Holy Stone HS720E vs. HS175D (Here’s my Choice)

Holy Stone drones give you a top experience on a budget. If you wish to get one, we want to help your decision-making.

• HS720E is a recreational drone for adults with a long reach that needs registration due to its weight.

• HS175D is a toy drone with smart features like follow-me that doesn’t need registration, as it weighs less than 250 grams.

Both drones have different intended users, and we want to explain to you in detail why in this article.

We’ll review each drone with a quick summary of its pros and cons so you can decide if they meet your needs.

Holy Stone HS720E overview #

Dimensions: 13.27 x 9.45 x 2.28 inchWeight: 495 g Max Range: 1 km Max Flying Time: 23 mins per battery Camera Still Resolution: 3840 x 2160 Camera Shutter: Electronic Live View Quality: Up to 4K@30 Video Resolution: Up to ****4K@30 Internal Storage: No External Max Storage: 128 GB microSD card GPS: Yes

✅ Pros #

• With a single purchase, you get two batteries for 46 minutes of flight time
• It comes with attractive smart features like follow-me and RTH
• It films in 4K without excessive jittering, thanks to the EIS technology
• You can install a 128 GB microSD card to save all your recordings
• Its robust design handles hard landings, making it perfect for beginners

❌ Cons #

• It lacks a mechanical gimbal
• You need to register it

The HS720E is a mid-range drone capable of doing what the most expensive commercial drones do but at a reasonable price.

With two GPS modules gathering signals from different satellites simultaneously, it hovers at a fixed position and altitude with impressive precision.

It’s so precise that it returns to its exact original position when the wind moves it. But let me tell you, this drone won’t be easily disturbed by wind, remaining in place even when it blows strong.

This drone has a robust construction with a thick body and arms, only lacking a suitable landing gear.

It has some little legs on the belly that serve as landing gear, so I don’t recommend landing it on an uneven surface, as it can flip upside down.

When buying this drone, Holy Stone ensures enough value for your money.

You get a complete kit with spare propellers for on-the-go replacement and an extra battery that gives you a total flight time of 46 minutes to get enough time for a fun flight.

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Holy Stone HS175D overview #

Dimensions: 14.17 x 11.81 x 2.76 inWeight: 215 g Max Range: 300 m Max Flying Time: 23 mins per battery Camera Still Resolution: 4096 x 3072 Camera Shutter: Electronic Live View Quality: Up to 2.7K@30 Video Resolution: Up to ****2.7K@30 Internal Storage: No External Max Storage: 64 GB microSD card GPS: Yes

✅ Pros #

• You don’t need to register it
• It comes with two batteries for 46 minutes of time in the sky
• It has a sturdy landing gear and body, making it perfect for kids to fly
• You can install a 64 GB microSD card to save all your recordings

❌ Cons #

• It has no mechanical gimbal
• Its camera doesn’t come with EIS
• It doesn’t film in 4K but in 2.7K

You can think of the HS175D as a mini version of the HS720E. It’s more compact, and that makes it easier to carry.

However, the lack of space makes you wonder what they have removed to obtain such a tiny device.

The real and harsh truth is that this drone is a toy for kids.

Although Holy Stone states this drone can perform the same as the HS720E, that’s only a selling point.

It has a GPS module that helps it maintain its precise position, but it moves a lot because a mere breeze can move it.

Also, it doesn’t return to the same spot with the precision of the HS720E.

Intelligent flight modes like the follow me work only at close distances from the remote controller.

The antennas of this device are far from being as pro as the HS720E, so this drone lacks signal consistency.

Ultimately, this drone is a good purchase as a gift for your kids. The idea behind it is to give them a toy that can perform fun, smart modes and take pictures to share with their mates.

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Holy Stone HS720E vs. HS175D (In-depth comparison) #

Both drones are for recreational users, lacking proper ranges and camera modules for creative or professional work.

However, they differ in their capacities in critical points.

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Build and design #

The HS720E and HS175D share similar layouts, clearly differentiating on the landing gear.

The HS720E lacks a landing gear, making it quite unstable at landing.

However, the belly in which it lands is sturdy, handling hard landings continuously without breaking.

With the HS175D, you get more stability at landing, as it has a landing gear on the rear extremities. This also makes it prone to land on uneven surfaces.

Another cool feature of the rear landing gear is that it glows green, serving as a positioning light. Then you always know where it goes.

Both drones feel durable to the touch with a premium construction that isn’t normal for the price. You bet any of these drones will last you a long time.

Weight and size #

In this section, some of the biggest differences show up.

If you want a tiny drone to fly in the backyard or inside your home, the HS175D is your only option. This drone is tiny, so it’s fun and easy to fly in confined spaces.

Again, the HS175D is a toy you should only use in places where the wind doesn’t blow strong. Its light weight makes it quite bad at withstanding breezes, and you can lose it.

On the other hand, the HS720E is perfect for outdoor flying. It has a regular size that makes it visible even at 500 meters, and it’s heavy enough to withstand wind gusts.

If you want a drone to fly in a wide-open area, the HS720E is your best bet. Consider that due to its weight, you must register it before flying.

Camera comparison #

Although both drone cameras lack proper camera sensors and mechanical gimbals, the HS720 is far superior.

The HS720E camera shoots and films at 4K, and EIS reproduces beautiful footage with little to no jittering.

As it lacks the mechanical gimbal, its imagery still faces some undesired blur and deformation.

However, you can achieve high-definition pictures and videos of a day on the beach or a family BBQ that looks crisp.

With the HS175E, you can take clear 4K images, but it only achieves 2.7K in the video. It also lacks EIS to eliminate excessive jittering.

Considering the price of this drone, the camera capabilities are unreal. The only downside is that Holy Stone promotes this drone as 4K, but you realize it isn’t when you see your first video.

Both drones come with class 10 high-speed microSD card compatibility. However, the HS720E accepts up to 128 GB cards, and the HS175D up to 64 GB.

That makes sense, as 4K videos take up more space than 2.7K recordings.

In general, the HS720E guarantees more stable, jittering-free imagery than the HS175D.

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Ease of use #

The HS720E and HS175D are easy to fly thanks to their GPS modules. They hold their altitude without you needing to control the throttle joystick, as it hovers without any command.

Both drones have a beginner mode that makes them incredibly stable and doesn’t glide in the air.

However, the HS175D is less than half the weight of the HS720E, making it easily disturbed by wind.

Combined with a regular GPS module, that is harder to control than the HS720E in windy conditions.

The HS720E is only suitable for wide open and obstacle-free areas. Due to its size and speed, it becomes hard to maneuver in backyards or indoors, so avoid it if that’s your intended use.

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Flight time #

Both drones have 23 minutes of flying time per battery. As their bundles come with an extra battery, you get a total of 46 minutes of fun.

But the HS720E has more weight and increased signal overall. The weight makes it less prone to fight against the wind to maintain its fixed position.

The consistent signal allows it to connect strongly with the satellites, remote control, and mobile device frequencies.

In the end, the HS720E uses less battery on activities like conserving the signal than the HS175D.

However, this is only the case when trying to fly both drones in the same conditions. If you fly the HS175D in little to no wind, you’ll get an awesome amount of flying time that matches the HS720E.

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Flight range #

The clear winner is the HS720E with 1 kilometer of flying range.

In reality, it reaches 700 meters decently without constant signal loss. This drone is perfect for exploring wide-open areas and filming them in 4K.

Due to regulations, you should only fly your drone at a visual sight range, which these regulatory entities generally state as 500 meters.

The HS175D can’t reach 500 meters from the remote controller, only reaching 300 meters max, according to the manual.

Besides, this drone is so light that fighting against the wind depletes its battery before reaching 300 meters. You can expect this drone to reach 150 to 200 meters without any trouble in little wind.

Again, here you must consider the HS175D is a toy for kids, so 150 meters is a long distance for a person who doesn’t understand the dangers of flying a drone far away.

**» MORE: **Long Range Drones: Ultimate Guide

Smart features #

People who buy these drones want them to perform automatic functions for a fun and safe experience.

Both drones come with follow-me, circle-me, and waypoint modes so you can film family reunions or vacations.

The real difference here is in the cameras. The HS720E produces stable and crisp footage. Remember, its camera films in 4K and comes with EIS to eliminate undesired image vibrations.

Also, thanks to its double GPS module, it tracks your mobile device by following the target precisely.

This drone can RTH to the same spot it takes off when it has a low battery or breached a threshold you previously preset on the mobile app.

The HS175D does the same. It will follow you anywhere, focusing the target centered on the camera view.

However, its camera lacks proper visibility angles, losing you constantly when filming between obstacles or if your target moves quickly and is far away.

Consider it will have a hard time landing at the same location it took off as it is easily disturbed by the wind. Also, it will stop the RTH constantly in windy conditions.

So this is another reason to fly this drone only near you or in a place where you can recover it easily.

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Price #

It’s hard to compare these two drones’ costs, as both are toys intended for different users.

The HS720E drone has DJI and Autel vibes thanks to its size, weight, and construction. It isn’t at the same level by any means, but it gives you the feeling that it’s a drone that will last long.

It’s also fun to fly, as the intelligent flight modes work consistently without excessive glitches. Its 4K camera with EIS makes it the perfect companion for a vocational trip to film special moments.

The HS175D is a drone for kids to fly in the backyard and have fun taking videos of themselves playing with friends.

It has the same intelligent flight modes as the HS720E but only works at distances near the remote controller as it lacks proper signal strength.

I discourage you from choosing the HS175D over the HS720E based on price. As an adult, you’ll find the HS175D boring.

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Why choose the Holy Stone HS720E over HS175D #

The HS720E is easy to fly, as it holds its position in the air even with wind, thanks to its dual GPS modules. It’s also accurate when performing fun, smart features like follow-me and waypoints.

More importantly, all the RTH functions work with little to no glitches.

This quadcopter is also the best option for the beginner who wants a drone that feels premium, paying three times less.

Consider this drone is far from being on the same level as top brands, but as a starter 4K drone for a user with a restricted budget, there isn’t a wiser option than the HS720E.

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Why choose the Holy Stone HS175D over HS720E #

Although this drone is cheaper than the HS720E, I don’t consider the price a fair perspective when choosing the HS175D.

This drone is a toy and nothing more.

Its GPS module allows it to perform intelligent flight modes like waypoints and safety features like RTH. It hovers at a fixed altitude even when you release the throttle joystick.

But those functions don’t work as consistently as in the HS720E. Also, it doesn’t maintain its position very well, even with a light breeze.

It’s perfect for kids and teens to start familiarizing themselves with a drone. With the HS175D, they will start getting experience while having lots of fun.

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What’s better: the Holy Stone HS720E or HS175D? #

By far, the HS720E.

For the price of this drone, it’s a no-brainer for every recreational pilot.

Its only downside is the weight. Not because the weight makes it hard to fly but because you must register it before flying. Flying it without previous registration can get you a fine.

That’s the only aspect the HS175D is more attractive than the HS720E.

What are your thoughts?

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