When thinking about buying a drone, everyone imagines the possibilities of cruising through the sky taking stunning aerial photography and video of the terrain below.
How can you achieve this without spending vast sums of money? Choosing a drone isn’t easy, there are lots of models available, and a huge range of prices, so how do you know which is the best drone under $100 and which aren’t worth the money?
6 Highest Rated Drones Under $100 Toplist
| Picture | Name | Type | Rating (1-5) |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1. Holy Stone® RC Drone with HD Camera,4CH 2.4GHz 6-Gyro | RTF | 4.5 |
 | 2. Holy Stone® UFO RC Quadcopter with Camera | RTF | 4.1 |
 | 3. UDI U818A - 1 Discovery - *UPDATED Drone with Camera (HD) | RTF | 4.0 |
 | 4. Drone with Camera - ZuZo® 2.4GHz 4 CH 6 Axis Gyro RC Quadcopter Drone | RTF | 4.0 |
 | 5. Amazingbuy - Syma X5C-1 2.4Ghz 6-Axis Gyro RC Quadcopter Drone | RTF | 3.7 |
 | 6. Syma X5SW Wifi FPV Real-time 2.4G Newest RC Quadcopter Drone | RTF | 3.4 |
Buying Information
One of the most common abbreviations you will see when looking for the best drone under $100 is RTF – which stands for “Ready to Fly”. If you are purchasing your first drone then RTF is what you want. You may also see BNF which stands for Bind and Fly and indicates that the drone needs to be bound to a controller which is not included with the drone.
3 Best Drone Under $100 Reviews
1. Holy Stone® RC Drone
This drone is great. It combines the ability to do a 360° 4-way flip with a continuous roll. It comes with a blue light at the front to help with navigation when the drone is in the air. The drone was really easy to set up, just put in the batteries and you’re ready to go. The range on the drone is about 50-100 metres while flying time is 7-9 minutes. The drone comes with a camera that records high quality video and stores it on a supplied micro SD card.
The drone is very durable so if you do happen to have a few crashes while you are getting used to the controls there is little likelihood of any damage, especially since the prop guards are made to a thicker gauge to provide a higher degree of protection. Despite these precautions we all know that drones will have the occasional rough landing which results in a breakage. To help out when this happens the manufacturers have thoughtfully supplied the drone with a few spare parts so you can get flying again as soon as possible.
2. Holy Stone® UFO RC Quadcopter
Built of high shock resistant material this drone is ready for anything, which is just as well as all drones crash from time to time. With a flight ceiling of around 500 feet and the capability of stable flight in winds of up to 5mph this drone is an excellent choice for both beginner and the more experienced flier.
The drone is capable of recording both pictures and video on to the 2GB SD card which is supplied. Flight control is not difficult to learn and the drone is very manoeuvrable, with options for hovering, as well as 360 flips and the usual forward and reverse movement. The 7.4V 500mah battery takes around 100 minutes to charge and will give you an average of 8 minutes flying time which is better than some of the more expensive drones on the market. I found the speed and lift that this drone is capable of is also better than many more expensive drones.
3. UDI U818A – 1 Discovery
The U818A-1 is a superb entry level drone, and could easily be the best drone under 100 dollars. It’s possible for an experienced flier to get a lot out of this product but there are many features that make this the perfect choice for someone seeking to get into drones for the first time. The drone is solidly constructed and can take rough landings without much of a problem, and the integrated prop guards are helpful for those just getting to grips with the basics of flight.
One of the best features of this drone is the camera. The still shots and video are both good quality with the video being distinguished by a lack of fluttering which makes the picture easier to watch.
The drone is light-weight so best flown on days without too much wind. Flying time is about eight minutes, which reduces to 5 minutes if you are recording video all the time. The usual range of drone tricks are easy to accomplish, 360 flips can be performed by pressing the 1 button or using the directional flip. One helpful feature of this drone design is that the designers have been careful to make the front two props a different colour to the rear props. This makes it simple keep the drone flying in the direction you want. No more flying away from you when you really want it heading back towards you.
