The best drones can take your GoPro to the sky and record incredible aerial footage. However, choosing the right drone for GoPro is difficult since so many choices exist.
Hi, my name is Larry! I’ve been using GoPros and drones to record action content for almost one decade. As a professional videographer, I’ve tested dozens of different GoPro drones.
In today’s ultimate guide, I’ll share my top 7 best drones for GoPro cameras. I’ll also explain my key takeaways, answer some related questions, and explain what makes the best drone for GoPro.
Overall, If you already own a GoPro, buying a big expensive drone is no need to get aerial footage with it. You can achieve stunning videos from high in the air with much more budget-friendly options, seeing as you don’t need to buy a drone with a great camera already onboard.
Let’s fly in!
Key Takeaways
- This guide focuses on drones with built-in gimbals where you can mount your GoPro camera.
- Range and stability are two of the most important factors when choosing the best drone for GoPro.
- If you want to record drone content exclusively and don’t have a GoPro yet, I recommend investing in a drone with an excellent camera instead.
- The DJI Mavic Air 2 is the best overall drone for GoPro cameras.
What drones can I use with a GoPro?
There are dozens of drones you can use with GoPro cameras. However, it’s important to understand that most drones come with built-in cameras nowadays. While some of the cameras can compete with GoPros, they don’t have the advanced image stabilization GoPro cameras offer. In addition, you can mount your GoPro on most drones, given it can support the weight.
What is the best drone GoPro?
The best drone for GoPro is the DJI Mavic Air 2. This is an impressive drone with great battery life and an outstanding range. However, every drone listed below is compatible with GoPro cameras, so they are all excellent choices. The best option depends on your budget and the type of battery life and range you want.
Can a GoPro go on a drone?
Although most drones have built-in cameras, most of them can also mount a GoPro camera via an external mounting system. Therefore, GoPros can go on drones. However, you must ensure the drone can support the GoPro’s weight. Luckily, all the drones listed below support GoPro cameras.
Can the DJI Mini 2 carry a GoPro?
The DJI Mini 2 can lift a GoPro without any noticeable performance problems. However, it may decrease the battery life because of the extra weight. This drone offers stable video footage and excellent reliability.
How do you attach a GoPro to a drone?
Many drones come with a built-in mounting system you can use to attach your GoPro camera. These include stationary mounts and gimbal mounts. Stationary mounts are worse than gimbal mounts because gimbals reduce the drones’ vibrations and shakes.
What Makes the Best Drone for GoPro
Before we dive into my list of the best drone for GoPro, discussing what factors you should look for is essential. This will help you differentiate between the options and find the best GoPro drone for your specific recording preferences and needs. While the drone’s range and battery life are incredibly crucial, you should also consider stability as well.
- Range: It is no surprise to say that you want the farthest range possible on your drone. This will allow you to explore the skies without worrying about losing signal with your drone. The higher and farther away you go, the more exciting things you can find!
- Battery Life: Finding a drone with good battery life is definitely not easy, but the longer the battery life, the more fun you will have. Having a decent battery life will also allow you peace of mind when flying your drone farther away from you, knowing it will not run out of juice too quickly.
- Stability: When putting your GoPro on a drone, you want to make sure the drone you are using isn’t getting flopped around in the wind and causing unusable video. The more stable the drone, the better your GoPro footage will be.
Top 7 Best Drones for GoPro
It’s time to jump into the top 7 best drones for GoPro cameras. I’ve flown dozens of different drones and know the ins and outs of all the top brands. Therefore, this is the ultimate list of the best GoPro drones on the market.
Let’s get into it!
1. DJI Mavic Air 2 (Best Overall)
- Range: 32,000 feet
- Battery Life: 34 minutes
The DJI Mavic Air 2 offers a premium blend of power and portability. This drone comes with a high-quality camera that shoots 48MP photos and takes 4K videos at 60fps. Therefore, if you accidentally forget to pack your GoPro one day, you can use the drone’s camera instead.
This drone also offers an unbelievable range. The range is how far the transmission controller lets you fly the drone. You can fly the drone up to 6.2 miles or 10 kilometers away, which is incredibly impressive. Furthermore, the max flight speed of 42.3 miles per hour in sport mode lets your record fast-paced action conveniently.
The DJI Mavic Air 2 comes with a remote controller, intelligent flight battery, 3 low-noise propellers, a USB-C cable, a Lightning cable, a standard Micro-USB cable, spare controller sticks, a gimbal protector, a battery charger, and an AC power cable. Therefore, you have everything you need in the box to start filming epic drone videos right away.
However, the primary downside of this drone is its relatively high price point. Since it’s a high-end drone, it carries an expensive price tag because of the outstanding features it offers. Therefore, this is not the best option if you are a budget-conscious shopper looking for an affordable GoPro drone.
My Verdict: The DJI Mavic Air 2 is a top-notch drone that can take your GoPro content to the next level. Although this drone has an impressive video camera, you can attach your GoPro and take advantage of the DJI’s flight range and battery life.
2. Potensic D58 (Best Budget)
- Range: 1,640 feet
- Battery Life: 36 minutes
The Potensic D58 comes with double batteries that offer a total flight time of 36 minutes. Therefore, each battery lasts roughly 18 minutes. Furthermore, this drone comes with a heavy-duty carrying case for travel and portability.
In terms of in-air stability, the D58 has GPS mode and an altitude hold function. These features let the drone hover stably in midair to offer buttery smooth GoPro footage. You can also use the drone’s one-button return to get it back to you. There are also indicators for low battery and when your drone is about to go out of range. These ensure safe and secure flying.
Not only is this drone an excellent budget-friendly option, but it’s also exceptionally beginner-friendly. This is because of the one-key take-off feature and three different speed modes. Furthermore, this drone offers follow me and orbit mode recording options. Follow me follows your footsteps, and orbit mode takes panoramic pictures with you at the center.
My main criticism of this drone is that the mobile app is more challenging to use than competitor apps. Therefore, it may take some time for you to take advantage of this drone’s full potential.
My Verdict: The Potensic D58 is a 4K GPS drone with one of the longest-lasting batteries you can find in a GoPro drone. The GPS mode and altitude hold technology allow this drone to carry your GoPro stably in the skies.
3. Holy Stone HS720G (Best Value)
- Range: 3,277 feet
- Battery Life: 26 minutes
The Holy Stone HS720G offers one of the best cost-to-quality ratios on a drone for GoPro. This drone uses a 2-axis motorized gimbal to provide stable GoPro footage while flying through the air. In addition, this drone comes with a 4K drone that records impressive footage.
This drone has a maximum battery life of 26 minutes, which is typically enough time to get all the necessary shots. Furthermore, the HS720G comes with a remote controller that can fly your drone up to 999 meters away. Although this is a relatively shorter range than most high-end models, 999 meters is more than enough for most GoPro drone flyers.
The Holy Stone drone is also exceptionally user-friendly. This drone has multiple functions, including Automatic Take-off, Altitude Hold, Optical Flow Positioning, and Headless Mode. Therefore, beginners can jump in and immediately start recording jaw-dropping GoPro videos.
Also, this drone has a follow me mode, so you can free up your hands while recording drone shots. Overall, Holy Stone is a reputable drone manufacturer that carries high-quality products at an affordable price point.
The primary downside to this drone is its underwhelming range and battery life compared to other options. However, first-time drone owners will be impressed at how much this drone offers. So if you are an experienced drone flyer looking for something more premium, I recommend a different option.
My Verdict: The Holy Stone HS720G has a 2-axis gimbal, which allows your GoPro to record incredibly stable footage while flying across the earth. Since it has an affordable price point as well, this is the most cost-effective GoPro drone.
4. Parrot Anafi Extended (Best Battery)
- Range: 13,000 feet
- Battery Life: Up to 75 minutes
The Parrot Anafi Extended is a mid-end drone with a 4K HDR camera and a 180-degree vertical swivel gondola. This lets you record breathtaking GoPro drone videos you can share with friends. Some notable flight modes include low angle, compensated traveling, original aerial selfies, follow me, and subject framing.
This drone has a 3-axis hybrid stabilization that offers smooth and illustrious videos under any circumstance. Furthermore, the remote Parrot Skycontroller 3 is the included remote control that uses FreeFlight 6 technology to make flying easy. You can take off and land with the press of a single button. Also, if you lose your drone’s signal, it will fly back to the starting point.
In terms of build quality, this drone is constructed with a lightweight carbon frame, weighing only 320 grams. It takes only two seconds to unfold and fold when you want to pack it into the included travel case. This drone also comes with two additional smart batteries, 3 USB-C cables, a 16 GB Micro-SD card, and spare propellors.
Similar to the DJI Mavic Air 2, this drone carries a relatively higher price point than other drones in the market. However, this is ideal for GoPro users who want a mid-end drone with incredible flying and recording capabilities.
My Verdict: The Parrot Anafi Extended is the best GoPro drone for battery life since it includes two additional batteries for a total flight time of 1 hour and 15 minutes. Therefore, this is an excellent choice if you want to record long-form GoPro drone videos.
5. DJI FPV Combo (Best Flight Experience)
- Range: 32,000 feet
- Battery Life: 20 minutes
The DJI FPV Combo comes with the DJI FPV Goggles V2 to offer an unbelievably immersive GoPro flight experience. Furthermore, this drone comes with a built-in 4K camera with a super-wide point of view, offering an ultra-clear, real-time view of your drone’s flight perspective.
In addition, this drone offers the new S mode, a hybrid flight mode that combines the flexibility of manual flying with the simplified controls of older DJI drones. The drone also has a Smart Return to Home button, a low battery indicator, and auxiliary bottom light. These features aim to protect your drone and GoPro camera while in the air.
If you are a beginner drone pilot, you can use N mode to take advantage of traditional drone flight controls using DJI safety features such as obstacle sensing. N mode lets you fly with limitless control and gives you the ability to customize parameters.
This drone uses the OCUSYNC 3.0 Transmission System to provide low-latency HD transmission video up to 6.2 miles. Compared to previous options, this is over 10 times the range of the Potensic drone. That’s the primary difference between low-end and high-end drones.
In addition to its high price point, another drawback of this drone is that it will take some time to get used to. Although the in-flight goggle experience offers a whole new reality and playing field, there’s still much to be desired. For example, the VR headset does not have an eye adjustment for individuals with glasses.
My Verdict: The DJI FPV Combo offers an immersive flight experience because of the DJI FPV Goggles V2. Therefore, you can see your drone from a first-person point of view as you fly your GoPro camera.
6. DJI Air 2S (Best Range)
- Range: 39,600 feet
- Battery Life: 31 minutes
The DJI Air 2S offers a mind-blowing range of 39,600 or 7.5 miles. This is the highest range out of every GoPro drone on today’s list. For this reason, this DJI drone is an excellent option if you want to record long-distance videos.
This drone comes with a built-in camera that can compete with most GoPros. This is because the drone can record 5.4K videos at 30fps and 4K videos at 60fps. In addition, this drone is equipped with MasterShots, an intelligent feature that offers the best shots with a single button press.
However, my favorite feature of this drone is the environment sensing technology. The DJI Air 2S can perceive its environment from four directions: back, down, up, or forward. This way, it avoids obstacles even when traveling through rough terrains at high speeds. The low-noise propellers and gimbal protector are notable items included with the drone.
The primary downside to this drone is that it only comes with one battery. Although the battery life is 31 minutes, you must purchase additional batteries or bring a portable charger if you want to use the drone for more than half an hour.
My Verdict: The DJI Air 2S offers the best range out of all GoPro drones because it can travel up to 7.5 miles away. Therefore, this is the best choice if you want to cover a wide landscape in your GoPro video while flying it from a single location.
7. DJI Mavic Mini (Best Lightweight)
- Range: 31,680 feet
- Battery Life: 30 minutes
The DJI Mavic Mini is an ultra-light-weight GoPro drone that weighs as much as the average smartphone. As such, this drone is an excellent travel companion you can easily fit in your GoPro travel bag or carry-on. Furthermore, this drone has a camera that takes 12MP pictures and records up to 2.7K videos.
In terms of stability, this drone uses a 3-axis motorized gimbal to provide stable GoPro footage and crystal-clear videos. This drone is also incredibly easy to use because of the new DJI Fly app. This app offers a flight tutorial you can watch to get your drone in the air quickly. Furthermore, you can change your drone’s settings within the app.
This drone comes with three intelligent flight batteries, three spare propellors, a two-way charging hub, and a durable carrying case. You also get a few charging cables you can use to charge the drone’s battery.
The primary downside to this drone is that the return-to-home function is GPS based and not as accurate as I’d like. The drone’s return location is usually up to nine feet off, which isn’t a big deal unless you’re recording in a compact environment. However, this drone is mighty for its size and handles wind extremely well.
My Verdict: The DJI Mavic Mini is a lightweight but powerful drone for GoPro cameras. For this reason, this is the best choice if you want a portable and compact travel drone to record high-quality videos.
Final Thoughts
There are a lot of drones out there you can mount your GoPro on, but not all are created equal. The seven I have listed above are all capable of getting excellent GoPro footage, so they made the cut as our choices for the best drones for GoPro.
If you want the best possible drone for GoPro, I highly recommend the DJI Mavic Air 2. This is a great option because it comes with a high-quality camera you can use if you don’t want to travel with your GoPro. However, the Potensic D58 is a great budget-friendly choice if you want a more affordable option.
So, now I’d love to hear from you! Which GoPro drone from today’s list are you interested in getting? Do you have any additional questions about the best drone for GoPro? Do you have experience flying drones before?
Either way, I want to hear what you have to say. Let me know by leaving a short reply down below!
