17 Best (Cheap) Drones for Beginners ($19-$199)

Cheap Drones for Beginners

The world of cheap drones for beginners is changing every day, new innovations are being developed with the price of drones always decreasing. This is one of the reasons why drone quadcopters have become so common – a popularity explosion!

So much so, the drone industry is one of the fastest growing new developing technologies of our time. Today’s drones, even cheap ones, are having so much functionality, it becomes difficult to choose a beginner drone. So far the uses of drones have been fairly limited – mostly for aerial photography. We’ve also recently some stunts with drones, such as this drone skydive.

But this, simple programmable machine that can fly, can be used for so many more activities – such as surveillance, aerial view of inaccessible areas, delivery of packages, warfare etc. In the military, drones are also being used to check and monitor activities before embarking on a mission.

In the near future, we might also see that with certain drones, it would be easy to deliver a package in a short time – Amazon keeps innovating here.

But enough about drones – today we’re going to have a good look at beginner drones, essentially these drones are great both for kids, but most especially for those who want to get started with drones. They’re essential for those who want to learn about drones, but don’t want to risk crashing a more expensive drone.

This list of cheap drones for beginners is going to be ordered in ascending order of price. we will start with the cheapest drones first, and always ascend slightly in the price – but all of these drones are available for purchase now at the bargain price of less than $199.

Here is a list of articles from most affordable drones to the ones which are still affordable, with their price being less than $199:

Cheap Drones for Beginners: Best Drones under $100

We start our list with X best drones under 100 dollars. As you can see the first drones are much less than 100 bucks! We call them cheap drones because they are VERY affordable!

Hubsan H111 < $19

The cheapest drone for beginners which we start of with is a Hubsan. It starts at the ridiculous price of less than $20! It is a new design with tiny miniature quadcopter, ultra-small design, built from durable materials with a super lightweight chassis.

Oh – this is quite a small drone by the way 😉

Hubsan H111 Quadcopter Drone
Hubsan H111 Quadcopter Drone

 

With the inclusion of the latest 6-axis gyro ensures stable performance. It features a specially designed canopy for more protection, built-in LED lights for front and back flying guide and low light flying, and a 2.4Ghz 4 channels transmitter.

Strong anti-interference in the transmitter ensures long distance control, position-recovery technology, and a built-in gyroscope for stable flight. This cheapest of drones is rigid with a one-piece PCB frame, allowing nimble and precise flight, using coreless micro motors.

At the ridiculously cheap price of less than $20, what are you actually thinking about? Go ahead and press the Buy Now button below!

HUBSAN H111 Nano Q4 4-Channel 6 Axis Gyro Mini RC Quadcopter 2.4Ghz Radio System Mode 2 RTF- Carton Case Green

World's Smallest Quadcopter which equipped with latest 6-axis flight control systems.
Features : 2.4GHz transmitter ,3.7V rechargeable LiPO battery and USB charger .
Mini drone can 360 degree flips &rolls and 4 Way Flipping (left, right, forward & backward).

Additional images:

Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail

Price: $59.99

Buy Now

DHD D1 Drone – the smallest headless drone ~$25

This is another cheap drone which is excellent for beginners. One of the smallest RC Quadcopter in the world with a 3D rollover, It has 6-axis gyro which can have more stable flying and can be easy to control.

Jjrc DHD D1

The DHD D1 (also known by a number of other names, depending on the supplier) is one of the smallest RC Quadcopter in the world with the ability to perform a 3D rollover. With it’s 6-axis gyro which can have more stable flying and can be easy to control, hence why it’s an excellent drone choice for beginners.

The dornes is also able to fly in any direction, the Headless Mode position ensures the drone need not to be adjusted before the quadcopter is flown – forward/backward, ascend/descend, turn left/turn right, 360-degree rotation. It also features lightweight airframe feature with good durability making it great value for the ridiculously cheap price you are paying for it.

Ready to give this drone it’s maiden flight? Go ahead and get it from the Amazon supplier below.

Parrot ROLLING SPIDER

The Parrot Rolling Spider MiniDrone is quite an amazing piece of technology, which has a feature which is quite different from the rest of the cheap drones we’ve seen so far.

As you can see, the Rolling Spider, is called that for a reason. It has a huge set of wheels which are great for performing rolling stunts against, floors, wall and yes – even ceilings!

 

 

Parrot Rolling Spider
Parrot Rolling Spider

 

The Rolling Spider is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, flying at up to 18 km/h or 11 mph.Y Even drone beginners can perform an acrobatic 360° forward or backward roll simply by double tapping on the control screen.

Te Rolling Spider is fitted with a propeller circuit-breaker, which minimizes damage to the drone itself or it’s surroundings in the case of a crash. wheels are removable making it

The wheels allow this cheap drone to roll anywhere: across the floor, up the walls or across the ceiling. As  direct connect to smart phone for iOS and Android by Bluetooth 4.0

As is the norm with most drones today, you can directly connect the drone to an iOS or Android smartphone using Bluetooth.

Ready to roll? We’ve selected the best Parrot Drone suppliers for you below.

UDI U818A HD+ Drone with Camera <$39

UDI has been known for making great, best-selling, top-rated cheap drones. You’ve probably heard or seen the Blue Jay and other drones from UDI. All of their best drones for beginners are cheap drones – you can trust on UDI for having a great small drone, at a bargain price.

Let’s have a quick look at some of the features of these drones.

HEADLESS MODE: The headless mode eliminates the need to distinguish the drone’s direction, the direction will be the same as the transmitter, great for beginners

HD CAMERA: Take high-res pictures & video during flight with this awesome hd camera drone! Includes 2MP camera with upgraded 4GB Micro SD

6 AXIS GYRO STABILITY: Provides stability, strong wind resistance & easy maneuverability for stunts 360º flips & tricks: The UDI 818A drone quadcopter can perform unbelievable stunts.

At the bargain price of less than $40, this cheap drone is a steal.

UDI U32 Freedom Drone ~$39

Besides Syma and Hubsan, another drone you’ll frequently find on drone lists is the drone manufacturer UDI. They’re known to have a range of drones, from cheap drones for beginners to more expensive and feature-rich drones for the more advanced user.

Let’s have a look at this cheap drone:

This great-looking drone has quite a great feature set given its cheap price of less than $40!

Plenty of easy stunts: Flying the drone inverted or upright, one can light up the sky with awesome stunts and 360º flips with the push of a button

LED Lights: It is equipped with blue and red LEDs for great visibility during night time flights

ULTRA FAST: Its compact design and precision steering will allow you to zip around at high speeds.

EXTRA STABILITY: It includes 6 Axis Gyro stability and 4 powerful motors for precise and easy handling with a bonus battery to double the flight time;

Batteries can last up 7-9 mins each.

At less than $40, why not start your drone journey with the UDI U32 below?

UDI Freedom U32 Quadcopter Drone Toy | Inverted Flight | Fly in The Dark and do 360º Flips and Stunts | Headless Mode…

AWESOME STUNTS: Fly the drone inverted or upright. Light up the sky with awesome stunts and 360º flips with the push of a button
LED LIGHTS: Equipped with blue and red LEDs for great visibility during nighttime flights
ULTRA FAST: It's compact design and precision steering will allow you to zip around at high speeds

Additional images:

Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail

Price: $39.99

Buy Now

Syma X11C RC Quadcopter ~$39

If you’re looking for affordable drones, Syma is always one of your best options – there are plenty of Syma drones models which are ideal for beginners. In fact, you’ll see that we actually listed quite a few Syma drones for beginners.

In fact, you’ll see that we actually listed quite a few Syma drones for beginners.

Syma X11C RC Quadcopter
Syma X11C RC Quadcopter

The Syma X11C, at a price of less than $40, is obviously a great cheap drone for beginners. But let’s have a look at its features.

The drone is a 4 Channel 2.4GHz remote control Quadcopter with a 6 Axis Stabilization System fo a smooth flight. Just like most of the drones on this list, it’s equipped with LED light and a good HD Camera

It’s has a reliable strong build, for better wind resistance and more stable, for both indoor and outdoor flight. The 4 channel can go up and down, forward and backward, turn right and left, sideward flight, moving at a 360 degree eversion.

Since it’s a 4 channel drone, it’s able to go up, down, forward and backward, turn right and left, sideward flight, and can perform 360 loops.


Eachine E55 Mini Foldable Pocket Drone ~$45

Eachine foldable cheap drone

Want a drone which can fit in the palm of your hand AND in your pocket without getting damaged? The Eachine E55 Mini Foldable Drone can also be classified as one of the cheap drones for beginners.

Have a look at the size of the drone, and how it can fold into a tiny size, straight into your pocket.

This great small drone for beginners with easy to learn operation has a 6-axis gyro for more stable flying and easier control. 4 Channel which can do ascend, descend, forward, backward, left sideward fly, right sideward fly and rolling 360°. It has a foldable arm, small size, easy to carry with altitude hold mode function provides stable flight. It is easy to set up as Wi-Fi and can be connected to APP, APK system to take pictures, video, real-time transmission through the phone camera image.

The E55 has foldable arms – so that you can close them and slip it into your pocket, a very small size. Of course, it’s very easy to carry. As beginner drones go, the Eachine E55 has an altitude hold mode function, since hovering is one of the most difficult manoeuvres to achieve with a drone.

It is easy to set up as Wi-Fi and can be connected to any APP, APK system to take pictures, video, real-time transmission through the phone camera.

If you’re looking to impress your friends, this cheap drone under 50 is a great choice. Have a look at the drone on Amazon.

Syma X5C Explorers <$50

The Syma X5C-1, just like it’s predecessor, the Syma X5C is a best selling, top-rated cheap drone, with a price tag of under $50.

Syma-X5C

It is, for all intents and purposes an upgraded version of the X5C, with the major upgrade being that it is now equipped with and HD Camera and a built-in 6 axis gyroscope for more precise hovering.

Just like most drones, the X5C-1 has plenty of control options – Up, Down, Left, Right, Forward, Backward, Leftward flight, rightward flight.

Using spread spectrum technology for further remote distance, best anti-interference ability, and least power consumption, one could fly more helicopters at the same time; its reaction speed is 100 times faster than other radio control.

Amongst the drone stunts, the X5C-1 can perform are the 360° continuous roll.

The Syma drone is a great starter drone for beginners. The cheap price of less than $50 means you really don’t need to bother about burning a hole in your pocket. Go ahead and press the Buy Now button below.

Syma X5C Quadcopter equipped with HD cameras, 2.4G 6 Axis Gyro

Equipped with HD camera
Perform flips at the press of a button with 360 degree eversion, Wind resistant and can be flown indoors or outdoors
6-axis Gyro stabilization system ensures maximum stability during flight

Additional images:

Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail

Price: $45.92

Buy Now

Night Hawk DM007

The next on our list of affordable drones for beginners looks absolutely great!

Have a look at the image below. Looks sleek doesn’t it?

NightHawk-DM007

The NightHawk DM007 is sleek, dynamic-looking drone that’s capable of high-flying HD recording.

The drone’s 2-megapixel, 720p HD camera gives it the ability to capture amazing aerial footage. The placements of the LED lights on this quadcopter are incredibly unique, ensuring it can fly at night without losing its track. One of the top features on this drone is the camera as it comes with a removable 2-megapixel 720p HD camera.

Let’s have a quick look at the features of the Night hawk cheap drone (less than $60!)

  • The NightHawk DM007 is an excellent beginners quadcopter since it does not require drone registration with the FAA. There’s plenty of spares, making it easy to repair if you damage after a crash. 
  • Like most drones for beginners, the Night Hawk performs 360° Flips including left, right, front flips, back flips. The 6-axis gyroscope makes for precise hovering capabilities, also with the failsafe headless mode.
  • 4Gb MiniSD memory card included with removable On-Board 2MP 720p HD video camera for a recorded first person view of your flying. RC switch while in flight to start video recording or photo capture. 7.4v 2S Lithium Battery with US Wall Charger.
  • 2.4Ghz spread spectrum technology remote controller with 100-150 meters range for further flying, and the best anti-interference ability. 
  • Fast and easy for anyone to fly. Crabbing left & right, flips , and 360 degree turning and rolling, super easy to land. 

Ready to buy? Go on and go ahead and make your purchase now!

JJRC Tarantula X6

The X6 can flip perfectly at the height of 1meter from the ground, with strong and unique design, X6 has been tested at the harshest conditions with exceptional ability to prove the stability and durability of this cutting edge new design. Tarantula X6 utilizes bright LED lights for night fly and a 6-Axis gyro quad-rotorcraft flight, strong stability, can easily implement various flight movements, stronger wind resistance, easier to control, outstanding power efficiency, Unique supplier which adopts professional propeller with EVA shock mounts to offer the better protection and a 2.4G technology adopted for anti-interference, even more than one quadcopter is flying at the same time they will not interfere with each other.


Force1 U45 FPV Drone

We can’t have a list of cheap drones without mentioning the Force1 U45 drone – one of the most popular beginner drones.

But let’s have a quick look at what this cheap drone for beginners can do?

ALTITUDE HOLD FUNCTION – SUPER EASY DRONE FOR KIDS & BEGINNERS TO FLY: Makes controlling the drone a breeze for beginners and stabilizes aerial photography. This is the ideal beginner drone with tons of the latest features typically found on higher-end models.

VR DRONE with FIRST PERSON VIEW: Watching a live streaming video feed of your flight directly from your iPhone or Android mobile device with the FPV WiFi feature.

ONE TOUCH TAKE OFF AND LANDING: Drone automatically hovers at a set altitude after takeoff and before landing making it easy to control and maneuver, especially for beginners who are not yet skilled.

These features really make it an ideal drone for beginners.

UDI u45 Drone

You can see that this drone has excellent reviews and at a price of less than 60 bucks, you can click the Buy Now right now!

Force1 U45 Altitude Hold RC Quadcopter Drone with HD Camera, 4GB SanDisk Micro SD Card and Battery, Black Yellow

ONE TOUCH TAKE OFF AND LANDING: Drone automatically hovers at a set altitude after take off and before landing making it easy to control and maneuver, especially for beginners who are not yet skilled.
ALTITUDE HOLD FUNCTION - SUPER EASY DRONE FOR BEGINNERS TO FLY: Makes controlling the drone a breeze for beginners and stabilizes aerial photography. This is the ideal beginner drone with a lot of latest features typically found on higher end models
HD CAMERA: Capture 720p high definition aerial photos and videos with 2MP camera and included 4GB SanDisk Micro SD Card

Additional images:

Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail

Price: $69.95

Buy Now

MJX X400W FPV Drone

MJX X400W FPV Drone

The MJX X400W is another great choice on our list of best drones under a 100 bucks. But what are the capabilities of this cheap drone?

ONE KEY 3D ROLL: With the latest technology of 6-Axis Gyro flying control system, it can fly very stable and take better pictures and it can finish the 3D roll with one key, it is very easy to use even for the beginner.

HEADLESS MODE: Usually, the forward direction of a flying multi-rotor is the same as the nose direction, by using Headless, the forward direction has nothing to do with nose direction, the direction will be the same as your remote controller;

Charging time: about 120 minutes (USB Charging)

FPV REAL-TIME TRANSMISSION: Connecting a smart phone with the drone is easy to set up and the view will be shown directly on your phone, thus enjoy the world above the horizon

The MJX X400W is an excellent choice as a cheap quadcopter. We’ve found you a great supplier for this drone.

Best Drones under $200

The next part of our list of cheap drones takes us to a bit of a higher level of drone, which is still cheaper than $200 – keeping it very much in the affordable drone list.

Force1 Headless 360 Flip Mode Focus FPV Drone with 720p Live Video HD Camera and Battery

The drone can be used to watch a live video feed on a built-in controller screen through 5.8 Ghz FPV, it features includes;

HD CAMERA: It captures amazing high-resolution aerial photos & video of your flight using the drone’s 720p HD camera with Wide Angle Lens and upgraded 4GB Micro SD Card

RETURN HOME FUNCTIONS: it has a feature that can return the drone right back to you with the push of a button!

HEADLESS MODE: Eliminates need to adjust aircraft orientation before flight; the direction will be the same as your transmitter, making the drone easy to fly and is great for beginners

Focus Drone with Camera Live Video – 720p HD Drone Camera and Viewable Handheld Monitor Drone with FPV

FIRST PERSON VIEW (FPV): Watch live video feed in your hand on the built-in controller screen of the Focus FPV Drone through 5.8 Ghz FPV. Watch all of your tricks and flips in real time
HD CAMERA: Capture amazing high-res aerial photos & video of your flight using the drone's 720p HD camera with Wide Angle Lens and upgraded 4GB Micro SD Card
DOUBLE YOUR FLIGHT TIME: Includes 2 LiPo drone batteries and 2 LiPo controller batteries to extend the fun! FAA Registration NOT Required

Additional images:

Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail

Price: $79.99

Buy Now

Parrot Bebop Quadcopter Drone 1080p HD 14MP Camera

The user-friendly application was developed for usability allowing the pilot to be entirely focused on the pleasure of flying. From the home page of the app the pilot can access basic functionalities: Piloting, photos/videos, flight plan, Cloud ‘Pilot Academy’. It explores the world in 14 megapixel full HD 1080p and captures any vista with Bebop’s 180° field of view Taking clear photos and videos using advanced 3-axis image stabilization, it can be used on any of these platform (iOS, Android, Windows 8.1)

Parrot Bebop Quadcopter Drone – Blue

Easily updates to meet FAA requirements
Explore the world in 14 megapixel full HD 1080p and capture any vista with Bebop's 180° field of view
Cruise at your own pace and return home automatically

Additional images:

Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail Product Thumbnail

Price: $199.99

Buy Now

Hubsan X4 H502S 5.8G FPV with 720P HD Camera GPS Altitude Mode RC Quadcopter RTF

The drone has an inbuilt 720P HD camera; it can be tuned amazingly to capture stunning pictures and videos from the sky, with GPS auto-positioning system, accurate positioning location, and perfect advanced follower. Follow me mode with GPS enables the H502S flying itself to capture any adventure wherever one is positioned, 5.8G FPV Real-time Video Transmission: it can share the videos and photos to the LCD display at any time anywhere with headless mode function, no need to adjust the position of aircraft before flying, with one key return function, makes it easily to find the way home.


Though some of these cheap drones for beginners are fragile in nature, we shouldn’t be too careful while using them, because the price of all these drones above is relatively affordable – all of them are below 199 dollars.

4 thoughts on “17 Best (Cheap) Drones for Beginners ($19-$199)

  1. Araceli A. says:

    Thank you for the list of cheap drones. I was shocked to see some that are just the size of a coin. I bet they are very easily taken away by strong winds. Do you suggest attaching a tracker to it just in case?

    • David Attard says:

      The small ones wouldn’t have much range in reality – and probably not enough power to carry a tracker on them 😉 Best to fly them indoors most times.

  2. Leah Stumpf says:

    Agree! Most of them are only for indoors since it’s prone to get lost when it’s used outside. However, It’d be also great for those a ‘little bit bigger’ mini drones like MJX X400W FPV Drone to have a gps tracker slots/carrier, knowing the fact that its size are bigger than a man’s palm but its components are not that heavy unlike the normal drones, which made them easily blown away by the wind.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *