When choosing a drone, you must consider factors such as weight, camera quality, flight time, obstacle avoidance, and more.

Two of the most popular options on the market today are the DJI Mini 3 Pro and the Skydio 2+.

In this article, we will compare these two drones to help you determine which is the best choice for your needs.

Design and build #

The Skydio 2+ is a large drone with a sleek and aerodynamic design. It measures 9.2 inches x 9.2 inches x 3.2 inches and weighs just under 2.5 pounds.

It’s built to withstand rough conditions and has an obstacle-avoidance system that’s second to none.

The drone also has an intuitive and user-friendly design, making it an excellent choice for amateur and professional pilots alike.

The DJI Mini 3 Pro is significantly smaller than the Skydio 2+, measuring just 6.3 inches x 6.3 inches x 2.2 inches and weighing 8.8 ounces.

The Mini 3 Pro is designed for portability and has a foldable design that makes it easy to take with you wherever you go.

The drone is also sturdy and well-made, making it ideal for travel and outdoor adventures.

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Camera and video quality #

The Skydio 2+ has a built-in 4K camera that captures stunning cinematic footage.

The drone also has advanced features such as KeyFrame, allowing you to easily design custom flight paths to capture the perfect shot.

With Skydio Skills, you can film yourself from any angle, even backward, giving you unlimited options for capturing the ultimate selfie.

DJI Mini 3 Pro also has a 4K camera, but it’s larger than the one on the Skydio 2+. The Mini 3 Pro’s camera has a 48-megapixel sensor and offers dual native ISO for improved image quality.

It also has a 2x digital zoom for 4K and 4x for 1080p, giving you plenty of options for capturing the perfect shot.

The drone also has a true vertical video mode, making it an excellent choice for creating social media posts.

» MORE: Mini 3 Pro vs. Mavic 2 Pro (Which is Better?)

Battery life #

The Skydio 2+ has a 27-minute flight time, which is decent, but not as long as other drones on the market.

However, with over 100,000 breathtaking 4K stills to choose from, you’ll have plenty of footage to work with.

DJI Mini 3 Pro offers a standard Intelligent Flight Battery that delivers up to 34 minutes of flight time.

An optional Intelligent Flight Battery Plus boosts endurance to 47 minutes, giving you plenty of time to capture the perfect shot.

Controller and flight range #

The Skydio 2+ comes with a controller that has a maximum range of up to 3.7 miles, making it a great choice for outdoor adventures and outdoor sports.

The drone also has GPS tracking, so it’s easy to keep track of your flight.

DJI Mini 3 Pro has a new remote with a built-in screen. DJI claims its 1080p OcuSync 3.0 RC video transmission works over 12 kilometers, but this may not be the case in reality.

The Mini 3 Pro’s obstacle avoidance is less sharp than the Skydio 2+, but it’s still a great choice for new drone pilots.

» MORE: DJI Mini 3 vs Autel Evo Nano (All You Need to Know)

Obstacle avoidance #

The Skydio 2+ has the best obstacle avoidance feature on the market, making it incredibly difficult to collide with obstacles.

The drone can track you on the road, field, trail, or wherever the action is, performing complex tracking, navigation, and obstacle avoidance maneuvers while maintaining cinematic composition.

DJI Mini 3 Pro has DJI’s APAS 4.0 system, which can detect objects in front, behind, and below, all with fair precision. 

Use cases #

Aerial photography/videography/ film-making #

Both the DJI Mini 3 and Skydio 2+ are excellent for aerial photography.

However, the Mini 3 Pro gives better performance in taking still shots. It has a better camera and produces the best picture quality in this regard.

Regarding videography and film-making, the Mini 3 Pro is a good choice, but the Skydio 2+ beats it, especially due to its obstacle avoidance system, which makes it easy to fly while keeping the camera pointed in the right direction, even in complex environments. 

» MORE: SD Cards for Skydio (All You Need to Know)

Landscape surveying/mapping #

The Mini 3 Pro drone’s camera capabilities make it useful for surveying land, mapping out areas, and capturing aerial images of construction sites and other large-scale projects.

The Skydio 2+ may be sufficient, but the Mini 3 Pro would be better.

Consequently, real estate agents will find the Mini 3 Pro most suitable for capturing high-quality aerial images and videos of properties, which can be used to create virtual tours and provide clients with a better understanding of the property.

» MORE: Autel Evo Lite+ vs DJI Air 2S

Search and rescue/emergency services #

The Mini 3 Pro is limited in usage in emergency situations. However, the Skydio 2+ will excel in these situations.

The fact that the latter has high stability and maneuverability makes it ideal for search and rescue operations in challenging environments such as dense forests, urban areas, and mountainous regions.

Consequently, emergency services, such as police and fire departments, can use the Skydio 2+ drone to assess disaster zones, monitor hazardous situations, and provide real-time images and video of an area to first responders.