The Best Drones for Every Budget

Need something to make your vacation Instagram posts stand out from the ground-based crowd? The HoverAir X1 ProMax (7/10, WIRED Recommends) might be just the ticket. This pocket-sized drone with automated flight is perfect for capturing quick aerial selfies or dutifully following along as you walk, cycle, or skate through a picturesque landscape, producing video (up to 8K resolution) and photos (up to 48 MP) that can be shared to social media right away.

Despite the camera’s minuscule size, image quality holds up. The 8K is mostly a gimmick, especially from a sensor this small, but the 4K footage looks cleaner and punchier than that of market leader DJI’s Neo drone (which is admittedly quite a bit cheaper). It’s a pity, though, that HoverAir doesn’t allow the camera to rotate 90 degrees to shoot native 9:16 portrait content. Given its focus on creating social-media-ready footage, that would have been a valuable addition.

Designed first and foremost for short automated flights, the X1 ProMax can still be controlled via optional joystick and beacon accessories, which allow it to be flown for longer and further away—if, for example, you wanted to capture a photo or video showcasing a wider landscape or a large building. I found it a responsive and zippy flyer, but the 16-minute battery limits its capabilities.

While DJI isn't officially selling its flagship drone in the US, citing “local conditions,” you can still buy the Mavic 4 Pro at select retailers like Adorama and Moment (9/10, WIRED Recommends). It's expensive, but it's the best drone on the market if money is no concern, largely thanks to the cameras, of which there are three: a wide-angle paired with two telephoto zoom cameras (28, 70, and 168 mm, respectively).

You can snap 100-MP photos and shoot 6K video at 60 fps (or 4K at 120 fps), and the 16 stops of dynamic range give you greater control over exposure. The aperture is adjustable too, allowing you to swing from f/2 to f/11. The gimbal it's all mounted to can freely rotate and tilt, meaning it can capture true portrait-oriented content, perfect for the likes of TikTok and Instagram Reels. I also highly recommend upgrading to the RC 2 Pro Controller, with a larger and brighter screen, vertical orientation, and the ability to install third-party apps (it runs Android).

While it’s been dethroned by its successor, the DJI Air 3S, the Air 3 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is still our champion when it comes to aerial staying power. Its official battery life figure of 46 minutes beats the newer model, and surpasses almost every other camera drone out there aside from the new, more expensive (and difficult to obtain in the US) Mavic 4 Pro. The Air 3 is also a powerful, capable, and user-friendly drone, thanks to its high-quality dual-camera setup (including wide-angle and medium telephoto lenses), intuitive controls, omnidirectional obstacle avoidance sensors, and compact, lightweight build.

It might be an incremental upgrade over our previous favorite ultralight drone, the Mini 3 Pro, but the Mini 4 Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends) cements DJI’s position as undisputed champion of the sub-250-gram flyers that can fit on your palm. It employs the same 1/1.3-inch 48-MP sensor as its predecessor but gives its image-processing software a notable bump. It matches the Mini 3 Pro’s 4K/60 fps performance, but can capture slow motion 4K at 100 fps and record in 10-bit D-Log M for greater post-production color grading freedom. Both its photos and video look fine straight from the camera, and the Night Mode vastly improves the low-light video quality.

It’s not just the camera performance that’s been boosted. The obstacle-avoidance system also points sensors in every direction to prevent the drone from careening into trees, walls, power poles, and other potential hazards. Add that to the generous 34 minutes of battery life, plus DJI’s always-simple flight controls and software, and you’ve got a refreshingly chilled-out flight experience, making the Mini 4 Pro ideal for beginners and experienced pilots alike.

Designed in collaboration with DJI, the Tello is just 100 x 100 mm in size and 80 grams in weight, and is constructed from fairly low-grade plastic. But it’s the only toy drone we’ve used that doesn’t feel like a piece of drop-shipped junk begging to be thrown away. Granted, it’s a little pricier than most of its peers, but its solid controls, decent flight range of about 50 to 100 meters (around 160 feet), and 13-minute battery life make it ideal for learning the basics of drone flight. It even has a 5-MP (720p) electronically stabilized camera aboard for some basic aerial imaging practice. Do be warned, though, that gusts of wind are not the Tello’s friend; fly it on a blustery day and you may end up losing it altogether.

Propel's X-Wing fighter drone is great for Star Wars fans. There are actually a few drones in this line: the X-Wing, and the Tie X1 ($130). The best part is that all of them have a "battle mode," so you can fly against friends and try to shoot them down. Get hit three times with the IR beam and your drone will auto-land. Unfortunately, these have a learning curve when it comes to flying—a little tap of the control stick goes a long way—and mine had a habit of flying off at an angle immediately on takeoff. Holding a position is also a lost cause, but once you master the sensitive controls, these are fun to fly (and fight). The prices of these fluctuate a lot, particularly on Amazon where the price swings around by $100 or more; don't pay more than $60 for the X-Wing.