TOP 10 Best Drones 2025

Drones Buying Guide

While flying a drone is getting easier, the technology behind these devices is anything but. If you are a novice, figuring out the specifications and differences between several models can easily make your head spin. We’ve created this step by step guide to help you understand the key features for your experience level and budget to narrow down the options. We’ve also included tips for first-time pilots on how to ensure the safety of the people nearby and the drone itself.

What is a Drone?

The term is used to describe all unmanned aerial vehicles that are controlled remotely; they may have quite different forms. Most consumer drones have four rotors and H or X shape; thus, they are often called quadcopters. Such design offers significantly better stability in the air in comparison to models that resemble planes. Drones that need more lifting power (for example, to carry heavy cameras) can have even 6 (hexacopters) or 8 (octocopters) rotors. However, they are mostly used for professional purposes. We recommend sticking to the quadcopter design for most consumers.

Types of Drones

Nowadays, drones are used for military purposes, during search and rescue, as well as to carry cargo or inspect construction sites. However, the majority of recreational users want to get a drone for taking photos and videos from angles not possible before.

• Camera drones  are used by professionals and amateurs alike. Obviously, the more advanced the features are, the higher the price will be. However, even the models aimed at novices now can shoot decent videos and stills.
• Beginner camera drones may not have all the bells and whistles of more expensive models. Still, they are useful to practice flying under various circumstances, take selfies from cool angles and even learn a few tricks. They are also cheaper and sturdy enough to handle harsh landings. At this level, camera capabilities usually do not stand out, but the content is good enough for publishing in social media.
• Mid-tier consumer drones land in the sweet spot, combining affordable price and capable technology. They have better cameras, longer battery life and flight range as well as recording resolution high enough for content you can proudly post on YouTube or demonstrate on TV.
• Premium or advanced camera drones have snatched quite a few features from their professional counterparts, and the gap between consumer and pro quadcopters keeps narrowing. The former usually are more portable and user friendly, whereas the latter prioritise camera performance and function range.
• Another popular reason why people buy drones is competing. Racing drones are smaller than their camera-equipped relatives but very fast and agile, some can go over 120 km/h. Some racing drones come with first-person view goggles that give you an immersive view of the flight as if you were in a cockpit. Stunt drones are less fast but can perform extraordinary manoeuvres and tricks.
• Toy drones are aimed to entertain kids; however, adults often find them captivating too. These devices are smaller, sturdier and usually suitable for indoor use. The battery typically lasts for ~10 minutes or less, but they can be an excellent form of amusement for wannabe-pilots.

Trustworthy Brands

While we always keep an open and critical mind rather than endorsing certain brands per se, we recommend sticking to popular manufacturers when buying a drone. There are several reasons. It will be easier to buy spare parts and reach customer service when needed. There will also be more info and tutorials available from fellow pilots and official sources.

The peculiarity about the drone market is that one manufacturer holds the lion’s share and deservingly so. DJI makes affordable and beginner-friendly drones, top-notch camera-beasts for professionals, and everything in between. Their drones have a reputation for high-quality construction as well as being very stable and precise in flight (think about hovering in place versus slowly drifting away). In short, if you can afford it, a DJI drone will result in the best flying experience.

At the same time, a few brands have been aiming to challenge DJI’s monopoly. Eachine is a brand worth of consideration for cheap racing and beginner drones. Hubsan also offers a range of beginner and hobbyist drones that provide good value for money.

Parrot and Autel Robotics are two reputable manufacturers that have brought welcome innovations to the camera drone world. We really liked the Parrot Anafi’s vertical tilting camera; Autel Evo II is the first foldable drone to record jaw-dropping 8K.

The Essential Features

To put it simply, a perfect drone does not exist. Each function adds to the weight, shortens battery life and decreases manoeuvrability; thus, compromises are inevitable. The best racing drones will not have superb cameras, and the best ones for photography won’t be exceptionally fast. The key is to understand for what purposes you want your drone and to pick a model with corresponding features.
Here are our recommendations for choosing a beginner camera drone:

• If you are just learning to fly a drone, one of the priorities is a decent flight time of at least 15-20 minutes. You will need to get used to the controller, figure out the app and practice your flying skills. Therefore, changing the batteries every 10 minutes can be too exhausting. Check how affordable the spares and extra batteries are; no drone pilot can go long without them. Most manufacturers nowadays have generous bundles that offer these items cheaper than buying them separately.
• Don’t rely on specifications only, check tests carried by experts and user feedback on how stable the drone is, and whether it is easy to control. We generally recommend models that have a remote included over the ones that are controlled via smartphone. Real controllers offer more precision and safety – you cannot crash your drone just because a finger slipped on the screen.
• Cheap drones usually have shorter connectivity range – the distance in which the drone will respond to your commands. The beginners certainly don’t need a model with a long range of several kilometres. However, you should pick one that performs without connectivity issues while within your sight. This is another aspect where specifications don’t always meet real-life circumstances; thus, feedback from users and experts who have tried the model is invaluable.
• If you are interested not only in flying but also in taking photos, pay attention to the image sensor size. The larger it is, the better image and video quality will be, especially in low-light conditions. Books are written about camera specs, but if you want only one photography tip to follow, pick the model with the biggest sensor in your price range.
• If you want to shoot impressive videos, a 3-axis gimbal instead of a fixed camera is crucial. A high-quality gimbal reduces the shake from the flight, resulting in smoother footage.
• Crashes are inevitable even among experienced pilots, not to mention novices. While drones have their essential parts such as motors and transmitters well protected, picking a cheaper drone for practice makes sense. Testing the endurance limits of a pricey quadcopter with top-notch camera adds unnecessary stress.
• We also recommend choosing a drone with at least a few safety features. Common examples include a bottom sensor for smoother landing, calling the drone home upon pressing a button, options for setting a flight perimeter, or obtaining GPS coordinates if you have to land unexpectedly.
• Finally, if you can afford it, consider a drone with at least partial obstacle avoidance. This minimises accident risk by sensing nearby subjects and promptly stopping the drone in the air even if the pilot has made a mistake.

For a mid-tier model, you can expect some pleasing additions:

• Consider what size and weight work better for you. Smaller and lighter drones are more portable as well as have higher crash tolerance (however, quality of materials and construction matter too). On the other hand, bigger and heavier ones have higher wind resistance, making them suitable for more adverse weather conditions. Often, they also carry more capable cameras.
• If you plan to edit your photos, pick a drone that supports Raw format. This means that the camera will save all data recorded by its sensor, giving you more options in post-production. If you don’t usually edit your photos, the JPEG format is sufficient.
• Higher resolution means you can show your masterpiece on a bigger screen without loss of quality. For photos at least 12 MP is a reasonable expectation in this price category. As to the videos, Full HD 1080p is optimal for creating Facebook and Instagram content or holiday videos. However, going above that can still be useful – you will have options for cropping, scaling and rotating the video without losing the sharpness. Nowadays, mid-tier drones can shoot 2,7k or even 4k, and those extra pixels may get handy.
• Next, check what frame rate the camera can handle at each resolution. The frames per second (fps) indicates how many unique consecutive images are recorded. For normal playback, 24 to 30 fps are enough. However, for creative effects like slow motion, you might need a higher frame rate. 60 fps is decent, but the higher the rate, the more creative freedom.
• If you’ve ever tried shooting in bright light, you’ve probably noticed that the results often turn out flat – with overexposed white patches in the sky and dark shadows without any detail. That’s because cameras have narrower dynamic range than the human eye and they cannot register all the details. If a camera has HDR (high-dynamic-range) mode, it automatically combines several images of narrower range to create a more pleasing and detailed result.
• Some integrated storage is a godsend if you accidentally forget a memory card at home. Still, it’s not a must-have feature, and don’t expect it to last for long if you shoot 4K. Anyone getting serious about their footage should invest in a high-quality MicroSD card with large capacity and fast read and write speeds.
• Automated (or intelligent) flight modes allow effortlessly taking stylish selfies or panoramic videos of the area by making a drone follow a pre-programmed trajectory. Typically, you just pick the preferred flight mode from the app, and your drone will perform it as a professional cinematographer. Some drones can also track moving objects and, for example, capture your bike ride.

If you opt for a premium or professional drone, you can expect longer flight time and connectivity range, better wind-resistance, as well as excellent camera capabilities and more intelligent modes. Additionally, there will be more shooting modes and formats available, as well as better in-app editing options.

Here are some features to pay attention:

• With cheaper drones, you usually have limited options to adjust the exposure; top-level models have higher ISO and shutter speed ranges and lenses with adjustable aperture. To keep it short, more options will allow you working in more diverse lighting conditions without ending up with over- or underexposed result. Additionally, high-end drones have better Auto mode and other helpful tools to get the exposure right.
• Think about what lens works best for your projects. Some drones come with a standard focal length lens (~35-85 mm full-frame equivalent) that allows focusing on the subject. Most drone models have a wide-angle lens (~24-35 mm full-frame equivalent); this allows getting more of the background in the picture and is perfect for sceneries. If you feel hard-pressed to choose, there are drones with zoom lenses too. Finally, some offer an opportunity to switch lenses just like with a DSLR camera.
• Even though there are affordable 4K drones, the high-end ones will offer higher quality footage nevertheless. One thing to consider is the bitrate. This is the amount of data recorded per second, measured in megabits. Lower bitrate often translates in more artefacts or distortions in the video. High-end drones can record 100 Mbps or more, ensuring excellent quality (albeit it requires more memory space).
• Another thing to know about 4K is that two formats DCI 4K and UHD 4K actually exist. The difference between the two is narrow (to be precise, 256-pixels narrow). DCI 4K (also called Cinema 4K or True 4K) is those 256 pixels wider and is used at cinemas, whereas UHD is used at the television. If you don’t plan to participate in film festivals, the feature may not be crucial. Still, the same resolution-advice we mentioned before is valid here – more pixels mean more options for cropping.
• If you plan to shoot during not-so-pleasant weather, check the wind and water resistance of your drone. Most drones do not do well when getting wet, but some models are waterproof.
• Finally, one thing that adds wow-factor to owning a drone is a first-person-view headset. Instead of witnessing what your drone sees from a phone screen, you can put on goggles and enjoy truly cinematic sceneries in front of your eyes. If you buy a headset, make sure that your drone model is compatible with it.

Going Extra Mile: Drone Etiquette

Flying a drone is fun when done right and can be annoying or even dangerous when done wrong. Here are the things you should know before launching your quadcopter:

• Check what is allowed in the area where you plan to practice.
• Get to know your drone. Carefully read the manual and watch the instruction videos. Make it a habit to check before each flight if your drone is in good order. If you notice damage, for example, to rotors, change them before the flight. Ensure that the battery is full and you have enough of memory space.
• Start by practising in large open-field areas without obstacles. Get familiar with the controls beforehand and fly with caution, especially when learning a new manoeuvre. Be aware of the remaining battery life and keep your drone within line of sight.
• Some drones are more water- and wind-resistant than others, but don’t stretch it, especially if you’re a beginner. Check the forecast, the sight outside the window and keep your drone at home in adverse weather.
• Never fly over people or animals; this puts them in danger in case the drone falls. Since drones make noise, also respect if someone nearby asks you to stop and don’t share any photos or videos of people without their consent.

Conclusion

Modern drones allow everything from conquering towering cliffs and crossing deep rivers, to capturing a skiing trip or a family hike. You don’t need prior experience to master flying one, and, once you do, the creative possibilities are endless. With gravity out of the way, the sky is closer than ever, and there is nothing to clip your wings of imagination.