The Best Drones for Beginners in 2023

PCMag reviews drones made for users of various skill levels. If you’re after an advanced model, check our roundup of the best camera drones overall, which includes quadcopters suitable for cinematography. Here we’ll concentrate on drones made for photography and video that are good for beginners. Read on for our top picks, followed by what to look for when shopping for a starter drone.

A camera drone is a fun way to explore a new style of photography and video production: aerial imaging. Taking photos and making movies from high up in the air, or flying a small drone through tight spaces, nets a very different look than using a smartphone or handheld camera for recording.

Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks

DJI Mini 2

Best Low-Cost Drone for Beginners

4.0 Excellent

The DJI Mini 2 is the best starter drone you’ll find for under $500, coming in at $449 with a remote control. The 249g flyer folds up for easy storage and offers flight times of up to 31 minutes between charges. It includes a remote control, but you’ll need to add a smartphone (Android or iOS) for a camera view and control.

The camera is a good one, with support for 4K30 recording and 12MP stills. It skips HDR support, though, and it’s worth spending more on the newer Mini 3 or Mini 3 Pro if you love recording sunrise and sunset scenes. You do get Raw DNG photo support, though.

Obstacle sensors aren’t included with the Mini 2, and that’s really the biggest detriment for pilots starting out. You’ll be safe flying above the treetops, but take care with this one at lower altitudes. The Autel Evo Nano+ and DJI Mini 3 Pro are step-up options with obstacle sensors.

PROS

Stabilized 4K camera
Raw and JPG photo modes
Automated Quickshots
Long flight time
Stronger motors and connection than Mavic Mini
GPS and other safety features
No FAA registration required

CONS

Still no color profiles for JPGs and video
Omits obstacle avoidance and HDR
Doesn’t include ActiveTrack or Hyperlapse

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Price

Amazon

$449.00

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Walmart

$449.00

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Best Buy

$449.99

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Read Our DJI Mini 2 Review
DJI Mini 3 Pro

DJI Mini 3 Pro

Best Starter Drone with Obstacle Avoidance

4.0 Excellent

If you want a drone you can fly confidently in complex environments with trees and other obstacles, it’s worthwhile to spend more on a beginner model with obstacle detection sensors and the DJI Mini 3 Pro fits the bill. The 249g drone includes three-way obstacle sensors for safer flight with automated navigation around obstructions.

The camera is also a step up from the Mini 2 and Mini 3. The 3 Pro sports a Quad Bayer sensor for 4K60 video and your choice of 48MP or oversampled 12MP still photos. The standard color profile provides pleasing video out of the camera, and you have the option to use a 10-bit flat look if you’ve got color grading skills.

The Mini 3 Pro ships with a 34-minute battery. In its $759 configuration, you get a remote that requires a smartphone, but there is also a $909 version that includes a remote with a built-in touch screen and camera control app. Finally, an extended-life battery is a good upgrade and pushes flight times to 47 minutes, but makes the drone heavier than 250g, so you’ll need to get an FAA registration number if you want to take advantage of that accessory.

PROS

Portable design
4K60 with digital zoom
Vertical video and photo support
Upward-tilting camera
Three-way obstacle sensors
Strong safety features
Two remote control options

CONS

Extended battery should be standard
GPS lock-on takes some time
Omits AirSense ADS-B system

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Price

Amazon

$759.00

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Read Our DJI Mini 3 Pro Review

DJI Mini 3

Best 249g Drone for Creators

4.0 Excellent

The DJI Mini 3 is the best drone you can get for under $600. The 249g takeoff weight is beginner-friendly, and we like that the drone records great-looking 4K30 video with ample dynamic range and good-looking digital zoom (also available for photos).

The Mini 3 costs more than its predecessor, the Mini 2, but camera upgrades give creators and YouTubers reason to stretch their budgets. The 4K30 video uses an HDR profile and f/1.7 optics for good-looking sunrise and sunset footage, and the gimbal supports 60 degrees of upward tilt. It also supports dual aspect ratios, twisting vertically to record 9:16 video for phone screens in addition to normal 16:9 for TVs and YouTube.

Flight times are ample at 38 minutes with the standard battery. A 51-minute battery is available as an accessory ($95), but using it pushes the takeoff weight above 250g. Keep that in mind if you’re trying to skip dealing with FAA registration.

There are a couple of different remote control options. You can get the drone with a remote that requires you to connect your smartphone for $499, but DJI also offers it up with its built-in-screen RC remote for $639. If you’re upgrading from a DJI Mini 2 you can use the DJI RC-N1 remote you already own to control the Mini 3; DJI sells the drone without a controller for $469.

Obstacle sensors are the big omission in this model. If you can spend more, the DJI Mini 3 Pro uses the same airframe and a more capable version of the same camera, and adds three-way obstacle avoidance. We think it’s worth spending more, so the Mini 3 Pro is our Editors’ Choice.

PROS

Good-looking 4K30 video
Support for vertical video and upward gimbal tilt
12MP stills in Raw DNG or JPG
38-minute flights with standard battery
51-minute extended battery available
249g build for registration-free flight
Built-in GPS and FlySafe safety features

CONS

Omits obstacle detection
Limited to one color profile
Doesn’t support Hyperlapse or ActiveTrack

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Price

Amazon

$559.00

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Read Our DJI Mini 3 Review
Autel Robotics Evo Nano+

Autel Robotics Evo Nano+

Best Starter Drone for Restriction-Free Flight

3.5 Good

The Autel Robotics brand is a popular one among drone hobbyists and provides quality alternatives to the more popular DJI. The Evo Nano+ is an ultra-light 249g flyer, so it doesn’t have to go through FAA registration, and it’s not limited by DJI’s strict Flysafe geofence. Battery life is solid, with flight times in the neighborhood of 28 minutes on a full charge.

We like its three-way obstacle detection, good-looking photos, and stabilized 4K30 video. The drone offers some basic automated camera moves, as well as Hyperlapse. Its Raw picture format is a little tricky to edit and video looks a bit overprocessed, but that’s of less concern to beginners.

The Nano+ is available in a basic config with a remote, flight battery, and standard accessories for $909. A Premium bundle adds a carrying case, a multi-charger, and two extra flight batteries for $1,099. Both go on sale, so don’t be surprised if you find the drone for less.

PROS

4K30 video with gimbal stabilization
Camera supports 12MP and 50MP photos
Automated quick shots and Hyperlapse
Up to 28 minutes of flight time
Three-way obstacle sensors
GPS with return-to-home functionality

CONS

Raw photos are tricky to process
Overprocessed look to video
Log profile is only 8-bit

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Price

Amazon

$1,229.00

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B&H Photo Video

$659.00

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Read Our Autel Robotics Evo Nano+ Review
Ryze Tello Drone

Ryze Tello

Best Drone for Kids Learning to Code

3.5 Good

The Ryze Tello isn’t a drone to buy if you care about picture or video quality—its camera is really quite poor, even by budget standards. It is, however, a good drone for teens taking STEM classes and learning to code.

That’s because there are two ways to fly the Tello. If you want to have fun, connect it to your smartphone and use on-screen controls to fly the drone. The Tello doesn’t have onboard memory, and instead beams 720p video to your smartphone.

You can also connect it to a computer and control it using MIT’s Scratch programming language. Scratch lets you send commands to the drone and have it perform actions in sequence. It’s a good way to teach basic computer programming concepts, and the fun factor of the drone will help keep kids engaged in lessons.

PROS

Inexpensive.
Easy to fly.
Programmable via Scratch.
Bluetooth remote control compatibility.
Automated flight modes.

CONS

Pixelated, low-quality video.
Limited control range.
No GPS or return-to-home capability.

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Price

Amazon

$99.00

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Read Our Ryze Tello Review

Buying Guide: The Best Drones for Beginners in 2023

What Is the Best Drone to Buy for a Beginner?

Drones are pretty complicated pieces of hardware. They rely on GPS stabilization and other flight assists to hover perfectly in place, and use radio transmitters to keep a connection between the aircraft and its remote control. They usually require a smartphone to work, too; you’ll connect your phone to the drone’s remote control to run a flight app and control the camera, for example.

DJI Mini 2

DJI Mini 2
(Credit: Jim Fisher)

We recommend you stick to a quality brand to get started—we’ve included models from Autel and DJI, and they are both trustworthy brands. We’ve had bad luck with some of the lesser-known budget models you see for sale online, so we don’t recommend that you spend money on shoddy starters like the Holy Stone HS360.

It’s worth it to spend a little more on a drone with a better camera, one that supports higher-than-1080p video and is mounted on a three-axis gimbal for stabilization. You’ll also want to be sure to get a drone with an integrated GPS and a return-to-home system; and if you can afford to spend a bit, an upscale model with obstacle-avoidance sensors will help you avoid accidents when learning to fly your drone.

The Best Drones That Don’t Require FAA Registration

Pilots flying in the US, even for fun, need to register certain drones with the FAA. If you plan on flying outside, and your drone weighs 250g (8.8 ounces) or more, you’ll need to pay a $5 registration fee to ensure compliance with federal regulations. Moreover, anyone flying a drone is required to pass the TRUST test, a basic online knowledge quiz. For more, read up on the rules for flying drones in the US.

How Much Does a Beginner Drone Cost?

For quality video, we recommend you budget between $450 and $1,000 to get started with a drone. On the low end of the price spectrum, the DJI Mini 2 ($450) records 4K30 video and snaps 12MP stills. If you are able to spend more, look at the Mini 3 ($560) for some upgrades, including HDR video, vertical video support, and a 38-minute battery.

DJI Mini 3 Pro

DJI Mini 3 Pro
(Credit: Jim Fisher)

On the high end, the DJI Mini 3 Pro costs $759 with a remote, but for the extra money you get obstacle avoidance sensors and a better camera than the basic Mini 2 or Mini 3. All of the Mini series drones make a 249g weight to sidestep registration requirements, too.

The Best Drones for Pros

If you’re looking for a drone that’s a bit better than beginner, make sure to check out our list of the best overall camera drones you can buy. You’ll also need a smartphone to run your drone, so make sure you have a good one.