Technology is a wonderful thing. Gone are the days of having to pay for expensive, bulky cameras to capture your favorite moments. With drones under 100 dollars on the market, it’s never been easier or cheaper to take amazing aerial footage from above! These drones are easily controlled and most offer a camera that films in HD quality with an easy-to-use app. The best part? They’re all under 100 bucks!
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What is the Best Drone Under 100?
We could say that we traveled the world to find for you the Best Drone Under 100 and it’s partially true – we’ve been on the road since 2011 after all.
More importantly, we have done a very thorough research online and have gone through most of the available drones for less than $100 that you can buy today. We read the comments left by people who bought and used these drones under 100 dollars.
We also wrote a brief drones under 100 dollars Buying Guide and FAQ sections to address most questions you may have.
Without further ado, here’s the list of top 6 drones for less than $100 based on their pricing, specs and ratings by real users.
1. Holy Stone HS110G FPV Drone
| Specs |
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| Price: 💲💲💲💲💲 (fewer 💲 = cheaper) Weight: 0.3 Pounds (0.1 kg) Max Flight Time: 20 Minutes Control Range: 328 ft (100 m) Gimbal/ Stabilization: No SD Card Slot: Yes |
See it in your local store:
Holy Stone HS110G is the best cheap drone with a camera. If you cannot spare over a hundred dollars and still want to see where you’re flying in real time, then this model is for you.
While it doesn’t have stabilization, it may actually record a better quality footage than the quadcopters that do but lack SD Card Slot. Recording to SD Card ensures the videos aren’t spotty and make for a much better watching.
A lot of people sing praises of the remote controller and the App for this drone so if you’re new to flying quadcopters, you should have an easy time learning with this one.
One of the biggest advantages are the batteries that hold for long time and are cheap to get, so that you get more air time. However, to charge them, you won’t be able to fly, which is the biggest disadvantage.
Pros
- Great value for money,
- Very good footage quality for a beginned quadcopter,
- Batteries last as long as advertised and are cheap to buy extra,
- Great and easy-to-use remote controller,
- You can record your videos to SD card or directly to your phone,
- Well-developed and beginner-friendly App
Cons
- Doesn’t hold position outdoors and may get tossed around in the wind,
- Batteries can only be charged while in the drone, so can’t fly while charging
2. Potensic Upgraded A20 Mini Drone
| Specs |
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| Price: 💲 (fewer 💲 = cheaper) Weight: 0.4 Pounds (0.2 kg) Max Flight Time: 6 Minutes SD Card Slot: 0.5 |
See it in your local store:
The A20 mini drone is another budget-friendly option in the same price range as the NH320 and H823H mini-quadcopters reviewed here. What makes the A20 slightly different is that it is made as a kid’s toy, although it is also an excellent beginner drone for adults. It also does not feature the 3D flip. The A20 remote controller is one of its most outstanding features. It is smaller than most for kids to hold and control easily. The controller features 2.4Ghz, which delivers a stable transmission speed and makes the drone highly responsive. It features a 3-Speed Mode to use in different environments, the headless mode, and altitude hold that make it easy for newbie pilots to fly. Many users have noted that the A20 delivers smooth flying. However, it also requires calibration every time you power it up, which was a nuisance. On the upside, the transmission performance of the controller makes the pairing an easy process. The landing process is equally simple, and interestingly, the drone features a soft landing material to protect it from heavy impact.
Another outstanding feature is the Emergency Stop that allows the quadcopter to land itself if you lose control. Although the drone features a headless mode that allows you to fly it in any orientation, it also comes with an LED headlight and a red tail light for the more experienced users.
Pros
- Short battery charging time of 30 minutes,
- Affordable and high-quality construction,
- Small-sized remote controller for kids hands,
- Lightweight and durable construction for indoor flying,
- Features a headlight and taillight for orientation
Cons
- It needs calibration every time you power it on,
- Difficult to remove and replace the batteries
3. DROCON Bugs 3 Quadcopter
| Specs |
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| Price: 💲💲💲💲 (fewer 💲 = cheaper) Weight: 0.9 Pounds (1.4 kg) Max Flight Time: 15-20 Minutes Control Range: 1640 Gimbal/ Stabilization: No SD Card Slot: Yes Charging Time: 6.6 Hours |
See it in your local store:
The Bugs 3 is the most budget-friendly GoPro drone on my list. Although it is cheap to buy, it is of surprisingly good quality, easy to use for beginners, and supports all the GoPro models. It also does not come with smart flight features like GPS and WIFi, but it still delivers stable flights due to its extra weight and its 6-axis gyroscope. These features allow the drone to handle wind better than other drones in its class, which gives you clear camera footage.
One thing to note is that the Bugs 3 does not come with a camera, but it does feature a GoPro compatible mount. The drone also features a powerful brushless motor that allows it to move quickly for fast action shots of outdoor boulders or hiking scenes. It has LED lights for night flying, which I think is a nice touch. The drone comes with a 1800mah battery that delivers at least 15 minutes of flight time in full throttle. As great as this drone is, some users have reported losing control of their drones while flying, which is a common issue across multiple models.
Pros
- Powerful and fast brushless motor,
- Compatible with all GoPro models,
- Long control range work well even in strong wind
- Excellent flight stability performance,
- Low power and signal alerts,
- Great for newbies and pros alike
- 4K camera mount allows you to attach your GoPro or other sports cameras
Cons
- More basic drone with limited features
- Occassional Issues with syncing the remote controller
4. Attop X-Pack 1 Drone
| Specs |
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| Price: 💲💲 (fewer 💲 = cheaper) Weight: 0.4 Pounds (0.2 kg) Max Flight Time: 8 Minutes Control Range: 164 ft (50 m) Gimbal/ Stabilization: No SD Card Slot: Yes |
See it in your local store:
Great toy-grade drone to start flying. While featuring 720P HD camera, the visual aren’t that good and there’s no SD card slot so the footage is sent to your phone via WiFi and stored there. Losing connection means losing footage which is is the biggest downside to this drone. Other than that, it’s great to fly and play with.
Pros
- Very easy to fly,
- Low price and lightweight,
- Very durable and great for worry-free flying due to High-quality ABS material
5. Parrot Mini Drone
| Specs |
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| Price: 💲💲💲 (fewer 💲 = cheaper) Weight: 0.7 Pounds (0.3 kg) Max Flight Time: 5 Minutes Control Range: 200 SD Card Slot: 0.5 |
See it in your local store:
The Parrot mini drone features a unique X-wing design that allows it to have dual flight modes for aerial acrobatics and high-speed racing. This design enables the mini drone to fly like a quadcopter and an airplane when flipped 90 degrees to the side. The wings are a lightweight polystyrene construction attached to a plastic skeleton.
This micro drone is ideal for more experienced users looking for a mini racing drone. Although it is not as fast as the EMAX drone reviewed here, it can achieve a decent speed of 18 miles per hour in airplane flight mode, and you can choose between three-speed modes. It is also the heaviest drone on the list weighing 295g, which means it may have steady flights in low wind conditions. The drone is highly responsive to its controller via Bluetooth. Although using your smartphone will limit the control range to 20m, you can opt to use the Flypad controller to increase your distance to 60m.
The drone features an ultrasound detector, which lets you know how high you are flying. It is unlike the Altitude Hold feature of the other drones here, which restricts the altitude. The battery performance is also short at five minutes compared to the 10 minutes flight time of the Altair Falcon drone. However, the batteries also have a reduced charging time of 30 minutes.
Pros
- Dual flight mode for aerial acrobatics,
- 3-axis gyroscope for improved flight control,
- Flypad controller increases max control range
Cons
- Short flight time
6. NEHEME NH320 Mini Drone
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| Price: 💲 (fewer 💲 = cheaper) Weight: 0.1 Pounds (0 kg) Max Flight Time: 7 Minutes SD Card Slot: 1.5 |
See it in your local store:
Although Neheme is not a well-known brand, they have made a fantastic effort in producing affordable quadcopters for children and entry-level drone pilots. The NH320 is a scaled-down model compared to the more popular Neheme NH525, and it is also the budget choice drone on my list. It features a protective cage around the propellers that serves two functions. It protects your children from getting injured by the rotating propellers, and it also protects the propellers from getting damaged on impact. Although this is a fantastic design feature, it also makes it harder to clean out the dust bunnies collected in the propellers. The NH320 also comes with some fun features that are attractive to kids, such as the 360-degree tumbling action that users have noted is exciting. Another feature is the 3-speed mode that allows you to change speed according to your skill level and LED lights that make it fun to fly in the dark. On the upside, the remote controller is highly responsive and makes it a nice educational drone for newbies. It allows a one-key lift-off and landing sequence and altitude hold, both of which make it easy to fly. The drone comes with three batteries that may give you up to 21 minutes with a charging time of 90 minutes each. However, the battery compartment is a little tight and makes removing and replacing the batteries a tedious process for some people.
Pros
- Easy to fly with one-key takeoff/ landing,
- Highly responsive 360-degree tumbling action,
- Child-safe construction with full propeller guards,
- 3-Speed mode for different skill levels,
- Great value for your money
Cons
- Tedious battery removal and installation process
Verdict
TLDR: Quick summary of our findings as to what can be considered best drone under 100 below:
Overall best drone under $100 out there: Holy Stone HS110G FPV Drone
Premium Pick if money is not much of an issue: DROCON Bugs 3 Quadcopter
Budget Choice – there’s no shame in spending prudently: Potensic Upgraded A20 Mini Drone
Our other reviews you may find useful in your research:
What You Should Know Before Buying Drones Under 100 Dollars
Drone Flying Precautions
When you are flying a drone, do not fly it too high. A good height to start with is 50 meters and gradually increase your altitude as you become more confident with controlling the drone. Do not fly where there is a lot of other air traffic — especially commercial airliners — or near airports. Check local regulations before launching your drone and avoid restricted areas such as military installations. You should always stay within line-of-sight of your aircraft, so that you can react quickly in case something goes wrong – this way, you will be able to see any problems immediately and avoid collision risk.
Remember, only drones under 250 grams or 0.55 pounds don’t need to be registered with FAA (Federal Aviation Administration).
Range
Range greatly depends on how much you want to spend. The cheapest drones are usually only able to fly up to 15 meters away but the most expensive drones can fly up to 50 kilometers away.
Speed
This largely depends on your needs and whether or not you have a need for long distance drone flying. The faster the drone, the more expensive it is. However, if your only need is to fly for 10 minutes at a time then speed won’t matter.
Flight Time
This also varies depending on how often you plan to use your drone but typically can range from 8-25 minutes per charge depending on your speed settings, the battery, and weight.
Controller
This is the remote control that you will use to fly your drone and it comes in various shapes, sizes, and designs. Most of them come with adjustable controls so that you can customize it for a better flying experience but they all serve the same purpose of controlling the flight modes as well as taking pictures or videos from the air. Many of them also include optional add-ons such as extra battery packs for added flight time or attached cameras so that you can record everything while up in the air.
Size & Portability
When it comes to flying any drone at home you should be sure to keep in mind how large it is so that it doesn’t crash into anything when flying around the house (or worse). Many models have foldable designs that allow them to be easily stored away but its best to measure the drone itself and take note of its size before making any purchases.
Questions and Answers About Drones Under 100 Dollars
Are cheaper drones really that bad?
This question can be answered both ways. When we say ‘cheap drone’ we mean cheap in price, and not necessarily quality for the purposes of this article – although it is true that if you do not spend a lot on a drone then you will get less features and overall value for your money. However, there are some very good drone brands that offer affordable flying platforms which may lack advanced features such as GPS but still manage to deliver an excellent user experience. The important thing to note here is how much you actually need these extra features and what level of drone piloting experience you have already acquired; because if this is your first time buying a drone or you only intend to use it for casual flying, then a cheaper model will suit your needs just as well.
On the other hand, if you are looking for a drone that can fly on its own and takes aerial footage from an IP camera with little input from yourself but will cost more money; then you might be better off saving some cash than buying a cheap drone.
How long is the battery life on a cheap drone?
The battery life will last up to ten minutes, even with a cheap drone.
What is the price range of a cheap drone?
The answer to that is up to you! It all depends on what the drone does, how many features it comes with, and its size. Some drones are inexpensive for a beginner while others can be quite costly for someone who has been flying for years. However, there are general prices that a cheap drone can cost. At the low end of the price range is $20 to $50. These drones don’t come with many features and they tend to be quite small. The larger ones in this price range tend to have fancy lights or a camera but are still on the smaller side.
Most drones fall into the middle price category which ranges from $250-$500 taking into consideration inflation, as well as for users who are looking for value for money at an affordable price point. These drones give you more advanced features such as GPS technology and FPV (First Person View) and may also include a 720 or 1080p HD-capable Camera/Video Recorder depending on the model. Some of the more expensive drones however can cost $1000 and above, but you do get a more professional looking drone in return for your money; so it is really about what features you are after.
