Have you been looking for a new drone, but you're currently on a budget? If so, check out this list of the best drones under $200 available in 2021.
It’s true that drones are changing the world. From taking inventory in giant superstore warehouses to taking real-time surveys, disinfecting seats in football stadiums, and tracking risks and dangers in military operations, drones can do important jobs quickly, safely, and efficiently. It’s clear that before long drones will be handling delivery jobs as well, carrying everything from your Amazon order to your Thai take-out right to your front door. But on top of all of the current and potential future benefits of drone technology—drones are pure fun. In fact, even the best drones under $200 dollars can deliver beautiful panoramic photos and videos from a birdseye view, take fun selfies from any angle, and instantly live-stream your image to social media as they follow you on a mountain bike trail or while you are taking on an extreme skate park on your best board.
Whether you are new to drones or you’re a drone frequent-flyer, shopping for a drone can be a fine balancing act of juggling the features and functions that you want in your drone with finding one that won’t break your bank budget and then disappear over the horizon never to return. Thankfully, today’s drone technology has become substantially more affordable and it’s now possible to find a drone that’s durable and reliable, packed with features, and won’t cost more than your month’s rent and car payment.
We’ve put together a list of ten of the most dynamic drones available today and you’ll be surprised to find that some of the best drones under $200 rival the more expensive models in much more budget-friendly options. Read on to learn more about the pros and cons of each product on our list. Once you're done, you'll be able to pick one of the best drones under $200.
One of the best drones under $200 comes with exciting extras, including two extra landing gears, four spare propeller blades, and four extra protection guards. It also includes a handy silver aluminum carrying case. The Potensic T25 Drone has an advanced-looking white body and comes with WiFi Live Video and a 2K camera for clear, beautiful photos and videos from above. The camera has a 120-degree field of view and a 75-degree wide-angle lens with adjustability for the clearest photos and crisp, stable videos. With easy one-key take-off and landing function, this drone is a good choice for beginners.
The Potensic T25 comes with two batteries, each with 8 to 10 minutes of flight time. You’ll enjoy a budget-friendly drone that includes features found in more expensive drone models. It includes headless mode, altitude mode, and the Follow Me feature that lets the drone track your movements, keeping you within the camera frame for action shots. Use the app to customize a flight path, and rest assured that you won’t lose your drone. The Return Home function brings the drone home when the battery is low or in case of a signal loss.
The Potensic T25 is one of the best drones under $200 for ready-to-fly capability right out of the box. The intuitive and instructive app offers a fast learning curve that will have you an expert in no time. You’ll love the crystal clear images and birds-eye views with an affordable drone that you’ll love.
One of the best drones under $200 is the Holy Stone HS120D GPS Drone. This lightweight, powerful quadcopter drone comes with a 2K UHD adjustable FPV camera for capturing high-definition video and photos. All images save directly to your smartphone so you can instantly upload to social media to share with friends and family. With GPS-assisted flight and an automatic return home feature, you know the risk of losing your drone is effectively minimized. The drone will return automatically if there is a signal loss, low power, or if it moves out of range.
The Holy Stone HS120D GPS Drone has “Follow Me” technology so it can trace and automatically follow you at a hover, keeping your image centered on the screen. Let your drone zoom in for a fun selfie, and then set a customized path by simply tapping your smartphone screen to create a unique flight path. Enjoy convenient functions such as altitude hold and waypoints function while the camera sends stunning images to your phone from up to 300M in height.
This drone is easy to operate with a foldable design controller and adjustable camera. It features one-key take-off and landings, and easy speed adjustment functions, making it one of the best drones under $200 for beginners. It comes with two rechargeable batteries with a 120 minute charging time and 18 minutes per battery charge. Best of all, the Holy Stone HS120D GPS Drone comes with a handy, durable backpack for storage and transport.
One of the best drones under $200 is the DeerC D20 Mini Drone for Kids. With 720P resolution, and FPV video transmission, kids and beginners can enjoy the birdseye view in real-time through a smartphone app. This small, compact drone is easy to fly, with simple one-touch launching and landing as well as a voice-activation feature. The 3D flip and roll feature is spine-tingling and stomach-flipping fun for kids and people of all ages. The headless mode helps to keep the user-oriented with the drone even after 360-degree flips. An altitude-hold feature helps to stabilize the drone for clear, steady photos and videos.
The DeerC D20 Mini Drone for Kids is both safe and powerful. The propeller guards protect the drone body even during an unintentional crash. The emergency stop feature stops the propellers from spinning if the drone hits an object or a wall. Easy control sticks allow the user to perform fun flips and rolls with the drone at any altitude. The voice-control feature allows the user to turn left or right and launch or land with simple voice commands. Use the app on a smartphone to easily tap out a flight plan or set Waypoints. A low-power alarm and emergency stop feature Use the gesture selfie feature to take fun selfies by waving or making a V-for victory or peace sign.
The DeerC D20 Mini Drone for Kids comes with two rechargeable batteries with about ten minutes of flight time per battery for 20 minutes of flying fun. The fun features, budget-friendly price tag, and user-friendly operation make it one of the best drones under $200 for kids or beginners.
One of the best drones under $200 is the Snaptain SP510 Foldable GPS FPV Drone. This foldable quadcopter drone captures 2.7K HD video and photos for stunning images and crystal clear videos from up to 1000 feet. It includes a built-in smart GPS system with HomePointe. It transmits real-time data straight to your smartphone, including height, speed, and distance. The foldable design makes it easy to transport with a less-bulky profile.
The Snaptain SP510 Foldable GPS FPV Drone offers numerous features, including Auto-Return to prevent loss. The drone returns to the Homepointe setting in cases of signal loss, low battery, or when the one-key return button is pressed. Other convenient features include waypoint settings through simple taps on your smartphone, points of interest mapping, and a Follow Me feature to keep your drone nearby as you move. You can add your own voice narration to any footage while it’s being taken for more creative content. 5G WiFi connection allows FPV streaming with real-time images and no lags even at 1000 feet.
The foldable design and rechargeable drone battery and controller make this one of the best drones under $200 for portability. No extra battery is required for the controller. It’s also a great choice for a beginner, with easy one-key take-off and landings, as well as auto-hover and a switch for speed changes. Adjust the camera angle through the controller to enjoy a fantastic birds-eye view in any location.
One of the best drones under $200 is the Dragon Touch DF01G Foldable GPS Drone. This drone has a camera with an ultra-wide-angle lens and 1080p full HD for high-quality photos and videos with a real-time FPV view for sharing on social media. It has a lightweight, powerful body that’s foldable for easy transport and propeller guards for protection. Colorful LED lights on the bottom give this drone an impressive look. The built-in GPS system and return-home features help to minimize the chance of loss by returning to within 10 feet of the take-off point at the touch of a button. It also returns automatically when the battery is low or the signal is lost.
The Dragon Touch DF01G Foldable GPS Drone comes with intelligent features including a headless mode to maintain orientation, follow-me mode so the drone will automatically stay with you, orbit mode to circle specific items or places, and tap-fly to follow a preset flight path set by tapping the map on a smartphone through the app. Easy one-key take-off and landing, as well as beginner-friendly default settings on the app, make this one of the best drones under $200 for beginners. Use the app to adjust settings such as flight distance, speed, and flying altitude. You can also choose mood-enhancing background music for your videos either before or after shooting them. With 18 minutes of flight time and three speeds, this quadcopter drone is ready for an adventure in any location. It also automatically returns when the battery requires recharging.
This sharp-looking drone is foldable and comes with a carrying case for easy transport.
The Tomzon D25 4K Drone is one of the best drones for under $200 with a fun, hand-gesture photo-taking feature. Just wave at the drone for videos or give it a peace sign—or V for victory symbol—and it will snap your photo for the best selfies ever. It has a 4K HD camera with 4096 x 2160p for crisp, clear images and stunning 4K videos. Double cameras include a bottom camera that ensures the drone remains stable with optical flow positioning for steadier footage and photos.
With the route design app, you can easily tap points on the map on your smartphone to set a unique route for your drone. Choose high or low speed and enjoy a birds-eye view of any location up to 1000 feet with the adjustable angle lens.
The Tomzon D25 4K Drone features a fun 3D flip feature. One key press makes the drone flip in the air, producing stomach-tingling images. It also has fun filters included in the app so you can save them or share your images on social media. Add your own voice to narrate your videos or add music through the app. You can also choose fun features such as a split-screen and picture-within-picture mode.
This powerful, lightweight quadcopter drone is foldable for easy storage and transport. It comes with a handy storage case that holds the drone and accessories. The two rechargeable batteries allow up to 24 minutes of flight time when fully charged.
The Tomzon D25 4K Drone is one of the best drones for under $200, with all of the features you need for stunning images and videos as well as plenty of fun extras. It lacks a convenient return-home feature, but for the budget-friendly price of this drone, it comes with enough extras to make up for that oversight.
One of the best drones under $200 for fun features is the DeerC Drone with Camera. This quadcopter drone comes packed with features and two rechargeable batteries for up to 24 minutes of flight time so you can enjoy the fun functions and birds-eye view. It has a 120-degree wide-angle lens so you get the full picture and 1080p full HD resolution for clear, crisp images and FPV live videos.
The DeerC Drone with Camera can perform stomach-tingling flips and rolls at a full 360-degrees and has four speed modes. The headless mode feature helps you to stay oriented even when the drone is out of sight. It also has an altitude hold feature that locks in the height of the drone for smoother photos and videos and a waypoints function so you can map out a route through the app on your smartphone simply by tapping points on your screen. Gravity control enables the DeerC drone to follow the direction you move your smartphone. The real-time transmission allows you to share your experience with family and friends.
The DeerC Drone with Camera is easy-to-use, making it one of the best drones under $200 for beginners. It has four speed modes so beginners can start slow and advance as they gain experience. Easy one-touch operation and a voice-activated take-off and land function make this a user-friendly drone for any skill level. A low-power alarm alerts you when the rechargeable battery needs charging or when you should return your drone to your location for recharging.
Though the DeerC Drone lacks a GPS and go-home function, the fun extra features still put this on the list of best drones under $200 and is a good beginner’s drone with an extra-long flight time to enjoy the fun.
One of the best drones under $200 is the Sanrock X105W Drone with 1080P HD Camera. This sharp-looking quadrocopter drone has a black and red lightweight body and features a camera with 1080P HD resolution for crisp, sharp images and clear videos from up to 80 meters. Upload and edit your stunning videos onto social media with your smartphone. An altitude-hold feature ensures a stable hover for steadier video quality. A built-in gravity center lets you adjust the vertical and horizontal positioning with your smartphone through the app.
The Sanrock X105W Drone minimizes the risk of loss with a one-button return home feature that works in the headless mode to bring the drone back to your location. A gravity sensor mode allows the drone to follow your direction as you move your smartphone. Design your own flight path with Tap Fly technology by drawing a flight route on your smartphone screen. Use your own VR glasses for an incredible birds-eye view in a 3D experience. Enjoy gaming through the app to fly while shooting and evading a fictitious enemy. This drone comes with a lot of exciting extras through the Sanrock app.
The Sanrock X105W Drone comes with a 360-degree flip feature for spine-tingling in-air maneuvers. It runs on a rechargeable battery with 17 minutes of flight time on a full charge. It is one of the best drones under $200 for beginners with easy-to-use technology and return-home protection to minimize the chance of loss.
One of the best drones under $200 is the budget-friendly Holyton 1080 HD Drone with FPV Camera. It has an updated chrome finish with atmospheric LED lighting. This drone has an advanced camera with 1920 x 1080P Full HD resolution with live transmission to view through the app on a smartphone in real-time. Enjoy watching, uploading, and even live-streaming your beautiful birdseye views.
This drone has many fun features, including a gesture selfie feature to trigger the drone to snap a photo with simple hand gestures. It has an auto-hovering feature with altitude hold for steady images and videos. Enjoy easy app control or use the voice-control operation with simple commands such as “left, right, forward, back, and land” for hands-free operation. A flip and roll feature allows the drone to perform spine-tingling 360-degree rolls with live-viewing, while headless mode keeps the user completely oriented with the drone even when it’s out of sight. Enjoy two speeds and easy flight planning with the trajectory flight system. Seventeen minutes of flight time with the rechargeable battery brings plenty of time to rise to the 328-foot altitude range and enjoy the panoramic vistas. An emergency stop feature prevents damage by stopping the propellers if they encounter an obstruction.
The Holyton 1080 HD Drone with FPV camera is one of the best drones under $200 available today for beginners with simple commands, voice-control, and fun functions such as 3D flips and voice-control.
Holy Stone is a trusted name in affordable drone technology. One of the best drones under $200 is Holy Stone’s HS100 2K GPS FPV Drone. It’s an affordable flying option with GPS-assisted flight technology, an adjustable wide-angle camera, and an 18-minute flight time. It comes with a high-performance battery and bonus replacement parts. It’s also easy to assemble and easy to carry with foldable, pre-assembled propellers. Just install the camera and landing gear and you’re ready to fly.
You’ll enjoy real-time viewing through the remote control so you’ll have a birds-eye view of any location. Follow-Me technology allows you to move freely while your drone automatically follows, keeping you in the frame to capture you on video and photos while you’re in action.
The Holy Stone HS100 features return-to-home mode so it automatically returns when it has a low battery or weak signal, preventing loss risk. Powerful motors resist wind and let the drone fly higher and further than many expensive options. LED lights indicate the battery level. The altitude hold function keeps the drone flying at a locked-in height with the camera orientated to the pilot. Smart App features like the intelligent Geofence and an easy beginner mode make this the best drone under $200 for easy operation.
The Holy Stone HS100 is an advanced drone at a budget-friendly price. It comes packed with all the popular features, including one-key take-off and auto-landing. This drone holds its own with the more expensive versions and is a great beginner drone.
When it’s time to choose a drone, enthusiasts know that the higher price you pay the more features you get, the higher and further the flight range, and the better the picture and video quality. However, even with a very expensive drone, there is always the possibility of loss. There is nothing worse than watching your high-end drone disappear over the horizon in a strong wind, never to return. Thankfully, as with most technologies, as drones become more common, the price for the technology has lowered. It’s now possible to find the convenient, reliable, and fun features you want in a drone at much more reasonable prices. In fact, some of the best drones under $200 truly deliver comparable features to the more expensive models. And some really fun and family-friendly drones are actually well below the $200 dollar price range.
While it’s true that it’s a fine balancing act to get the most features for the best budget-friendly price tag, knowing what features to look for in the best drones under $200 dollars can help you to find your dream drone—and at the dollar amount you prefer to pay!
When it’s time to find a drone in your price range, you can begin by deciding what features you require, and what fun features you’d love to experiment with. Today’s great drones feature high-resolution cameras. When it comes to picture clarity and smooth high-definition videos, look for a drone with a camera that delivers at least 1080P, Full HD image quality. Some also have cameras that can capture images at stunning 4K resolution and feature wide-angle lenses for panoramic views. An adjustable lens is also a huge plus. Look for a good range capability and long flying times. Some drones will come with two rechargeable batteries to double the flying time.
Today’s best drones under $200 will come with a variety of features and modes. Important functions to look for are GPS technology with a Go-Home function. This typically returns the GPS either to your location (where your smartphone is) or to the place of its take-off. The Go-Home feature can be activated with a button press, or automatically triggered when the battery is low or there is a signal loss. This is an important feature to prevent loss of your drone.
Another great feature is the “Follow-Me” function to keep the drone following you, whether you are on foot, a bike, a skateboard, or a vehicle. It will keep you centered on the camera’s image as it follows.
Route-mapping is also a feature found in drones. You can use the drone’s app to tap out a route by touching places on the map screen.
Altitude hold or a hover-hold feature is important if you want really clear images. This holds the drone steady for less blurring or shaking in your still or moving images. Headless mode helps to keep the drone oriented with your controller even after special maneuvers, for example, a left turn of the controller will turn the drone left.
Even drones under $200 may include some exciting extras. Some have a selfie-gesture mode which typically works through using a hand gesture like a wave or a V-sign to trigger a photo snap. Voice-activation for hands-free operation is also a great feature, especially for using a drone to capture images and videos of yourself while you are engaging in athletic activities. A 3D-flip and roll feature is another exciting extra that delivers tummy-tingling excitement during viewing or videoing.
Besides the convenient and fun features of a drone, appearance is also a consideration. Some of the best drones under $200 offer super-sleek looks, LED lighting effects, compact or miniature builds, or a foldable design for easy transport.
Today’s drones are reliable, durable, full of fun functions, and affordable. And above all—exciting! Now that you've finished this guide, you can return to our list of the best drones under $200 and pick the perfect one for you!
According to Trackimo GPS tracking, about 30 percent of drones become lost completely. However, many of today’s best drones include a Return Home feature. This automatically triggers a return to your location when the drone has a low battery or loses WiFi connection. This feature is an important safeguard to prevent loss. Some also include tracking features so you can find a drone that went out of range or fell.
While cheap hobby drones and kids’ toy drones tend to be lightweight and cheaply made so they tend to break easily if they sustain and impact, most of today’s best drones under $200 now include smart features to prevent crashes and damage. The Return Home feature brings the drone back before the batteries die or during signal loss. Better quality drones are more durable and less likely to sustain damage. Many also come with extra propellers and other replacement parts for those pieces most often damaged.
While altitudes of over 500 feet were deemed public property years ago in response to air flight, drones may end up in a gray area that’s lower than 500 feet. While the details may vary from state to state, the general rule states that drones must fly over 500 feet on public property. Otherwise they may break privacy laws and disturbance ordinances.
Flying a drone may seem like an intimidating skill to learn for those who aren’t particularly tech-savvy, but most of the best drones under $200 feature beginner-friendly operation that only requires a small learning curve. If you can use a smartphone, the app that operates your drone will guide you through the operation. Almost anyone can fly a drone and it doesn’t take long to learn to handle your drone like an expert.
Though drones may be capable of flying much higher, it isn’t legal to fly your drone over 400 feet because they could interfere with air travel. Before the law limiting drone flying heights placed a limit, there were over 900 reported incidents of dangerous encounters between drones and manned aircraft. In these incidents the manned aircraft had to maneuver away from the drones to avoid potentially damaging collisions.
While it’s critical to check your local laws, some exceptions to the 400 feet rule occur around tall buildings where aircraft already adjust the cruising altitudes.
A drone’s range and highest altitude is not the same thing. Even the best drones under $200 may have a 6-mile range (33,000 feet) but that doesn’t mean it can achieve an altitude of 33,000 feet. Signal range limits distance, but air pressure limits altitude, as do legalities as well.
Drone-flying and drone photography is a fun hobby, but as with most things, problems sometimes arise. One common problem with drones is accidentally getting images of the propellers in the frame, which sometimes happens when drones fly at high speed. It may require adjusting the camera angle or reducing the drone’s speed.
Problems with GPS reception also occurs occasionally, often due to satellite signal blockage from mountains, rock walls, and underground cables.
Finally, reduction of battery life is a common problem with drones as with most devices using rechargeable batteries. You can extend battery life by allowing the battery to drain completely before recharging, by only using the charger that came with your drone, and by unplugging the battery as soon as it’s fully charged.
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