The best drone for 2025

Read our full DJI Mini 4 Pro review

DJI’s Mini 4 Pro can do it all at a very reasonable price. It has an excellent onboard camera with a 1/1.3-inch sensor, 24mm f/1.7 lens, support for 4K 100 fps video with D-LogM, HLG and HDR capture and up to 48MP still photography. Endurance is around 45 minutes with the Intelligent Flight Plus battery and it can fly up to 12.4 miles away in unobstructed terrain, all while transmitting a 1080p 60 fps signal to your controller.

It has multiple subject tracking modes so it’s ideal for vlogging, and obstacle detection sensors on all sides help keep it out of danger. On top of that, it weighs less than 249 grams so it’s exempt from licensing requirements in most regions. Best of all, and I can’t say this enough, it’s priced reasonably and even the basic kit comes with an RC-N2 smartphone controller.

If you prefer to not buy DJI drones due to the (very reasonable) risk that they may soon disappear from the US market, I’d recommend Autel. That company is based in China as well but some of its drones are made in the US and it isn’t on any sanctions lists. Autel’s Robotics Evo Lite+ has similar autonomous and obstacle detection features to the DJI Air 3S, while adding higher resolution 6K video and a 1-inch sensor, though it lacks a secondary camera. Battery life is a very solid 40 minutes and it has a maximum range of 7.5 miles with no obstacles.

Read our full DJI Neo review

Last year, I called DJI’s $200 Neo the camera product of the year, period. It’s a remarkably lightweight drone that can be piloted without a license and is people-safe thanks to its shrouded propellers. It’s great for beginners as you can simply place it in your hand and press a button, then it’ll fly off and capture cool programmed shots like “dronies.”

Just because it’s approachable doesn’t mean it’s basic, though. You can pilot the Neo manually using DJI’s controllers, FPV goggles and even a smartphone. It can hit speeds up to 20 mph while being highly maneuverable. And with the built-in AI features, it can track you while you walk or bike, making it a vlogger’s best friend. Finally, it can capture all your footage at 4K 30p, with surprisingly good quality. The main issue is the banshee-like noise it emits, but overall, it’s a highly useful product at a great price point.

Read our full DJI Flip review

DJI’s $439 Flip has a clever, user-friendly design, with all four propellers folding down and stacking below the body like some kind of Star Wars spacecraft. This helps protect the propellers to limit damage or injury in case of a collision. That people-safe design lets creators take high-quality 4K 60p video indoors (with D-LogM, HLG and HDR), even with dim lighting, thanks to the relatively large 1/1.3-inch sensor. Though the light weight allows you to fly it without a permit, the large surface and slowish speeds means it’s not ideal outdoors in windy conditions. And though the Flip offers sophisticated subject tracking modes, it has limited obstacle detection when that function is enabled. Still, it’s a powerful drone with up to a 10-mile range that offers a lot of functionality for the price.

Like the Flip, the $699 HoverAir X1 ProMax offers features like a folding, people-safe design, and a 1/1.3-inch sensor. However, unlike DJI’s model, the HoverAir X1 ProMax can dodge obstacles while tracking people, making it superior for that purpose. It’s also a touch faster with a maximum tracking speed of up to 26 mph and offers up to 8K 30 fps video, along with 4K 120 fps slo-mo footage. The main drawback, as mentioned, is the short 1km max range (with the optional beacon controller) and limited 16-minute battery life.

Read our full DJI Mavic 3 Pro hands-on

DJI’s Mavic 3 Pro is the best cinema drone if budget is no object, thanks to the Hasselblad Four Thirds primary camera with full D-Log capture (up to 4K 120 fps) that allows for excellent picture quality in most conditions. It also carries both 3x and 7x telephoto cameras that work well not just for creative content capture, but also things like wildlife spotting and search and rescue. Battery life is excellent at 43 minutes and range is a respectable 9.3 miles. Naturally, it has all of DJI’s ActiveTrack subject tracking features and is covered with obstacle detection sensors on all sides.

Read our full DJI Air 3S review

The DJI Air 3S has a unique dual-camera setup that allows you to capture many types of shots. The 50-megapixel, 1-inch sensor wide camera with a 24mm f/1.8 lens supports 4K recording up to 120 fps and 1080p at 240 fps, along with D-LogM to improve dynamic range. The secondary 70mm (3x) zoom camera has a still-decent 1.3-inch sensor, and supports the same video specs and color modes as the primary.

Battery life is ample at 45 minutes and the Air 3S can sense obstacles in all directions. The addition of a forward-facing LiDAR sensor aids detection in low light, making the ActiveTrack subject-tracking feature more versatile. With its high speeds up to 45 mph, the Air 3S can be used in windy conditions and can range as far as 12.5 miles away. It has 45 GB of internal storage as well, on top of a microSD slot. The basic kit is reasonably priced, but I’d recommend paying a bit more to get it in the Fly More kit with extra batteries.

Read our full DJI Avata 2 review

The Avata 2 is known for being DJI’s main FPV drone, and yes, it can get as fast as 60 mph and its acrobatic abilities allow you to create exciting first-person footage. It’s more than just that, though. The 1/1.3-inch sensor camera can shoot high-quality 4K footage at up to 100 fps in D-LogM and HDR modes, matching the quality you get with the Mini 4 Pro. The protected propellers make it highly resistant to crashes and allow you to use the Avata 2 indoors or around people. It lacks obstacle detection sensors though, instead relying on its tough design and prop guards to survive crashes. Since battery life is only about 20 minutes, it’s best to buy the Avata 2 in the Fly More combo which includes an updated headset, three batteries and the latest RC Motion 3 controller.