Best Beginner Drones | Tom's Guide
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Jun 24, 2025
Looking for the best beginner drones in 2025? Whether you want to capture stunning aerial shots, track your adventures, or just have fun flying, there’s a perfect drone for you. @paulAntill shares the top picks, covering budget-friendly options, top camera drones, and the easiest to learn and fly. From DJI to HoverAir, this list breaks down what makes each drone worth buying.
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Hey, if you're here, you're probably looking for the best beginner drones, and lucky for you
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I've tested a ton of them, including a few that just hit the market. I've been flying drones ever
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since the original DJI Mavic in 2016, so I've seen firsthand how much they've evolved, and you've
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seen a lot of my recent favorites right here on this channel. Whether you want the drone with the
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best camera, longest flight time, or just something that's great for beginners, I've got you covered
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Let's break down the best options, and you can find all of them linked below. Let's kick things
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off with the best overall beginner drone, the DJI Flip. I've been flying this ever since it
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launched and it offers the best balance of features and price for most people. Unfold it
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and it will turn on automatically. Put it on your palm. It'll chirp. It'll detect me. And with the
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press of a button. So long as I walk this way, it will follow me. Can't go backwards because it
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doesn't have sensors on the back, but this is pretty cool, right? And then I can also just as
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easily land it right back on my palm. The $439 flip introduces a brand new folding design where
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the rotors are encased in this protective guard, keeping the drone safer from accidental bumps when
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flying closer to obstacles or people. When I first tested this, I loved how I could just walk up right
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to the drone and play patty cake with it. That said, it only has forward facing obstacle avoidance
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not as good as the Mini 4 Pro's full 360-degree protection, but still better than the Mini 4K
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which has none. Speaking of the Mini 4 Pro, the Flip shares the same 1 over 1.3-inch CMOS camera
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sensor, delivering 48-megapixel images and 4K video up to 100 frames per second, along with
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many of those same shooting modes that we find on that other drone, saving you about $220. You'll
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get stunning detail and colors either in its default picture profile or with its 10-bit D-Log
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and recording modes for those who want to fine-tune the look of their video. Flight time is
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about 31 minutes, which is average for the category. With its prop guards, it's not as quick or agile
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as these other drones, but it offers so much value that it's not just the best beginner drone
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it's the best value drone that you can buy today. The original Hover Air X1 popularized the selfie
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drone, and now the X1 Pro takes things further, making them the best beginner-friendly drone if
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if you wanna capture fast or sports content The biggest advantage is it much wider field of view which is 104 degrees versus most other drones that are typically closer to 82 degrees making a big difference when capturing action shots
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It also weighs just 191 grams, making it the second lightest drone on our list
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But it still has a max follow speed of 37 miles per hour, which is insane for something this small
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It has a small folding design featuring a single button surrounded by a directional selector and a small screen above
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This allows you to quickly switch between its tracking modes and take off with just one click
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Its rotors are fully encased in this tough plastic frame and compared to its predecessor, the Pro gets a big upgrade with a rear proximity sensor to help it better avoid obstacles when flying backwards
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And it also works with its intelligent flight modes. Middle, follow. I like how it makes like a bit of a Mario Kart race sound
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I'm not a big fan of its modular controller, which no, is not included with the base price
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but its optional hover link tracking beacon helps the drone stay locked on you really well
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The biggest drawback with its small size though, its battery life maxes out at just 60 minutes
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which is the shortest on this list. And so you might want to stock up on extra batteries with
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this one. On the plus side, it's one of the quietest drones that I've tested, making it less
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likely to draw unwanted attention. The X1 Pro starts at just $499, but gets pricier with its
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optional accessories, but it's one of the best ways to capture the action. The DJI Mini 4 Pro is
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our best performing drone on this list. It shoots 4K 100 frames per second video, features omnidirectional
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obstacle avoidance, and offers up to a ridiculous 45 minutes of flight time with its larger battery
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or 34 minutes with its standard one. Even if you're coming from an older drone like the Mini 2 or the
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Mini 3, the Mini 4 Pro maintains that same small compact size but packs a much better camera and
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tracking system. Like its predecessor, the Mini 3 Pro, the camera can rotate 90 degrees to shoot
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native vertical video and photos, which is perfect for social media. Again, this shares the same 1
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over 1.3 inch CMOS sensor, which gives it excellent low light and slow motion quality
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Its subject tracking works extremely well and with its upgraded 360 degree avoidance system it less likely to crash into obstacles on its sides or behind it A big upgrade over the cheaper DJI Flip is that it can track you while flying backwards With its extra safety sensors and advanced tracking this drone offers everything that
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you'd want. Starting at $759, this is the priciest drone on this list, but it's a fantastic drone to
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not only learn on, but also a very capable tool that you can use for many years down the road
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Now, if I were buying a new drone today, it'd be a close call between the DJI Flip and the Mini 4
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Pro, but ultimately I'll go with the 4 Pro because of its smaller folding design, better flight
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performance, and its more advanced tracking. For anyone looking for a super affordable entry-level
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drone, the DJI NEO packs a lot of fun for just $199. It's lightweight, portable, and perfect for
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flying indoors or outdoors in calmer weather. The base DJI NEO doesn't actually come with a
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controller because you can fly this from a smartphone app or launch it straight from your palm
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but to little surprise, this cheaper drone lacks obstacle avoidance, so you'll need to be extra
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careful if you're just learning to fly this or you're using it indoors. It shoots 4K 30 frames
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per second video and 12 megapixel stills, and for the price, the results are shockingly good
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However, unlike every other drone on this list, it lacks a three-axis gimbal
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so the stabilization is limited to electronic rather than mechanical. This becomes more
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noticeable with sporadic movements or flying in windier conditions, but then again, given how small
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this is, you really only want to fly this in calm weather outside. Despite its smaller size
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it sneaks in about 18 minutes of battery life, which is actually better than the Hover Air X1 Pro
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which costs over twice as much as this. Now, while this is probably going to be the drone that you
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outgrow the quickest, overall, for its price and easy learning curve, it's a great option for new
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pilots looking to dip their toes into drone flying. One button takeoff. Okay. Press and hold
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One button takeoff. So I can do the modes from here. It shows the box tracking me automatically
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which is pretty cool. Now I should be able to just take it off from my palm
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Follow, three, two, one. The fact that I can fly for more than two minutes
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and record 4K video, I mean that blows me away. With new drones popping up every few months
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which one should you get? At Tom's Guide, we put every drone through hours of testing
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So here what you need to consider before choosing one How much battery life do you need If you gonna casually be flying around your house or a small park you probably good with 15 minutes or so of battery in which case the DJI Neo or the Hover X1 Pro are plenty But if you want to fly further away or
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capture a lot of cool shots on a single battery, you're better off with a drone with 30 plus
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minutes of flight time like the DJI Flip or the DJI Mini 4 Pro. Cameras, of course, are important
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features as well. Most of today's modern drones can shoot 4K video or take 12 megapixel photos
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or better. But where they differ most is with their sensor quality. Do you want a drone that's
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good in low light or that can shoot slow motion video like the DJI Mini 4 Pro? Or do you just
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want something to quickly post online for fun like the DJI Neo? All of these drones are extremely
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simple to fly, but how do you prefer to fly them? Do you prefer a physical controller? Maybe one with
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a nice built-in screen, just flying it with an app on your smartphone, or completely hands-free
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A few of these drones can actually do all three like the DJI Flip, making them super convenient
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no matter what setup you need that day. Safety is always super important
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and is especially a big consideration if you're new to flying. Having obstacle avoidance sensors
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helps you stay more aware of your surroundings, while prop guards can help minimize injury or damage
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if you're flying in close proximity to obstacles or people. Of the drones on this list
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the Mini 4 Pro is the least likely to fly into anything, while the DJI Flip, the Neo, and the X1 Pro
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are less likely to cause trouble if they do accidentally bump into something
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Drones continue to get smarter each year, but what does that mean for you
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From tracking and following people or cars to auto-flying and recording video on their own
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these drones can help you capture more exciting and dynamic content with little to no effort
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With its extra sensors, the Mini 4 Pro is the best overall, while the Hover X1 Pro has the edge for following faster-paced action
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with its wider field of view and optional tracking beacon. The best deals for all these beginner drones that I shared today are linked below
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let me know which one you'd want to fly. If you have any questions on these picks or suggestions
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for drones that I should add to our next roundup, let me know in the comments. You can find us
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everywhere at Tom's Guide and you can follow me to see what other cool tech I'm testing. Until the next one, I'll catch you later
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Do not fly off bridge or balcony. I think I've made that mistake one time
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