Best Drones Under $500 – Top 5 Rated For 2021

As the sale of drones increases with each passing year, more people are now embracing the idea of owning one of these devices.

With all the attention that drones are getting, these unmanned aerial vehicles are now finding more practical and innovative uses.

Drones are no longer just for supreme enthusiasts because these devices have penetrated the world of technology and consumer use. Therefore, more businesses are looking forward to using the capabilities of these machines to the best effects.

Naturally, drones have basic uses; however, there are some that have some very creative features that you can actually use in daily life.

In the following article, we’re going to take a look at some of the best drones on the market and why you should consider investing in one.

Best Overall: DJI Mavic Mini – Drone FlyCam Quadcopter UAV

The DJI Mavic Mini – Drone FlyCam Quadcopter is almost as light as a smartphone. The compact drone is just under 250g making it easy to transport. So it is exceptionally mobile and placed in the lowest and safest weight class of drones.

Therefore, it may be exempt from certain regulations in certain countries. The aircraft takeoff weight includes the propellers, battery, and a microSD card.

In addition to being extremely lightweight, it’s also easy to use and offers a simple and intuitive user experience. This allows you to create cinematic shots with just a few taps. As a bonus, it comes with a flight tutorial, which helps you get started with the Mavic mini quickly and effectively.

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Compact
• Comes with a flight tutorial

Cons:

• Geo-zone restricted

Product specifications:

• Battery: Lithium-Ion
• Weight: 1.8 lbs
• Size: 6.3 x 3.15 x 0.39 inches

Runner Up: RUKO F11Pro Drone with Brushless Motor

The RUKO F11Pro Drone with Brushless Motor contains an upgraded 2500 mAH battery, which provides 60 minutes of flight time. The package also comes with an extra battery, which extends the flight time to 60 minutes.

And consequently charging takes only three and a half hours. If you’re looking to experience breathtaking pictures and HD picture quality, you’ll achieve thanks to the 2.9K videos that offer clarity, vivid colors, and deep contrast.

The drone is able to reach live video transmission of 300 to 500 meters. It is also capable of up to 500 meters of image transmission distance and has stronger GPS positioning that can hover stably to catch clearer images and return home precisely.

Irrespective of whether you are an experienced drone user or a newbie, this drone is equipped with functions like FPV, auto-return, tapfly, and headless mode, which are all activated with the touch of a button.

Pros:

• Ultra 4K picture quality
• Stronger GPS positioning
• Various functions activated with a touch of a button

Cons:

• Users have complained about the camera not going through the entire 90-degree rotation

Product specifications:

• Battery: 2500 mAH
• Weight: 520g
• Size: 6.9*4.1*3.15 IN (Folding)/17.51*15.94*3.15 IN (Unfolding)

Alternative: Ruko F11 FPV Drone Quadcopter Drone for Beginners

The RUKO drone is equipped with functions such as a tapfly, headless mode, headless mode, and FPV making it absolutely ideal for newbies or beginners. Thanks to the simple press of the button, even little children can keep this drone well under control.

However, it’s important to verify your phone before ordering to ensure that it is compatible with your existing device. The pictures are also taken in ultra HD 4K quality giving you deep contrast and stunning clarity.

The camera has a 120° FOV lens and 90° adjustable angle giving a broad view of the memorable occasion you are capturing. It also has a 2500 mAH intelligent battery providing up to 30 minutes of flight time and comes with an additional battery, which extends flight time by an additional 60 minutes.

Pros:

• 4K ultra HD picture quality
• Extra battery
• User-friendly operation

Cons:

• Not always user-friendly

Product specifications:

• Battery: 2500 mAH battery
• Weight: 520g
• Size: Folding Size: 6.9*4.1*3.15 inch, Opening Size: 17.51*15.94*3.15 inch

Alternative: Force1 F100GP Drone with Camera for Adults

The Force1 F100GP Drone with Camera for Adults is a long-range quadcopter drone that comes with remote control as well as two extra drone batteries and three shells in black, white, and blue.

It also features manual control, brushless motors for smooth performance, and flies at two speeds. It has a long-range flight distance of up to 500 meters and contains an HD camera. The two batteries are rechargeable extending flight time by an additional 30 minutes.

It also requires four AA batteries, which are not included. The extra drone accessories such as the extra propellers and the balance charger also come in handy.

Pros:

• 2 extra drone batteries included
• Flight distance of up to 500 meters
• Extra drone accessories

Cons:

• Users have reported various issues with flying this drone, such as it doesn’t fly straight

Product specifications:

• Battery: Yes
• Weight: 2.88 ounces
• Size: 16.8 x 13.3 x 6.2 inches

Alternative: Tello Quadcopter Drone with HD Camera and VR

The Tello Quadcopter Drone with HD Camera and VR is a device for both kids and adults alike. It’s extremely exciting to fly and helps users learn about coding education. In order to start flying simply toss the Tello into the air and slide on-screen to perform 8D flips and impressive and ariel stunts.

The Tello drone has two antennas, which make video transmission extremely stable, and contains a high-capacity battery offering quite long flight times. The Tello drone has a high-quality image processor so that the Tello shoots suitable videos and photos.

Even if you don’t know much about flying drones, you can record professional-level videos with EZ Shots and share them on social media platforms via your smartphone.

Pros:

• High-quality image processor
• High capacity battery
• Records pro-level videos with EZ Shots

Cons:

• Won’t work on most recent phones

Product specifications:

• Battery: Yes – high capacity
• Weight: 8.1 ounces
• Size: 3.86 x 3.66 x 1.61 inches

Drones Under 500 FAQ

Is it cheaper to build a drone or buy one?

Deciding on whether to build a drone or buy one seems to be an ongoing debate in the drone community. Consequently, you’ll find people on both sides of the fence. Irrespective of your view, though, it ultimately all boils down to how you’re going to use the drone.

If you particularly enjoy shooting eye-catching videos or simply spending time flying devices, then purchasing a drone is probably the best option for you. It will be cheaper and less time-consuming to purchase an already built drone since building one will probably take more than a week to assemble and start constructing a ready-to-fly model.

Additionally, with a DIY model, there is no guarantee that you will be able to get the same level of smoothness in flight.

Building a drone means that you need to assemble the drone frame, mount the speed controllers and motors and also, balance and mount the propellers, and ultimately host the electronics comprising the flight controllers, receivers, and ESC. You will also need to solder all the parts together, which includes soldering the ESC to the distribution board.

So as you can see, building your own drone, besides getting all of the necessary items that you need, is also a time-consuming activity. You also need to know quite a few finer details before starting with the project, like which motor offers better bearings for lesser vibrations to fixing a drone and high-performance props.

So expertise and technical insight is definitely a prerequisite if you’re going to build your own drone.

Can drones lift a person?

Have you ever wondered if it’s possible for a drone to pick up a full-grown person? Well, if you have, you’re not alone.

And the answer you’ve been waiting for is, yes, they are actually capable of lifting and carrying a human. These drones are often referred to as “heavy lifting drones,” and they consist of great power and special motors.

They are used only for professional purposes and are not intended for commercial use. So when we talk about these heavy lifting drones, which are also referred to as [UAVs], we are talking about drones used in industrial or military environments, and they are primarily designed to carry extra weight. Drones have been built for various types of purposes. One of the first such recorded events came at CES 2016 in Las Vegas.

The drone that has accomplished this was Ehang 184. However, we need to take two major factors into consideration here. Firstly, hobby drones are manufactured for sports, aerial photography, and having fun, while heavy lifting drones, which are considered professional drones, are made to carry payloads and other things of this degree of weight.

How can I make money with drones?

Since UAV technology has become increasingly developed these days, there’s a broad range of great drones available on the market. These drones are usually used just for fun and to enjoy flying and taking photos or making aerial videos.

However, while lots of people use drones recreationally, there are lots of ways that Jones could be used to make a profit. The possibilities to make money with drones are quite numerous if you are creative enough. However, you should bear in mind that you have to explore local regulations regarding drone flying before you begin since there are specific limitations in every country.

Once you are fully aware of the limitations in your region, there are many ways to make money from drones. One of those is earning money from selling aerial photos and video footage. It’s quite a profitable business and is popular nowadays. However, you need a drone that is equipped with a gimbal and a quality camera in order to take crystal-clear videos and photos from the air.

Another way to take advantage of making a profit from drones is to open a private company and offer services in aerial surveying. Small UAVs like drones can take photos from the air and record terrestrial places that are difficult to reach and measure from the ground. Today’s drones have great flight capabilities and can be remotely controlled, making them suitable for aerial surveillance in the most difficult areas.

Another great business idea is reselling drones. In fact, all the sessions that apply to the reselling of other goods also apply to drones.

Lots of utility companies have used helicopters and airplanes to inspect electrical lines and substations as well as pumping stations and other similar facilities. This is because it was dangerous for pilots to reach these places and also quite expensive. However, in recent years, drones have been very useful when it comes to inspection jobs.

Another way that drones can be used to make a profit is by advertising real estate, hotels, and resorts, as well as lots more. They are the perfect tool for effective advertising. So ultimately, you can use this knowledge and skills to make money by advertising the estates, hotels, and resorts.

What companies use drone delivery?

Due to the popularity of drones in recent years, lots of people and organizations have fully adopted and integrated this technology into their way of doing business.

Amazon is one such company that made waves when they launched their Amazon air delivery service a few years ago, and the list of businesses using UAVs has been growing ever since.

Drones are used by various companies, from delivering pizza and aiding search and rescue missions to defusing bombs. They have huge potential for sparing people from dangerous and tedious jobs that used to put millions of lives at risk. Some of the other companies taking full advantage of the drone potential are BBC, EasyJet, DHL, Shell, and Balfour Beatty.

Conclusion

Drones have managed to surpass their reputation for being tech oddities as their use for both ordinary people and companies has now become the norm.

Since Amazon has come up with the idea of using drones in the delivery services, many other companies have followed suit. However, aside from practical and business purposes, drones are still extremely fun to fly and make a wonderful gift for both children and adults alike.