Holy Stone HS720E vs. Ruko F11 Pro (Here’s My Choice)

Are you looking for a drone that lets you learn the basics of flying without breaking the bank?

The Ruko F11 Pro and Holy Stone HS720E are two cheap beginner drones that guarantee a fun flight while you improve your drone maneuverability skills. They are so easy to use that any inexperienced person will become a pro flying them.

But which should you pick? Which one is better?

We’ll provide an overview of each with pros and cons.

Then we’ll compare them in critical aspects such as camera modules, flight experience, and intelligent flight modes.

After reading this article, you will know which drone to choose!

Ruko F11 Pro overview #

Dimensions: 17.51 x 15.76 x 3.14 inWeight: 520 g Max Range: 1.2 km Max Flying Time: 30 mins per battery Camera Still Resolution: 3840 x 2160 Camera Shutter: Electronic Live View Quality: Up to 1080@60 Video Resolution: Up to ****2.9K@30 Internal Storage: No External Max Storage: 128 GB microSD card GPS: Yes

✅ Pros #

• You can fly the drone for up to 60 minutes, as it comes with two batteries.
• You can set up to 16 waypoints for it to fly automatically on a route.
• It can withstand 25 to 31 mph winds, thanks to its Level-6 wind resistance.
• It comes with a beginner mode, which doesn’t let you fly it outside a radius of 30 meters.
• Its app guides you with video tutorials for a successful beginner flight.

❌ Cons #

• It lacks a mechanical gimbal.
• You need to register it as it weighs more than 250 grams.

Holy Stone HS720E overview #

Dimensions: 13.27 x 9.45 x 2.28 in Weight: 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 #

• You can fly the drone for up to 46 minutes.
• It’s sturdy, so it’s capable of withstanding windy conditions.
• It has intelligent flight modes built in, such as follow-me and circle-me.
• Compared to the Ruko F11 Pro, this drone is more visible thanks to brighter downward positioning lights.
• Sony EIS technology allows it to film decent footage for a cheap drone.

❌ Cons #

• It has no mechanical gimbal.
• You must register it.

Ruko F11 Pro vs. Holy Stone HS720E (In-depth comparison) #

Looking at these two drones side by side, you may initially find them almost identical.

However, they have distinctive features that make them more or less suitable for you. Let’s review.

Build and design #

Both drones are quadcopters with rectangular bodies that make them robust and suitable for newbies.

You can land these drones abruptly without worrying they’ll break on the first attempt.

The landing section is where the first difference is.

The F11 Pro has landing gear in the front legs and rear belly. The HS720E has both landing gears in the belly.

Due to this landing gear configuration, the F11 Pro landing gear helps the front arms be less prone to break on their body joints.

Also, it makes the whole drone stable on irregular surfaces, as the landing gear supports the front extremity’s weight.

However, these long front landing gears tend to break easily when hard landing often.

The HS720 almost sits on the ground, with the landing gears lifting the drone slightly.

So when landing in irregular places, it can go to the sides, hitting the engines.

Holy Stone installed the four engines high and at the same level to prevent the engines from hitting the ground.

When the drone goes to the side, it hits the arm and not the engine most of the time.

» MORE: Best Drone Landing Pad

Weight and size #

The F11 Pro is larger than the HS720E when unfolded.

When you retract them, they occupy almost the same space, so both are handy and will fit any daypack.

However, we don’t recommend you carry them all day long, as they are heavy.

Both drones are over 450 grams, so you will quickly feel the extra tension on your back and shoulders.

Ruko and Holy Stone sell these drones as a bundle with a comfortable carrying case.

The most meaningful factor to consider regarding their weight is that you need to register them.

These drones are only suitable for recreational purposes as they lack the proper hardware to use them commercially.

In the US, you must register any drone that weighs more than 250 grams, including the F11 Pro and HS720E.

In other regions, the same or stricter rules apply. These two drones need registration in Europe and Latin America, for example.

Avoid these two options if you’re looking for a drone with these functionalities that don’t need registration.

In the weight and size section, both drones draw.

» MORE: How Fast Can Drones Fly? (An In-Depth Guide)

Camera comparison #

The first aspect of the camera module in both drones is that they lack a gimbal.

However, you will find that the pictures and videos are less blurry, as they both have EIS.

This feature reduces undesired jittering, allowing you to take clear footage.

Another attractive feature of these drones is that their cameras can tilt.

However, the quality of the picture and video distorts a bit, so your footage ends up being elongated.

Both cameras provide pale and blueish imagery you can fix in a mobile app or desktop software.

Besides, the F11 Pro and HS720E can only take overexposed or underexposed imagery, which isn’t an intentional feature of the manufacturers.

You can’t use ND filters with these cameras to correct the lighting, or they will be useless due to the low-quality footage these cameras provide.

The cameras in these drones are useful for taking pictures and recording scenes for yourself, like family meetings.

Neither Ruko nor Holy Stone intends to compete with drones from DJI or Autel, which have top-notch cameras but cost three times more.

As a main difference, the pictures on the HS720E look crisper than the F11 Pro.

When the camera tilts downward, the image doesn’t distort as noticeably as in the Ruko drone.

Regarding memory storage space, both drones draw.

You can install microSD cards up to 128GB, so you’ll never run out of space.

» MORE: 9 Tips to Make Your Drone Footage More Cinematic

Flight experience #

Both drones behave the same in this area.

They are responsive to commands, and they instantly act accordingly.

Be aware that you can face loss of signal.

These drones’ remote controllers aren’t superior technology providing stable signal transmission.

We recommend you only fly them in open and vast areas.

From the maneuverability perspective, they yaw, pitch, and roll smoothly, so they are relatively easy to control for a newbie.

When you get comfortable enough flying them, you can change their speeds to a sport mode in which you will have a near-FPV experience with the drone drifting and turning somehow aggressively.

Flight time #

The clear winner is the Ruko, with seven minutes more flight time per battery than the Holy Stone drone.

However, these flight times are only estimates. Achieving the 23-to-30-minute flight times for the F11 Pro and HS720E will be hard.

You can expect them to fly 20 to 25 minutes max with one battery, respectively.

That’s why our winner is the Ruko, as more flight time means more fun in the air!

» MORE: Top 5 Drones with the Longest Flight Time

Flight range #

Both drones have a Wi-Fi flight mode and GPS flight mode. With the Wi-Fi flight mode, the drones can fly as far as 30 meters, and with the GPS mode, they can fly further.

The F11 has a max flight range of about 1.2 kilometers and the HS720E 1 kilometer per manufacturer information, but these are mainly ideal values in windless conditions and no interference at all.

However, flying over 500 meters will drain their batteries very fast.

You want to avoid that, or you can lose the drone if the battery is almost drained for an automatic return-to-home.

The Ruko conserves its signal efficiently at farther distances than the HS720E.

You will get less annoyed with the Ruko, as you can control it without needing to regain a signal as often as the HS720E.

From the flight range perspective, both drones draw with a very poor range that will be sufficient for an inexperienced hobbyist.

» MORE: Drone Battery Care (All You Need to Know)

Smart features #

The intelligent flight modes are the reasons why new users prefer these drones over others that are cheaper.

The safety smart features are the automatic RTH functions. Once these drones lose signal from the remote for several seconds, they return to where they took off.

This RTH also works when you breach a boundary you preset on their apps or when the battery is low.

Your drone will always be safe when it goes too far, you don’t see it, or the battery is critical.

Both drones have the follow-me mode and circle-me functions and waypoints.

With only one tap on the screen, the F11 or HS720E will follow you in any direction.

Waypoint missions let you preset a flight path the drone will follow.

When comparing smart features, the Ruko is the clear winner.

Although both drones have the same smart functions, the F11 maintains a more stable signal with the transmitter.

This signal stability translates into the functions working smoothly.

Price #

The Holy Stone is a cheaper drone than the Ruko.

If you compare them solely on price, your first pick should be the HS720E.

However, there is a reason for that price gap.

The Ruko drone is sturdier and feels more premium.

It also comes with longer battery life and properly working smart features.

So if those features are worth the extra cash, go for the Ruko.

If you are on a very tight budget but still want a durable drone to have fun, pick the Holy Stone drone.

» MORE: Best Beginner Drones Under $500

Ease of use #

Both drones are extremely easy to use.

They both have beginner modes that limit the drone to fly as far as 30 meters from the remote controller.

They also have a GPS module that helps maintain the drone in a fixed position without losing altitude.

Before flying the drones, Ruko and Holy Stone recommend you calibrate them.

They guide you with step-by-step prompts to achieve a successful calibration through the app.

The Holy Stone app is smooth. Every tap you make on this app will automatically translate into the desired action.

The Ruko app has a little delay in its response to tapping options. The loading times to charge the photos and videos take longer than with the Holy Stone app.

In favor of Ruko, the app starts a how-to video tutorial guide to help you achieve your first flight.

Aside from that, the F11 and HS720E draw regarding ease of use.

» MORE: Are Expensive Drones Easier to Fly

Why choose Ruko F11 Pro #

The Ruko is more robust than the Holy Stone drone, so it’s more suitable for beginners.

With only one battery, it also has more flight time.

Finally, its remote controller has more range so it can fly further, only losing signal occasionally.

Why choose Holy Stone HS720E #

The price is why we would choose the HS720E over the F11 Pro.

This drone is cheaper than the Ruko without affecting build quality and durability.

However, the drone deals with issues with battery performance, smart functions, and flight range.

What’s better: Ruko F11 Pro or Holy Stone HS720E? #

Are you a brand person?

If your answer is yes, then go for the HS720E.

Holy Stone is a renowned brand with drones aimed at children to adults.

This doesn’t mean Ruko products are cheap or non-durable, only that Holy Stone stands out for its customer service and quality drones.

The F11 Pro feels sturdier and more suitable for beginners. That’s why the price is a bit higher than the HS720E.

However, the Ruko overwhelms the Holy Stone drone with more flight time.

Also, your only option is the Ruko if you want to avoid buying batteries for the transmitter.

Apart from that, both drones are easy to fly and have the same intelligent flight modes with almost identical performances.

» MORE: Holy Stone HS720E vs. Ruko F11GIM (Here’s my Choice)

Do these work for commercial usage? #

Neither the F11 Pro nor HS720E drones are suitable for commercial use.

Although these come with cameras capable of capturing 4K photos and videos, their footage is far from professional.

The idea of these drones is to use them for recreational purposes, such as learning to fly and gaining confidence in the process.

If you doubt why a toy drone is heavy enough to require registration, the reason is the intended use of these drones.

Ruko and Holy Stone want to give you a similar flying experience.

High-end drones have features like GPS self-positioning that make them hover in place precisely.

The F11 Pro and HS720E also have these features, but their GPS modules aren’t as accurate as a high-end drone.

So the added weight helps them hover in place, making them easier to control.

These cheap beginner drones have intelligent flight modes built-in, like follow-me and waypoints.

Again, the idea is to show you how these functions will work with a $1,000-plus drone.

We consider these two drones durable and sturdy enough for countless hours of training.

When the time comes and you get a flagship drone, you will have the confidence and skill to fly it seamlessly.

» MORE: Best Professional Drones for Commercial Use (Consider These Things)