Last Updated on June 4, 2020 by Husain Parvez
Get yourself one of the best drones under 100 dollars as we are stepping closer to creating more and more sci-fi dream technologies into some of the other ways a reality, which is one of the best dream technologies we could say that we have developed to near perfection over the years.
Drones have developed so much in the past few years that at first, only professional videographers with suitable skills and early tech adopters could afford a drone for professional use or a rich kids toy! As time has passed, and the drone technology has matured, the drone technology has trickled down to budget-friendly options for all kinds of the price range for different uses or recreation use and family fun time.
Affordability and widespread use of drones have put forward its privacy challenges as anyone can spy on anyone at any time. The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) has cleared the guidelines as to the requirements of flying a drone in line of the purpose you are using a drone, where and when you can fly a drone without breaching into other peoples privacy. Read the guidelines here.
Note. Some of the drones mentioned in this article do not require FAA license as they are for educational or indoor recreational use only. It is a good practice to first go through the rules and regulations on flying a drone in your area or city before investing in a drone.
What to look out for when buying a drone?
Investing in a or under 100$ drone may not give you all the bells and whistles of more expensive drones. But here are the things you should look out for in a drone and choose according to your needs and features.
Size
When buying one of the best drones under 100 dollars, you may have some options for a full-size drone mid and mini, but we recommend for newcomers to go for mini drones and quadcopters. Some are so small and tiny that they can sit right in your palm and take off. They are easy to control even for children, and they can be used indoors too. Mini and micro-sized drones are compact and also fit in your regular backpack, but it may not have a camera built into it, if you are looking for an inexpensive option, these are the best options out there.
Charging and Battery Life
Having a large battery capacity will ensure longer air time and less worrying that your drone has enough juice to return home to you and not crash midway because of miserable battery life. And also you need fast charging for your drone because you don’t want your drone to be more sitting idle charging than in the air. Some micro drones have built-in charging in the controller itself so that you don’t have to carry a separate charger for the drone and the controller.
Phone Connectivity and App Features
If you are purchasing a drone that has a camera built-in, you can attach your phone to the drone’s controller and see the video feed from the camera to your smartphone. Different drone manufacturers have their apps which you have to download and install on your device. There are two types of App configurations.
- An app that allows your drone to be controlled by your phone.
- App connectivity that enhances the drone experience by giving you live first-person video feed on your phone, which you have to mount on to the controller.
Either which app configuration you choose, they will ensure you get the best experience and good times with your drone. If your drone has a camera built-in, you don’t need to look at your drone where it goes for long distances, look into your smartphone and control the drone.
Some even have AR games on the phone app that will entertain kids and adults of all ages rather than just flying your drone up, down and forward.
Safety Features
You do not want your fingers in a propeller of a drone! Some drones have a safety ring around the propeller so that no one gets hurt during a drone mishap. It is in place so that the propellers do not get damaged if the drone hits obstacles or a wall. Some drones even have safety landing features and warn the user of the range on the best drones under 100 dollars available, that it can fly on a charge.
Camera and GPS
Drones are popular and sought after because most of the drones have a built-in camera so that you can get first-person view and record and shoot still images from your drone. It also has made drones illegal in some countries due to privacy concerns and peeping neighbours. If there are no restrictions on flying drones in your city, having a camera on your drone can capture videos and still images of your area and views you have never seen before even if you are familiar with your neighbourhood or city. GPS allows you to locate and track your drone where it goes, and you can find it if it crashes in a tree or it gets lost.
6-Axis Gyroscope
Most of the drones have 6-Axis Gyroscope, which means the drone will be steady when you take off from the ground and start moving forward and backwards. Gyroscope also ensures that you record video with super stable and still videos.
Flying Range
Most toy drones have a range of 20 metres, while other long-range drones have a flying range of more than a mile. The controller and the drone have the same operating range. For example, if the controller has a connection with the drone form 20 metres, the drone to has a range of about 20 metres. The range of how far a drone flyes also depends on the battery capacity on the drone.
Best drones under 100 dollars to buy right now
Now that you know what to look in the best drone, here are is our personally curated list of the best drones under 100 dollars that we have found on online which could get you high-flying action on a budget.
Propel Snap 2.0
Propel RC is a U.S based flight and RC controlled vehicle company which is founded back in 2006. The Propel Snap 2.0 is a compact folding drone and is suitable for most beginners and advanced users. Propel also provides with free unlimited replacement parts for one year. Having such a deal on replacement parts relieves you from using your drone more often and not worry about the replacement parts or even buying a whole new drone.
Main features.
- Compact folding design for portability.
- Records and takes still photos with onboard 720p camera.
- Flight range up to 30ft and flight time up to 8 to 10 minutes. (claimed)
- 6-Axis Gyro for stability and manoeuvrability during flight time. It also helps in capturing stable video recording.
- Phone connectivity through the app and a phone mount to attach your smartphone to your controller.
SIMREX X300C Mini Drone
The Simrex X300C mini drone is small and fits right on to your hand, making it one of the smallest contenders in the list of the best drones under 100 dollars. The Simrex X300 mini drone is the best suitable gift for children and also comes with propeller protection ring attachments so that your child does not get hurt in a drone accident.
Main features.
- Foldable compact design.
- Special aerobatics which can be activated through the app on your smartphone which is mounted right on your controller.
- The headless mode which helps in the orientation of the drone.
- 6-Axis Gyro stability.
- The range is about 30 to 40 metres and a flight time of 8 to 10 minutes (claimed).
- 720p for video recording and capture images.
- Three-speed modes for beginners as well as experienced drone users.
B-Qtech
The B-Qtech drone packs in a lot of features for its price point. It comes in a stealthy black colour and a foldable fuselage.
Main features.
- The drone has 1800 mah removable battery capacity, which gives a flight time of about 16 minutes with a range of 50 meters.
- 1080p camera which can record videos, capture still images and provide a live video feed to your smartphone, which the drone is connected to an app.
- Gravity sensor mode allows you to control the drone entirely with the help of your phone’s accelerometer and gyroscope sensors. It follows where you move your phone.
- Custom flight path which you draw on your phone’s app.
- You can pair a VR headset to the drone so that you can view the live feed from the camera and look outside from your home and have an immersive experience.
TENKER Skyracer
The TENKER Skyracer is a compact drone package. You can fold the drone and store it inside the given space in the remote itself and even charge the drone using the remote which takes 4 AAA batteries. Given that a 24$ drone and the small size, there are some sacrifices such as; no camera and phone connectivity. But, what makes this offering one of the best drones under 100 dollars, is it being the best gifting option for children and beginners because of how easy it is to set up and start using the drone. It is small and can be flown indoors without any worriers and give excellent family fun time.
Main features
- 4.9 inch in size that fits right on your palms and you can take off from your hand.
- Bag and pocket-friendly remote and drone package for easy carrying.
- Drone charging through the remote controller as well as wall adapter charging through USB cable.
- One key return and aerial tricks.
- Flight time of the drone up to 6 to 8 minutes.
ATTOP Drone X-2
The ATTOP X-2 is the same compact size as the TENKER Skyracer, but it features a camera and app connectivity too for as little as 40$. ATTOP Drone X-2 is a small and portable drone with a 720p camera and app connectivity to your phone. The phone app can as well be used to control the drone without the need of the remote.
Main features
- 720p camera for first-person viewing experience through your phone.
- Foldable and compact design.
- When fully charged, flight time for about 6 to 8 minutes.
- The headless mode, which means you do not need to worry about the orientation of the drone, be it front or back of the drone when you are flying it.
- AR games on the drone app so that you can get more fun out of the small package and entertain your guests.
- App drone control feature so that you get the most first-person view experience from the drone’s camera on to your smartphone.
Propel Batwing HD Drone
A Batman fan? Why be so serious and buy a regular run in the mill drone when you can get your self a Batwing drone! The Propel Batwing Drone will scratch the niche of both Batman fanatics as well as drone beginners and enthusiasts, while comfortably being among the best drones under 100 dollars price range.
Main features
- Onboard HD camera for the video feed and video recording through the app.
- Air pressure sensors lock the flight altitude, which helps in stable video feed and recording.
- The Propel Batwing Drone has 6-Axis Gyro technology that makes the drone stable in all conditions and elevations.
- It’s shaped like a Batwing!
Holy Stone HS190
The Holy Stone HS190 mini drone offers same travel friendliness as the TENKER Skyracer and ATTOP Drone X-2. The Holy Stone HS190 does not have a camera built-in and app connectivity.
Main features
- Mini size and portable drone package.
- Altitude and hight hold function when you release the throttle stick, the drone remains hovering on the altitude you left the throttle stick.
- For beginners, one-button take-off and landing makes it easier to fly the drone.
- The headless mode in which the forward direction is the drone facing towards you. When you push the forward throttle, the drone flys away form you, when you push the throttle joystick towards you, the drone comes back to you.
- One key return to the controller.
- Three-speed adjustments.
- You can charge the drone using the remote or a USB cable connected to a power brick.
- It takes 40 minutes to charge the drone and flying time up to 5 to 7 minutes.
Sky Viper Dash Nano Drone
The Sky Viper Dash Nano Drone is the smallest sibling of the Sky Viper Dash series of drones. The Sky Viper Dash Nano Drone has a robustly built quality for its size. It does not have an onboard camera and phone connectivity, but this drone does not need to comply with FAA as it is advertised as indoor use. And indeed it can be used indoors with a lot of fun for kids and adults too.
Main features.
- Micro size and fits right onto your palm.
- Best for beginners and it is mighty in comparison to its size.
- Dual flight modes with altitude hold feature.
Potensic A20 Mini Drone
The Potensic A20 Mini Drone gives a feeling and experience of a professional drone but with only essential basic functions and features. The Potensic A20 mini drone does not have an onboard camera and phone connectivity feature. Not having a built-in camera means it does not need to comply with the FAA regulations.
Main features
- The box comes with two detachable batteries.
- Three-speed adjustable modes for beginners and experienced pilots.
- Easy to pilot with altitude hold function.
- Portable size and easy to carry.
- Propeller guard rings for protection against crashes.
- Emergency stop and landing feature.
- Remote controller to pilot the drone.
Holy Stone HS110D
The Holy Stone HS110D mid-size drone fits right in the middle of a mini and a full-size drone. This drone is the ideal for people who have some experience piloting a drone and want to head over to the next step forward. You may need to get an FAA license for this drone as it is a mid-size drone with a built-in camera. Check with the FAA guidelines before you get this offering from among the best drones under 100 dollars.
Main feature
- Onboard 1080p wide-angle camera for taking still images, video first-person live feed and recording through the mobile connected app.
- Altitude hold for easy manoeuvrability and steady video live feed and video recording.
- Headless mode for eas of direction piloting when the drone is out of human sight.
- Modular battery with a capacity of 1000mah with 3.7 volts which gives up to 10 minutes of flying time.
- Many other functions and features which can be activated using the mobile app for the drone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I buy replacement propellers?
After using your drone frequently, you may find wear and tear on your propeller, or your drone has gone through an accident, and you have broken the propellers. Thanks to five industry-standard propeller sizes, based on your drone, you can buy replacement propellers. The five standard propeller sizes are, 2″(inches), 3″,4″,5″ and 6 inches. You can order replacement parts from Amazon or contact your manufacturer.
Do I need a license to fly a drone?
In the USA, if you are flying a drone recreationally in an open field without any power lines and other obstacles, and the drone weighs less than 0.55 pounds, you do not need a license or register your drone. There is no need for any license or registration for drones for indoor use. If you are going to use your drone for commercial use, you will need a permit to fly and also register your drone to the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). Read the full guidelines here.
How to view images and videos taken from a drone?
You may wonder where your images and videos have gone after you record them. Check-in your drone app on your phone or visit your phone’s gallery. The app might have created another folder specific for drone-captured videos and images. Additionally, most drones come with onboard storage, which can be hooked up to a computer. However, considering that you are selecting one among the best drones under 100 dollars, don’t expect a high-flying cinema-quality camera.
Final Words
Having to buy one of the best drones under 100 dollars can be tricky and daunting to select from a sea of drones in this price bracket, be it for gifting or for yourself to practice on. We hope our list of has helped you make the right decision on your first drone.
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