Best Drones Under $300 (with Links & Pictures)

In 2020, US consumer drone sales were at the $1.25 Billion mark, with the expected worldwide drone sales market to reach $43 Billion by the end of 2026.  Market trends show steady growth year after year.   

Considering the popularity of drones and the varying prices of consumer drones, we will be looking at some of the best drones that can be bought currently, under the $300 USD mark.

If you’re in a hurry and want to know which one is the best drone under $300, here’s our pick:

Editor’s Choice

Who is a sub-$300 drone best for? #

The first group most likely to be shopping in the $300 range would be those new to drones in general.  

From the perspective of these individuals, those who would like to try the hobby out for the first time, $1,000 or $2,000+ is a large chunk of change for a hobby where your hard-earned money just might not make it back to you in one piece, if at all.  

On the other hand, the new drone might not be for an adult, but going to a child instead.  

Perhaps the parents are looking to determine if said child will be interested enough to stick with the hobby, or, more importantly, if the child will have the hand-eye coordination to be able to fly drones in the long run.

Regardless of the exact circumstances, something in the $100-$300 range might be the perfect price to purchase a drone, with some of the features that make the hobby more enjoyable.

Tello (in partnership with DJI) #

Pros

• Sub $100 price-point (Base Package)
• Durable airframe
• 5mp camera, 720p stabilized video
• Position hold

Cons

• No included Remote
• Base Package only includes 1 battery
• NO SD card slot
• Problematic vision system in low light
• Fixed camera that cannot be pointed up or down

Arguably one of the better drones for beginners, the Ryze Tello is made in direct partnership with DJI, the leader in Consumer and Prosumer Drones.

Aside from the low price tag and its small footprint, many are drawn to the Tello because it can hover, and due to its integrated vision system, more often seen in larger, more expensive drones.

The airframe of the tiny drone is made of very strong plastic, as are the prop guards, which are great for beginners.  Many users of the drone have remarked that crashing into walls and objects and then dropping to the floor or ground doesn’t seem to bother or damage the drone one bit.

Because the Tello is made more with beginners in mind, the drone’s operating parameters are capped at a distance of 300 feet and a height of 90 feet.  

Considering the individual battery life is a bit under 15 minutes (13 minutes is the average), having the operating distance capped at 300 feet is good, as you’ll still be able to see and retrieve the drone if it goes down.

If you are interested in taking pictures or video, the Tello has you covered as it will take 5mp JPG photos and 720p MP4 video.  These image and video specs are by no means groundbreaking; however, they are great considering how inexpensive the drone is.

There are a few Cons to be aware of: #

Remote Controller

There is not an included controller, but one can be purchased for a little under half the price of the Tello itself. 

The drone, out of the box, does fly with virtual controls in the Tello app on your smartphone, but many find this difficult and imprecise.

Vision System

Many users have complained that the vision system, used to orient the drone and keep it hovering, only seems to work under very bright conditions.  

Considering many will fly it indoors, indoor lighting seems, oftentimes, too dim for the system to work properly, thus throwing constant errors and causing the drone to drift, a lot.  With practice, though, this can be minimized.

SD Card

There is no SD Card slot in the drone.  Any pictures and videos taken go directly to your smartphone, via WiFi.  If you happen to lose connection while taking pictures or filming, you will lose any footage of images or video taken during that time.  

This might be a non-issue for those that are just using the drone to learn and not as an extended photography device.

Additional Batteries

Also, unlike some of the other drones in this list, to get multiple batteries, you will have to purchase the boost combo.  At just 13 minutes of battery life, you might want to consider spending the extra money to get more batteries and accessories. 

Holy Stone HS110D #

Pros

• Sub $100 price point
• Position hold
• Included Remote Controller
• 2 Batteries Included
• SD Card slot

Cons

• Cannot charge batteries independently of the drone
• Fixed camera that cannot be pointed up or down

Like the Tello Ryze, this is an extremely reasonably priced drone that has some of the features that not only make flying easier for a beginner but also has some great additions.

Two nice things about this drone are that:

1. The remote controller for the drone is included in the box.  Along with this, there is a “cheat sheet” overlay of sorts that can be installed on the front of the RC, so that new users can see what the sticks do to fly the drone. 
2. There are two batteries included in the box.  You will get just about 10 minutes of life from each battery.

The drone, while not having GPS, does have altitude hold, which ensures that the drone won’t come crashing to the ground after you let go of the sticks.  This is something that is almost expected in modern drones.  It’s nice to see it included in a drone of this price-point.

For those wanting to take pictures and videos, the HS110D does both.  Unlike the Tello, there is an SD Card slot on the drone (although the SD card is not included).  

The pictures appear to be ok, with users stating that you must have perfect lighting conditions to get usable images, whereas the videos are a lot better, in various lighting conditions.

One notable Con of this drone is the Batteries

Even though the drone comes with 2 batteries, they cannot be charged on a dedicated charger.  You must have them in the drone and then charge them.  This means you will only be able to charge one battery at a time.  

Regarding batteries, the batteries last for about 10 minutes but take almost 2 hours to charge.

The bright side is that you can purchase additional batteries, however, you’ll need to charge them all in the drone ahead of time, for a day of flying.

Altair Falcon AHP #

Pros

• Advanced position hold system (APH)
• Included Remote Controller
• Various flight speeds
• 2 Batteries included
• SD Card slot

Cons

• No battery indicator for the Remote Controller batteries
• Fixed camera that cannot be pointed up or down

This drone is along the lines of the Holy Stone HS110D where, although specifically made for beginners, it likewise has an altitude hold of sorts.

What sets this drone further apart is that the altitude hold system is quite advanced.  It is called the AHP system, which is a system that self-corrects lateral movement so that the drone doesn’t hover out of place, whereas the general altitude hold on comparable drones will basically keep you at the correct height but allows for a range of horizontal movement.

The Falcon AHP also has 3 different speeds, which allow users as they become more advanced to step up how fast they fly.  This option is a plus, as when flying out of doors, the Falcon will be able to fly in moderate winds.  Winds that would push smaller, less capable drones around, rendering them useless.

The Altair Falcon AHP also comes with 2 batteries, which will fly for approximately 10 minutes each.  One of the pluses for these batteries is that you can charge them independent of the drone if you have a power supply.  There is an included USB cable, however, the power brick is not included.

This drone does have an SD card slot, which can take 32GB SD cards, max.  This is great considering the drone can record in 720p video.

One basic con, that is quite big, is that there are no indicators, whether in the Flight App or on the physical remote controller itself, that tell how much battery life is left in the RC.

Considering there is not an internal rechargeable battery built into the RC, this can be bothersome, as you’d need to make sure you have enough batteries on hand in case the RC dies.

Holy Stone HS110G #

Pros

• GPS ****(for Return to Home and Intelligent flight modes)
• SD Card slot
• 1080p Videos
• 2 included batteries
• Included carrying bag
• 900+ foot control range

Cons

• Fixed camera that cannot be pointed up or down
• While the control range is 900+ feet, the connection between the app and drone breaks up at 400+ feet.  The drone can still operate without being connected to the phone app.

For a few dollars more than the Altair Falcon, you can get into a drone that is not as “beginner” as the previous three drones.  The HS110G is quite the upgrade over the previous models, as it does so much more.

Graduating from the simple position hold of less advanced models, the HS110G has actual GPS, which allows it to not only accurately hover but be able to RTH (return to home) as well.  The RTH function can be activated manually, automatically upon low battery, or if there is a loss of signal between the remote controller and the drone.

In addition to GPS, there are different intelligent flight modes such as “follow me” and custom flight paths.  This is surprising to see in such an inexpensive drone.  Users who have activated the “follow me” mode claim it to be fairly accurate and fun.

Another step up from the previously mentioned drones is the operating range between the drone and remote controller.  On cheaper model drones, 300 feet, give or take, is the max range.  

The HS110G triples the operating distance to just under 1000 feet.  Of course, this is subject to your surroundings and how much interference there is nearby.

Along with the GPS, Intelligent flight modes, and increased operating distance, the camera can shoot in 1080p, giving a much sharper image than the 720p cameras previously mentioned.

The HS110G also comes with 2 batteries, which will give you around 13 minutes of flight time each.  

A negative that quite a few have mentioned is the fact that you will need to charge the batteries while connected to the drone.  Thankfully there is a 2-battery charging hub that can be purchased separately.

In addition to the 2 batteries, it also comes with a carrying case/bag which will hold the drone, remote controller, and batteries.

Holy Stone HS720E #

Pros

• GPS ****(for Return to Home and Intelligent flight modes – including Point of Interest and Tap Fly)
• Sony Image Sensor
• 128B SD Card slot
• Sony Camera Sensor
• 4K Videos
• 2 included batteries (23 minutes of flight time/each)
• Included carrying bag
• 3000+ foot control range

Cons

• Odd control issues periodically
• Fixed camera that cannot be pointed up or down

Holy Stone makes fantastic beginner drones and has hit our list a few times.  This last Holy Stone drone kicks the specs up even more from the HS110G.  As of this article’s writing, the price of the drone dropped from $340 to just under the $300 mark, at $299.

What is improved over the HS110G?  A lot and I’ll detail everything here.

As with the previously mentioned HS110G, the HS720E is equipped with GPS.  This enables the drone to perform such actions as accurate and stable hovers and Return to Home (manually, automatically upon low battery, or if there is a loss of signal between the remote controller and the drone).

This iteration of the Holy Stone drone also has intelligent flight modes like Follow Me. However, it adds more modes in the form of Tap Fly and Point of Interest, where the drone will do an automatic orbit of your subject of choice.  

These modes offer the operator the opportunity to let go of the “sticks” while the drone flies the more difficult paths, enabling one to focus more on getting good shots and video rather than worrying about the flight path.

Speaking of shots, the HS720E’s camera has been upgraded to house a Sony sensor which takes the video resolution up from topping out at 1080p to 4k.  Video can be recorded at 4k 30fps (frames per second) and 1080p 60fps.  As there is an SD card slot on the drone, you can save your images and 4k video to a 128GB SD card.

Much like the DJI line of drones, the HS720E is included in their version of a fly more combo, which includes 2 batteries, a charging hub, and a case.  The batteries are rated to get flight times up to 23 minutes.

Also, another noteworthy upgrade is brushless motors, which are quieter and more powerful than less expensive drones.  With this setup, the HS720E can fly out to 3200 feet and vertically up to just under the 400ft FAA height restriction.

The one downside that some owners of this drone have mentioned is flight control issues, where the drone at times seemed to have a mind of its own, sometimes only hovering, other times taking off full speed. 

It hasn’t been determined in many of these cases if the drone just wasn’t properly connected at boot up.

DJI Mini SE #

Editor’s Choice

Pros

• GPS
• DJI Fly App
• 30 Minute Battery Life
• Sony Image Sensor
• 3-axis gimbal
• Multiple flight modes
• DJI Mini 2 components and airframe

Cons

• 1 Battery included (Individual batteries are very costly)
• No 4k
• Might be overwhelming for new drone operators

“Most Affordable and Reliable drone!”  “Best Budget Drone Ever!” “Ultimate Budget Drone of the Year!”  These are just some of the things a few notable YouTubers have said about the DJI Mini.

If you are looking to graduate from a previously bought “toy drone”, looking to get into drone photography and videography with pro-like features, or looking to fully immerse yourself in the tried, tested, and true DJI Ecosystem, then look no further.  For $300 you can get all of this and more.

One of the notable things with the physical build of the Mini SE is that it is pretty much a Mavic Mini with upgraded DJI Mini 2 parts, such as the:

• Airframe
• Upgraded motors
• Propellers
• Batteries

You are basically getting a Mavic Mini with a bit more DJI Mini 2 tech thrown in, which is a great thing.

Camera

For those looking at the Mini SE for Photography and videography, there is a lot to enjoy here.  For photos, there is a 1/2.3” CMOS, 12MP camera with a Sony sensor, this being the same megapixel count as an iPhone 13.  

The image format is JPEG, but sadly there is no RAW format.  The SE has various still shooting modes, such as the standard “single-shot” and Interval shots at various second counts.

For videos, the resolution of the Mini SE is 2.7k at 24/25/30 frames per second and FHD at 24/25/30/48/50/60fps allowing for a bit of slow-motion editing in the higher frame rates.  The format for videos is MP4.  There are no 4k shooting capabilities in the Mini SE.

The camera is mounted to a 3-axis gimbal, so there is no need for the electronic image stabilization that some of the previously mentioned drones have.  

With a 3-axis gimbal, you will not only get the most stable video possible, but you will also be able to point the camera up and down, something other drones in this article cannot do.

To record and save those great videos and images, there is an onboard SD Card slot that can hold cards up to 256GB in size.  

To put that into perspective, shooting at 2.7k at 30fps will get you a little over 15 hours of video footage or 60,000 JPEG images.

Battery and Transmission System

While the MINI SE only comes with 1 battery, that one battery is rated to get 30 minutes of flight time, although the more realistic, real-world times are closer to the 26/27-minute mark.  

While some might see this as a negative or CON, compared to some of the lesser-priced drones in this list, the one DJI battery lasts longer than many of the multiple battery combos listed above, combined.  

If you are looking to purchase additional Mini SE batteries, they can be found below.

Note: DJI batteries are very costly but get great flight times and are intelligent.

With the Mini SE, long gone are the days of sub-1000ft flights.  The Mini SE, while confined to an enhanced wifi transmission system, can still fly up to 2.5 miles from the operator.  Of course, this isn’t advisable, as in the US the FAA rules mandate always keeping drones within visual line of sight (VLOS). 

» MORE: Drone Battery Care

Briefly, I mentioned that getting a MINI SE would get you into the DJI ecosystem.  This would be by way of the DJI Fly app.  The Mini SE uses the exact same DJI flight app the popular Mini 2, Air2S, and Mavic 3 line of drones use (just to mention a few).

» MORE: Mini 2 DJI Fly App

This means that a plethora of flight modes and advanced and pro-options are open to exploring.  For more information on the DJI Fly app, please see our article over here. 

There are so many great things to be said about the Mini SE, that weren’t touched on in this article.  Below is a listing of the Pros and Cons.

Conclusion #

Buying a $300 drone nowadays doesn’t mean you have to settle “for less”.  As this article shows, there are quite a few capable drones at the price point and less. 

If you are a beginner, there is a drone to fit your skill level and budget.  On the other end of the spectrum, if you are looking for a few “pro” options, in an affordable package, the higher offering by Holy Stone and the DJI Mini SE might be exactly what you are looking for.