Finding a good drone under $50 might seem mission impossible. Well, it’s not. There are actually several good beginner options that are priced reasonably. If you are a new drone enthusiast or just want to minimize your investment at this point in your drone journey, you’re in the right place.
Hello! My name is Lavelle and I am a long-time drone operator. Like many others, I started out with some beginner-level drones and found that there are many good options in a reasonable price range. Over the past decade, I have flown many different levels of drones and I’d love to share some of my experience with you.
In this article, I will discuss the basic features to look for in a budget drone and give you my top picks for drones under $50.
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Key Takeaways
- Look for a drone with a good flying time so you can maximize your flying experience.
- Safety features are important, especially forbeginner-levell drone users.
- A good camera is a nice feature on budget drones, so look for camera specifications that are best in class for this price point.
- Fun features add value to drones in the budget category.
Absolutely yes! There are many fun features on drones that cost less than $50. It’s a great way to experience flying drones and there are many exciting intelligent features to help you have a great time.
Are budget drones durable?
Yes. Drone manufacturers have gone to great lengths to produce quality drones for a budget price. There are also many safety features on drones to help protect them from damage.
Are cheap drones easy to use?
Yes! Most of the budget category drones have one button take off/landing feature that gets you in the air with just one touch. The controls are very easy to understand and you can be flying and having fun in no time flat!
What to Look for in Drones Under $50
As you will find when looking for drones in general, some of the same standards apply to looking for drones under $50. Some must-have features include:
- Good flying time: Everyone wants to spend as much in the air as possible with their drone. That’s the purpose of getting a drone in the first place, to fly it, right?
- Fast charging time: When your battery gets low, you want to recharge it as quickly as possible so you can get back to having fun in the air.
- Long range transmission: Who wants to lose a drone? No one! Therefore, finding drones with long range transmission gives you a peace of mind while enjoying your drone flying experience.
- High definition camera: We all want to capture those amazing images and video from the air. Finding a drone with a good, high definition camera is another important feature that you don’t want to overlook.
Each of these attributes, when maximized, gives you the best bang for your buck. If I were to rank the importance of these attributes, I’d prioritize transmission range as #1, with flying time, camera, and charging time ranking in order respectively.
My rationale for choosing this order is that you want to stay in communication with your drone for as long as possible when flying. This helps you to avoid crashes and other loss of connectivity issues.
Secondly, the longer you can stay in the air, the more you can enjoy the flying experience.
Thirdly, a camera allows you to take nice photos and/or videos while flying and to maximize your flying experience.
Lastly, charging time is important but less critical in my opinion. Once you move up to higher-level drones, the charging time may become more significant.
The Best Drones Under $50
Now we come to the good stuff! Here is my list of the best cheap drones you can purchase for less than $50.
1. Holy Stone HS430 (Best Overall)
- 39 minutes of flying time
- 1080p HD camera
- One button take off/landing
- FPV (first person view) transmission
Holy Stone HS430 ranks #1 on my list primarily because it offers you a high-definition camera and 39 minutes of flying time. These are excellent specifications for a budget drone.
Along with these great specs, you get the ease of taking off and landing with the use of only one button. Additionally, you get a nice bonus feature in the FPV transmission option.
It’s quite remarkable that a budget drone like this gives you an HD camera with a 30-frames-per-second production. This feature alone is worth the price.
When you add in the respectable flying time of 39 minutes and its ability to rotate 90 degrees in the air, the Holy Stone HS430 drone is hard to beat at this price point.
My Verdict: This is definitely the best overall drone I have found on the market for this price. The pros of this drone far outweigh its only drawback which is the lack of stability it offers once it’s airborne.
2. Holy Stone HS340 Mini (Best for Kids)
- 20 minutes of flying time
- 720p HD camera
- One button take off/landing
- FPV (first person view) transmission
Coming in at the second position is the Holy Stone HS340 Mini drone. This mini drone is perfect for kids, offering a decent 20 minutes of flying time, a good HD camera, the one button control, and the FPV feature.
There are also a few other niceties added on this camera that makes it a lot of fun for kids and beginner level drone users.
This drone has the “Throw Me” feature which allows the child to literally throw the drone into the air and watch it take off smoothly. The drone can also perform cool tricks like spinning and rotating 360 degrees and doing 3D flips.
The safety features like the propeller guards and the emergency stop function make it a nice drone for younger children and it can be used indoors or outdoors.
My Verdict: Kids of all ages will love this drone. They can take cool pictures and video, show off the trick functions of the drone and enjoy the flying experience. The one drawback to this drone is its lightweight design which makes it susceptible to wind conditions.
Related Read: Is Holy Stone a Good Drone Brand?
3. Cheerwing U89S Drone (Best Maneuverability)
- 15 minutes of flying time
- 1080p HD camera
- One button take off/landing
- Altitude Hold
The Cheerwing U89S is an easy-to-use and high-maneuverability drone is a fun time in the air! It’s dropped to number 3 on my list because of the limited flight time of 15 minutes. However, with the remarkable stunts and maneuvers that you can do with this drone, it’s a fun-filled 15-minutes.
The “Altitude Hold” feature along with the “Headless Mode” allows you to define exact flying routes while offering gesture controls and waypoint flight. The Intelligent features on this drone are outstanding for a drone that costs less than $50!
The drone also has three speed modes, a low battery alarm and can perform 360 degree flips. You can control this drone easily while performing several functions including the up, land, forward, backward, left, right, stop and flip functions.
My Verdict: This is a great drone if you want to up your skill level on maneuvers. It has many of the same features as the previous two drones listed here and has a very nice HD camera. The biggest concern with this drone is the quick drain of the battery, allowing the user only up to 15 minutes of flying time.
4. Deerc D20 (Best Mini Drone)
- 20 minutes of flying time
- 720p HD camera
- One button take off/landing
- Voice Control and Gesture Selfie Modes
Coming in at #4 on my list is the Deerc D20 Mini drone. This little fellow is a ton of fun wrapped up in a tiny package.
With all of the features listed on numbers 1 through 3, this drone also offers the voice control feature which allows you to control the drone with simple voice commands like “take off” and “land”.
You can also see a nice live view from the app for the drone and it has some nice safety features on it such as the emergency stop, low battery alarm, and propeller guards.
The biggest complaint with this drone is that the “Altitude Hold” feature often fails to hover properly and the drone is known to veer off course from time to time, probably due to its extremely lightweight.
My Verdict: This is a good beginner drone and is fun to use. It falls to #4 because of consumer concerns and due to the flying time often being questioned as well.
5. Potensic A20W Drone (Tied for 4th)
- 21 minutes of flying time
- 720p HD camera
- One button take off/landing
- Gravity Sensor
Potensic A20W is listed as #5 on my list but really is a tie for the 4th spot. It comes with all the features of the #4 Deerc D20 Mini and could easily be interchangeable with it.
The Potensic brand is well respected in the drone industry for beginner-level drones. This A20W model is an affordable option in the mini drone category.
With all the same fun features such as the live video feature, headless mode, one button take off/landing, and flip features, the A20W offers a good HD camera and a respectable 21 minutes of flying time.
It also comes with the same safety features as the Deerc D20, including the emergency stop feature, propeller guards, and low battery warning.
My Verdict: The Potensic A20W is a good, low-budget option and makes for a nice gift. It’s easy to use, has a lot of fun features and is lightweight and portable. Like its competitors, its biggest drawback is stability in the air.
Useful Tips and Resources
Just because you got an affordable drone, doesn’t mean you should treat it poorly. You still need to be careful with it and keep it clean. The better you care for it, the longer it will last. Also, in addition to treating your drone with respect, you also need to learn how to fly it.
Trying to fly a drone without any previous knowledge or experience is not easy. One second you’re trying to lift off of the ground, and the next you’re running into a tree. Whether you spend $50 on a drone or $500 on it, you want to make sure you get the most out of it that you can.
As a result, familiarize yourself with how a drone works and how best to fly it before ever firing it up. A video like this can help you learn quickly and effectively:
Final Thoughts
Getting started on your drone journey should be fun and easy. One of the best ways to enjoy your experience is by finding a good drone for a good price. There are many good options for under $50 and while you are shopping within a budget, you shouldn’t have to forfeit quality because of price.
I’ve shared with you my top recommendations. I hope you’ve been inspired to either give some a drone or to give yourself a drone so you can take part in this amazing journey of flying an unmanned aircraft!
What are your thoughts on budget drones? I’d love to hear what you have to say and I’ll gladly answer any questions that you might have. Feel free to leave a comment here or ask your question and I will respond as soon as possible.
Until next time, happy flying and be safe!
