and operate the drone such as headless mode, altitude hold, one-key landing, takeoff, etc.
5. SYMA X5C
BEST FOR: Both Indoor & Outdoor Stability | Type: Hobbyist Drones | Price: Below $50
REASONS TO BUY: + 720p HD camera +Afforadable +Traditional controller
Syma drones are great for remote controller enthusiast who wants pure fun to fly quadcopters. Syma X5C drone has a 6-axis stabilization for smooth and stable flight. It also comes with a 360° rolling feature. It has an anti-collision, tough design.
This drone is available at a cheap price. Syma X5C drone is a great drone with affordable price for the hobbyist pilots. For aerial photography on the cheap price, the Syma X5C is a toy drone quadcopter that’s better than its price suggests.
6. DRL NIKKO AIR RACE VISION 220 FPV PRO
BEST FOR: High-Speed | Type: Racing drone | Price: Below $150
REASONS TO BUY: +25mph Top Speed +Immersive FPV experience
Nikko Air DRL Race Vision 220 FPV Pro is great for racing drone pilots. This racing drone can go up to 25mph. You can use a controller or LCD screen for piloting this drone. Also, you can use FPV goggles to give you a truly immersive drone racing experience.
It has a 130-degree wide-angle camera with an adjustable mount pitch. It comes with hard case quick-swap battery design and Interchangeable pinch and thumbstick controls.
There are 3 flight modes that limit the speed, so you can control and master the piloting. Nikko Air DRL Vision 220 FPV has 16 pre-programmed stunts. If you want a future career as a high-flying racing drone pilot, this drone is great as a beginner.
7. Altair Aerial AA108
BEST FOR: Outdoor | Type: Beginner Drone | Price: Below $150
REASONS TO BUY: +Altitude Hold & Headless Mode +720p HD Camera + Extremely durable
The AA108 from Altair Aerial brand is among the best consumer drones for starters. Altair Aerial AA108 is a great drone with lots of features, unbreakable design, good camera, flight time, and price! It is also sturdy enough to endure some hits.
You can control the speed of the drone with headless hold mode. By turning headless hold mode on, it limits the drone speed. If you put settings off, you can enjoy full speed. As a beginner, this is a good feature for controlling the drone as a beginner.
8. Altair Aerial Blackhawk
BEST FOR: Outdoor | Type: Beginner Drone | Price: Below $100
REASONS TO BUY: +Long Range +Heavy duty and stable +Action camera slot for GoPro or similar camera
Altair Aerial Blackhawk comes for less than $130 price. It has 15-17 Minutes of Flight time and a 300-500 Meter Range. Altair Aerial Blackhawk has multiple skill programs.
It does not come with an in-built camera, so you can attach your own camera like GoPro or similar video cameras to it. Overall, Altair Aerial Blackhawk is a super-fast cheap price drone with good features.
9. Holy Stone HS170 Predator
BEST FOR: Outdoor | Type: Beginner Drone | Price: Below $50
REASONS TO BUY: +Price under $40 +Unique design
Holy Stone HS170 Predator is one of the perfect drones under a $50 price tag. For $20 you get a good range and performance. It has a 50-meter flight range, 8 minute flight time, 6-axis gyro for stability and it is windproof.
There are three flight modes in Holy Stone HS170 Predator that are specifically designed to help train new pilots. It has a very unique and stylish design that kids and adults will love.
10. UDI Rc U818A HD+
BEST FOR: Outdoor | Type: Beginner Drone | Price: Below $50
REASONS TO BUY: +Perfect drone for Beginners +Effective Motors
UDI U818A HD+ is the most affordable camera drones for newbies among all models on our list. It is on the low-end when it comes to image capture ability and flight performance, but the UAV itself is superb for beginner pilots.
Its durable plastic shield propeller protectors make it probably the sturdiest drones in this cost range. It has functions such as the standard 6-axis gyroscope stability, HD camera, and a return to home function. You will like the “one-button flip” function on this quadcopter as well.
The charging times and flight duration are 120 and 7-9 minutes respectively, also the flight distance is of 98 feet or 30 meters. UDI Rc U818A HD+ is a perfect aerial vehicle for amateur pilots.
Medium Price Range Beginner Drones
11. DJI Spark
BEST FOR: Outdoor & Adventures | Type: Mini Drone | Price: Below $400
REASONS TO BUY: +Perfect DJI drone for Beginners +Autonomous Flight +Great Range
DJI Spark is one of the popular drones among drone enthusiasts. It is an entry-level drone from the DJI company. It comes with so many features. It has advanced Gesture Mode features and other automated flight modes which make it really easy to fly. It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner, you don’t need so many skills to fly this drone.
DJI Spark takes great photos with its in-built 12-megapixel 1080p camera. It has a 16 minute flight time, obstacle avoidance sensors, 2KM flight range, and a compact design. It is small and can fit in your hand. If you have a budget then you can go for DJI Spark. It is the great drone by the DJI.
12. Parrot Bebop 2
BEST FOR: Outdoor & Adventures | Type: Mini Drone | Price: Below $300
REASONS TO BUY: +Flight Time +Advanced Intelligent Flight Assistant
Parrot Bebop 2 has so many features to offer for beginners. It comes with a built-in 1080p camera, 2KM flight range, 25 min flight time. You can capture beautiful aerial shots with it.
It has advanced intelligent flight assistance features like Auto Takeoff, Auto Landing, Waypoints, Autonomous Flight Plan, and many more. As a beginner, you don’t need so many skills to fly Parrot Bebop 2. It can fly autonomously with very little input. It comes with great FPV mode and a VR headset. Parrot Bebop 2 is one of the best mid-range drones for beginners.
13. ZeroTech Dobby
BEST FOR: Selfies | Type: Mini Drone | Price: Below $150
REASONS TO BUY: +Can capture 4K videos +Small enough to fit in pocket +Powerful Drone
Zerotech Dobby is one of the finest drone for beginners and photography lovers. It is a small but powerful drone with a 13MP camera that can capture beautiful 4K photos and 1080p videos. It has 100 meters flight range. It has so many features like orbital moves, object tracking, and facial recognition. Zerotech Dobby is especially famous as a ‘Selfie Drone’.
Dobby can take-off and land on your palm with the help of its audio & video sensors. If you want small, easy to fly a traveling drone for photography then Dobby is perfect for you as a beginner.
14. DJI Phantom 3 Standard
BEST FOR: Outdoor, Adventure | Type: Entry-Level Drone | Price: Around $500
REASONS TO BUY: + Captures High-Quality Photos +Intelligent Flight Modes +Durablity +Cheap Price
DJI Phantom 3 Standard model is the best drone for beginners without a doubt. The price of the drone is also fallen so much in sales and it is sometimes under $400!!!! It has GPS, Follow Me Modes, and many other features. The drone captures great quality photos and videos. DJI Phantom 3 has also a live stream feature available.
It has 25 minutes of flight time and a 1KM flight range. DJI drones are known for their quality. Automatic operation and intelligent design – exactly what you expect in the best drone for beginners!
High-End Beginner Drones
If you want to be professional in drone piloting and have a budget, then there are some impressive drones for beginners. Prices are high but you get so many features and value-for-money drones. Check out these high-end beginner drones:
15. DJI Mavic Pro
BEST FOR: Outdoor & Adventure | Type: Professional Drone | Price: Below $900
REASONS TO BUY: +Supports 4K +27 Minute Flight Time +Powerful Drone
DJI Mavic Pro is the best high-end drone as a beginner with a comfortable price tag. It is packed with great features. It comes with 4K HDR support, built-in beginner mode, Tracking & GPS features, advanced automation features. Its Beginner Mode makes it super easy to fly as a newbie.
You can do professional photography with it. It has a 27-minute flight time and 4KM flight range. The durability of the DJI Mavic Pro is also great. It is foldable and you can easily carry it in your bag while traveling. If you have a budget then as a beginner, you must buy this drone.
Check out the DJI Mavic Pro Review
16. Parrot Anafi
BEST FOR: Outdoor & Adventure | Type: Professional Drone | Price: Below $700
REASONS TO BUY: +Supports 4K HDR +25 Minute Flight Time +Powerful Drone
Parrot Anafi is a compact drone that comes with so many features. It has 21-megapixel 4K HDR camera, 4KM flight range, 25 minutes flight time, an outstanding 180-degree tilt gimbal. It has all GPS, Tracking features that you need.
Parrot Anafi comes with Autonomous Follow-Me flight mode and other ease-of-use features. You can also edit drone photos & videos in an intuitive smartphone app. If you want the best HDR camera below $800 price tag then you can buy Parrot Anafi.
17. Yuneec Typhoon H Pro
BEST FOR: Outdoor & Adventure | Type: Professional Drone | Price: Below $1000
REASONS TO BUY: +4K Ultra HD camera +Advanced obstacle avoidance features +10KM Flight Range
Yuneec Typhoon H Pro is a competitor of the famous DJI Phantom drone. As a beginner, advanced obstacle avoidance features and 8 autonomous flight modes make the Typhoon H extremely easy for anyone to fly. It has 4K Ultra HDR camera features, 25 min flight time, and a large 10KM flight range!!
The drone is not foldable. It is superior in durability. Yuneec Typhoon H Pro is better for beginners than its competitors in the Phantom line. If you have a budget then you can go for it.
18. GoPro Karma
BEST FOR: Outdoor & Adventure | Type: Professional Drone | Price: Around $800
REASONS TO BUY: +Total stabilization package +Portable
GoPro Karma is an expensive option for a beginner, but if you have a budget then it is a great drone for both beginners and experts. It has so many advanced features. It also comes with a Gesture control system. You have to attach GoPro Hero4, Hero5, or Hero6, Hero7 as a camera to the drone.
The drone is easy to control. Many consider the Karma to be the best drone for beginners.
You can choose a DJI drone for an adult beginner. DJI drones come with so many features, stability, latest technology.
