Mar 25, 2024 9:00 AM

The Best Drones for Every Budget

Whether you want to battle Star Wars spaceships or shoot a cinematic masterpiece, one of these picks is going to be perfect for you.

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Grey drone with 4 extensions and a camera

Frontside view of small white and grey drone with 4 extensions and propellers on each extension

4 / 10

It's no exaggeration to say that drones have changed the way we view the world. They've taken once-difficult and expensive moviemaking techniques and made them accessible to anyone. Videos that previously required a camera crew, expensive cranes, and hours of filming can now be done in minutes by the best drones with the tap of a single Auto Takeoff button.

Drones aren't just flying cameras, though; they're also the modern version of remote-controlled vehicles. Again, they've made flying easier and more accessible, thanks to intelligent collision sensors that protect your investment from mishaps. There are a dizzying array of drones available, but there is a basic division to be aware of—cheaper drones, while fun, will never fly as well or deliver the kind of video and photo results possible with more expensive models. You get what you pay for. That said, if you're not worried about wowing YouTube with your sweeping panoramic masterpiece, you don't have to spend a fortune to get a good, fun drone. Here are the best drones I've tested for every budget.

Be sure to check out our many other buying guides, including the Best Action Cameras, Best Compact Cameras, and Best Mirrorless Cameras.

Updated March 2024: We’ve added the DJI’s Air 3, Mavic 3 Pro, and Mini 4 Pro, plus the Ryze Tello toy drone.

Photograph: DJI
Best for Most People
DJI Air 3
Striking an appealing balance between price, size, and performance, it’s difficult to find fault with DJI’s mid-ranger (9/10, WIRED Recommends). The 46-minute battery life, responsive touchscreen-equipped controller, and omnidirectional array of obstacle avoidance sensors make flight breezy and anxiety-free, but perhaps the most appealing aspect of the Air 3 is its two-camera setup.
The auto-stabilized, gimbal-mounted camera pod contains two 48-MP cameras, one with a wide-angle lens and one with a medium telephoto lens. The former offers a similar field of view to most drone cameras, but the latter allows users to drastically condense their framing, not only to get a closer view of distant subjects but to compress them against background and foreground objects for a more dramatic, cinematic look. 4K video is gloriously rich and detailed straight out of the cameras. For users who prefer to grade their footage, both cameras also support Hybrid Log Gamma and D-Log M color profiles.
UK-based readers should note that the country’s drone laws severely restrict where the Air 3 and other DJI models can be piloted. Like all drones weighing above 250 grams, it may not be flown closer than 50 meters, or 164 feet, to “uninvolved” people or over crowds and must be kept at least 150 meters, or 500 feet, away from “residential, recreational, commercial and industrial sites.” That means pretty much all urban and suburban areas are out of bounds. —Sam Kieldsen
$1,099 at Amazon
$1,100 at Best Buy
$1,099 at B&H
$962 at DJI
Photograph: Skydio
Best for Automated Flight
Skydio 2+ Drone
The Skydio 2+ (8/10, WIRED Recommends) has the best collision-avoidance and navigation system of any drone in this guide. If you're looking for a drone that can follow your mountain bike through the trees or weave around canyon walls without your frantic guidance, this is the one for you. With a 27-minute flight time and a 6-mile range, it's not quite a match for our top pick, but it's plenty for most people. The main reason this isn't our top pick is the camera. The 1/2.3-inch sensor is capable of 4K footage at 60 frames per second, but it's not quite as nice as the 1-inch sensor in the Air 2S and Evo Lite+. Video pros should also note there's no D-log support.
Still, if you can live without D-log and aren't bothered by the slower sensor, this drone is capable of flying through situations other drones can't. For some use cases, that might be better than a having a larger sensor.
$1,099 at Skydio (Starter Kit)

Photograph: DJI
Best Budget Drone
DJI Mini 2
The Mavic Air 2S has great collision-avoidance tech, but it's pricey. Even the new Mini 3 Pro is $750. For a more affordable option, DJI's Mini 2 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is the way to go. It flies nearly as well as its larger siblings, though wind gusts that wouldn't faze bigger drones like the Mavic 2 Pro will ground the Mini. The lack of collision-avoidance sensors makes it a better choice for more experienced fliers.
Despite those caveats, the Mini 2 is still a great entry-level drone. It's fun to fly, shoots 4K video, and packs up smaller than many smartphones. That last bit is key, because the best drone is the one you actually bring with you. At a mere 249 grams, it's easy to take the Mini 2 everywhere, and you don't need to register it with the Federal Aviation Administration.
$449 at DJI
$439 at Amazon
Photograph: DJI
Best Ultralight Drone
DJI Mini 4 Pro
It might be an incremental upgrade over our previous favorite ultralight drone (the DJI Mini 3 Pro), but the Mini 4 Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends) cements DJI’s position as undisputed champion of the sort of sub-250-gram flyers that can fit on your palm.
The Mini 4 Pro employs the same 1/1.3" 48-MP sensor as its predecessor but gives its image-processing software a notable bump. It matches the Mini 3 Pro’s 4K/60fps performance, but can now capture slow motion 4K at 100fps and record in 10-bit D-Log M for greater postproduction color grading freedom. That said, both its photos and video look fine straight from the camera, and the new Night Mode vastly improves the low-light video quality.
It’s not just the camera performance that’s been boosted. The obstacle-avoidance system now points sensors in every direction to prevent the drone from careening into trees, walls, power poles, and other potential hazards. Add that to the generous 34 minutes of battery life and DJI’s always-simple flight controls and software, and you’ve got a refreshingly chilled-out flight experience, making the Mini 4 Pro ideal for beginners and experienced pilots alike. —Sam Kieldsen
$749 at Amazon
$759 at B&H

Photograph: DJI
Best Luxury Drone
DJI Mavic 3 Pro
The Mavic 3 Pro is DJI’s folding flagship, packed with the most advanced camera and flight tech you’ll find in any of the company’s portable models. And yet it remains within the realms of affordability, even for those who consider themselves enthusiastic amateurs rather than professional aerial photographers or videographers.
The main attraction is the camera, which features not one, not two, but three separate modules. First, there’s a 20-MP Hasselblad-branded wide-angle main camera with a large 4/3 sensor and support for Hybrid Log Gamma, D-Log, and D-Log M color profiles, Apple ProRes 422 compression, and resolutions up to 5.1K. That’s supported by a 48-MP medium telephoto camera and a 12-MP telephoto camera, both of which offer markedly different fields of view to expand the Mavic 3 Pro’s imaging toolbox.
Add in the omnidirectional object avoidance, simple controls, 43-minute battery life, and the fact that you can fold this down to the size of a water bottle, and you’ve got a luxury drone that’s wonderfully easy to live with. —Sam Kieldsen
$2,199 at Amazon
$2,200 at Best Buy
$2,199 at B&H
Photograph: Autel
Best for Long Flights
Autel Evo Lite+
If you want to stay aloft as long as possible, the Evo Lite+ (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is a your best bet. Its massive battery manages a 40-minute flight time, and the extra weight makes it more stable in wind (though slightly more sluggish, but not terribly so). The Evo Lite+ has a fantastic camera with variable aperture controls, a 1-inch sensor, and night mode for capturing better low-light images.
The controller looks like an Xbox controller, which is fine, but it lacks any storage space for the removable joysticks like you get with DJI drones. Still, it's perfectly functional, and Autel's app will be familiar to anyone who has used a DJI drone.
$1,549 at Amazon
$1,549 at Autel

Photograph: DJI
Best Toy Drone
Ryze Tello
Designed in collaboration with DJI, the Tello is just 100 x 100 mm in size and 80 grams in weight, and is constructed from fairly low-grade plastic. But it’s the only toy drone we’ve used that doesn’t feel like a piece of drop-shipped junk just begging to be thrown away. Granted, it’s a little pricier than most of its peers, but its solid controls, decent flight range of about 50 to 100 meters (around 160 feet), and 13-minute battery life make it ideal for learning the basics of drone flight. It even has a 5MP/720p electronically stabilized camera aboard for some basic aerial imaging practice. Do be warned, though, that gusts of wind are not the Tello’s friend; fly it on a blustery day and you may end up losing it altogether. —Sam Kieldsen
$115 at Amazon
Photograph: Amazon
Best Fake-Bird Drone
Hanvon GoGo Bird
I confess, I first thought the GoGo Bird would be terrible. It looks like a cheap plastic kite with a tiny motor. It is a flapping kite with a tiny motor, but it's also pretty great. It's possibly the most fun you're going to have with a $60 drone. It can be tricky to fly at first—the controller is small and one-handed, which takes some time to master. But once you get the hang of it, your flapping wannabe bird is surprisingly maneuverable.
The biggest downside is the tiny battery, which lasts for about 8 to 10 minutes of flying time. The GoGo Bird comes with extra batteries, but changing them is harder than it should be. That's my only real quibble, which is surprising. Even more impressive is how it has held my kids' attention for more than six months now, and that alone makes it well worth the price.
$60 at Amazon

Photograph: Amazon
Best Star Wars Drone
Propel Star Wars X-Wing Starfighter
Propel's X-Wing fighter drone is great for Star Wars fans. There are actually a few drones in this line: the X-Wing, and the Tie X1 ($130). The best part is that all of them have a "battle mode," so you can fly against friends and try to shoot them down. Get hit three times with the IR beam and your drone will auto-land. Unfortunately, these have a learning curve when it comes to flying—a little tap of the control stick goes a long way—and mine had a habit of flying off at an angle immediately on takeoff. Holding a position is also a lost cause, but once you master the sensitive controls, these are fun to fly (and fight). The prices of these fluctuate a lot, particularly on Amazon where the price swings around by $100 or more; don't pay more than $60 for the X-Wing.
$189 at Amazon
$99 at Walmart (TIE Fighter)
Photograph: MANJUNATH KIRAN/Getty Images
Drones to Avoid
Save Your Money
Some stores still sell the Mavic Air 2, but it's not worth it when the Air 2S is such a step up for not much more money.
We've removed DJI's Phantom 4, because while it might still be a good drone for some niche applications, DJI's newer folding drones are a better way to spend your money. It's not a bad drone; it's just outdated.
Then there's the "toy" drone market. The internet is awash with drones in the $50 to $150 price range. There are two reasons for this. First, well-made drones are still expensive. Even our cheapest pick is $400. But drones also share many components with smartphones, which means chips, camera sensors, and tiny lenses are cheap at the wholesale level. That results in a million knockoffs.
Unfortunately, you tend to get what you pay for. While two of the under-$100 models I've tested were fun to fly, the photos and video they produced were hot garbage. I also have my doubts about their long-term durability. I think most people would be better off buying one of the tiny toy drones above while saving up for DJI's Mini 2. That said, if you don't care about creating content, just want to have fun flying, and don't mind taking a risk, these "toy" drones might be worth a look.

Scott Gilbertson is a senior writer for WIRED. He was previously a writer and editor for WIRED’s Webmonkey.com, covering the independent web and early internet culture. He studied at the University of Georgia. You can reach him at luxagraf.net.

Senior Writer and Reviewer

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