Best Portable Drone Under $500

Let’s take a quick look at some of these drones again. All of them have come down in price the Breeze, Dobby and Wingsland can all be found at times for less than $200. That makes them an excellent choice for a portable drone.  The DJI Spark can be picked up for $399 with a remote controller.  Lower prices are definitely a win for everyone.

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The DJI Mavic is the best portable drone on the market today, but its starting price tag of $1000 makes it an expensive purchase. There are a lot of inexpensive portable drones under $50, but they lack features like GPS and they typically have poor cameras. There are a handful of small, portable drones with good cameras under $500 and we’ll highlight the top 6.

Camera Quality

These cameras are all very similar. The difference between 12MP and 13MP is almost impossible to detect. While most of these small quads have 4K camera capability, the video quality is reduced to 1080-like video resolution after image stabilization. Of these drones, only the Spark has a mechanical gimbal to smooth out its 1080p video. We prefer the smoothness of a mechanical gimbal. The image stabilization on the Breeze seems to be the best in keeping the image smooth without using a gimbal but, like we said before, the image quality won’t be 4K. The camera on the PhoneDrone Ethos is only as good as your cell phone camera, but a lot of the high-end smartphones have excellent cameras and sensors. Here’s our top 4:

1. DJI Spark
2. Yuneec Breeze
3. ZeroTech Dobby
4. XCraft PhoneDrone Ethos
5. Hover Camera Passport
6. Wingsland S6

Flight Time and Range

The DJI Spark tops both categories, with a 16 minute flight time and a 2000 meter range, however you’ll only get that range if you purchase the $699 Fly More Package that includes a remote. Otherwise, the best range belongs to the Dobby at 200 meters. Unfortunately, the Dobby also logs the shortest flight time at 9 minutes. The Breeze has the second longest flight time at 12 minutes and it has a rather short 100-meter range. The range and flight time will vary depending on flight conditions and how you fly. The Hover Camera passport has a very limited range, but that is because it was developed to be mostly a Selfie Drone. Here are the drones ranked from best range to worst.

1. Spark
2. Breeze
3. Dobby
4. Passport
5. S6
6. PhoneDrone

Features

Each one of these drones has a very similar set of features and flight modes. They all possess some type of return home, orbit and follow me. The Hover Camera Passport has a unique propeller guard to keep your fingers safe and folds up nicely for storage. The S6 and Dobby also fold up for easy storage. Both the Dobby and the Spark have object tracking capability, but the Spark is the only drone on the list with proven obstacle avoidance. The PhoneDrone still is a wild card at this point but should have very similar features to the others. XCraft has been fairly innovative and we do expect big things when the PhoneDrone is finally released. Here are our rankings for drones based on features and flight modes.

1. Spark
2. Dobby
3. Passport
4. Breeze
5. PhoneDrone
6. S6

Size Matters

The Zerotech Dobby in its folded up state is the smallest of the group. The Spark may not fold up, but it doesn’t need to as it is already pretty compact and is the second smallest. The Wingland S6 is just a little larger but is the thinnest of the group. The biggest is the Yuneec Breeze, but it still is small enough to fit into almost any backpack. Here they are smallest to largest.

1. Dobby
2. S6
3. Spark
4. PhoneDrone
5. Passport
6. Breeze

Best Value

Now that the prices of these drones have dropped we would recommend taking a look at the Breeze and Dobby as they both come in under $200. The Breeze is probably a slightly better option as it has a few more features and comes with a remote. However, the Spark is really in its own category even at 2 times the price of the others it is a deal.

1. Breeze

1. Dobby 
2. Spark
3. PhoneDrone
4. S6
5. Passport

So Which One is Right for You?

Overall the DJI Spark is probably the best drone in the group, but it is also the most expensive. The Dobby is a good deal at $295 and the Breeze is a fairly good option as well. We are excited about the potential of the PhoneDrone. If the S6 price also continues to fall it also will become a good deal. It is hard to go wrong with one of these small drones. Here’s how we’d rank them.

1. Spark
2. Dobby
3. Breeze
4. PhoneDrone
5. Passport
6. S6

Other Options?

If you aren’t quite satisfied with these options and you want the hottest consumer drone on the market today, then the DJI Mavic is the right choice. It has a better camera, longer range, better flight time, more flight modes and is even faster than the options we described above. It even folds up to be about the size of a water bottle. If you are looking to get something less expensive but still want something portable then take a look at this article. We’ll cover some intriguing portable options all under $50.

What Is the BEST Drone?

So what is the absolute best drone out there? That question isn’t as easy to answer as you’d think. BUT…for most people the answer is the DJI Mavic Air. It is portable, has an awesome camera and excellent flight modes. Learn more about the Mavic Air HERE.

What Is Our FAVORITE Drone?

The Mavic Air is great but the drone that has us excited to go fly the most right now is the Parrot Anafi. The camera and gimbal setup on this drone allow it to do things that no other drone can. Plus, having the ability to zoom in on what you are filming is priceless. Learn more about the Parrot Anafi HERE.

What Drone Is the Best VALUE?

The best value on the market today has to be the DJI Spark. Now under $400, this little dynamo can do things that once upon a time cost over $1000. Learn more about the DJI Spark HERE. Still too much money for you? There are still some great options. Check out our list of the best drones under $200.

Want More Options?

Every month we update what we believe are the best drones on the market. Check out Best Drones Now. We have also created the one-of-a-kind Half Chrome Drone Cipher™. You answer a few questions and we’ll pair you with the best drone for you.

Do you want to search by price? Click on your menu above or we can break it down for you. Check out drones under $50, from $50-100, from $100-200, from $200-500 or over $500. Maybe you like a good Top Ten list, we’ve got you covered.

Learn More…

If you want to learn more about taking great pictures or flying FPV then check out our comprehensive guides on those topics. Also, take a look at our articles on how to choose the right drone for great aerial photos or for getting started flying race drones. Learn more about drones and how to get the most out of them in our Drone Academy. In the Academy, we also detail some of the advanced testing we do including drone thrust testing and camera quality testing.

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