Best drones under $1000 – top high quality quadcopters

Top 5 Best Drones under $1000 (updated for 2020)

best-drones-under-$1000

Drones under $1000 are already in a price category that leaves room for a lot of quality and more advanced technology.

I'm talking about obstacle avoidance sensors, zoom lenses, better GPS accuracy, better builds and so on.

It's possible to make solid money with any drone on this list, but for that you need to know some stuff. I recommend you check out the only course that helped me make $200/h just using a Mavic Air.

The drones on this list are the best I could find in between $500 and $1000 mainly. There are also DJI alternatives on this list that are very capable quadcopters and that you shouldn't overlook just because DJI has the monopoly on the market.

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What to look for in a drone under $1000?

No more need to make compromises when it comes to this price range. If you get any of the drones on this list, you're getting some of the best there is, period.

Most people won't notice the difference between the footage of a Mavic Air 2 and an Inspire 2 from DJI, although the difference in price is huge. You can definitely do professional photography and videography with these top ones, even if you just follow an online course for it.

Battery life icon

Battery Life

Battery life in this price range should definitely be over 20 minutes at least, the more the better. I feel most comfortable with whatever is 25 minutes or more.

camera icon

Camera quality

All drones in this price range will record in 4k. You should look if they record at 60fps in 4k and what bitrate they shoot in (preferably over 100mbps).

Drone Range

Drone Range

If you want to get the job done and film almost any point of interest, a range of 500m-1km is enough. Most drones on the list will be more than that.

What are the Best drones in this price range?

I have ordered the drones on this list in a subjective manner, but they're all really great! I am simply confident that the one on the number one spot is the best for more professional videography as it's my favorite drone. Same with the Skydio 2 being the perfect sports drone.

Winner Mavic Air 2

  • 4k 60p camera
  • 9km range
  • 34 min battery
  • great image quality
  • option to put ND filters easily
  • Great transmitter
mavic-air-2-thumbnail
Check Price & Specs

5.Parrot Anafi(a solid and cheap drone)

4k

25min 

4km

100mbps Bitrate

The parrot Anafi is in my opinion the best drone you can get for actually under $600 because of it's very high quality build, awesome zoom features and overall very capable camera.

Considering Parrot is one of the main competitors for DJI and has a strong history of high product quality and drone manufacturing, it's safe to say the quality level of the product is something that becomes a big advantage.

This quadcopter is nothing short of being a fully fledged professional drone, able to take 16 or 21 mp photos in RAW format while also capable of shooting 4k super stable video.
Another reason why this drone is in the number one spot is that the camera can turn 90 degrees above to take absolutely original shots that no other drone is currently capable of.
 
It may not have optical sensors in front to avoid obstacles, but it still comes with the optical stabilization at bottom that helps it land better and fly more stable close to the ground.
 
The 2 axis gimbal does an amazing job at stabilization, although the drones in the first places slightly better in terms of that.
 

Advantages

  • Really Quiet
  • Cheap price
  • Can film 90 degrees up
  • lossless zoom
  • 21 mp photos
  • a lot of flight modes

DISAdvantages

  • 2 axis gimbal
  • card slot must be handled carefully
Check Price and reviews

4.Hubsan Zino 2 (a surprisingly good one)

4k 60fps

32min 

8km

Bitrate: 100mbps

hubsan zino 2
A drone that's the follow up version from the original Hubsan Zino, which is the absolute winner by far as the best drone under $300. The Hubsan Zino 2 is pretty high on this list and might get even higher because it's really cheap for what it can do.
I also included it in my under $500 drone video category, although currently it costs about $600, but this is an amazing price still for such an amazing drone with these incredible specs.
 
We're talking about 4k 60 fps recording a 3 axis gimbal, great GPS stability, 8km range and 32 minute battery life. It records at 100Mbps and guess what it supports ND filters that are easily detachable, perfect for professionals.
Another interesting feature the Hubsan Zino 2 features is the detachable gimbal. This modular system means you can update it in the future with another camera release maybe.
 
Don't forget to hit the subscribe and like buttons to get notified whenever I will post the review on the Hubsan zino 2.
 
Overall a super great contender on this list, maybe even better than the ones following, This top is not to be taken in order necesarily. It's not a clear winner situation like in my video with the top drones under $300.

Advantages

  • 4k 60p camera
  • 8km range
  • 32 min battery
  • great image quality
  • modular gimbal+camera
  • Great transmitter

DISAdvantages

  • needs further testing
Check Price and reviews

3.Autel Evo (main DJI alternative)

4k 60p

30min 

7km

100mbps bitrate

The Autel Evo was a complete surprise to me, as before knowing what it does, I expected it to be another DJI copycat with the performance of the original Mavic Pro at higher prices.
But I couldn't be more wrong.
 
The drone comes with a 7km range a 4k 60p camera solid stable 3 axis gimbal  and a 30 minute battery life.
 
It's a really well made drone by one of the leaders in the industry.
 
It's pretty much an upgrade from the original Mavic Pro, but much cheaper than the Mavic 2. It's definitely not as portable as the mavic Air, but I would say it has great potential to be on top of this list and the perfect camera drone for the money.

Advantages

  • 4k 60p camera
  • great range
  • long flight time
  • Transmitter with built in screen
  • Solid build

DISAdvantages

  • Nothing really
Check Price and reviews

2.Skydio 2 - the best drone for sports

2.7k

30min 

4km

100mbps

he Skydio 2 is probably the most expected follow me drone for sports.

The footage is absolutely great, don't get me wrong, it's just not as suited for things like weddings and making money out of your drone as the others are.

The range for this drone is about 1km, and you'll also have to pay extra for the type of controller you want, if you don't want to stick with just your phone all the time. So that's one of the reasons it didn't make it higher on the list.

The skydio has 6 sensor cameras all over so it will avoid obstacles like no other drone, if obstacle avoidance and close proximity flying is what you're looking for, then don't look further, there's nothing that gets even close to this.

The camera records in 4k 60p but it's only stabilized with a2 axis gimbal and electronic image stabilization, however it produces quite smooth results.

Advantages

  • Amazing obstacle avoidance
  • 2 controller options
  • can follow you even if it loses tracking
  • 4k 60p camera
  • shoots raw photos
  • it can follow cars, boats and more

DISAdvantages

  • not foldable
  • takes a while to setup

1.Mavic Air 2 - best drone under $1000 in 2020

4k 60p

34min 

9km

120mbps bitrate

mavic air 2 package fly more combo

There's no doubt in my mind that the Mavic Air 2 is the best drone for its price range in 2020. It's definitely my main drone and one I use with a lot of pleasure.

The increased bitrate, better camera, better tracking and way longer battery life are by themselves great reasons to buy this drone.

I love the controller compared to previous Mavics for how good it feels in hand and how easy it is to setup.

It comes with an HDR mode that makes daytime shooting impressive without any skills on how to properly expose an image.

It's simply great!

Advantages

  • 4k 60p camera
  • 9km range
  • 34 min battery
  • great image quality
  • HDR mode in video
  • Great transmitter

DISAdvantages

  • none so far
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