Want to tool around with a quadcopter or record all the high-flying action of your latest outdoor adventure without dropping hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on a drone? You need something functional and affordable that won’t require you to worry about your monthly housing payment or a pricey insurance policy. These are the 8 best drones under $100.
EACHINE E010 Mini UFO Quadcopter Drone
For less than the cost of even a budget bottle of bourbon you can have at least a week of fun with the EACHINE E010 Mini UFO Quadcopter Drone. It doesn’t record video. It doesn’t have a smartphone app. It doesn’t even have a distance greater than 30 meters. But for everything the EACHINE Drone lacks in functionality it more than makes up for in affordability, accessibility and fun. If you’re just getting into the drone world, you won’t find a better cheap drone or entry level drone on the market. $20
Holy Stone HS170 Predator Mini RCH Helicopter Drone
With an additional three minutes of flight time, 20 meters of distance and three different speed modes, the Holy Stone HS170 Predator RCH Helicopter Drone is the perfect step up from the EACHINE for all you couch or backyard pilots that are more interested in being a pilot than a camera man. The Quadcopter is easy to use, fun to fly and still carries a price tag that doesn’t require you to talk to the neighbors if it lands on their roof. $40
Syma X5C Quadcopter
The Syma X5C Quadcopter is equipped with an HD camera, 6-axis gyro stabilization, 7-minute flight time and an easily maintained setup. The camera is light on the megapixels, so don’t expect to be recording Michael Bay action sequences from overhead with this drone. With that said, it’s a great beginner camera drone capable of taking some pretty cool landscape shots and, more importantly, it is incredibly easy to fly and handles like a dream. $48
Cheerwing X5SW-V3 FPV Explorers2 Quadcopter
Cheerwing’s X5SW-V3 FPC Explorers2 Quadcopter takes everything that makes the Syma X5C such a great starter camera drone and ups the ante with a host of new features. For starters, this Cheerwing / Syma model includes WiFi and real-time video transmission to iPhone or Android devices. It also includes headless / ioc (intelligent orientation control) functionality to make sorting out forward direction and nose direction easier. It’s even sturdy enough to stand up to a few trips down the stairs or into nearby trees while you’re figuring out how to fly it. $51
Hubsan X4 Quadcopter with FPV Camera
50 – 100 meter distance with live video. 6-axis flight control with adjustable gyro sensitivity. Flight recorder with SD card capability. 4.3″ first person video screen in the controller. Integrated housing that protects the camera during “mishaps.” The Hubsan X44 Quadcopter with FPV Camera is no Phantom, but that doesn’t stop this little drone from being a helluva lot of fun and recording all the antics in the process. $70
QCopter Green Drone Quadcopter
Ruining the blades on your fancy new “toy” because of a bad landing or pilot error is the worst, but that won’t be an issue with the QCopter Green Drone Quadcopter, because of the instructional videos, documentation and, most importantly, built-in blade guards. The roughly 1.5lb drone cuts through the air like butter in a stable and easy to operate fashion that will have you burning through both included batteries in no time. $80
DBPower Hawkeye III X101c FPV RC Drone
If you’re willing to tackle some assembly and the slightly higher learning curve, the DBPower Hawkeye III X101c FPV RC Drone is one of the best drones you’re going to get your hands on for less than $100. Like some of the other options it uses a quadcopter design with partial blade guards, a 6-axis gyro with 3D lock technology and can be connected to your iOS or Android device for live streaming. The DBPower excels in all those areas—especially with the up to 150M range—but is truly special because of the built-in GoPro Hero camera bracket that will take your aerial escapades to the next level. Just don’t get it stuck in a tree. $90
UDI 818A HD+ RC Quadcopter Drone
With the combination of an HD+ 720P camera, protected propellers, LED lights for night time flying, removable Micro SD card, return home function, photo/video buttons and an extra battery, the UDI 818A HD+ RC Quadcopter Drone is a sturdy flying machine that you’ll be able to use for multiple ten-ish minute trips in a row while capturing all the action from up to 150′ overhead. If you’re willing to spend a little more money, we highly recommend dropping it on an easy to fly drone that doubles flight time before charges thanks to an additional battery. $99
