10 Best Drones Under $500 in 2024 — Reviews & Top Picks

Last Updated on Jan 03 2024

Look no further if you’re looking for the best drones available under $500. For beginner drone users, this is a great price point to look at.

No one wants to crash an expensive drone, but you also don’t want to skimp on quality. Less-expensive drone models enable you to practice your skills without stress.

You’ll see from these reviews that you don’t have to sacrifice quality for an affordable drone!

A Glance at Our Top Picks (2024 Update)

	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		DJI Mini 2	4K images Easy to fly Weighs under 250 grams	CHECK PRICE
Best Value		DJI Mavic Mini Fly More Combo	Easy to fly Under 250 grams 7K camera	CHECK PRICE
Premium Choice		Hubsan Zino 2 Plus	High-resolution camera and video imaging Easy to fly Interchangeable lens filters	CHECK PRICE
		DJI Mini SE	7K camera Long-lasting batteries Lightweight and portable	CHECK PRICE
		Ryze Tello	Easy to fly Includes educational tools Multiple flight options	CHECK PRICE

The 10 Best Drones Under $500

1. DJI Mini 2 — Best Overall

The DJI Mini 2 is the best overall drone under $500. It’s the only 4K camera drone in this price range, and it’s one of the most portable drones on the market. While you can find better camera drones, they are more expensive. This is an easy-to-operate hobby camera drone with a basic frame.

The battery range on the DJI Mini 2 gives you up to a half hour of flight time, and the 4K camera sits on a three-axis gimbal. It has a fantastic range and reasonably fast speed. If you are satisfied with the photo quality on your phone, you’ll be more than happy with the quality that this drone can provide. The compact size, portability, and ease of flight are what make the DJI Mini 2 our top choice.

2. DJI Mavic Mini Fly More Combo — Best Value

The DJI Mavic Mini weighs under 250 grams and has a quality camera. Its size means you won’t have to register it with the FAA before taking off. Its price tag makes it the best drone for under $500 for the money. The 2.7K camera retains connectivity up to 1 mile. This is the shortest range of any DJI drone, but it’s decent enough to get good pictures.

This drone is an excellent choice for beginners or those who want to toss their drone in their backpack and go. It’s light to carry and safe to fly and offers quality images.

3. Hubsan Zino 2 Plus — Premium Choice

Our premium choice for drones under $500 is the Hubsan Zino 2 Plus. It’s at the top end of this price range, but the added features are worth looking at. While it boasts a fold-up design for portability, this drone has a 9K-resolution camera hanging from the nose. It’s a superior GPS-operated camera drone that’s the same size as a mini toy drone.

Interchangeable lens filters enable you to change your video and imaging techniques as you please, and it’s easy to fly for beginner operators. It weighs 2.7 lbs., which is more than some other models.

4. DJI Mini SE

The DJI Mini SE is a new model of drone that’s designed to replace the now obsolete Mavic Mini. The Mini SE is affordable but doesn’t sacrifice quality, and it weighs about as much as a cell phone. It includes a 2.7K camera that offers duplicate quality footage. The batteries are more powerful than the original but lighter to carry. DJI has also made sure that Mavic Mini batteries fit the Mini SE, so if you have an old model that you want to upgrade, you won’t have to replace the batteries.

The biggest downside to this drone is that it doesn’t have memory card capabilities. You’re stuck with Wi-Fi image transmission.

5. Ryze Tello

The simply crafted Ryze Tello has more features than you might expect for the price. The remote control is optional because you can fly from your phone or code your own navigation. The Ryze Tello is the best option on our list as an educational tool. It has coding options, can also be safely flown indoors, and has add-on tools that teach flight and flight control.

The Ryze Tello is not a camera drone and is not the fastest. It’s a basic model beginner drone that’s safe, easy to use, and educational.

6. BetaFPV Cetus Pro FPV Drone Kit

The Beta FPV Cetus Pro is the cheapest first-person-view (FPV) drone available. With an FPV drone, you wear video goggles to feel like you’re flying through the air yourself. It’s a bit of a spin on VR headsets, except that you get to fly the drone through the real world. This model has brushless motors, enabling longer flight times and better performance.

That said, you can only fly for 4–5 minutes at a time with this drone. It will stand up to a fair amount of punishment, though; it’s equipped with an auto-shutdown during crashes and has integrated rotor guards to protect the motor.

7. Potensic A20 Mini

The Potensic A20 Mini is beginner and kid friendly. This tiny drone easily takes off and hovers and can be driven with a single throttle stick. You can enjoy 15–18 minutes of flight time with only 3 AA-sized batteries, and with headless mode engaged, you can fly in any direction without worrying about which way you’re facing. It has three adjustable speeds and propellor guards to prevent damage in the event of a collision.

There aren’t any flip or trick functions on this drone, only straightforward flying. This is a bit disappointing for a toy drone, but the hands-off nature of the operation makes it worth trying.

8. Holy Stone HS100

This under-$200 camera drone from Holy Stone is a GPS drone that shoots 2K video and has headless mode, altitude hold, and one-key take-off. The Wi-Fi camera adjusts 90 degrees, and the body folds up for portability. The built-in return-to-home function means your drone will automatically come back to you if the battery goes low or it starts to fly out of range, so you don’t have to worry about losing it.

You can view your images directly on your remote control to know what you’re capturing and even take super-charged selfies. Just turn on “Follow Me Mode,” and the drone will follow you, hands-free, wherever you go.

9. Parrot Anafi Extended

While we usually think of camera drones taking pictures from above, the Parrot Anafi Extended does something different: This drone camera looks up! This makes it possible to fly your drone underneath things and film above its location, which opens up a ton of creative possibilities. It’s also a unique option that no other drone can do.

With 25 minutes of flight time and a 4K HDR camera, this package also comes with an SD card, extra batteries, and spare remotes. USB charging makes it easy to charge on the go.

The Parrot Anafi drone has a “Follow Me” function to include yourself in pictures and videos, but it costs extra to unlock it. You also have to wait 15 days after your drone is operational to purchase the app, which can be frustrating.

10. Walkera F210 Professional Racer

The Walker F210 Racer drone has agility in mind with its lightweight design. The carbon-fiber frame is crash resistant and durable. Since it’s designed for racing, you can do precise flight maneuvers, including flips, rolls, and racing moves. For flexibility, you can take the drone apart and customize it how you’d like.

The flight time on the Walker F210 is only 8–9 minutes, but it has a max flight speed of 40+ mph (64 km/h). It also includes a night-vision camera, so you can fly at any time. This particular model does require registration with the FAA, even if you only fly it as a hobby.

Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Drones Under $500

Is $500 enough for a good drone?

A $500 budget will get you a decent drone setup that will stand up to a few crashes. It’s important to understand that these are entry-level drones with an entry-level price point. The best caliber camera drones are expensive, so you can expect to spend more if this is what you need.

Drone technology constantly changes, however. Many of the features of the drones on this list would never have been available under $500 just a few years ago. If you stick to this budget range, you’ll undoubtedly see high-end features trickle down into future budget-priced drones. These include camera technology, ease of flying, or even obstacle avoidance.

Do I need a license to fly a drone?

No, some compact, lightweight models (including a few on this list) can be flown without FAA notification or approval. For others, yes, even hobby pilots are required to obtain a TRUST certificate¹, and any paid drone operation must be conducted by Part 107 Certified pilots¹ within the United States.

Conclusion

You don’t have to sacrifice high-quality features to find a drone under $500. In our opinion, the best overall drone under $500 is the DJI Mini 2. This drone is portable, lightweight, and super easy to fly. It’s a great choice for beginners or as a basic overall drone. The DJI Mavic Mini Fly More Combo is the best value for the money. This portable, compact option doesn’t require FAA registration and has decent connectivity for its price point. Our premium choice is the Hubsan Zino 2 Plus. While it costs more, it has high-end camera features that make it worth the money for quality photography and video capture.