The best cheap drone you can buy

These days, you’ll find essentially two groups of consumer drones. Those that are the super-cheap (and also super flimsy) drones that will fly for about five minutes on a full charge, and then the more enthusiast-oriented drones that cost upward of $1,000, but are fully stocked with all the features you’d want including HD camera, GPS, and long-range radio controllers.

Unfortunately, there’s very little in the middle which can provide both good value and at a price that doesn’t break the bank. While you’d be hard pressed to find a decent drone under $500, luckily we’ve taken the time to hunt down the best of the best in this price range, and put together a list.

We’ll also make recommendations based on different user types and drone activities, so you can rest assured you’ll find the best drone available for what you’re looking to do. Enjoy!

Our pick

DJI Phantom 3 Standard

Why should you buy this: It’s the most bang for your buck, and it flies like a champ.

DJI Phantom 3 Standard

The Phantom 3 Standard offers more high-end specs than any other drone.

$499.99 from Apple

Who’s it for: Anybody looking for an inexpensive but full-featured drone

How much will it cost: $400-$500

Why we picked the DJI Phantom 3 Standard:

DJI’s quadcopters are the cream of the crop, with some models fetching prices of close to $3,000. Have no fear though: With the Phantom 4 now its flagship mid-range drone, prices for the older Phantom 3 have fallen considerably – in fact some places sell it for as little as $400. And given that this drone was formerly one of DJI’s flagship models, you’ll get a UAV with features not normally found at this price point.

The Phantom 3 Standard has a built-in 2.7K camera capable of capturing video at 30 frames per second, along with 3-axis gimbal stabilization and the ability to live stream 720p video straight to your mobile device. It also touts 25 minutes of flight time, and an automatic return-to-home feature.

Another cool feature is that you can fly the Standard on a number of preset flight patterns. One is designed to continuously fly in a circle facing a set point of interest, one will track behind you, and a third allows you to map a series of waypoints, allowing you focus on your camera work while the drone flies in a preset pattern.

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