Note: Fly safely and responsibly, folks. Never flown before? Learn to fly for free over here. Need to get your FAA commercial drone certificate? Start studying over here.
In this post, I’m going to walk you through 6 inexpensive drones for beginner pilots.
At UAV Coach, we often suggest starting off with a less expensive system. This is so you can hone your skills before moving on to the bigger guns (like the Mavic 2 Pro or the Flyability Elios 2).
The models in our list below don’t have all the bells and whistles of higher-end drones for sale, but you’ll be surprised at how advanced their features can get.
Also, you may want to consider learning to fly using a drone simulator. We’re pro-simulator over here and recommend trying this free trial of the DJI Flight Simulator if you’re interested in learning how to fly with real-life training 🙂
Note: If you live in the U.S. and want to earn money as a professional drone pilot, check out our step-by-step guide to getting certified. And here are our latest course promo codes.
The Best Cheap Drones for Beginners
For Hobbyists Scoot Mini Drone Flight Time | 8 Minutes Flight Time | 8 Minutes |
For Hobbyists Holy Stone HS420 Mini Drone Flight Time | 12 Minutes Flight Time | 12 Minutes |
For Hobbyists, FPV Racing Holy Stone HS440 Drone Camera | 1080P Flight Time | 20 Minutes Camera | 1080P Flight Time | 20 Minutes |
For Hobbyists DJI Tello Camera | 720p HD, 5 MP Flight Time | 13 Minutes Camera | 720p HD, 5 MP Flight Time | 13 Minutes |
For Hobbyists Holy Stone HS175D Drone Camera | 4K Flight Time | 23 Minutes Camera | 4K Flight Time | 23 Minutes |
For Hobbyists Ruko U11S Drone Camera | 4K Flight Time | 40 Minutes Standard Remote ID Compliant Camera | 4K Flight Time | 40 Minutes |
Drone technology has come a long way, which means we’ve been able to pack more capabilities into smaller, less expensive packages.
These are some of the most affordable (and popular) UAVs on the market today, and they’re great for anyone looking to get some flight practice under their belt. They’re also great gifts for both adults and kids.
Don’t want to scroll down and read all the specs and just want to see the full list?
Here ya go:
Check out the full specs of our list of 6 cheap drones for beginner pilots below:
Note #1: All specs/features are obtained from the manufacturer or retailer.
Note #2: On this list, we’ve included models available for sale on Amazon and DJI — as Amazon and DJI Associate partners, we earn a small commission for qualifying purchases. Please know that we’ve tested many of the models on this list, and we wouldn’t recommend anything we wouldn’t fly ourselves!
8 Minutes
Hobbyists
The Scoot Mini Drone features advanced hands-free operation which makes it a great drone for all ages. With an enclosed frame and infrared obstacle sensors, it is also safe for use in any indoor space.
It comes with a USB charging cord making it easy to charge anywhere and it gets a full charge within an hour.
With 8 minutes of nonstop flight time, playing fun interactive games with your friends at a very affordable price has never been easier.
12 Minutes
Hobbyists
The Holy Stone HS420 Mini Drone, is a small drone that that is perfect for taking it on the go.
Propeller guards increase the durability of the drone and make this affordable drone great for beginners. The simple remote controller makes this drone compatible for all ages with 1-Key Start/Stop and easy joystick directional controls.
Looking for a beginner stunt drone? This drone can be tossed to launch, it can perform stunts like 3D flip, Circle Fly and High-Speed Rotation. You can customize a flight path through the app and the drone’s flight path will follow the one you draw. High and low-speed modes make the drone fit with both experienced and novice pilots. The joy of flight is endless.
1080P HD
20 Minutes
Hobbyists
The Holy Stone HS440 drone proves that you do not have to drop hundreds of dollars for a great starter drone. It features a 1080P WiFi camera system ensuring crisp pictures every time. The included gravity sensor, tap fly, and gesture control modes allow you to capture cinematic footage or even capture a selfie.
Enjoy up to 20 minutes of flight time with the intelligent flight battery system. The rugged design of the HS440 and its altitude positioning system ensures a stable and safe flight experience. The ease of operation and the number of robust features make this the perfect drone for beginner drone pilots.
720P, 5 Megapixels
13 Min
Hobbyists
The DJI Tello may be a small drone but it is full of advanced features that we have come to expect from DJI. Low battery protection, vision positioning system, and auto takeoff and landing are just a few of the advanced features that make this an excellent beginner drone.
Capture stunning 5-megapixel pictures and 720p videos with the Tellos onboard camera system.
13-minutes of flight time, DJI technology, and FPV headset compatibility at such an affordable price ($100!), make this a very compelling option for an inexpensive drone.
4K
23 Min
Hobbyists
The Holy Stone HS175D Drone boasts a 4K camera allowing for smooth and stable videos in high-speed or strong-wind conditions.
It also features GPS assisted flight which means it can automatically return home when the drone loses signal or has a low battery.
Two batteries are included which give you up to 46 minutes of flight experience. And functions like Altitude Hold, Optical Flow, Headless Mode, One Key Take Off/Landing and Speed Adjust make it so easy to beginners or newbies.
4K
20 Min
Hobbyist
The Ruko U11S Drone includes a 90° adjustable 4K camera providing a broader vision.
It also features GPS assisted flight giving you a more free and stabilized flight to take better photos and videos.
An intelligent battery provides a maximum flight time of 20 minutes. An extra battery extends the flight time to 40 mins.
This drone is Standard Remote ID Compliant. Review Declaration of Compliance here.