Best drones 2024: Aim higher with the best of the best

The best drones are now on offer as Amazon Prime Day is here and our top offer is the DJI Mini 3 Fly More Combo on sale right now at Amazon for $495.

Drone technology and design know few bounds, with the best drones offering something for everyone. Whether you're looking for the best sub-250 g model, the best FPV drone, the best multi-camera drone or something in between, our expertly curated guide has you covered.

If, however, you're looking for something more specific, our best camera drones, best beginner drones and best FPV drones guides could be exactly what you're looking for to help you choose your next drone. What's more, there have been some incredibly exciting releases in the last year and we have them all covered in our full reviews.

The best drones quite often feature fantastic cameras, but what we're looking at here is also the overall and unique features that are on offer, alongside size, weight and performance. All of these are important considerations when selecting the best drone for you, not to mention cost which is always a factor.

With cost in mind, Amazon Prime Day continues throughout July 16-17, and we have spotted some incredible drone deals that should save you hundreds of dollars. But we anticipate more to come with other models on Amazon US and UK.

The Quick list

Best drones we recommend in 2024

Best drone overall

Image 1 of 16

As we established in our hands-on DJI Mavic 3 Pro review, you won't be able to find many drones out there better than the DJI Mavic 3 Pro — the first consumer drone with three cameras — which boasts stunning image quality that both professionals and amateurs will appreciate. It's a bastion of creativity with its 24mm Four Thirds Hasselblad camera, which can capture 20MP photos and 5.1K video and has an adjustable aperture between f/2.8 and f/11. On either side, you will find a very useful 70mm medium telephoto and a 166mm telephoto to complete the set.

It features the hallmark Mavic folding design, and like the other models, we found it could provide around 30 minutes of flight time. It also comes with two different smart controller options, both featuring 5.5-inch touchscreens, so there's no need to hook up your smartphone.

The Mavic 3 Pro is very intuitive and easy to fly for a drone of this class since it comes with a number of flight and safety features such as Advanced Return to Home, AirSense ADS-B to detect aircraft, GEO 2.0 geofencing, obstacle sensing and automated flight patterns for video.

Although this is undoubtedly a pricey drone, it's been released at a similar price to older models, making the additional camera fantastic value. If your budget can stretch to it, you will not be disappointed with the incredible features offered by the Mavic 3 Pro.

• Read our full DJi Mavic 3 Pro review.

• Back to the top ⤴

Best single camera drone

Image 1 of 19

Although the DJI Mavic 3 Classic doesn't have the full complement of cameras that the Pro version has, it's still well worth considering. This cost-effective alternative is the best single-camera drone out there and ideal for those who might consider three cameras a little overkill. It is still equipped with the same exquisite 20MP 24mm Hasselblad camera found on the other drones in the series, too, so there's no compromising on picture quality. This camera can shoot in JPEG or Raw, has an adjustable aperture between f/2.8 and f/11, offers 3x digital zoom and can film 5.1K video up to 50fps.

There are two controller options with this drone, depending on your budget. You can opt for a controller with a retractable phone holder or pay a bit more to get a smart controller with a 5.5-inch touchscreen, which in our DJI Mavic 3 Classic review, we found improved the overall user experience. This drone has the typical foldable design of the Mavic range and flight time was around 30 minutes during our testing.

Even beginners will be able to get the hang of flying this drone quickly thanks to all the on-board flight assistance. The Mavic 3 Classic features Advanced Return to Home, obstacle avoidance using multiple vision sensors and the highly effective ActiveTrack 5.0 for subject tracking. The High-Speed Quick Transfer feature also makes it super easy to share your results with clients or on social media since you can transfer files to your smartphone over WiFi at a rate of 80MB/s.

If you don't need a second camera, you can make a decent saving on this drone in comparison to the other Mavic 3 drones without losing many of their other great features and functionality.

• Read our full DJI Mavic 3 Classic review.

• Back to the top ⤴

Best non-DJI alternative

Image 1 of 13

DJI drones may seem a little pricy compared to the Autel EVO Lite+, which comes with a plethora of advanced features and camera functionality.  

Autel's EVO Lite+ offers an appealingly cost-effective alternative to the DJI drone range. Despite its competitive price, it comes with a high level of camera functionality and a range of other advanced features. It includes a 20MP camera with a 1-inch sensor and an equivalent focal length of 29mm. It's also suitable for videographers with an adjustable aperture that lets them retain greater control over exposure while in flight — ranging from f/2.8 to f/11. You can shoot up to 5.4K and capture 4K in 60fps. Shooting in both Raw and JPEG is possible for still images, and the camera offers an impressive ISO range of 100-6400, which is similar to many entry-level DSLR and mirrorless cameras.

It comes with a controller that looks similar to gaming controllers and attaches to your smartphone to be used with the AutelSky app. The folding design makes it easy to transport, and you can choose from a range of colors including Classic Orange, Deep Space Gray and Arctic White. The high-capacity 6175mAh battery kept this 835g drone in flight for just over 30 minutes during our testing.

Other features include a very sensitive collision avoidance system which came in handy a few times during our Autel EVO Lite+ review, 38mph wind resistance, QuickShots automated flight patterns and Dynamic Track to enable the drone to track moving subjects. We think this drone offers excellent value for money, especially if you buy the Premium Bundle, which comes with additional batteries, spare propellers, a set of ND filters and a shoulder bag.

• Read our full Autel Evo Lite+ review

• Back to the top ⤴

Best professional mini drone

Image 1 of 10

For a drone on the lighter side, the DJI Mini 4 Pro packs an impressive punch with a variety of advanced features and tools that means it really lives up to its name. Following our hands-on DJI Mini 4 Pro review, we think this drone would be an excellent choice for pilots who want to make the most of a drone that's under 250g and, therefore, subject to fewer regulations while retaining the functionality of much larger models. 

Advanced features include Omnidirectional Obstacle Avoidance, improved subject tracking, Advanced Return to Home, and several video upgrades. The drone is easy to set up and fly, which is great for beginners and experienced pilots, while the Mini 4 Pro is a smooth and responsive flier. The image sensor and camera are the same as the Mini 3 / Mini 3 Pro, so image quality is similar, although image processing is claimed to have been improved.

The image quality produced by the Mini 4 Pro is excellent, especially for such a compact drone, thanks to the 12/48MP 1/1.3-inch sensor with large 2.4μm pixels. This is housed within a camera offering an equivalent focal length of 24mm with a fixed f/1.7 aperture, that can be rotated 90 degrees for portrait format shooting of both photos and videos. Video can be captured in both standard and flat color profiles with slow motion possible up to 4K. While photos can be captured in both Raw and JPEG formats.

• Read our full DJI Mini 4 Pro review

• Back to the top ⤴

Best portable camera drone

Image 1 of 5

In our DJI Air 2S review, we loved the inbuilt camera. This drone features a 20MP one-inch sensor with a full-frame equivalent focal length of 22mm and up to 8x digital zoom. We wouldn't recommend zooming in that far — given how grainy the image becomes — but a 2x zoom is helpful to capture footage or photos in some more detail without needing to fly too close. 

The drone itself is also compact and lightweight, measuring 7.1 x 3 x 3.3 inches (180 x 97 x 77mm) when folded up, and weighing 21 oz (595g). This means that although it's not sub-250g, it is portable and great for carrying around with you. Its build quality is also worth mentioning, given how sturdy and reliable it feels 

You can shoot up to an impressive 5.4K video and 4K video at 60fps, creating some stunning shots. The only downside is that it comes with a fixed f/2.8 aperture so you can't control the exposure while it's in flight and will need to use a set of ND filters for filming video.

Like many of the other DJI drones, the Air 2S is packed with features that make flying it safe and easy. It's equipped with front, rear, bottom and top obstacle sensors, AirSense ADS-B technology to detect aircraft and multiple automated flight patterns that mean even beginners can shoot complex-looking video footage. We think it offers great value for money if you're looking for a portable drone that can still maintain high image quality and functionality.

• Read our full DJI Air 2S review

• Back to the top ⤴

Best drone for beginners

Image 1 of 11

It can be daunting if you're looking for your first drone to start out — and many affordable models lack in other areas such as the camera. But the DJI Mavic Mini 3 is particularly worth highlighting given it offers far more than most. You can consider it a less sophisticated version of the Mini 3 Pro, the flagship sub-250g model, but it includes the same camera as in the pro, so you won't need to compromise over image quality. It also feels durable — which is reassuring given its price point. 

The camera provides an equivalent focal length of 24mm which is wide-angle and an ideal focal length for aerial photography and video. This is backed up by a 1/1.3-inch 12MP sensor and fixed f/1.7 aperture. The camera also rotates 90° to shoot photos and videos in both landscape and portrait formats, which is a most welcome feature for photographers and those creating aerial videos for social media.

In our DJI Mini 3 review, we found the ISO handling to be excellent throughout the full range of ISO 100-3200. Photos can be captured in both Raw and JPEG formats. Video can be captured in up to 4K at 30 fps in the Normal color profile, so while not as good as the Pro 3 which can shoot in the (flat/Raw) D-Cinelike color profile, it's ideal for beginners and intermediate users. There's also no collision avoidance so you have to take care when flying close to obstacles.

• Read our full DJI Mini 3 review

• Back to the top ⤴

Best FPV drone

Image 1 of 7

FPV drones are notoriously difficult to fly and the traditional LiPo batteries used are just as fiddly in many respects. Despite this, this FPV drone can be flown by absolute beginners and expert pilots alike. The DJI Avata 2 is an FPV drone that draws on DJI's expertise while delivering a highly capable drone.

For beginners, the DJI Motion 3 Controller is fantastic and incredibly intuitive. All that's required is for the pilot to pull the trigger to fly forward while tilting the drone forward or backward to ascend and descend. Turning is achieved simply by tilting the controller to the left or right. Plus, GPS positioning holds the drone in a hover when the trigger is released.

For more advanced pilots, the drone can be flown in Acro mode using the DJI FPV Remote Controller 3 but this is for experts because, as we found out in our DJI Avata 2 review, the drone can crash extremely easily. Whether you're a beginner or an expert pilot, you'll enjoy the new DJI Goggles 3 which provides a clear and crisp 1080p 60fps feed of the FPV camera using DJI 04 Video Transmission.

The FPV camera doubles up as the Avata 2's main camera for capturing video in 4K at up to 60fps, with 2.7K and 1080p offering frame rates up to 120fps for slow motion capture. Color profiles include Normal for straight-out-of-camera footage and the D-Log M flat profile for color grading and professional use. Video quality is fantastic, although some expert FPV pilots prefer to use action cameras attached to the Avata 2, instead.

• Read our full DJI Avata 2 review

• Back to the top ⤴

Best dual camera drone

Image 1 of 11

The DJI Air 3's cameras make it the best dual-camera drone out there, with two  1/1.3-inch sensors and 24mm and 70mm equivalent focal lengths. This model also offers vertical shooting, 4K slow-motion video, and 48MP photo capture. Pilots will enjoy the flexibility here because the two cameras allow them to capture smaller subjects from a distance as well as broader landscape shots.

The Air 3 is a medium-sized model that sits between the DJI Mini 4 Pro and the DJI Mavic 3 Pro. It's larger and more powerful than the former, with a maximum wind resistance of 27mph, and is slightly smaller and lighter than the latter with a weight of 25.4oz / 720g. Flight times average at around 35 minutes per battery before return to home is automatically initiated when the battery reaches 20%, so with the Fly More Bundle that includes three batteries, that's a reasonable amount of flight time.

Alongside precise GPS positioning, the Air 3 offers omnidirectional collision avoidance and advanced return to home, which in our DJI Air 3 review, we found incredibly useful. This is on top of incredibly easy-to-use flight controls, stable flight performance, advanced subject tracking functionality and to top it all off, excellent image quality for both photos and videos from both of the cameras.

• Read our full DJI Air 3 review

• Back to the top ⤴

Best entry-level drone

Image 1 of 6

DJI is well-known as the market-leading drone company, but many of its models are prohibitively priced for beginners and those on a tight budget looking for 4K video capture. The DJI Mini 4K alleviates this problem with a sub-250g drone capable of capturing video in 4K up to 30 FPS, 2.7K up to 30 FPS and 1080p up to 60 FPS. Photo capture is also available in both JPEG and RAW formats.

This palm-sized drone weighs just 8.7 oz / 249 g, which means that US pilots won’t have to register with the FAA or use Remote ID if using the drone for recreational purposes. UK pilots will, however, still have to register as an operator with the CAA. Take a look at our full review of the DJI Mini 4K to learn more about this impressive entry-level model.

Despite its small size and lightweight, the Mini 4K offers Level 5 wind resistance which equates to up to 24 mph, and is impressive for an entry-level drone. Flight times typically average around 21 minutes before Return to Home is initiated when the battery reaches 20%.

Image quality is impressive despite the small imaging sensor, which is a 1/2.3-inch 12MP CMOS. Camera features include Automatic Exposure Bracketing and Panorama capture, which are useful for photography. While Quickshots automated flight patterns allow you to capture professional-looking videos at the touch of a button. So, while not the most feature-packed DJI drone, it has everything a beginner could need with image quality that will keep you happy for some time.

• Read our full DJI FPV review

• Back to the top ⤴

Best FPV drone kit

Image 1 of 6

The Emax Tinyhawk III Plus Freestyle Kit is a traditional ready to fly (RTF) drone kit that comes with everything you need to get started. This includes the drone, Transporter 2 HD FPV Goggles, E8 Transmitter, Two 1S batteries, two sets of propellers, a six-port USB battery charger and other accessories. But what sets this kit apart is that it has a digital FPV feed for a clearer and higher-resolution goggle image than its analog counterparts.

Being a freestyle FPV drone, the Tinyhawk III Plus sports a lightweight X-shaped airframe with exposed propellers and electronics that are exposed on the sides. The HDZero camera sits recessed slightly at the front of the drone, while the single 1S or two 1S batteries are attached to the top with a Velcro strap. It's an incredibly tough drone and this design, along with the tuning, make it possible to fly freestyle/perform aerial stunts.

The Transporter 2 HD FPV Goggles produce an HD on-screen image and can capture up to a 720p 60 FPS (1280 x 720 px) video. This is recorded using the built-in DVR when a microSD card up to 64GB is inserted. This allows you to capture the FPV view of flights with the goggle information in place. It's a useful feature that allows you to relive your flights with this versatile and fun drone.

• Our full review is coming soon

• Read our full DJI Mini 4K review

Best premium FPV drone

Image 1 of 4

Despite the DJI FPV's age, we would still recommend it as being among the best FPV drones. You can use it to shoot stunning 4K videos at up to 60fps, alongside making full use of its 12MP 1/2.3-inch COMS sensor with a fixed focal length equivalent to 14.66mm, a 150-degree field of view and a fixed f/2.8 aperture. For still images, we can certainly recommend better models as it shoots in only the JPEG file format and does not include automatic shooting that some other models do. 

Pairing the DJI FPV with the DJI Goggles V2 will take you as close as you can get to the feeling of flying while remaining with both feet on the ground. We were really impressed by how crisp and sharp the screen view is, and the motion controller was a delight to use. 

It's worth noting, however, that it's a bit less lightweight and portable than some of its counterparts in the Mavic series. At 10 x 12.3 x 5 inches in dimension, you'll need a large bag to transport it along with all the accessories required, but we think it's worth it for the flying experience it provides. 

The DJI FPV is a fun way to get into flying from a first-person perspective, so we think it's worth it for someone looking to improve their skills and do some immersive flying. 

Following our DJI FPV review, we wouldn't necessarily recommend it for complete beginners as it's quite important to get to grips with flight controls on a standard drone first. While it's not the most expensive model out there, the FPV will set you back a fair amount, meaning your budget has to be considerable to get it. Repairs will also cost quite a bit, so it's probably not the right model to learn the ropes on. 

• Read our full DJI FPV review

Best drone for children

Image 1 of 5

The DJI Ryze Tello is a great choice for not only amateurs and those dipping their toes into drone piloting — but also children. While there are plenty of drones out there for professionals, following our DJI Ryzel Tello review, we would consider it an ideal model for younger ones.

Its 5MP camera can shoot images and capture video at 720p, and it doesn't have the features of a fully-fledged professional drone, but that is to be expected given its price point. Newcomers and hobbyists will appreciate flying a drone they can use to hone their skills and practice with — and you don't need to worry too much about crashing this and causing damage.

Professionals and serious content creators should steer clear of this model as it only has a flight time of up to 13 minutes, which likely won't be enough to capture a significant amount of footage. There is also no gimbal included with it, and the camera quality isn't the best you can get. 

However, it's really fun to fly and a great introduction into the world of drones for beginners. You can control the drone from the smartphone app it can be paired with, and it can be programmed using Scratch, which makes it a suitable choice for kids. 

The DJI Telly Ryze can take off from the palm of your hand and be flipped in mid-air. You can even fly it indoors thanks to the propeller guards on it and the fact it weighs just 80 grams. The lightweight design also means it can perform a few preset aerobatic moves that other heavier drones can't. It's worth noting that the flight distance on this drone is limited to 100m, however. 

The drone is fun and easy to operate, with a really responsive joystick controller (via the app). It's also not overly sensitive, so the user can feel fully in control when piloting the drone.

• Read our full DJI Ryze Tello review

• Back to the top ⤴

Buying advice

Buying a drone is exciting but can also be an overwhelming experience, considering the myriad options on the market. While there are hundreds of models to choose from, the advances in drone technology mean you're unlikely to find a really bad quality drone. However, they're usually a considerable investment, so it's worth thinking about what you're looking for in a drone to find the perfect fit for you. 

DJI is the market leader in drone technology. Their models also tend to be relatively good value considering their quality and the features they come with. DJI has an extensive lineup, with models for all budgets and abilities. Among other famous brands, you might want to consider Autel, Parrot and Skydio, all of which have quality products and unique features. 

Remember that if you're buying a drone weighing more than 249g, you'll need to register as a pilot with the CAA (UK) and FAA (US). The process is quick, easy, and relatively inexpensive, and failure to do so could result in a considerable fine.

• Read more: Drone regulations

How we test

Space.com reviews a wide range of products, from telescopes, drones, and cameras to 3D printers and VR headsets. Consequently, our reviews have varying formats depending on the type of product being tested. No matter what we’re covering, though, there are three core areas that we look to test when writing our reviews: design, functionality and performance.

The best drones typically offer a combination of features, functionality and photo and video quality. Testing takes place over several days in different locations, environments and weather conditions (excluding rain) to assess flight performance, flight features, overall handling and image quality for both photo and video capture.

Drones are flown using manual flight patterns to test the connection between the aircraft and the controller, latency between the two, the accuracy of the controls, app connection, reliability and the flight experience in general. Automated flight patterns and collision avoidance are also typically available with these models, so these are always tested to check accuracy, reliability and ease of use.

All testing is conducted in a way that meets local aviation laws and restrictions to ensure that all flights are safe and legal. Drone laws vary from region to region, so you must check local laws and make sure that you're following the guidelines for your country before embarking on your first drone flights.

• Back to the top ⤴