10 Best Drones Under $50 – 2024 Buyer’s Guide & Reviews
The price of drones has dropped significantly over the last few years. Also, this technology is getting better every day as more and more of these devices find their way onto the market. They say; “you get what you pay for”, and most often it is true. But when it comes to drones, it turns out that you can get almost as much pleasure (if not more) by flying on a cheap drone compared to the more expensive models. Today you can buy a small drone for only $50 and thus gain experience for flying on larger and more expensive models.
These drones are the perfect choice for beginners and hobbyists but they don’t have special features such as GPS support and obstacle detection as expensive models have. These toy drones are particularly suitable for indoor use and less for outdoors. Here we will give you an overview of the 10 best drones under $50 that are ideal as gift and for having fun.
Here are the 10 best drones under $50 that you can buy today:
| Model: | Camera: | Flight Time: | Flight Range: | Available: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Eachine E016H | No | 8 min | 50 m | Check Price |
| 2. Eishow S9 Micro | 0.3 MP | 6-7 min | 50 m | Check Price |
| 3. Xiaomi MITU | 2 MP | 9-10 min | 50 m | Check Price |
| 4. 74-Z Speeder Bike | No | 8 min | 100 m | Check Price |
| 5. Syma X5c | 2 MP | 8 min | 80 m | Check Price |
| 6. TIE Advanced X1 | No | 7 min | 100 m | Check Price |
| 7. Syma x9 | No | 6 min | 50 m | Check Price |
| 8. JJRC H31 | No | 8-10 min | 50 m | Check Price |
| 9. JJRC H8 | No | 5-7 min | 50 m | Check Price |
| 10. Dromida Kodo HD | 2 MP | 5 min | 50 m | Check Price |
(Below is a detailed list and reviews of all these drones)
Buyers Guide: How To Choose Best Drone Under $50
If you are a beginner, here we will present you the most important things on what you need to pay attention for before buying a drone. It’s quite understandable that you can’t get a lot of features in this price range of $50 for your drone, but you’ll be surprised what these little quadcopters can do.
Here we will give you the brief instructions on what to look for when you are buying a drone and what you can expect in this price range. So let’s start with the most important things a drone should have:
- Camera
You need to pay attention to whether or not the drone you are buying has a camera, because in this price range not all drones have a camera. Most of these drones are not designed to have a camera because they are intended for indoor use.
But if the camera is MUST for you, just pay attention to the models that have one. Drones in this price range usually have camera of 1 Mpx or less, so don’t expect high quality. Some models also have the option of adding a camera, so pay attention on that too.
- Flight Time & Modes
When buying a drone you want it to be flexible, have a good flight time and to have a few flight modes. These drones that are under $50 range are primarily intended for indoor flights, although there are some models that can be flown outside also. Pay attention to flight time. You don’t want for your drone to have a very short flight time, and the inability to replace the battery. The average flight time for these models is around 6 to 8 minutes. Flying outside is not recommended for these small drones as they are very sensitive to wind.
- Spare Parts
Spare parts are important thing when it comes to drones, especially for this smaller models like we have here. You can easily damage your propellers if you hit the wall or a tree. Therefore, check do you get a spare parts in your box before buying. By spare parts we usually think of propellers and a spare battery. Accidents do happen, so its better to be ready with some spare parts like we mentioned.
- Design
No matter what the price of these drones are under $50, they are made with quality components and unique design. Although the quality is not the same as the $300 or $500 price range models, you can be very satisfied with these little flying machines. So if you are a person to whom the design means a lot and you want a nice drone, pay attention to it. Design of the drone is not everything, but if you are able to choose a nicer model, please do so.
- Warranty
Most drones must have warranty, including this drones that are in this price range. People who buy such small gadgets sometimes get the broken product, and to protect themselves from that situations, I advise you to make sure your product includes a warranty. Drones consist with a lot of electronic equipment, and these things are very sensitive, so keep that in mind.
10 Best Drones Under $50:
1. Eachine E016H
DRONE SPECS:
- Dimensions: 85 x 85 x 30 mm
- Battery Life: Up to 8 min
- Max Speed: 3 m/s
- Max Range: 50 meters
- Camera: NO
- Weight: 25 grams
The Eachine E016H is a great drone to start with in our list. This drone can’t take aerial photos, but the Eachine E016H quadcopter offers great fun thanks to its agile flight behavior and robust design. The scope of delivery of the Eachine E016H includes not only a drone and flight controller, but also spare propellers, USB charging adapter and a screwdriver for opening the battery compartment of the remote control. In addition, with this drone you get not just one, but two of the 350mAh batteries. The Eachine E016H is designed as a fun mini drone, which thanks to its low price is ideal for beginners and drone hobbyists.
This drone is also suitable as a gift for young and old generation. The LED light on the drone provides information on the flight direction of the drone on the one hand and on the other hand warns you by flashing when the battery is low. Flight time of this model is around 8 minutes.
Thanks to a second battery, there is also enough flight time for flight fun. Basic flight functions such as headless mode or 360-degree flips complete the good impression of a sophisticated mini and fun drone like this. We can definitely recommend the Eachine E016H!
PROS:
- Price
- Flight time of 8 min
- Easy to use
- Capable of 360-degree flips
CONS:
- No camera
- Sensitive to the wind
2. Eishow S9 Micro
DRONE SPECS:
- Dimensions: 90 x 70 x 30 mm
- Battery Life: Up to 6-7 min
- Max Speed: 3.5 m/s
- Max Range: 50 meters
- Camera: 0.3 MP
- Weight: 145 grams
The Eishow S9 Micro is a foldable mini drone that is suitable for beginners, children and experienced drone pilots. Like most mini drones, the S9 Micro is an ideal gadget to own. The dimensions of this drone are 90 x 70 x 30 mm. Thus, the S9 micro drone fits easily in every palm and pocket.
The weight of this model is 145 grams. This drone has a camera, which is big PRO for mini drones and this price range. The flight time of this S9 is indicated by the producer with six to seven minutes. In practice, flying fun takes around 5 minutes before the battery needs to be recharged with fresh energy.
The 220 mAh lithium-ion battery (3.7V) is charged using the supplied USB cable and the charging time is around 40 minutes. This model comes with the remote control. The flight range of S9 is around 50 meters.
This drone is also suitable for experienced pilots. This mini S9 model is RTF (Ready to fly) quadcopter, and because of that you can easily unpack him from the box, charge and you’re ready for your first flight!
PROS:
- 0.3MP WiFi camera
- FPV
- Ready to fly model
- Video Resolution; 480P
CONS:
- Short flight time
- Brushed Motor
3. Xiaomi MITU
DRONE SPECS:
- Dimensions: 910 x 910 x 380 mm
- Battery Life: Up to 9-10mins
- Max Speed: 2 m/s
- Max Range: 50 meters
- Camera: 2 MP
- Weight: 88 grams
The Xiaomi MITU is particularly small and compact drone with dimensions of only 91 x 91 x 28 mm. Thus, the Xiaomi MITU is about the size of a palm and can easily fit in every hand. The weight of this model is just 88 grams. You can very easily operate with this drone, and the only thing you need to do is charge the battery.
You can also add propeller protectors to this model if you want extra safety. This model has the 920 mAh battery that is enough for a flight time of around 10 minutes according to the manufacturer.
The camera of the Xiaomi MITU is located directly under the infrared sensor. Alternatively, photos can be recorded with a resolution of 1,600 x 1,200 pixels. At the same time, this mini and toy drone is ideal for children and teenagers thanks to the stable flight behavior at low altitudes and features such as a battle mode. However, no conventional controller is included, so you have to use a smartphone and an app to control it. In addition, the range of this model is only 50 meters.
PROS:
- 2 MP camera
- Flight time of 10 min
- High-quality construction
- Nice and easy for travel
CONS:
- Slow movement
- Battery can overheat
Related Article: Best Drones Under $2000
4. 74-Z Speeder Bike
DRONE SPECS:
- Dimensions: 110 x 193 x 172 mm
- Battery Life: Up to 8 min
- Max Speed: 15 m/s
- Max Range: 100 meters
- Camera: NO
- Weight: 85 grams
The 74-Z Speeder Bike is Star Wars drone that is absolutely impressive. This drone comes in a unique package that simply leaves you breathless. The packaging also acts as a high-quality display case, making the Star Wars drones also a great gift – whether for a birthday, Christmas or simply as a gift. Both the structure and technology of this drone are very good.
It has 450mAh LiPo battery that can provide flight time of up to 8 minutes, while the charging time is around 40 minutes. This 74-Z Speeder Bike model has Intelligent Awareness Technology (IAT), where you have the opportunity to participate in the Star Wars battle game with up to 12 other drone models using the app.
By that you can communicate in real-time with other drones and know what is their game status throughout stages. Anyone who is a Star Wars fan should definitely buy one of these drones. 74-Z Speeder has LED lights and unique sound effects from film that comes from the remote control. Also there are 3 different speed settings available, and you can reach speed of 35 mph (56 kmh). The 74-Z Speeder Bike is very easy quadcopter to use, Ready-to-Fly (RTF) model.
PROS:
- Fun and easy to fly
- Multi-drone space battles
- Awesome design
- Multiple speed settings
CONS:
- No camera
- Difficult to remove batteries
5. Syma X5c
DRONE SPECS:
- Dimensions: 310 x 310 x 78 mm
- Battery Life: Up to 8 min
- Max Speed: 5 m/s
- Max Range: Up to 80 m
- Camera: 2 MP
- Weight: 108 grams
The Syma x5C is one of the most popular and best drone for beginners. The flight time of Syma X5c is up to 8 minutes while it takes roughly 90 minutes to fully charge the battery. This drone is equipped with a HD camera that have a picture resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. The 720p 30fps camera is not capable of broadcasting FPV live, so if your heart requires FPV in this price range, you will have to look elsewhere.
It also makes the X5C fully modular , which includes replacing the camera with an FPV-enabled module. This drone is fast, stable and easy to manage, which is perfect for every pilot. Syma x5c has 2 speed modes and a 3.7V 500 mAh battery pack.
The flight range for the remote control is 50 meters, while the maximum speed of Syma X5c is 18 km/h. With this drone you can very easily explore a lot of new things in the air and have fun while doing it. The advantage of this drone is that it is very stable in calm windless weather.
Even though the Syma X5c is built of plastic and is quite lightweight, it can handle light blows quite well before it cracks. This drone is very reliable drone in terms of crashes for low-cost quadcopters price range.
PROS:
- Easy and fun to fly
- Smooth Flight Performance
- Camera of 2 MP
- It can perform the 360 degree flips
CONS:
- No FPV View
- Charging time is 90 min
6. TIE Advanced X1
DRONE SPECS:
- Dimensions: 82 x 165 x 165 mm
- Battery Life: Up to 7 minutes
- Max Speed: 14 m/s
- Max Range: 100 meters
- Camera: NO
- Weight: 150 g
The TIE Advanced X1 is also one of the Star Wars drone models. The high-quality packaging alone makes it clear that this toy drone is fun and special. Each Propel Star Wars drone is equipped with two infrared sensors – a receiver and a transmitter.
Thanks to these infrared sensors, the quadcopters are able shoot one another. A total of 24 pilots can take part in the drone battle. If a drone is hit three times, the aircraft goes into a descent with slightly spinning movements and lands automatically. Flight time of this model is up to 7 min, while recommended age is for 14 and up.
The controllers of the Star Wars drones have the classic, physical control sticks and all kinds of special buttons. In addition, the controllers are equipped with integrated loudspeakers, so that the pilot receives appropriate sound effects while flying – for example, to match the shooting down of an opponent. The drone pilot has a total of four flight modes available in flight.
The flight modes each offer different speed levels. The maximum flight speed of this drones is around 35 mph (50 km/h). And if you want to further protect your drone, you can install the included Prop Guard.
PROS:
- Battle up to 12 Star Wars drones at once
- Unique design
- Ready to fly model
- Charging time is only 30 min
CONS:
- No camera
- Short flight time
7. Syma x9
DRONE SPECS:
- Dimensions: 310 x 310 x 80 mm
- Battery Life: Up to 6 min
- Max Speed: 4 m/s
- Max Range: 50 meters
- Camera: NO
- Weight: 500 grams
The Syma X9 is a unique toy which is combination of a car and the quadcopter. This drone can glide on the ground with their wheels and fly up in the sky, which really makes it special. One of the great things about cheap drones is that you can take the chance to buy a weird thing just because it costs only $50! As a radio-controlled car, this drone even looks pretty good, especially the version in full black. According to users, this model drives and flies very well.
The battery life of Syma X9 is about 8 minutes, although it is not specified how much of this time it can be in the air and how much on the ground. Fortunately, this drone comes with two batteries included as standard, so you get 16 minutes of flight immediately before recharging.
In car mode, there are two speeds, as well as two speed modes when flying. Syma x9 has a flip function, which is cool and probably very funny, considering that it is a flying car. This model is very fun and useful if you want to have a good time and learn to fly with a drone.
PROS:
- Great fun for kids & beginners
- Easy to fly and control
- Can be used outdoors and indoors
- Can do rolls and flips
CONS:
- No camera
- Short flight time
Related Article: 15 Best Drones Under 250 Grams
8. JJRC H31
DRONE SPECS:
- Dimensions: 310 x 310 x 72 mm
- Battery Life: Up to 8-10 min
- Max Speed: 5 m/s
- Max Range: 50 meters
- Camera: NO
- Weight: 76 grams
The JJRC H31 offers a great features and capabilities that most drones in this price range cannot deliver. This drone has collector motors with a reducer, a 3.7V 400mAh Lipo battery, while the remote control distance is about 50 meters. This quadcopter is perfect for children or adolescents from 8-14 years old.
You can choose two types of configuration options with this model; with or without a camera. You can install 2 types of cameras; 0.3MP and 5MP. The camera quality is below average since the emphasis of this drone is on flight and having fun and not on taking pictures.
In flight, this drone showed both good controllability and speed, especially in the Expert mode, and this is not surprising since the drone is very light and weighs less than 100g. Flips, quad drums flawlessly, despite the simplicity of the design, the JJRC H31 proved to be very durable, not a single drop in the tests caused any visible damage to the quad.
The flight time of this model on a fully charged battery is up to 10 minutes, and it takes around 60 minutes to fully charge the battery. Overall, this model is one of the best on the market today by its price range and great design.
PROS:
- Flight time of 10 minutes
- Design
- Great build quality
- Good transmitter
CONS:
- No camera
- Sensitive to wind
9. JJRC H8
DRONE SPECS:
- Dimensions: 135 × 135 × 28 mm
- Battery Life: Up to 5-7 min
- Max Speed: 2.5 m/s
- Max Range: 50 meters
- Camera: NO
- Weight: 20 grams
The JJRC H8 is a great mini quadcopter for any beginner. This drone comes from Chinese company Eachine that offers the best quality drones at low price so everyone can afford. This model is surely the only drone that have a “return to home” button in this price range. This model unfortunately does not have a camera because it’s very small drone and can’t lift to much weight.
Also the JJRC H8 has the headless mode, and little calibration enables it to fly in any position. The flight time of this model is between 5 to 7 minutes, while the charging takes about 45 minutes via USB charger.
This model have a direct-drive collector motor, a single-can battery of 3.7 volts 150 mAh, while the remote control distance is about 50 meters. JJRC H8 is the legend of quadcopters, largely due to the extremely low price and it is widely used in the world for all kinds of airborne entertainment. This drone is perfect for kids and beginners not because of the price, but because it is a RTF (ready to fly) drone. This is perhaps the best-selling small quadcopter in the world.
PROS:
- Can perform 360° flip
- Headless mode
- Ready to fly model
- Camera
CONS:
- Short flight time
- Sensitive to the wind
10. Dromida Kodo HD
DRONE SPECS:
- Dimensions: 106 x 85 x 43 mm
- Battery Life: Up to 5 min
- Max Speed: 4 m/s
- Max Range: 50 meters
- Camera: 2.0 MP
- Weight: 40 grams
The Dromida Kodo HD is a small quadcopter that comes in black and yellow color and can capture high-definition videos as well as JPEGs. The on-board electronics is tuned in such a way as to minimize spontaneous starting of the motors.
This quadcopter is a digital camera with manual angle adjustment. The Dromida Kodo provides maximum video resolution of 1920 × 1080p at 30 fps in AVI format. The photo shoots are in JPEG format. In terms of quality, both photo and video, the camera deserves the highest score in this price range.
Dromida Kodo HD is equipped with a 3.7V lithium-polymer battery with a capacity of 350mAh. This drone has the maximum flight time of 5 minutes while the charging time is no more than 25 minutes. The classic remote control is operating at a frequency of 2.4 GHz and is powered by two AAA batteries.
This drone provides a flight range of no more than 50 meters, but in the field conditions it will show the declared 70m. The age limit for this drone is 12+, and no registration is required. In the test, this drone showed excellent flight dynamics, wind-resistant and flips performs.
PROS:
- Can perform Auto-flips
- Price
- Spare props and batteries included
CONS:
- No SD card slot
- Short flight time of 5 min
Tips For Drone Beginners
1. Gain Experience
Most people, especially when it comes to beginners, start to fly way to fast without any previous experience. Don’t do that! Instead, start gently, to get the right feeling. After you gain some experience and start to feel comfortable, you can rock it at higher levels. The most important thing is to get a feel for flying is to know how to estimate how much speed you need and when to stop. Follow these tips and you will move your flying skills to the next level with these little drones, and you’ll be ready for the bigger ones.
2. Practice Makes Perfect
Practice makes everything perfect. After you get some flying experience, you can try to fly out of your comfort zone and try a lot of new things. If you crash your drone, break something during flight, don’t feel bad.
Flying a drone is a perfect experience that requires a lot of practice. Although these are fairly small drones and you can hardly do some damage, be careful if you can. Once you master these drones, you can move on to bigger and better models. After the first couple of flights, you will keep getting better and better. You may also discover some new talent inside you and join drone racing.
3. Practice While You Are Indoor
When we talk about these small drones, the best place to master your flying skills is indoor space. Flying outside may be difficult because there is a constant interference of the wind, which can pretty much affect a drone. Therefore, flying indoors will eliminate these unwanted conditions and give you a much better feeling. Just be careful not to break anything in your house while flying.
Are These Drones Safe For Children?
Yes! Every drone from this list is considered safe for every child. However, these drones also have an age limit, so most of these models are not intended for children under 7 years of age. But any child who is 7 years or above will enjoy the magic of these mini drones along with their capabilities. This is primarily because they are very easy to manage and fly with. These drones do not have any advanced features, as do upper-class models have. Some of them even have LED lights which can also make a very interesting flying experience.
Although only some of these models have a cameras, they are nowhere near good as those of the upper class. At the end, it all comes down to the fact that these drones are very profitable investment for kids and for all those who want to have fun. So if you are looking for a cheap toy that you plan to buy for your child or to give away to someone, these drones are the perfect choice that will keep them away from video games and computers.
Pros and Cons of $50 Drones
1. First Touch And Experience
If you’ve never had a contact with drones before, these $50 models are a great way to get into this new world. They are beginner-friendly, and with just a few flights you can learn how to operate and do a lot of crazy flips and tricks with them. Also, they are very capable of guiding you without any fear that something would happen, because you can easily replace them. Later you will discover on more advanced models that have many new features.
2. Solid Performance
Although these drones are extremely small, they do not have nearly the same performance as upper class drones, but they are still capable of providing you with great all-around tricks. It’s normal that you can’t expect premium class for this price, but these models can perform very well. Also these cheaper models are made primarily for fun, but at the same time they can still serve as a great thing so you can learn how to fly with a drone.
3. They Are Safe and Harmless
Another great thing about these little drones is that you don’t need to be upset about them, because they are cheap and you can easly replace them if they break. Also other great thing is that they are safe, cause they have weak motors and can’t do a lot of damage and harm to people. But no matter what, always keep your child in the sight while he is learning to fly with these little drones for the first time.
To Whom These Drones Are Intended?
Clearly, these types of drones are most appropriate for children, adolescents and drone hobbyists. But as drones are fun and if you’ve never used one of them before, there is really no age limit for these toys. While flying a drone is an excellent challenge and fun for plenty of people, most of them invest a lot of money in extra equipment so they can do crazy things. So unless you are not sure how far you will get into this hobby with drones, you should definitely start with a cheaper model.
Although a lot of kids when choosing a drone focuses the most on color and design rather than features and quality, these small drones at affordable price certainly satisfy the conditions. The few drones in this price range are ideal for both kids and hobbyists, as they meet a large circle of conditions. Therefore, to avoid using larger drones and thus being subject to the law, more and more people are using these smaller drones.
Conclusion
As we mentioned in this article, the price of drones has dropped dramatically over the last couple of years, so you can get amazing drones at a very cheap price. Although for $50 you won’t get super good drone with a high quality camera and a lot of features, you can get quite a decent drone for fun and to learn how to fly. Therefore, if you are a beginner, this cheap models are the perfect choice for learning how to fly and perform stunts, and later you can switch to some better models.
So while you are in the process of learning how to fly a drone, you will crush your drone from time to time, therefore these cheap models are the perfect choice to get started with. Once you get in a drone world, it’s hard to get out, believe me! I hope that this guide helped you to choose the right drone for your needs. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below.
