Looking for the best small drones on the market?
Look no further. This is our guide to the very best small drones out there.
Small drones are great for those just getting into flying. Because they’re relatively cheap, you don’t have to worry so much about crashing—at least not as much as you would if you were flying a higher-end camera drone, which could cost $1,000 or more.
But before we dive into our list of the best small drones, it’s important to note that the word “small” can be relative.
In this guide, we’ll be looking at two different kinds of small drones: toy drones (also called micro drones) and small drones that come with a camera.
In this guide, we’re going to cover our top recommendations for both toy drones and for the best small drones with a camera. We’ll list four products listed in each of these categories, for a total of seven drone models.
Here’s a little more information on the difference between these two types of small drones.
A toy drone is a very small drone that costs anywhere from $30 to $100.
Toy drones are usually quite tough, although they don’t handle well in the wind because they can be tossed around fairly easily due to their small size. For this reason, toy drones are often flown primarily indoors.
Hobbyists-FPV Racing ![]() UFO 4000 LED Mini Drone Flight Time | 18 Minutes Flight Time | 18 Minutes |
Hobbyists ![]() Scoot Mini Drone Flight Time | 8 Minutes Flight Time | 8 Minutes |
Hobbyists ![]() Cheerson CX-10 Mini Flight Time | 8 Minutes Flight Time | 8 Minutes |
Hobbyists ![]() U49WF FPV Camera Drone Camera | 720p HD Flight Time | 12-15 Minutes Camera | 720p HD Flight Time | 12-15 Minutes |
Hobbyists ![]() Holy Stone HS270 2.7K Drone Camera | 2.7K Flight Time | 18 Minutes Camera | 2.7K Flight Time | 18 Minutes |
Hobbyists ![]() DJI Tello Camera | 5MP, 720P HD Flight Time | 13 Minutes Camera | 5MP, 720P HD Flight Time | 13 Minutes |
Hobbyists ![]() DJI Mavic Mini Camera | 12MP Still Photos, 2.7K Video Flight Time | 7-8 Minutes Camera | 12MP Still Photos, 2.7K Video Flight Time | 7-8 Minutes |
In comparison, a small drone with a camera is noticeably bigger than a toy drone, although it’s still quite small—all of the small camera drones we list here weigh half a pound or less.
Small camera drones are also more expensive, have a longer battery life, and handle better than toy drones, and they often come with a camera of high enough quality that it can be used for entry-level professional aerial photography.
In a hurry and just want to see our list of the best small drones? Here you go:
Now let’s take a closer look at our top picks for the best small drones on the market.
Note:
On this list, we’ve included models available for sale on Amazon — as an Amazon Associate, 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!
18 Minutes
Hobbyist, FPV Racing
The UFO 4000 is a small drone that comes with fun red, white, and blue LED lights, making it a favorite toy drone pick for kids or adults who want to fly for fun.
The UFO 4000 is a great beginner option, especially if you’re looking for one of the best small drones out there for learning how to do stunts and tricks. Its propeller guards help make it tough and durable, and its straightforward remote control with 1-Key Start/Stop and easy joystick directional controls help make it suitable for both kids and adults.
Capable of performing 360° mini flips and packed with features for such a low price, including 2 speeds, 4 channels, 2 speeds, Altitude Hold, and Headless Mode, the UFO 4000 is one of our top picks among the small drones currently on the market.
8 Minutes
Hobbyists
Of all the models we chose for our list of the best small drones on the market, the Scoot Mini Drone is the only one that flies hands-free. Its ability to fly with advanced hands-free technology makes it a great drone for both kids and adults, since there are no remote control skills needed to fly.
With an enclosed frame and infrared obstacle sensors, the Scoot Mini Drone is safe for use indoors and comes with a USB charging cord, making it easy to charge anywhere.
Don’t want to wait forever just to charge your drone? The Scoot Mini charges quickly, and is ready to fly again within an hour.
The Scoot Mini has a respectable battery life of 8 minutes, giving you time to practice tricks and different maneuvers with your friends wherever you choose to fly.
8 Minutes
Hobbyists
The Cheerson CX-10 Mini is incredibly easy to fly and is a great option on the list of best small drones. Also, at around $20 it’s the least expensive small drone you’ll find on this list, and it’s a great value at that price.
The Cheerson CX-10 Mini’s small size makes it a great option for indoor flying without the fear of crashing. It has three flight modes—beginner mode, intermediate mode, and advanced mode.
If you’re just starting out, using the Mini’s beginner mode is a great way to get a feel for the controls before moving onto higher sensitivity modes. The ability to scale up the difficulty level on how you fly is definitely a contributing factor in why we chose the Cheerson Mini for our list of the best small drones on the market.
720p HD
25 Minutes
Hobbyists
With the U49WF FPV Camera Drone we’ve now left the toy drones behind and entered the second part of our list—small camera drones.
The U49WF comes with some useful flight modes, which you usually don’t see at this price point, making it a great value among the best small drones on the market. Some of these modes include Altitude-Hold and Headless Mode.
The U49WF also has an FPV (first-person view) screen with Camera Live Video, so you can see exactly what the HD camera of your drone sees in real-time. It comes with an extra battery, to help you fly for even longer before having to charge, and a solid 720p camera for capturing clear HD still and video.
But the most impressive thing about the U49WF FPV Dronemight be its flight time. At 30 minutes, the U49WF is in the top range for battery life of most camera drones out there, which, combined with its 720p camera, make it a solid choice for the beginner or intermediate drone pilot looking to get into aerial photography.
720P, 5 Megapixels
13 Minutes
Hobbyists
The DJI Tello is another great small camera drone, and it’s one of the least expensive of the best small drones with a camera on this list.
The idea behind the DJI Tello was to make an entry-level drone model that was easy to fly, durable and well-built to survive potential crashes (which can happen when you’re first learning how to fly), and which could also be fun for both kids and adults to fly.
And it worked. With the ability to fly up to 17mph within a radius of 300 feet, the DJI Tello is just the type of drone you want to take outside and fly for fun. Also, at just three ounces it’s small enough that you don’t have the FAA’s requirements for drone registration don’t apply to it when flown recreationally.
But the Tello isn’t just for fun—it can also be used to capture some great aerial photos and videos. The Tello is equipped with dual antenna transmission, which not only improves flight maneuvering but also assists in image stabilization.
It comes with a good built-in camera, which can shoot 5mp stills and video up to 720p at 30fps. If you want to upload images or videos directly to your phone, the Tello can synchronize right to your smartphone instead of an SD card for quick sharing.
Did you know? Although it’s most commonly associated with DJI, the Tello was actually created in collaboration with three companies: DJI, Intel, and Ryze.
2.7K
18 Minutes
Hobbyists
The Holy Stone 2.7K GPS drone proves that you do not have to drop hundreds of dollars for a great starter drone. The 2.7k camera system features 5G image transmission, ensuring crisp pictures every time. The included follow-me, tap fly, and point of interest modes allow you to capture cinematic footage or even capture a selfie.
Enjoy up to 18 minutes of flight time with the intelligent flight battery system. The rugged design of the HS270 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.
12MP, 2.7K HD
30 Minutes
Hobbyists
Weighing just over half a pound (249 grams), the DJI Mavic Mini is almost as light as the average smartphone, making it a perfect mix of size and power on this list of the best small drones on the market.
Its small size helps the Mavic Mini stay in the air longer than similar small camera drones, giving it 30 minutes of flight time. Because it’s so small you can fly the Mavic Mini without needing to register it with the FAA when flown recreationally (unlike the Tello, the Mini barely makes the FAA’s cut—drone registration requirements kick in at .55 pounds).
But don’t let its small size fool you. The Mavic Mini packs a lot of power in its small size, and is a great camera drone option for both the beginner and the intermediate drone photographer.
With a camera that supports 12MP aerial photos and 2.7K Quad HD videos, and several QuickShot modes like Dronie, Circle, Helix, and Rocket, the Mini can help you capture crisp, high-quality aerial footage.