Top 7 best drones under $200 in 2019
More and more cheap drones are getting released these days that are better than the last generations and older guides won’t help you find the best ones in 2018.
There are many drone makers in China that have started actually producing higher quality stuff for amazing prices.
First of all, if you’re new to the hobby, you better check out my infographic with the beginner drone buying guide that will teach you the basics.
However, here’s the main points you should usually look for in a drone:
Transmitter
The transmitter and its functions add a lot of value to an already good drone.
Battery life
Battery life for anything in the category under $200 dollars should be at least over 10 minutes, 15 min preferably.
Range
Range is going to be a very decisive factor and you should expect even up to 1km at this price.
Build Quality
Image stabilization is just as important as camera quality if not more.
Look for electronic image stabilization or preferably good camera gimbals.
Camera
At the price of around 200 dollars you should get a drone with a pretty decent quality camera, preferably at least 1080p Full HD.
This is a quick Ranking of my top picks for the best camera drones I’d recommend for different people with different needs, all considering your budget is under 200 dollars.
I have a more detailed review of each one bellow the article. Use the quick navigation above to get there.
This list is in order of what I consider to be better overall AND what value for money that drone has.
All these quadcopters are super high quality and you can’t really go wrong. It’s up to you to decide!
| Product | Battery life | Range | Camera | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | JJPRO X5 EPIK review – best GPS drone under $150! | $144.99 | ||||
 | Hubsan X4 H501s standard and advanced versions | $150.00 | ||||
 | JJRC C-Fly X7 review | $128.99 | ||||
 | MJX Bugs 2 review – best GPS drone under $200 | $152.00 |
Battery Life
15min
Range
300m
Camera
1080p
GPS
Yes
Both the JJPRO X5 and the MJX Bugs 5w are pretty much the same drone with a different looking canopy.
Even so, they always make the top of my TOPS as some of the best overall quadcopters you can buy under $200, hands on!
We’re talking about brushless motors, a good quality camera that can swivel, impecable GPS stability and an overal smaller frame than most drones like the Bugs 3 pro for example.
It has not dissapointed me so far and it also comes with interesting to use flight modes like waypoint flight, circle around me and follow me.
Battery Life
19min
Range
500m
Camera
1080p
GPS
YES
The hubsan x4 H501S has been one of the go to drones of beginner fliers who wanted a solid GPS quad for quite some time.
It differes from the rest on this list thanks to the 5.8ghz transmission that has no lag and the fact that the controller already comes with a monitor. You can also use FPV Goggles and experience the flight much more precise than a wifi video.
Otherwise, it’s packed with the usual great features a drone should have: brushless motors, a 1080p camera, long battery life and even some flight functions.
Here’s what’s in the package:
- two sets of self tightenting propellers
- tool for motors
- 2s battery charger
- micro USB cable
- transmitter
- drone
- can wear goggles
- Good customer support
- 2 types of transmitter to choose
- long battery life
Battery Life
15min
Range
350m
Camera
1080p
GPS
YES
The JJRC X7 is another drone that comes with a camera that can change angles while in flight.
At this price range we can’t expect a proper motorized gimbal so simply having the option to move the camera angle in the air is great if you want to capture certain things.
Otherwise, the quadcopter has the advantage of a very lean frame that can easily fit in a backpack, and pretty much everything that you can find on this list.
I only recommend drones with good battery life, brushless motors and a decent range.
It also comes with good GPS+GLONASS that keeps it flying steady and return to home in case of signal loss.
Battery Life
25min
Range
600m
Camera
1080p
GPS
YES
Although in real life it’s more toward 20 min battery life, the SJRC F11 is actually the longest flying drone on this list and it’s also unique in it’s folding form factor.
The transmitter is very high quality for the price also.
Overall it looks like a DJI Mavic, but don’t expect the same performance.
It’s not a perfect drone, like any on this list. The camera quality is not amazing, but it does its job.
However, it’s simply very easy to carry around and it’s flight performace is excelent, along with the stability and the fact that the camera can be moved up and down.
There’s also options to get multiple batteries in the package and even a carrying bag for it, which is very nice.
Battery Life
23min
Range
350m
Camera
1080p
GPS
YES
The newest drone on this list, being on preorder as I’m typing this, the ZLRC beast SG906 has the potential to become one of the coolest and most capable drones in this range.
It is the only 4k capable camera drone that’s considerably under $200 while also sporting a great design, brushless motors and a camera that can change angle in flight (you know I like these, don’t you).
The flight time is amazing as well as coming with a bunch of interesting flight modes and tracking.
Battery Life
15min
Range
1000m
Camera
1080p
GPS
YES
The MJX Bugs 2 SE is the new version from the original BUGS 2 that has a few flight modes included like follow me and so on.
It has a different silver look to it, yet the same 1080p camera, that actually looks pretty nice and has a very wide angle lens, just like the drone on the number one spot.
It’s a really high quality drone with great GPS stability and a slim profile while being sporty enough to get it out of GPS mode and fly it around to get used to the speed.
