Alright, Brett Garamella the Drone Pilot Pro here, and I am going to go over the best drones
for under $500.
Because there are so many drones to choose, I broke it into 2 categories.
The first category is $200 and less.
The second category is $200 to $500.
There are so many drones I could mention, but for the sake of time and practicality,
I have narrowed it down to my favorite 3 drones for each price category, going from least
expense to most expensive.
Now keep in mind that there are a few accessories that you will likely need when flying your
drone, so keep that in mind for your overall budget.
Also keep in mind that prices of drones are likely to change over time, so click the links
below for the most up to date prices.
Alright, so let’s get into it.
The first category is $200 and less.
I would recommend the DJI Tello because DJI is the leading company in consumer drones.
The Tello flies for up to 13 minutes and shoots 720 HD video and takes 5MP photos.
You can change the batteries easily, and it does some cool tricks like 360 flips and throwing
it in the air and it starts flying.
You could also land it in your palm.
For just $99 and $150 for the combo, it is a great drone for kids, families, and those
who want to fly mostly indoors.
It will fly outdoors on a non-windy day.
Next up is the foldable Holy Stone HS270 drone.
This is a step up in camera quality and price.
It shoots 2.7K video and has a camera that tilts down 90 degrees at just $160 at the
time of this recording.
Unlike the DJI Tello which records footage on your device, you have the option of recording
your footage onto a MicroSD card with the Holy Stone HS270.
The HS270 also comes with a really good controller for this price.
This is a GPS drone so it should give you relatively smooth flying and stability.
It has follow me mode, point of interest, waypoints, and tap fly, which all function
correctly, but don’t expect the same smoothness and execution of features like this on a $1000
drone.
However, it will return to home just as well as those $1000 drones and has landing lights
on the bottom for low light.
It has normal flying mode and sport mode for faster speeds.
Flies for up to 18 minutes and comes with an extra battery with 4 led lights to remind
you of the remaining battery life.
It can handle wind gusts up to 15mph and fly up to about 1500 feet.
With all those features, I would definitely recommend this drone over the DJI Tello.
Last in the $200 or less category is the Snaptain SP510, which folds out and resembles the Holystone
HS270.
Just like the Holystone, the Snaptain comes with one extra battery that has led lights
to remind you how much battery life is left, has a MicroSD card slot (card not included),
is a GPS drone, has a tilting gimbal, and shoots 2.7K video.
So is it better than the Holystone HS270?
Even though the Snaptain is $10 more expensive, I would recommend Holystone because they have
a great reputation for customer service.
The Holystone HS270 also has a few more minutes of flight time than the Snaptain and flies
about 500 feet farther than the Snaptain.
The other features and camera quality is very similar otherwise so those weren’t much
of a factor.
So if you have $200 or less, I would get the Holystone HS270 drone.
Alright, moving on to the second category, which is $200-500.
First up is the Powerextra F11 Pro.
This is one of the most affordable 4K drones.
It has a GoPro style wide-angle camera at 120 degrees Field of View.
It is a GPS drone with no obstacle avoiding sensors.
However, because it doesn’t have any sensors, you can fly it just above ground level and
get some incredible low shots.
It will follow you normally and also from a sideways profile, which for this price is
incredible!
It has up to 28 minutes of flight time and comes with an extra battery so that’ll give
you about 50+ minutes of flight time.
The F11 Pro has a range of about 1600 feet.
It has other cool features like timed photos and waypoints.
Only cons are the fact the batteries take several hours to charge and it weighs over
250 grams, so you will have to register it.
Both of those things aren’t that big of a deal, but wanted to let you know.
So all in all, this is a great drone for a beginner or someone on a budget who wants
a 4K drone that’s easy to fly.
Next up is DJI Mavic Mini.
The DJI Mavic Mini is smaller than many smart phones, weighs less than a Mavic 2 battery,
and flies for up to 30 minutes!
It has a 3-axis gimbal and shoots 2.7K video.
It doesn’t have any obstacle avoiding sensors.
This is why I would recommend getting the Mavic Mini Combo because it includes propeller
guards which can protect your drone while flying indoors or near obstacles.
In fact, it seems more like a propeller cage than a guard, providing more protection than
propeller guards for other drones.
For this reason alone, I recommend this drone for kids.
Folded up, the Mavic Mini and Mini 2 are DJI’s most portable outdoor drones and unfolded
it is nearly identical in size to the DJI Mavic Air.
This is a great drone for someone who wants a light, portable drone, or who needs a backup
drone for more risky shots.
And overall smoothness and image quality will be better than the F11 Pro.
The last drone is the DJI Mini 2, which is the Mavic Mini’s older brother.
It is worth the upgrade from the original Mini because it is better in wind and has
OccuSync 2.0 so it can fly several miles away if needed, giving you much better stability
on a windy day and you don’t have to worry about it losing its signal.
It also shoots 4K, is the same size and almost the same weight as the original Mini, so it
comes in under 250 grams with a battery.
If you’re on a budget, I would get the F11 Pro, but if you can afford it, the Mini 2
is definitely worth it.
I actually would recommend the combo, which comes with 3 batteries and a nice carrying
case.
However, that will put you over $500, but you won’t regret it.
Again, links to all these drones in the description below.
I hope this comparison was helpful for finding the right drone for you in your price range.
And if you get a drone like the DJI Mini 2, it is important you know how to get the most
of its photo and video capabilities.
As I like to say, having the right drone is only 50% of the equation.
The other, and more important 50%, is knowing how to technically and creatively use your
drone.
So if you want to get a jump on that half, check out my FREE DJI drone training, where
I show you my Top 7 Secrets for flying DJI drones.
You can watch that free training over here or in the link below.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
And remember, Fly Like a Pro!