Drones come in different sizes and varieties. They may be used for different purposes. While some drones are tiny and are used as toys, others are photography drones that are larger and perform various functions, and so on. So, how much is a drone? Well, there’s no singular answer to this question.
Drones come in different price ranges – from $50 to $10,000 and over.
In this post, you’ll discover the expected price ranges of different drone categories.
Read on to know more.
How Much Drones Cost?
Here are the different drone categories and their respective price ranges:
- Drones for First-Time Pilots – $50-$100
- Beginner-Friendly Drones – $100-$300
- Entry-Level Photography Drones – $300-$500
- Mid-Level Drones – $500-$2000
- Professional Drones – $2000-$5000
- Commercial Drones – $3000 and above
Drones for First-Time Pilots | $50-$100
These drones are for those who are exploring flying a drone for the first time. To start off with drone photography, it’s best to first learn how to operate a drone with a basic, low-cost drone model. It will help to build confidence through frequent practice of piloting such a drone. Besides, you don’t want to practice with a super-expensive drone and end up crashing it!
So, as a first-time pilot, starting off with a $50-$1000 drone is a great idea. Even if such a drone crashes, you won’t need to worry much. Also, even though the drones in this category come cheap, they are great in helping you understand how to operate the controls.
Here are some drones for first-time pilots (under $100) that fall in this price range:
- Ryze Tech Tello – Our Top Pick!
- Force1 F100GP – GoPro Compatible Drone
- Hubsan X4 H107C – Super Fast yet Inexpensive
The full list of the drones under $100 is here.
Do you need some tips on how to fly a drone?
Read this article to find the ultimate guide for the first-time drone pilots.
Beginner-Friendly Drones | $100-$300
While you’re learning how to fly, you may at some point feel the need to have more features like GPS or a better camera, so that you’re able to get to the next level with ease. Enter – the category of beginner-friendly drones, with a plethora of features that will help you learn how to operate a drone and shoot some wonderful aerial shots.
Drones in this category are also faster than the previous one. The price range for such drones is $100-$300. Owing to their advancements, these drones are much more fun to pilot.
Here are some beginner-friendly drones(under $300) that fall in this price range:
- Potensic T25 Drone – Affordable Drone with Duo GPS
- Ruko F11 Pro – Stable Drone with Amazing Battery Life
- Holy Stone HS700D – Another Great Option for Beginners
- 4K FHD 90°Adjustable Camera with 5G Transmission: The upgraded camera (3840*2160P...
- GPS Assisted Flight: With GPS location, the drone can hover stably and automatically...
- 22 Mins Max Flight Time: The High-capacity 2800mAh intelligent battery yields up to...
The full list of the drones under $300 is here.
Entry-Level Photography Drones | $300-$500
These drones are meant for entry-level drone photographers who are looking to capture some high-quality aerial shots. The camera of such drones is significantly more advanced, with great stabilization owing to the presence of a gimbal. This helps eliminate unpleasant shakes and jitters while you’re shooting from above so you get pleasing shots.
Drones in this category come in the price range of $300-$500. They have a video resolution of 1080p to 2.7K and a 12-MP sensor.
Here are some entry-level photography drones that fall in this price range:
- DJI Spark – Superb Entry-level Drone by DJI
- DJI Mavic Mini – Compact yet Powerful Camera Drone
- DJI Mini 2 – Best Portable & Lightweight Drone for Entry-Level Photography
The full list of the drones under $500 is here.
Mid-Level Drones | $500-$2000
If you’re a trained aerial photographer who wants to seriously upgrade the quality of your drone shots, then the mid-level drones will unleash a world of possibilities and dramatic improvements. Drones in this category feature a 3-axis gimbal, 4K camera resolution, and a 48-MP sensor.
Furthermore, drones in this category have higher-quality computing ability and higher-end software for better image processing. This helps you get HDR captures with significantly better white-balanced shots. Apart from the advanced camera, these drones also offer improved flight safety. Such drones come in the $500-$2000 range.
Here are some mid-level drones that fall in this price range:
- DJI Mavic Pro – Drone with Sophisticated Camera
- DJI Air 2S – Lightweight Consumer Camera Drone
- DJI Mavic 2 Zoom – Drone Camera with Two-Times Optical Zoom
Professional Drones | $2000-$5000
Professional drones have truly revolutionized aerial photography. These drones are increasingly being used today, whether it is for pro-level filmmaking or photography. They are large in size and costly. Their large size is owing to the fact that they can carry advanced cameras that are big and heavy. These drones can even tow all the remote controls.
Drones in this category are usually priced between $2000-$5000.
Here are some professional drones that fall in this price range:
- DJI Inspire 2 – Premium Drone for Filmmakers
- DJI Mavic 2 Pro – Equipped with a Hasselblad Camera
- DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise – Features High-quality attachments
The full list of the professional drones is here.
Commercial Drones | $3000 & Above
There’s a slight difference between professional and commercial drones. While professional drones are usually meant for pro-level drone pilots who want to do filmmaking and photography as a profession, commercial drones are specifically meant for special functions like mapping, inspection, passenger flight, and even package delivery.
Most commercial drones feature an infrared camera that produces practical thermal imaging in location search, surveying, and rescue tasks. Commercial drones carry the required payloads and safety kits, such as more lights and parachutes. These drones are expensive and are usually priced above $300.
Here are some commercial drones that fall in this price range:
- Freefly Alta 8 – Expensive Commercial Drone with High-End Features
- Yuneec H520 – Superb Inspection Drone
- H520 SYSTEM SOLUTION E50 BUNDLE + ACCESSORIES Comes with the E50 camera - a big lense...
- SAFETY Six rotor, designed with inspection industry in mind, with six-rotor systems...
- ULTRASONIC COLLISION PREVENTION intelligent front sonar sensors allows H520 to stop...
- DJI Matrice 300 – Highly Adjustable
- Massive Bundle for the Pros, see description for items included
- Imaging Above Everything - With a 4/3 CMOS Hasselblad Camera, the sensor provides a...
- 46 Minutes of Flight Time - Stay in the air longer and capture more with a...
Select the Right Drone for Your Needs
I hope that, from the above information, you now have a fair idea of what price range to expect when looking for a new drone. As a drone pilot, you must select the best drone for your needs. When selecting a suitable drone, there are several crucial factors you need to focus on – range & flight time, size & weight, remote controller, speed, portability, budget, and more.
So, whether you want your drone for fun or professional use, make sure that you do extensive research.
Thanks for reading!
I hope this guide helped you find out all about the expected price ranges of different drone categories. 🙂
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