But, before you invest in a drone, there are some essential features that you must look for:
Video Resolution: Drones are widely used to record videos from unreachable angles, but the quality of the video depends mainly on the resolution of the camera in the drone. Some drones offer video resolutions like 4K and 2K while finding a drone with 1080p and 720p camera is very common. Flying Time: The flying time is one of the major aspects that you should consider before buying a drone. Almost every drone is capable of flying for at least 15 minutes. But most brands offer 2 batteries inside the package. It means you get nearly double the flying time. Warranty: Flying drones requires a good amount of skill and experience. Even though most drones offer good assistance; you might still end up getting it damaged. But, there is no need to worry about your drone as most brands offer around a 1-year warranty, while some even offer 2 years of warranty as well.
Choosing the perfect drone can be slightly challenging. Therefore, we have curated a list of some of the best drones under $200 so that you do not need to waste any time. Although, if you want to know more about these drones, we have mentioned a detailed “Buying Guide” as well. Make sure to go through each and every product to find the best and suitable drone for yourself.
Best Drones Under 200$ in 2023
Top 9 Drones Under 200 Dollars
1. Holy Stone HS110D FPV RC Drone
Best drone under $50 Best drones under $300 Best drones under $500 Best mini drones
Holy Stone is yet another nice brand to choose as they also make a variety of drones that cover all kinds of budget, and this HS110D FPV RC Drone falls into the budget segment. The Holy Stone HS110D FPV RC Drone is in 2nd place on the list as this small quadcopter boasts a 120° Wide-Angle WiFi camera that can shoot videos in 1080p resolution with FPV transmission. It does support features like Altitude Hold, Headless Mode, and multiple other functions like Voice Control, Gestures Control, Trajectory Flight and Gravity Sensor Control. You can enjoy a great flight time and control the drone pretty easily using the dedicated app and the RC. It does have a lot of features, but the only downside of this drone is its 3.7V 1000mAh battery that lasts for about 10 minutes only. Moreover, it is not replaceable, so the only option left is to recharge it again. Once you get a hang of it, you can even do 3D flips and record some cool videos using the headless mode and auto-hover feature. In addition, you can even enjoy the 3D view in a VR headset using the 3D Mode. Best Features:
Full HD Video Recording Altitude Hold Low Battery Indication One Button Landing and Take-off LED lights App Control Voice Control FPV Transmission
Components:
HS110D Drone Transmitter 1000mAh Li-po Modular Battery User manual 4 Extra Motor Gears 2 Propeller Guards 4 Extra Propeller Blades 2 Extra Light Covers 2 Extra Landing Feet 18 Screws Phone Holder USB Charging Cable Screwdriver Manual
2. Holy Stone HS120D GPS Drone
Once again, we have a drone from the same brand Holy Stone, but this one does not cost as low as the previous one. We have put this one on the 3rd position as the drone offers a pretty good flying time of around 36 minutes if you use both the batteries one after another. Moreover, it is built very sturdy and weighs just 250 grams, so you can fly it without the FAA registration. Apart from that, its 1080p HD 120° FOV Adjustable FPV Camera allows you to capture amazing footage and images. Just download the dedicated drone app, and set your mobile phone over the controller and enjoy flying the drone. It comes with plenty of features like Follow Me, Object Trace, Custom Path, Gesture control that makes your user experience much more convenient. Moreover, it can lock on to a certain altitude and move in any direction in the Headless mode for capturing some creative shots. The GPS auto-return feature makes it come back to the owner in case it starts to lose signal strength that saves it from getting lost. Best Features:
Follow Me Mode Headless Mode Altitude Mode GPS auto-return feature 1080p HD 120° FOV Up to 36 minutes of battery life Small and lightweight
Components:
HS120D Drone Carrying Backpack Transmitter 2 3.7V 1200mAH Batteries 2 Extra Landing Gears 4 Propellers USB Battery Charger User Manual
3. SANROCK U5 Drone
The next product on our list comes from a reliable brand called SANROCK which is well-known for providing good quality products and affordable price range. Their U5 drone is equipped with in-built 1080 HD camera and 90 degrees adjustable angle which ensures good quality videos and images. You can view the recordings live in your smartphone through FPV real-time transmission. As it comes with anti-hovering feature, it ensures steady flying at particular altitude. It comes with indicators that let you know when the battery of the drone is low. It also lets you know when the drone exceeds the maximum distance of 100 meters. It comes with a protective propeller which ensures safe flight every time. Because of the high-quality ABS material so it will last pretty long and withstand harsh weather conditions. Best Features:
1080P camera 320ft max control range Headless mode Emergency landing One key take off/landing Smart alert Voice control Custom route Speed adjustment 3D flips and rolls Gesture and gravity control
Components:
U52 drone Transmitter with phone holder 1500 mAh drone battery Extra propellers Protection frames Charging frames User manual Screw driver
4. Holy Stone GPS FPV RC Drone HS100
In case you are looking for a little premium product from Holy Stone, the HS100 might interest you a little. Like its other siblings, this drone has a premium and robust build quality as well. Not just that, Holy Stone has put a 2K HD camera in this drone to make it highly useful for videography as it can provide almost twice the detail than a standard 1080p camera. However, it does not affect battery life at all as it still offers 18 minutes of flying time on a single charge of its 3500 mAh in-built battery. It is capable of reaching heights up to 1968ft while still being operable by the controller. If somehow the battery gets low or the signal gets lost, just press the return button, and it will automatically fly back to you. Apart from that, its big body is wind resistant, and features like Headless Mode, Altitude Hold and One Key Takeoff and Landing make it easier to operate and even suitable for the beginners. Best Features:
GPS Auto Return & Follow Me Upgraded 2K Camera Excellent Battery Life Powerful build quality 3 in 1 working modes Easy to assemble
Components:
HS100 Drone Carrying Backpack Transmitter Extra Propellers USB Battery Charger User Manual
5. DILROGX GPS Professional Drone
DILROGX is one of the well-known brands manufacturing the best drones under $200, as it comes with compact and easy-to-use features making them last longer. This JX01 GPS professional drone is designed with 2 cameras – a 1080p camera on the bottom and a 4K UHD camera at the front camera to take abundant and multifaceted photos, while its new chip offers live video & photos. Its precise GPS offer assistant features like low battery return, signal loss return, and one key return. It offers a longer range control of about 1600 feet along with an image transmission for a maximum of up to 980 feet and has a GPS auto return feature. You can view the world bigger with its adjustable 120° FOV & 90° lens and 5GHz FPV transmission. There are various features like precise hovering or automatic take-off, low battery alarm, Wi-Fi control, headless mode, & 360-degree flip for a safe and streamlined operation, whereas its one-key takeoff/landing, high/low speed rotation, voice control, follow-me mode, waypoints fly, altitude hold, and GPS positioning offer more fun in flight. It comes with 2 powerful modular batteries, in which each one offers a maximum of 20 minutes, which means it has a total flying capacity or time duration of up to 40 minutes. The modular battery ensures safety while charging and using the device. Calibrate the drone to align with the frequency and search for GPS signals to prevent loss of control and charge the drone fully before operating it. Best Features
Precise GPS and control range of 1600 feet 980 feet image transmission range 5 GHz FPV transmission Headless security mode 360-degree flips and rolls 40 minutes flight time 4K camera to have perfect photos and videos Follow me mode, auto-return mode, and altitude control system. One-key operation Smartapp control and remote control Comes in a well-fitted carrying case to move the drone around
Components
Drone and transmitter Drone stand (2) Drone battery (2) Camera cover Extra propellers (4) USB charging cable Carrying case Instructional manual
6. Holy Stone GPS Drone
Holy Stone has been manufacturing innovative drones since 2014 with professional features and advanced technologies. The brand has a wide range of drones that suit the flying style of beginners, intermediate, and advanced level users. Holy Stone’s GPS drone is powered by 2 modular batteries that give you a flight time of 26 minutes. Using the remote control, you can control the drone up to a range of 984 feet to explore more of your surroundings. Also, the drone has an FPV range of 492 feet. When it comes to the features, you will get all the standard flying modes that you can expect in a professional drone. It is equipped with follow me mode, auto return mode, altitude control system, and one-key operation. There is also a custom flight path feature using which you can preset the flight path of the drone and just enjoy the view when the drone is flying automatically. The drone features a 1080P camera so that you can enjoy the aerial view and capture photos and record videos with great detailing. You can also take selfies and record your smile and save it on your phone directly. Best Features
26 minutes of flight time 984 feet transmission range 492 feet FPV range Follow me mode Auto return mode Altitude control system One-key operation Custom flight path feature 1080P camera Smartapp control and remote control
Components
Drone Carrying bag Controller Batteries Spare parts Manual
7. Syma X500 4K Drone
Syma has been manufacturing high quality radio controlled drones and quadcopters. The brand develops drones with advanced and easy-to-use features to make the flight experience safe for kids of all ages. The reason that Syma’s X500 drone makes it to our list is because it offers a flight time of up to 40 minutes, the longest on our list. It also offers you a range of 10,000 feet that is pretty long. Besides, the drone comes with all the flying modes including altitude mode, headless mode, one-key take-off/land functions for easy operation and maneuverability. On top of this, the drone also has follow me, GPS auto return, and object trace and custom path features. With these features, the drone will automatically return to your location or follow you so that you don’t have to worry about it getting lost. The drone is equipped with a 4K UHD camera to shoot images and take videos in high-resolution. The camera has a 120-degree field of view and a 90-degree vertical gimbal movement. This allows you to take aerial shots and videos from a wider perspective. You can use hand gestures to control the drone and operate the camera under 300 inches. There is also an intelligent optical flow positioning system that allows you to observe the ground situation in real-time. Best Features
Run time of 40 minutes 10,000 feet transmission range Ultra HD images and video recording 120-degree field of view and 90-degree vertical gimbal movement Altitude mode Headless mode One-key take-off/land function GPS auto-return Follow me mode Hand gesture control
Components
X500 Drone Transmitter 7.6V 1700mAh Li-PO battery Carrying Case USB Charging Cable for Drone USB Charging Cable for Transmitter Spare Propeller Screwdriver
8. VISUO XS816 Drone
There are plenty of drone options under the $200 price mark, but it is rare to find a drone that is capable of 4K video recording, and VISUO XS816 Drone does it pretty well. Even if it is available for a fairly affordable price, the features it has are almost premium that makes it too easy to control and fly. The 4K video recording from its 0.3MP dual cameras with 50x zoom and high-quality transmission over Wi-Fi are good enough reasons to call it the best one for video recording purposes. However, it has plenty of other features that will amaze you, such as Gesture Control, Intelligent follow, One-key return, and some tricks like 3D roll, flips, rotations, and much more. According to your skill level and experience with the drone, you can select between 3 different speed modes and enjoy flying the drone for almost 20 minutes on a single charge. Apart from that, the Altitude Hold and Six-axis flight control system stabilizes the drone in the air to capture steady videos and images. Best Features:
4K HD FPV Folding Design Altitude Hold 3D Flips Intelligent Follow Mode 50X Zoom One key return 3 Speed modes
Components:
RC drone Extra Propellers Crash guards Screwdriver USB Cable Controller
9. Simrex X900 Drone
Simrex is a toy brand that manufactures drones, RC cars, and their relevant components. The brand designs its product with compact and easy-to-use features. This is one of the most heavily feature-packed drones on our list. The drone has 3 speed modes to suit beginners and experts. You get the standard headless mode for maneuvering the drone without worrying about the direction it is facing. The drone does 360-degree flips and rolls that make the flight time even more fun and exciting. There are also one-key takeoff/landing and one-key return buttons for ease of use and safety. You can control this drone using three different methods – smartapp, transmitter control with built-in gravity sensor, and transmitter control with joystick. It has a flight time of 15 minutes and a transmission range of up to 120 metres. The drone uses a FHD 1080p camera for clear images and video footage. The 110-degree wide angle allows you to view a broad landscape. Besides, you can connect the camera to VR glasses for a surreal flight experience. The drone features a foldable design with a dimension of 130×90×45mm for compact storage and handling. Best Features
15 minutes of flight time 120 metres transmission range 3 speed modes FHD 1080p 110-degree wide camera Headless mode Altitude hold One-key takeoff/landing One-key return button Foldable design 3 modes of control
Components
Simrex drone Controller (AA batteries not included) Phone holder Charging cable Lipo battery Spare propellers Propeller protection frames Product manual
Buying Guide for the Best Drone
Now, as we have discussed some of the best drones available in the market, you might already have a good knowledge about the features. But, except for the additional features and your budget, there are certain aspects that you should primarily be concerned about. This guide will tell you about the most major aspects of a drone that are responsible for its performance. In case you are having a hard time choosing the best drone for yourself, we recommend you to read this buying guide thoroughly and look for these essential features in your choice of drone.
Video Resolution
Drones are used widely for most of the reasons; some people use small and light drones for racing while some use them to take pictures and record videos from unreachable angles. For such an audience, the video resolution is an essential factor because the overall video quality is majorly dependent on it. In the budget of $200, it is pretty easy to find a drone that offers 720p HD video resolution. Although there are some brands that even provide much better video resolutions like Full HD, 2K, and even 4K. So, if you find a drone that offers such video resolution and it fits right in your budget, we recommend you not to miss the deal.
The Law
Drones are not like normal toys that kids play with, as they are equipped with high-quality cameras that can record stuff pretty easily. Hence, people can even misuse it, so there are certain rules and regulations introduced by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that you need to follow in order to use your drone. In case your drone weighs more than 8.8 ounces, or say 250 grams, you will need to register with the FAA. However, most toy drones and racing drones are made very lightweight. Hence they will not need any kind of registration. Once registered, the assigned number should be kept written somewhere on the drone. On the other hand, the FAA has set some limits on where you can fly your drone. Drones are not allowed within 5 miles of an airport. Moreover, if you are in certain areas like restricted airspace, emergency areas such as road accidents, state & national parks, and wildlife areas, you should keep your drone in your bag only.
Battery Life
The battery life of any gadget matters a lot, and in the case of drones, the battery life determines their flying time. As video recording is a pretty heavy task, it sucks battery a little faster, and the drone itself needs enough juice to keep flying. Hence, you need to look for a drone that can at least fly for 15 minutes continuously if you want to record videos. On the other hand, there are a few drones that are not particularly for videography purposes. Such drones are mainly used for racing or just to have fun because they are built very lightweight and small. Therefore the battery would be small as well, and if it lasts for about 10 minutes, it is just fine. While most small drones usually have an inbuilt battery that can not be swapped out, the bigger drones come with a much bigger battery that is replaceable as well. As most brands understand that 15 minutes of flying time is not a great thing, they provide at least one spare battery with the drone, so that you can fly your drone for at least half an hour easily.
Speed and Range
Drones can fly up to great heights and at absolutely remarkable speeds. As a result, modern drones are often used for racing as well. However, flying a drone at higher speeds requires a lot of skill to handle it. You must be aware of the fact that certain drones can even fly at a pace of 35 miles per hour, and even more. And, as for the height, you should expect your drone to work perfectly even if it is flying above the height of 100ft. If you go above the recommended range of a drone, your controller might lose communication with the drone as other radio waves can interfere with the signals at such heights, and you might lose your drone.
Conclusion
It seems to be an easy task to pick the best drone from the list. However, if you are having any confusion, we have some personal recommendations for you.
The Holy Stone HS110D is the best budget drone offering the essential features along with 1080p video recording. However, if you are in search of the best drone suitable for videography, the VISUO XS816 Drone offers 4K video recording at a moderate price. On the other hand, if you want to spend almost all of your 200$, invest in the Syma X500 4K Drone as it offers the best build quality along with 4K video resolution.
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