We know what makes a great beginner drone: something easy to pilot, fun to fly and capable of stunning aerial images. In this guide, you'll find budget and premium picks, plus those designed for FPV flight, automated selfies and aerial images, all of which weigh less than 250g. That's because drones work better for different people, but if you're getting started we recommend a sub 250g drone because there are far less flight restrictions in this drone category.
Of all the drones we've spent time testing, our favorite is the DJI Mini 4K. It doesn't have the collision avoidance sensors of the more expensive DJI Mini 4 Pro, but its compact design, intuitive controls and automated modes make it a fantastic all-rounder to learn with. If you have a lower budget, we also recommend the Ryze Tello.
Talk of a DJI ban in the US means you might not be able to buy or fly the best DJI drones in US skies soon. That's why we've included several of our favorite DJI alternatives. All of the options here have been tested by our expert team, covering everything from flight controls to safety features. For each option, we've suggested who we think it's best for. If you're a more confident flyer, take a look at our round-up of the best drones overall.
Top 3 picks
If you’re ready to get off the ground, the summary below will give you an instant overview of the top beginner drones. When you land on one which suits your needs and budget, you can use the links to fly down to our full write-ups.
The best beginner drone overall
With a lightweight folding design, intuitive controls and 4K video, the DJI Mini 4K offers top value for novice drone pilots.
The best budget beginner drone
An affordable flyer with a tiny design, the Ryze Tello is a top choice for beginners who want a cheap drone for learning the basics, even if it drifts in wind.
The best premium beginner drone
If you’re a beginner with a bigger budget, the DJI Mini 4 Pro is the undisputed sub-250g drone, with incredible flight and safety features.
Best by use-case
The best beginner DJI alternative
If you’re looking for something different to DJI drones, the Autel Eco Nano+ is an impressive beginner drone with a big sensor and collision detection.
The best beginner FPV drone
A complete FPV drone kit, we think the BetaFPV Cetus X is the best choice for beginners who want to experience the fun of first-person flight.
The best DJI Mini 4K alternative
An affordable alternative to our favorite drone, the 3-axis mechanically stabilized 4K Potensic Atom offers plenty of bang for your buck.
The best for aerial selfies
A tiny drone with built-in propeller guards that takes off and lands from the palm of your hand, ideal for 4K aerial selfies.
The best for multi-control
Similar to the HoverAir X1, the Neo is DJI's most exciting drone for years with multi-control options, including; controller-free, FPV, remote and app.
Tim is TechRadar's Cameras Editor, with more than 15 years' experience in the photo video industry. During that time, Tim has had the opportunity to fly many of the best camera drones. As a result, he's developed a deep, practical knowledge of what makes a good beginner drone. Tim notes, "in curating this guide, we've tried to cover a range of beginner drones for different buyers. Some are affordable, entry-level options. Others are mid-range models that cost more, but give learners more possibilities as their skills improve. If you're in the US, it could pay to explore DJI alternatives with a potential DJI ban looming."
The best beginner drones in 2024
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Below you'll find full write-ups for each of the best beginner drones in our list. We've tested each one extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.
The best beginner drone overall
DJI Mini 4K sample images
✅ You want a cheap second drone: If would like a smaller and lighter drone with fewer flight restrictions than a larger drone, the Mini 4K is a great option.
✅ You want aerial photos: Image quality is identical to the more expensive Mini 3 Pro, so you won’t outgrow the capabilities of the Mini 3 too soon.
❌ You want collision avoidance: For peace of mind when flying your drone close to trees and in more complex environments, you'll need to spend more on the Mini 4 Pro.
❌ You fly in windy weather: The Mini 4K can in theory fly in wind up to 24mph, but not easily and it'll struggle and drift.
DJI's cheapest-ever 4K drone (not including the Neo, see further down this list), the Mini 4K packs many of the same features as the pricier Mini 3, which makes it excellent value for money. Like the Mini 3, it is a lightweight flying machine with a small folding body that's sub 249g (meaning fewer restrictions), with intuitive controls and useful automated filming modes. As its name suggests, it also shoots 4K /30p video.
The Mini 3 has slightly better battery life, plus its camera has a slightly larger sensor and theoretically slightly better image quality in challenging conditions such as low light or in high contrast like towards the sun. However, we found the Mini 4K still produces excellent quality 4K video and 12MP stills, and the difference is negligible in favorable conditions. Switch to the Mini 4K's Pro mode and you can shoot photos in raw and JPEG format, the former gives more scope for editing afterwards.
Both models miss out on collision avoidance – something you only get by spending more on a Mini Pro-series model, like the Mini 4 Pro. However, for the money, we can't think of a better drone than the Mini 4K. It proved every bit the quality drone in testing: we found it forgiving to pilot using the standard controller, we enjoyed the automated flight moves, and its level 4 wind resistance provides pretty sturdy movement even in breezy conditions, even if it struggles in properly windy conditions. If you're looking for your first drone and keen on capturing aerial images, the Mini 4K is our top value pick.
Read our in-depth DJI Mini 4K review
The best budget beginner drone
✅ You're getting started: The simple app and responsive controls help you master basic flight manoeuvres, take-offs and landings.
✅ You’re an indoor pilot: With rotor guards and stability sensors, the Tello is safe and easy to fly inside.
❌ You want decent quality video: The Tello is limited to choppy and compressed 720p videos.
❌ You want to go far: The Tello has a low range and restricted altitude and so it can't fly far or high.
Designed in partnership with DJI, the Ryze Tello is an affordable, featherweight drone that’s great for mastering the basics of flight. It can be controlled via the Tello smartphone app and Wi-Fi, but you can also use a Bluetooth gaming controller – albeit at a shorter range. It proved a responsive and lively flier during our tests, which makes it an effective way to master the ups and downs of quadcopter flying.
It’s not all positive. The flight range is limited (closer to 30m than the official 100m maximum) while the slightest breeze will send it drifting off with the wind. The 720p camera isn’t up to much either, and with no local storage it sends all footage directly to your phone – which results in choppy video when the Wi-Fi connection dips in and out. Those caveats aside, the Tello is a great starter drone that does the simple things well and feels better put together than other budget models.
Read our in-depth Ryze Tello review
The best premium beginner drone
DJI Mini 4 Pro sample images
✅ You’re a pro drone pilot looking for a second drone: A D-Log M color profile matches the look in pro models from the Mavic 3 series, making it a great sub-250g second drone.
✅ You want a premium sub-250g drone: With excellent image quality, flight features and safety features, there's currently no better sub-250g drone available.
❌ You’re a happy Mini 3 Pro owner: While the Mini 4 Pro's new features are impressive, they won’t justify an upgrade for a owners of the previous version.
❌ Omnidirectional Obstacle Avoidance is overkill: If you're unlikely to fly in complex environments, the DJI Mini 3 Pro could be enough with its tri-directional obstacle avoidance.
Succeeding the Mini 3 Pro – our previous favorite premium beginner drone – the Mini 4 Pro is an incremental upgrade that uses the same f/1.7 aperture camera and 1/1.3-inch sensor. From our tests, it produces excellent quality 12MP / 48MP images in raw and JPEG, with very little noise up to its maximum ISO 6400 setting. There are a couple of video improvements, including 4K footage at up to 100fps. A D-Log M color profile also makes the Mini 4 Pro an enticing second drone option: it means you can achieve color consistency with a pro-level Mavic 3-series model.
Any disappointment over the lack of camera improvements should be quelled by the Mini 4 Pro's flight and safety features. The Mini 4 Pro boasts Omni Directional Obstacle Avoidance (the Mini 3 Pro has tri-directional obstacle avoidance), improved subject tracking performance, plus a more extensive transmission range – up to 20km, depending on your region and what's legally possible. We think this drone is on another level to all of the other drones in this guide – and because its sub-250g, you avoid cumbersome registration requirements.
Read our in-depth DJI Mini 4 Pro review