When shopping for drones, we understand you probably have a budget, we certainly understand that you want to get into flying quadcopters and other fun drones without breaking the bank. To this end, we took some time to think about the drones that should prove worth your time, and all for under $100. In this case we mean ‘cheap’ as in inexpensive, so here they are, the best cheap drones.
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- 5 - Minutes
- No camera
- 7 - MPH
- 150 - ft
The Hubsan H111 is one of the best nano drones for flying around the house. It is a tiny machine that fits in the palm... -
- 10 - Minutes
- Optional
- 11 - MPH
- 100 - Meters
If you are looking for a solid starter drone, an inexpensive quadcopter for beginners, the Hubsan H107 series of drones is a great start. -
- 10 - Minutes
- 720p - 30FPS
- 11 - MPH
- 100 - ft
An excellent starter drone, the Syma X5C is resilient, reliable and easy to operate. Nothing fancy here, just a simple toy-class drone to practice flying... -
- 13 - Minutes
- 720p - 30FPS
- 18 - MPH
- 100 - Meters
The Ryze Tello is one of the most capable and versatile mini drones around, enjoy different designs, code your own flight features, or just fly... -
- 10 - Minutes
- 720p - 30FPS
- 11 - MPH
- 300 - Meters
The Hubsan H502S Desire is a great starter drone. It offers stable basic flight and some GPS functionality, usually unheard of in a sub-$100 drone.
Jonathan Feist
Why trust Drone Rush?
I’ve been a fan of flight since a young age; while I’ve had few opportunities at the helm of manned aircraft, the hours on my fleet of drones continue to grow. I enjoy putting cameras into the sky, silky smooth aerial imagery makes me happy. My goal is to help all pilots enjoy flight legally and safely.
What cheap drone should I buy?
Hubsan H107: Resilient starter drone
Hubsan H107
September 2014
Release DateGetting into the toy range here, the Hubsan H107 is a series of drones, one of the main models is the Hubsan H107L. These are fairly entry level drones, great for those learning to fly or that are not in need of a robust machine to take to the skies. Also great for those with very little time on their hands, this little drone has no camera, cannot carry the GoPro and has battery enough for about 5-10 minutes of flight, depending on how you push it.
We all have to start somewhere, and the Hubsan H107L for about $30 sounds like a smart price to do so.
Syma X5c: Easy to learn on
Syma X5C
January 2015
Release DateThe Syma X5C was one of our first drones. A toy-class machine that is very resilient, fairly stable and easy to operate. We knew we needed something inexpensive to learn how to fly in the beginning, and this machine was our choice. The quirks of this simple drone taught us about basic flight mistakes, how to control a machine and much more.
The Syma X5C runs about $30 for the drone, a little more with extra batteries and parts.
Ryze Tello: A little more advanced, and educational
Ryze Tello
March 2018
Release DateBuilt using many DJI parts, and sold on the DJI site in partnership with DJI, it is a common misunderstanding that this is a DJI drone. The Ryze Tello is a fun little machine that serves many purposes. On the surface, it's a functional and capable high-end, toy-class drone. You can fly by mobile device, remote control or, in the case of the Educational versions of this machine, you can code your own functionality.
The Ryze Tello is an attractive first drone for many pilots and parents of potential pilots. There are even a few different partnerships, like the Iron Man edition Tello.
Check out the Ryze Tello alone for about $99, upgrade to the Ryze Tello with remote for around $129 and explore the other options from there.