Best and Easiest Drones to Fly

Flying a drone isn’t the easiest thing for beginners, but having the right one really makes a difference. A less complex, simple-to-operate drone will help you build your confidence the more you fly it.

What are some of the best drones that meet this criteria?

These are the top easy-to-fly drones:

• DJI Mini 3 Pro
• DJI Mini 2 SE
• Potensic Atom SE
• Ryze Tello
• Fimi X8 Mini
• Holy Stone HS110G
• Revell Icon
• Skydio 2+

These eight drones run the gamut regarding pricing and features, but all have one thing in common: beginners can pick them up and learn them relatively easily.

Join us as we dive into this selection of drones so you can pick your favorite!

1. DJI Mini 3 Pro #

Dimensions: 171 x 245 x 62 mm unfoldedWeight: Under 249 gMax Range: 7.5 miMax Altitude: 4,000 mMax Speed: 36 mphMax Flying Time: 47 mins with Intelligent Flight Battery Plus

✅ Pros #

• Lightweight enough to fly with relaxed drone laws
• Portable and ready to travel
• Obstacle avoidance sensors keep you safer when flying
• Great camera with sturdy gimbal

❌ Cons #

• Requires an Intelligent Flight Battery Plus to increase its flight time to anything beyond average
• Intelligent Flight Battery Plus will push the weight up

You can also get your hands on the Mini 3 Pro, another DJI drone, for about twice the cost of the Mini 2 SE. However, this drone is also a lot newer, which partly explains its price.

The Mini 3 Pro retains the same lightweight profile as the Mini 2 SE, which means you can reap all the benefits that come with that.

This drone is also foldable and portable so you can take it with you on all your adventures.

Are you worried about crashing your drone? You don’t have to be with this newer DJI creation.

The Mini 3 Pro is equipped with tri-directional obstacle sensing. It can gauge when you’re about to hit something so you can conclude another day of flying unscathed.

The Mini 3 Pro also includes DJI’s Advanced Pilot Assistance System, aka APAS 4.0, which is one of the best versions of this software to date. It’s another obstacle avoidance measure, so you’ll be doubly safe!

The base flight time is pretty good, 34 minutes. If you wish you could stay in the skies for longer, you can always upgrade to the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus, which expands your flight time to 47 minutes.

However, this battery will increase the drone’s overall weight.

This pro-level drone is ready for day and night flights (although you can’t legally fly a drone at night in most circumstances!).

If you haven’t yet fallen in love with drone photography, that ought to change with the Mini 3 Pro. Its 1/1.3-inch CMOS camera can shoot 48 MP images and 4K videos at 60 frames per second.

2. DJI Mini 2 SE #

Great Starter Drone

Dimensions: 245 x 289 x 56 mm unfolded with propellersWeight: 246 gMax Range: 2.4 miMax Altitude: 4,000 mMax Speed: 36 mphMax Flying Time: 31 mins

✅ Pros #

• Skip the drone registration
• Great wind resistance
• Decent camera for the price
• Auto-RTH so you don’t crash your drone over a dead battery
• Good flight time

❌ Cons #

• A little expensive

DJI has begun broadening its market, producing more drones sufficient for beginners. The Mini 2 SE is one of them.

This easy-to-fly drone costs less than $500, which I’ll admit is a bit of an investment to make for your first drone. However, this is a good pick if you want a first drone that’s more durable than a toy.

So what makes it easy to use? Well, let’s begin with the weight. The Mini 2 SE is under 249 grams, which means you can forego the FAA registration. Score!

Many drone laws are more lenient for drones weighing less than 249 grams, which will also benefit you. You can fly nearer people and buildings, even whizzing your drone over people’s heads.

Besides its easy-to-carry weight, the Mini 2 SE also has good wind resistance, up to a level five or 38 kph.

You shouldn’t fly your drone in windy conditions if you can help it, but you can rest assured this DJI drone can take a beating and keep on ticking (well, within reason, of course!).

The Mini 2 SE can fly for 31 minutes at a clip, which is about average, but for the price, it’s rather impressive.

Launch and land your drone with a single tap, and stably keep your drone hovering thanks to infrared sensing and GNSS.

What if you get too caught up in the fun and forget all about your drone battery?

No biggie. The Mini 2 SE has smart RTH. It acts as a failsafe, bringing your drone back to you when the battery depletes (but before it’s empty!).

Oh, and did I mention the 1/2.3-inch CMOS camera that shoots in 12 MP image quality and 4K video quality? Intelligent Flight Modes make it easy to get the most out of this camera.

3. Potensic Atom SE #

Dimensions: 210 x 152 x 58 mm when unfolded (excluding propellers)Weight: 245 gMax Range: 4 kmMax Altitude: 4 kmMax Speed: 16 m/sMax Flying Time: 62 mins

✅ Pros #

• No need to register it
• Incredible flight time of just over an hour
• High-quality, stable camera
• Very low cost for all these A+ features

❌ Cons #

• Lacks collision avoidance sensors
• Doesn’t hover as stably as other drones

It’s been called a DJI Mini killer, which is quite apt. Since its release in 2022, the Potensic Atom SE has made quite a splash.

This foldable drone weighs under 249 grams, so you know what that means.

That’s right, you don’t have to register it! You can also fly with looser drone laws in most parts of the world, and that’s always an awesome feeling.

Toggle between three unique flight modes, Sport, Normal, and Video.

Each mode has different max speeds, so as you become more comfortable with flying drones, you can incrementally increase the difficulty.

Built-in sensors and GPS functionality enable the Atom SE to maintain its surroundings. If you want to bring the drone back to its original takeoff point, its smart RTH makes that possible.

The flight time of this drone is also worth talking about, as the Atom SE can fly for up to 60 minutes at a clip.

That’s impressive by today’s standards and blows the flight times of the other drones out of the water.

An included 4K HD camera with a Sony CMOS sensor shoots in 12MP image quality and 4K HD video quality at 30 fps. ShakeVanish is included, a form of EIS that maintains smoothness and stability.

We recently wrote a very in-depth review of the Potensic Atom SE. Check it out below:

» MORE: Potensic Atom SE Drone Review

4. Ryze Tello #

Dimensions: 1.6 x 3.9 x 3.6 inWeight: 235 gMax Range: 100 mMax Altitude: 30 mMax Speed: 36 kphMax Flying Time: 13 mins

✅ Pros #

• Very beginner-friendly
• Auto features for easy use right out of the box
• Great photography features
• Simple takeoffs and landings

❌ Cons #

• Heavier, although not to a fault
• Poor flight time
• The camera is only okay

Although the Ryze Tello isn’t a DJI drone per se, it’s powered by DJI, so it’s in the same family.

» MORE: Best App for Tello Drone (Explained)

It’s a perfect beginner drone in almost every way. It has a very low price point, is not too heavy, and is super easy to use.

You can simply throw your drone when you wish to launch it. The Tello will fly from there.

The props feature guards to protect them from collisions and prevent lacerations to you when you fly your drone for the first time. Built-in collision detection will enable confidence in new pilots.

There are yet more safety features, like failsafe protection that will automatically land this drone if needed, low battery alerts, and auto landing.

Do you want to show off to all your buddies but don’t know the first thing about flying drones? The Tello has Bounce Mode, hovering, and 8D Flips so you can look like a pro in no time.

An included camera with an Intel processor and electronic image stabilization can shoot in 5 MP image quality, which is not too shabby for this drone’s price.

5. Fimi X8 Mini #

Dimensions: 200 x 56 x 140 mm when unfoldedWeight: 245 gMax Range:  8 kmMax Altitude: 2.5 miMax Speed: 35.8 mphMax Flying Time: 31 mins

✅ Pros #

• Impressive max altitude for its price point
• Varied features will prevent you from getting bored
• Good safety features

❌ Cons #

• Has been usurped by the X8 Mini V2
• Can surpass 249 grams with the Standard Battery

Next, let’s look at the Fimi X8 Mini, a lightweight drone that clocks in at 245 grams. It’s right on the threshold of required registration.

However, that only applies if you use the Pro Battery, which is the costlier of the two options.

The Standard Battery increases this drone’s weight to 258 grams. At that point, you’d have to register this drone.

Promising 30 minutes of flight time and level-five wind resistance, the X8 Mini is a tough little drone. It’s also equipped with plenty of safety features to put your mind at ease!

For instance, when the battery reaches almost empty, the X8 Mini will produce an alarm.

You also get an excessive power warning and a wind warning so you only fly in safe conditions. This drone can gauge when you’re entering a no-fly zone and even warn you there.

Use RTH when you need to bring your drone back to you ASAP, and the X8 Mini will do so reliably every time.

Its camera and stable gimbal can shoot in 4K quality at 30 fps in just one tap.

You can take time lapses, livestream, shoot panoramas, and even fly by dark with a night shooting mode (only if it’s legal where you live).

6. Holy Stone HS110G #

Dimensions: 306 x 193 x 91 mmWeight: 176 gMax Range: 150 mMax Altitude: N/AMax Speed: N/AMax Flying Time: 26 mins

✅ Pros #

• Uses GPS for RTH
• Single-use buttons for easy flights
• Good camera for the price
• Multiple speeds for beginner-friendly drone use

❌ Cons #

• Could have more features

Holy Stone calls the HS110G “fun and easy,” so it’s perfect for your purposes. 

The GPS included with the drone teaches the HS110G its home point. The drone can return to that home point whenever it needs to, such as when its battery runs low or loses signal.

You can also press the auto return button anytime to bring your drone back to you.

That’s not the only single-use button. You can launch and land this drone with one key.

Choose from three speeds.

You can cut your teeth at drone flight with the easiest speed and gradually increase it as you practice more. All along, your drone will remain stable with an included Altitude Control System.

Headless Mode, follow me, and custom flight paths are great autonomous features for beginners.

Fly for up to 26 minutes, taking shots on the 1080p camera. You can even record your voice via this drone!

7. Revell Icon #

Dimensions: 160 x 165 x 37 mmWeight: 80 gMax Range: 18 cmMax Altitude: 50 mMax Speed: N/AMax Flying Time: 10 minutes

✅ Pros #

• Super inexpensive
• Optical Flow for stability
• Maintains focus with face detection technology
• Has a 720p camera, which is decent for its cost!

❌ Cons #

• Painfully short range
• Very brief max flight time

The most budget-friendly drone on our list is by far the Revell Icon, which you can purchase for under $200.

This colorful quadcopter includes Optical Flow technology to keep it stable and upright.

Its face detection can determine who’s in focus and who isn’t. It’s not as advanced as the tracking technology you see from a drone like the Skydio 2+, but it’s not terrible, either.

The HD camera shoots in 720p quality, which isn’t bad for this drone’s very low price. It’s a wonder it even includes a camera, honestly.

A 4Ch GHz transmitter keeps the drone flying outside. You can adjust between dual control options for outdoor use or action flights.

8. Skydio 2+ #

Dimensions: 229 x 174 x 126 mmWeight: 775 gMax Range: 1.9 miMax Altitude: 122 mMax Speed: 36 mphMax Flying Time: 27 mins

✅ Pros #

• Largely autonomous, which is handy for beginners
• Has many cool abilities for taking videos and photos
• Good camera
• Built-in obstacle avoidance

❌ Cons #

• Surprisingly heavy

Skydio 2+ is another excellent drone to consider as you browse your easy-to-operate options. It’s great at tracking, so it will fly itself!

Seriously, it will. The whole crux of this drone is tracking a subject. You can also use the KeyFrame feature to create drone paths. Once you’re done, the Skydio 2+ will mimic the chosen path.

How can you trust the Skydio 2+ to always follow the right target? That’s simple. It has GPS subject tracking built in. Okay, but what about crashes? Nope! Not going to happen.

This drone is also equipped with 360 degrees of obstacle avoidance so it can detect looming threats at all times. Even if you take over manually flying the drone yourself, you can trust in its safety features.

Its selection of skills is awesome. From Dronie to Boomerang, Orbit, Rocket, or Vortex, this drone can do a little bit of everything to help you capture that perfect shot or simply enjoy the capabilities of the Skydio.

If you’re into photography and videography, its camera can produce 4K video footage and 72 MP images.

Easy-to-fly drones break down the barriers to entry so you too can begin flying drones.

The eight models we looked at today include smaller brands and big names like Potensic and DJI. No matter your budget, you can find your first drone and get flying!