Drones are great whether you just want to have fun or do some useful work. And in the recent past, drones have become so popular and accessible that drone prices are actually falling. Affordable drones are now within the reach of most people and no longer just a toy for those with lots of expendable income. These days you can find good drones for less than $500 (or even less) if you snag one while it’s on sale. To make this easier, we’ve rounded up the best drone deals currently available.
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Today’s best drone deals
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Snaptain A10 720P Foldable Mini Drone with HD Camera
— $50was $90 -
Snaptain S5C WiFi FPV Drone
— $80was $130 -
Snaptain SP700 GPS drone
— $99was $180 -
Potensic T25 GPS drone
— $140was $160 -
Contixo F31 pocket drone
— $180was $290 -
DJI Mavic Mini Combo Drone FlyCam Quadrocopter UAV with 2.7K Camera, Grey
— $395was $499 -
Parrot Anafi
— $469was $700
Snaptain S5C WiFi FPV Drone
$80
$130
Inexpensive and well-reviewed, the Snaptain S5C is a great entry point into an FPV drone for beginners.
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Easy to use, foldable and voice controlled. Can perform stunts like 360° flip, circle fly and high speed rotation.
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Holy Stone HS110D Drone
$86
$90
The Holy Stone HS110D is an excellent entry level drone and definitely great for beginners on a budget thanks to its easy to use controls, 1080p camera and various hover modes.
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Snaptain SP700 GPS drone
$99
$180
The SP700’s brushless motor emits less noise in flight and keeps the drone stable in the air in windier conditions.
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Contixo F31 pocket drone
$180
$290
Portable and lightweight with GPS Follow Me, Points of Interest, brushless motors and TapFly for hours of fun.
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Snaptain SP600 WiFi FPV Drone
$56
$120
The SP600 might not have all the bells and whistles of more expensive drones, but it’s a great option for beginners as it’s super easy to fly.
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The Snaptain A15H drone is a simple drone that leaves nothing out. It’s foldable, easy to carry, and has a 720p camera. If you don’t need anything too sturdy, this is a good option.
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Snaptain SP650 drone
$100
$150
This is a great entry-level drone with 1080p video recording and multiple modes to let you experience everything the open skies has to offer.
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Potensic T25 GPS drone
$170
$190
With an impressive 30 minutes of flight time thanks to dual internal batteries, you’ll be in the air much longer than most competing drones in its price range.
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Capture stunning footage with the DJI Mavic drone. It may be light (0.55 lbs), but it can deliver stunning aerial photos and HD videos in 2.7K quality.
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Potensic T25 GPS drone
$140
$160
The Potensic T25 is a great deal for under $200, with 1080p live video capabilities and a range of up to 300 meters.
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Ruko F11 Pro Drone 4K
$270
$300
With 30 minutes of flight time and 4K video capabilities, the Ruko F11 is definitely a steal.
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Snaptain SP500 drone
$125
$150
This drone is incredibly easy to use, packed with a well-rounded arsenal of features for you to enjoy, including 1080p video, auto-hovering, and even Wi-Fi streaming.
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How to choose a drone
The right drone for you depends on what you want to do. A drone — especially ones under $250 or so — offers the fewest features and may lack some features that may not make it the best fit for you.
In general (and this is not a hard and fast rule), a drone will typically offer 720p video and a relatively low frame rate, typically 30 frames per second. While this will be fine for most of us, the video will lack that cinematic smoothness. If you upgrade to a mid-range drone (usually in the $250-$750 range), you’ll get 1080p video and often 60 fps, resulting in higher video quality.
Most high-end modern drones offer 4K video, but you’ll probably have to spend upwards of $1,000 to get 4K video at 60 fps. If video quality is a primary concern, you’ll have to pay more.
A drone also lacks other useful features, including tracking capabilities and video and drone stabilization. In ideal flight conditions this is not a problem. However, you will need these features if you are flying in a variety of conditions or want to allow operation without much user input.
We’ve also found that many cheaper drones either don’t have obstacle avoidance or aren’t as good as more expensive drones. If you fly in wide spaces, you won’t have much trouble here. However, if you plan to fly in areas with nearby obstacles, you should make sure that the drone you choose has sufficient obstacle avoidance capabilities.
Do drones make noise?
All drones make noise. Most describe it as a buzzing sound, similar to that of a bee. The propellers spin at extremely high speeds, and that’s what makes this noise. It’s most noticeable when you’re closest to the drone, but you’ll hardly hear it once it’s higher in the air.
Can you fly a drone at night?
Most drones can be flown at night, although we wouldn’t recommend this until you’ve gained a lot of experience. We recommend keeping your drone in sight when flying at night – and drones that can operate at night come equipped with lights so they can be seen when flying at night.
Keep in mind that most drones do not have night vision capabilities, so the video you capture during night flight will only be illuminated by available ambient lighting such as moonlight, streetlights, etc.
Can you fly a drone in the rain?
Most drone manufacturers advise against flying your drone in the rain. Most drones are neither waterproof nor water resistant, so even a small amount of water could damage your drone, especially the motor and battery. The moisture will cause a short circuit that will cause your drone to stop working with little or no warning. As a general rule, do not fly your drone in rain, fog, or overly humid conditions.
If these conditions surprise you, land as soon as possible and take your drone to a dry place, disconnect the battery and let it dry. You may also want to shake the drone itself slightly to remove water from the inner casing and let it dry as well. Use similar wet phone drying techniques to dry your drone and the first time you fly it after that, take some time to test the drone at low altitude before flying it normally again.
Do drones have to be registered?
The Federal Aviation Administration requires that you Register your drone based on how you want to fly it and tag your drone with your provided registration number. Any drone that weighs more than 0.55 pounds (250 grams) and less than 55 pounds must be registered, which covers almost every drone currently sold on the market. This registration must be renewed every three years.
In addition, you must carry proof of registration with you at all times when flying and, under the terms of the license, are not permitted to fly for commercial purposes. Drone flights are only allowed under 400 feet altitude and Class “G” or uncontrolled airspace. It is your responsibility to follow these rules.
Some states require drone pilots to follow additional regulations. Before you take off, be sure to check the laws of the state you are flying in.
Do you need a license to fly a drone?
No license is currently required for recreational or hobbyist drone pilots. However, flying for commercial purposes may require additional certifications.
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