Best Drones under $200 in 2020 (table and charts comparison)
Looking for a good quality drone under $200 can be tough as you're not yet in the more professional budget area.
However…
I only chose my top brushless drones, so they're durable and you don't end up buying an expensive toy drone that easily breaks!
In this article you'll learn about what specs to look for in a drone of this price and what are my top camera drone picks for a few categories(no FPV included).
If you're interested in getting a better drone and have some money to spare, I highly recommend you check the article with my top drones under $300, as the difference in price will make up for it.
My winner:Eachine Ex4
In a hurry? Just pick my best recommended drone in this price category and you can't really go wrong!
- Great GPS stability
- 3 axis gimbal
- Camera isn't fisheye
- Great carrying case
- 25 min flight time
- 1km range
My top camera drones under $200 (table comparison)
At this price, every dollar counts in getting yourself a better or worse drone and the differences can be significant.
I'm going to cover the main features of basic camera drones, not FPV or otherwise niche quadcopters.
Keep in mind that you shouldn't expect high level camera drones like some of the newer DJI models. If you think you can expand your budget a bit, I recommend you check out my top drones under $500 list, or my latest comparison between the Mavic Mini, Mavic Air and Fimi X8 ( all great camera drones).
My video with details about these drones
FREE: Perfect pre-flight drone checklist
Use this checklist to get in the habit of always being prepared with everything you need when going to film with a drone (especially if you're doing it for clients).
Longest battery life drone under $200
Winner: ZLRC SG906 Pro
- Longest reliable battery life
- Says 4k camera(But is in fact 1080p)
- 2 axis gimbal
- Foldable
What's the longest range drone under $200?
Winner: Eachine Ex4
- Reliable long range
- 1080p camera
- 3 axis gimbal
- Foldable and small
Best camera drone under $200
Winner(again): Eachine Ex4
Although it may look like the ZLRC SG 906 Pro wins this race in terms of image quality, the camera stability of the EX4 results in way more professional and useful footage.
It's a clear winner!
Eachine Ex4 Video Footage
My final drone ranking (in detail)
This is a more in depth view on each of the drones we looked at before and my personal experience with them. Have a look at all of them, as each is great in it's own way.
Specs alone aren't enough to tell a story, testing a drone and seeing how it actually shoots video is what's more important.
All these quadcopters are super high quality and you can’t really go wrong. It’s up to you to decide!
1.Eachine Ex4 - 3 axis gimbal drone (my favorite)
1080p
25min
1km
3 axis gimbal
The eachine ex4 is a drone I recently reviewed on youtube, and even if it's like 3 usd over $200, I think it's quite worth it. It's a super compact drone that comes with 3 axis image stabilization gimbal and a 1080p camera, a solid stable gps and a range of 1km that I tested myself.
Advantages
- Great gps stability
- 3 axis gimbal (very stable)
- Camera Isn't fisheye
- Comes with a great case
- Great flight time
- 1km range (teste by me)
DISAdvantages
- Dynamic range isnt' great (typical for drones in this price category)
2.ZLRC SG906 Pro (Best long range drone under $200)
1080p
25min
500m
1km
2 axis gimbal
No image stabilization
The ZLRC SG906 Pro made a huge leap from the original, just because it added a better camera and a good 2 axis gimbal.
Just like the original, it comes with a great build quality, brushless motors and great battery life.
You can use this drone for exploration, as it comes with a 50x in app zoom (you do lose quality though).
I rank it second to the Eachine because the image stablization is clearly inferior.
It flies super stable also thanks to its optical flow sensors underneath and GPS+GLONASS system.
The standard controlling range is 1km, but 500m is what you should expect from the visual range(FPV).
Advantages
- Great gps stability
- 2 axis gimbal (very stable)
- Good 1080p camera
- Camera can move up and down
- Great carrying case
DISAdvantages
- It's advertised at 4k, but in fact it has a 1080p camera
3.WLtoys XK X1( best camera drone under $200)
1080p
18 min
500m
1km
2 axis gimbal
No image stabilization
The Xk X1 from WLtoys is a drone that I tried and reviewed hands on, and was really impressed with the quality of footage I got from it.
The gimbal is one of the best I saw in the industry, while the camera is not half bad either.
If you're looking for the best photography drone under $200, this might just be it.
You can control the camera to move up and down, but it's not that smooth, as you have to press buttons instead of using a scroll wheel.
The carrying case that it comes with is absolutely great, same quality as the actual Phantom 4, that this drone resembles.
Advantages
- Great gps stability
- 2 axis gimbal (very stable)
- Good 1080p camera
- Camera can move up and down
- Great carrying case
DISAdvantages
- Not foldable
4.JJRC X9 Heron ( Best selfie drone under $200)
1080p
15 min battery
400m
2 axis gimbal
The first drone on this list with a capable 2 axis gimbal, the JJRC X9 heron is a drone that I reviewed recently and comes with some impressive specs.
It's not perfect, but the 2 axis gimbal and lightweight frame make it quite a good travel companion.
It does have an optical flow camera for better stability during flight, along with GPS.
Comes with return to home option (even in low battery).
One disadvantage would be the fact that it doesn't come with GLONASS(the russian version of GPS). This means the flight stability is a bit inferior compared to some other drones on this list.
Advantages
- 2 axis stabilized video
- Good 1080p camera
- Small and lightweight(259g)
- Optical flow camera
DISAdvantages
- GPS is not very stable(doesn't come with GLONASS)
5. Funsky 913(Best GPS drone under 250g)
1080p
16 min battery
200m
No gimbal
The funksy 913 must be the best beginner drone under $200 in my opinion.
It made it on this list after I tested it myself and got mind blown by its build and image quality.
The main fact I love this drone is because it's super silent (much more than any other drone I've tested).
It's small enough to fly without a permit in most countries (including USA) and it still has TONS of power.
It comes with brushless motors and some really high quality plastic.
Advantages
- Small size
- Super stable GPS
- Great camera quality
- Micro SD card slot
DISAdvantages
- Battery life isn't that amazing
What to look for in a drone (and FAQ)
This is a more in depth view on each of the drones we looked at before and my personal experience with them. Have a look at all of them, as each is great in it's own way.
Specs alone aren't enough to tell a story, testing a drone and seeing how it actually shoots video is what's more important.
Battery life and Range
Checking a drone’s battery life will help you make calculated decisions when and where to operate it. The least thing you’d want is to see your drone crashing in the sea because you were not aware how long its battery could last.
Luckily, most drones show a live battery indicator and also come with the option to return to home on low battery or loss of signal (at least that's the case with the drones I recommend in this article).
Another thing you should consider is the drone’s range, as it depends on what you plan to do with the drone.
I have also compiled my ultimate list with long range drones, if you want to focus more on this specific trait.
The range of a drone can greatly vary depending on the wifi interference, whether you bought it from Europe (CE mode has lower range usually) or USA(typically the best range).
Drone Return to home (and GPS)
The return to home feature usually comes with any GPS drone (which all on this list are).
It's helpful in many situations, however, the most prevalent ones are:
- return to home on loss of signal
- return to home on low battery power
The “home” point is nothing else but the spot where you first launched your drone from.
I also made a list with my favorite Return To Home Drones, and they are sorted by price, so you can pick the best one for your budget.
Most drones that come with GPS will not only hover steadily in the air, but also have the RTH option and usually a few flight modes too, like circle around, waypoints and so on.
Image Stabilization
Proper image stabilization in a camera drone is probably the most important factor you should look for, if you want to take great photos and videos that are not shaky.
I had to update this article for 2020 as some new drones have been released, that strangely enough actually come with 3 axis gimbals at prices as low as this.
You'll find all of them on this list.
As a sidenote, if you want to learn more about what drones are, check out my article on the types of drones out there .
