8 Budget-Friendly Drones For Under $50 On Amazon

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Whether you're new to drone-flying and are just experimenting with it or want to pick one of the best drones for your kids without spending too much money, it's a good idea to stick with a budget-friendly model. However, even if you search for drones on Amazon and set a $50 budget, you'd still get over 20,000 results, making it quite difficult to find a suitable option. After all, you wouldn't want to spend $50 only to find out that the drone you chose is no good or that the process of returning it if you don't like it is going to be quite a hassle.

So, to help you get the most out of your hard-earned money, we picked eight budget-friendly drones that you can find on Amazon, all for under $50. We selected models with the greatest number of high buyer ratings, helping to ensure that you're getting a basic model that's worth your money ... and play time. Note that not all the models we recommend come with cameras, but they should still be enough to help you get used to flying these little gadgets.

Holy Stone makes some of the most reliable cheap drones available on Amazon, which is why the HS210 mini drone is a great option if you're looking for something that's under $50. It's designed for people trying to build their skills and confidence when flying a drone, and it feels more like a fun indoor toy instead of a serious camera or GPS tool that costs hundreds to thousands of dollars. Some of its features include Altitude Hold, allowing new users to focus on directional control; Headless Mode, which helps avoid directional confusion; and one-click takeoff and landing. You can even adjust its speed to help you retain control of the drone.

Despite its simplicity and affordable price of just $39.99, it can also do tricks like Toss to Launch, Circle Fly, 3D Flips, and Auto Rotation, which can make flying it a bit more interesting and challenging once you get used to the basics, while also building confidence and control rhythm for the pilot. Because this drone is specifically built for indoor use, it comes with propeller guards that protect both the people around it and its propellers. This device also comes with three rechargeable batteries, allowing you to fly the drone for up to seven minutes at a time, for a total flight time of 21 minutes.

Multiple Amazon users have said that they found this drone easy to learn, and that it's absolutely suitable for anyone learning about drone flying. One says it's a great starter drone, while another says it's so durable that it has survived several crashes and continues flying with no problems at all. Overall, the retailer's users have given the HS210 a score of 4.2 out of five stars in over 16,000 ratings.

While the Holy Stone HS210 is already quite small, it might still be too big if you plan to operate it in a small space or want to let younger kids learn how to fly it. If that's the case, you should look at the Holy Stone HS190, which costs $32.99 and comes in an even smaller package. This drone weighs under an ounce, and you can fold it up to a very compact two inches by two inches for storage and transportation. It also comes with installable propeller guards to reduce the chances of injury and damage to the drone.

The HS190 has almost the same features as the HS210, including Altitude Hold, Headless Mode, 3D Flips, one-click takeoff and landing, and three speed modes. It is missing the Toss to Launch and Circle Fly features but makes up for those with its portability. In fact, it's so small that it fits right in the middle of the included controller when stowed, helping ensure that you don't lose it when you're transporting it. Unfortunately, it comes with only a single battery, which delivers an estimated seven minutes of flight time, so you'll have to order spares if you want more than that.

Just like the slightly more expensive HS210, Amazon customers loved the HS190 because of how easy it was to use and fly. One applauded its responsive controls and said it's among their kids' favorite toys, while another said that even crashes don't damage the device. Overall, buyers have scored this a 4.2-star device after almost 13,000 ratings.

The Hasakee Q9s is another affordable drone that you get for just $39.98 on Amazon, where it has scored 4.3 stars after more than 6,000 buyer ratings. One of its biggest selling points is the bright neon green and blue LED lights that surround the propeller frame guards, allowing you to easily see it, especially at night. There are also three different lighting modes, making it quite an eye-catching toy to play with in the dark. This drone is friendly for beginners, offering features like one-button takeoff, landing, and return; three speed settings; Headless Mode; and Altitude Hold.

Each Q9s comes with two modular batteries that offer a flight time of about seven minutes per battery, allowing you a total flight time of around 14 minutes per full charge. If that's not enough for you, you can purchase spares to extend your flying time, although it takes about 55 minutes to fully charge each battery. If you like other colors, the drone is also available with either orange and blue or pink and blue LED lights.

Many Amazon customers say that it's a great starter model and is particularly suitable for beginners. Several of them have noted that the drone is easy to set up, making it a good choice for beginners and kids. Others have said that the Q9s is durable, surviving crashes and rough handling by young hands with no real damage.

While basic drones are great for beginners trying to get used to flying them, you might want something that can let you see what the drone is seeing. If that's the case, the Avialogic Q10 Mini Drone lets you take to the sky with its onboard 1080p camera for just $39.99. Despite gaining a camera and staying at an affordable price, you're still getting a lot of beginner-friendly features like One Key Start/Landing button, Altitude Hold, and three speed modes.

Of course, the Avialogic's built-in camera and smartphone connection unlock new capabilities you won't find on the other drones we've listed so far. This includes using the smartphone app to control it, even allowing you to draw a custom flight path it will follow using your voice for simple commands like "fly" or "land," and even showing a V sign or your palm towards the camera to make it take a photo. There's also an included remote control that lets you mount your phone, giving you a more tactile response when flying. This bundle comes with two batteries, allowing you to fly for 20 minutes or so at a time, although charging each one takes about 70 minutes.

Amazon users say that this drone flies great, with many saying that the Q10 is easy to set up and features powerful, intuitive controls. Others are very happy with the range of advanced features available for an affordable price. Overall, buyers on the platform have given this drone a score of 4.1 stars after more than 2,000 ratings. 

Those who are concerned about the safety of using a drone, especially indoors, might appreciate the Swifsen SWA35. Just like the Hasakee Q9s, this drone's propellers are fully enclosed and even have an upper protective cover, ensuring that fingers and other items will not get caught in its blades. The propellers are also lit up by multicolor lights, which makes it both fun for kids and easier to see at night. Just like all the other drones in our list, the Swifsen SWA35 is beginner-friendly, with features like Headless Mode and one-click takeoff. However, it also offers a few more advanced features like throw-go, loop flight, 3D flip, and automatic rotation, which can make it fun to fly once you're used to the basics.

The package also includes a controller with a smartphone mount, allowing you to record what the drone sees when in flight with its 720 FPV Wi-Fi camera. You also get two slot-loading batteries, which makes them easy to swap and will give you a total flight time of 15 minutes per charge. It should be noted, though, that the SWA35 has a range of only about 60 feet, so you need to take care not to fly it too far, or you risk losing it. Still, you're not risking all that much, as this drone costs just $39.99.

Buyers who are safety-conscious prefer this drone specifically for its completely protected propellers, but they also say that it's easy to use and great for beginners. Overall, Amazon users have scored the SWA35 with 4.2 stars after more than 1,000 ratings.

Many of the drones we've listed so far only offer a short flight time of around 15 minutes using multiple batteries, but the Droneye 4DV13 claims a flight time of 26 minutes on two fully charged batteries for longer flying fun. This drone also comes with a 1080p camera that lets you take photos and capture live videos while connected to your smartphone via a dedicated app. Its long battery life pairs well with its ease of use, giving beginners more time to get used to controlling an airborne drone before needing to land it and replace the batteries.

When it's not in use, you can easily fold the Droneeye 4DV13 to fit it in its storage case, which also houses the controller and provides storage space for the included accessories. While this isn't the hard case that we recommend in our list of gadgets and accessories that every drone enthusiast needs, the included foam padding should be enough to keep the device protected when you're carrying it with you.

Some Amazon customers say that the camera on the drone isn't as good as what you'd find on your smartphone, but it could be an acceptable tradeoff for its affordable $39.99 price tag. One user praised the Droneeye for its ruggedness, noting that their drone was stuck outside in a tree for four months but still worked when they finally retrieved it. Overall, this model has scored 4.0 stars after almost 700 ratings on the retailer's site.

The Veenix V995 Mini is another basic drone that lets beginners enjoy learning how to fly indoors. This $39.99 unit gives you three color options — red, blue, or green — and comes with an easy-to-use controller and three batteries for up to 21 minutes of flight time. You also get four spare propellers in the box, the tool needed to replace them, and two USB cables for charging the batteries.

As for the drone itself, it has propeller guards to help prevent damage or injury, while its 0.787-ounce weight means that it's light enough not to break most objects should it accidentally bounce into them. It also comes with the features that many new drone pilots would appreciate, like headless mode for easier control and to avoid confusion, as well as three speed settings, a one-key take-off and landing option, plus Circle Fly and 360 Flip capability.

While this drone may not be able to break the fastest drone world record, many customers still love it, calling it the perfect drone for indoor use, and that it feels stable and durable enough for its size. They say that it offers a great time for practicing and getting comfortable handling drones, but that it should mostly be used indoors, as even a light breeze was strong enough to push it around.

Even though you can get acquainted with flying a drone without a camera, it's still a good idea to start learning how to fly a drone with a camera if you plan to upgrade in the future. That's why the BeiyoQSZ UAV is a good fit for this list. At $39.99, this drone can get you somewhat used to flying a drone using its camera lens even before you purchase a more expensive model like the DJI Mini 4 Pro.

You don't have to worry about having a hard time learning how to operate the BeiyoQSZ, as it's quite intuitive to use. It has a lot of all the features that many beginners look for, like 3D Flip, Headless Mode, three speed modes, and one-key take-off and landing. It also comes with trajectory flight, allowing you to set a flight path by tapping on waypoints on your smartphone screen. More importantly, it comes with two easy-install batteries that provide a total flight time of up to 25 minutes.

Despite its affordable price, the drone has received multiple positive reviews from Amazon buyers. Many say that they're really impressed with this device, noting that it's easy to set up and its features make it great for beginners. They also praised the included carrying case, which makes it convenient to bring anywhere you want to fly.

We picked these drones by searching for the keyword on Amazon and setting a price ceiling of $50. From there, we selected over 21 candidates and then listed their review scores and the number of buyer ratings they've received on the platform. We then checked each of these drones and only picked those that had an average score of at least 4.0 stars (out of five) and 350 or more buyer ratings. We also checked the feedback for each of the drones on our list to see what users had to say about their experience using them.

Because these drones are priced so low, some of the models we listed do not come with a camera. As for the drones that are equipped with one, don't expect them to have the same quality and features that you'd find on the best DJI cameras for photography and vlogging. Nevertheless, all these options should be good enough if you're only looking for a toy or want to learn how to fly a drone without worrying about losing or damaging an expensive piece of equipment.