Best Budget Drones in 2024

What are the best budget drones in the market right now? Do they have decent camera quality? What are the flight features present in them?

If looking to experience the thrill of flying a drone but are hesitant about the budget, or if you’re just searching for a cool and affordable gift, you’ve come to the right place.

Drones recently gained popularity because of their uses, including recreational flight and aerial photography and filming.

Although high-end drones have more features and capabilities, their cost is frequently expensive. The good thing is that there are now best budget drones that functions impressively.

However, always keep an open mind with budget drones because they may have some limitations compared to more expensive models like having shorter flight times, limited range, or lesser quality cameras.

Let’s take a journey as we’ve reviewed, tested, and listed the best budget drones emphasizing their features, functionality, and affordability.

What Defines a Budget Drone?

These are drones that are significantly more affordable than professional or higher-end drones. The precise range may differ but a budget drone usually costs less than $500.

It is really good for beginners or casual users because they already come with a lot of features and capabilities for a lower price.

The important qualities that you should look for in budget drones are stable flight, a good camera (usually up to 1080p HD nowadays), and compact structure.

Simple flight modes like headless mode, altitude hold, and one key takeoff/landing are usually built-in features to make it easier for beginners.

The common limitation of these low-cost drones is the limited flying duration of 10 to 15 minutes per battery charge.

They could also have lower range and fewer features compared to their expensive counterparts.

Despite these challenges, always remember that they still offer a fun and exciting flying experience. And of course, opening a door for you who desires lower-cost drones.

Quick Comparison Chart

Drone Model	Flight Time	Camera Quality	Weight	Safety Feature	Price
DJI Mini 2 SE	31 mins	2mp/4k	249g	Return-to-Home	$279
SIMREX X800	22 mins	1080p	96g	Low-battery warning	$48.49
TizzyToy BL01	40 mins	4k	454g	360° obstacle avoidance	$49.99

Top 3 Best Budget Drones

The DJI Mini 2 SE is one of the best all-around performing drones under 250 grams. With Fly More Combo, it comes with additional tools to utilize and 2 extra batteries that will extend its flight time up to 93 minutes.

Since it only weighs 249 grams, this drone does not need registration based on the Federal Aviation Authority’s weight regulation.

The drone’s camera quality is further enhanced by EIS and a 3-axis gimbal. It has a 1080p and 2.7K video capture resolution, coupled with a 12 MP image resolution.

With a foldable design, DJI OcuSync, and impressive level 5 wind resistance, the lightweight DJI Mini 2 SE is remarkably durable with excellent flight performance.

Furthermore, it is GPS-oriented and supports three amazing speed modes that you can choose to match your flight preference.

Read our full product review about DJI Mini 2 SE

Specifications

Special Features	10km Transmission Range, Level 5 Wind Resistance, Lightweight, Foldable, Compact, One Button Return
Weight	249 grams
Flight Time	31 minutes
Camera	12MP stills / 2.7k videos
Requires Registration?	No

Pros and Cons

Features and Details

FEATURES	DETAILS
Lightweight and Portable	It is perfect for hikes, road trips and other adventure where you want to capture amazing aerial moment because it weighs less than 249 grams (0.549 pounds)
Registration is NOT Needed	Drones under 249 grams are usually ruled out by FAA’s Registration and Remote ID. You can also visit the FAA’s official website related to this.
Extended Flight Time	It offers a 31-min max flight time so you can certainly enjoy longer flights. It gets even better when you choose the DJI Mini 2 SE Fly More Combo because it offers two additional flight batteries. The total flight time will be up to 93 minutes which makes it one of the best drones for beginners and budget drone seekers
Easy Touch for Best Imaging	You can easily manipulate this drone and allow automatic recording, flying, and generating high-quality videos through its easy-to-use shooting templates. Plus, you can directly share it on social media.
Level 5 (38kph) Wind Resistance	We all know that wind resistance is one of the biggest challenges for hovering drones to maintain stability, but with DJI Mini 2 SE, it will not be a problem.
Advanced Transmission Range	It guarantees more reliable flights and extra aerial moments through its 10-km transmission range. It also offers intensified transmission and stronger anti-interference features, thanks to its built-in DJI OcuSync which is more powerful than Wi-Fi-driven drones.

The SIMREX X800 is one of the best budget drones with incredible features. It is a great strating point to practice drone flying without breaking the bank.

This drone is primarily made with the combination of durable, lightweight plastic materials. It has special RGB lights that are excellent for night flying.

The drone’s camera captures videos in 1080 HD resolution and produces a video output of 1920×1080 pixels.

Moreover, it is enforced with amazing features such as Altitude Hold, Optical Flow Positioning, Headless Mode, and Waypoint.

It comes with 2 batteries, each of them offer 10-11 minutes of flight time. You can control SIMREX X800 through its remote control or your mobile device!

Read our full product review about SIMREX X800

Specifications

Special Features	Special RGB lights, One Key Start, Waypoint Fly, Headless Mode, Auto-Follow, 3D Flip, 3 Speeds
Weight	96 grams
Flight Time	22 minutes (10-11 minutes per battery)
Camera	1080p HD
Requires Registration?	No

Pros and Cons

Features and Details

FEATURES	DETAILS
Foldable and Portable Design	The SIMREX X800 mini drone can be folded easily and it also has a stylish and lightweight design making it easy-to-carry. It is ideal for both indoor and outdoor photography. It has RGB lights (where you can fly this drone at night worry-free), it only weighs 96g (0.212 pounds) and a 1080p camera with an adjustable 90° lens.
Altitude Hold & Optical Flow Positioning	This feature keeps the drone floating at a set height helping you take amazing pictures and films. Moreover, it is equipped with optical flow positioning technology that allows it to hover precisely in any position.
One Key Start/Landing	Nature and the sky become your endless playground with a one-key start/landing button that lets you easily control the drone. It is simple and hassle-free.
Multiple Functions	Gravity detection, 360° flips, headless mode, 3-speed control, and path control are clever features that you can enjoy.
Longer Game Experience Time	It has a maximum flight time of 22 minutes, made possible by its two 1000mAh modular batteries. This drone is excellent for children aged 10 to 12.

You can enjoy soaring through the skies with this impressive budget drone with a First-Person View feature.

TizyyToy BL01 boasts its 4k FPV camera with a 120° adjustable lens and a 110° wide-angle lens that’s perfect for capturing excellent photos and videos.

It has multiple flight functions that are considerably great for any skill level such as Headless Mode, Altitude Hold, Gesture control, and many more.

Additionally, this drone uses a brushless motor that helps it achieve greater speeds as well as improve its durability.

Furthermore, the two included batteries with 1600 mAh offer a flight time of up to 40 minutes, letting you enjoy longer aerial moments.

All things considered, TizzyToy BL01 is an excellent cheap drone with a lot of capabilities. The only thing you can complain about is the time you can spend mastering all the amazing features.

Read our full product review about TizzyToy BL01

Specifications

Special Features	Headless Mode, Gesture Control, Altitude Hold, One-key Takeoff/Landing
Weight	454 grams
Flight Time	20 minutes per battery
Camera	1080p HD
Requires Registration?	Yes

This drone excess the 250 grams weight exemption of the Federal Aviation Authority. Click here to learn how to register drones.

Pros and Cons

Features and Details

FEATURES	DETAILS
Multiple Flight Functions	Headless Mode, Gesture Control, Altitude Hold, One-key Takeoff/Landing and many more can be experienced and enjoyed on this drone.
Two Batteries with a Carrying Case	This drone offers two-1600mAh batteries which enables the pilot to have a flight time of up to 40 minutes, plus it has a carrying case that is excellent for traveling.
Brushless Motor	Using this kind of motor extends its lifespan by up to 4 times and it also helps the fan blades to reach greater speeds.
Stable Flight and Optical Flow Positioning	Features like altitude hold and optical flow positioning help the drone stabilize even in harsh conditions.
Electronic Fence	If you’re wandering too far from the remote control range, this feature will alert you about it.
Adjustable FPV Camera	Enjoy the FPV experience with its impressive 4k camera that has a 120° adjustable lens and a 110° wide-angle lens. Perfect for capturing those amazing aerial moments!
Obstacle Avoidance	This drone has 360° obstacle avoidance which will definitely help for safer and stress-free flights.

Conclusion

Affordable drones have made the life of new aspiring drone pilots easier. We can now enjoy drone flying without breaking the bank.

Many budget drones are surprisingly good despite their lower price which can be seen in their excellent performance and functionality.

In this journey, we have seen that they have strengths and weaknesses. If you want an ensured premium product at low cost, DJI Mini 2 SE is the way to go.

If you want a start drone that has features of higher-end drones, you can simply pick SIMREX X800. And if you want extended flight time, TizzyToy BL01 is the best choice.

Overall, no matter what drone you choose, it will certainly bring you to the exciting and thrilling world of drones. Now, which of these Top 3 Best Budget Drones will you choose?