Best Drones Under 150 Dollars Reviewed For You – Affordable Drones For Beginners.
Drone flying has emerged as one of the most popular hobbies in the recent past. Ever since drones have become more commercialized, more people are willing to try their hands at flying a quadcopter.
Aerial photography, especially for vlogs and travelogues, has added another dimension to the drone industry. Unfortunately, most good drones with an excellent camera and advanced features are quite expensive.
If you are still in your learning phase and are looking to buy an economical drone either for hobby flying or to bush up your photography game without spending too much, there are some great options available under the 150 dollar price tag.
Many of these drones have decent quality, impressive camera, and some intelligent flight features.
Here is the list of best drones under 150 dollars reviewed for you.
- Snaptain SP500 – 30 Minutes Flying time
- Altair Aerial 818 Hornet – Amazon’s Choice
- Holy Stone HS270 – 2.7K Drone with Full HD FPV Live Camera
- Simrex X11 – Best FPV Drone For Under 150
- Holy Stone HS165 – Foldable GPS Drone Under 150 Dollars
- DBPOWER U818A – Best Drone Under 150 With Camera
- Holy Stone HS110G GPS Drone – Long Range Drone Under $150
We have made a series of drone buying guides to help our readers to find the best drone under their budget.
- 13 Best Drones Under $50
- 12 Best Drones Under $100
- 7 Best Drones Under $150 (You are here)
- 17 Best Drones Under $200
- 13 Best Drones Under $300
- 8 Best Drones Under $1000
1: Snaptain SP500 – Best Drone Under 150 Dollars
Key Features
- Full HD camera
- 30 minutes of flying time
- Return to home
- Follow me mode
- Gesture control
- Auto Hover
- 5G WiFi transmission
- Draw your flying path
If you are looking for the best cheap drone under 150 dollars, but with a professional look and feel, the SP500 by SNAPTAIN is a great pick. This amazing drone has more than 500 5-Star reviews on Amazon. SNAPTAIN drones have become a user favorite thanks to its variety of functions and comparatively affordable prices.
Design
Despite being a budget drone, the built looks robust and aggressive. The jet black exterior makes it look aesthetically appealing and at par with any professional-grade drone.
The drone has a partially foldable design, but it still feels slightly bulky and weighs above 250 grams. That means that this drone will require you to register it with the FAA.
The drone requires a bit of assembling since the props need to be attached, but it is nothing too technical. The drone is equipped with bright LED lights for better navigation during night flying.
Features
The SNAPTAIN SP500 sports some brilliant flight features for a low-cost drone. The headless mode and auto-return feature make it beginner-friendly. The gesture control feature is a very cool addition that you rarely find on budget drones.
The tap-fly mode and orbit mode further enhance the flying experience. Furthermore, you can to easily upload your videos and pictures to social networks from your iPhone or iPad.
Camera
The camera is the key selling point of SP500, which makes it stand out amongst the lot. The 1080p Full HD camera has a 110-degree field view, which can be adjustable for up to 40 degrees. It has a memory card slot but lacks a gimbal for camera stability.
However, you can use the Altitude Hold feature for better stability. It supports live FPV video transmission with an excellent range of 800 feet.
Remote Controller
Unlike most other drones on the list, the SP500 has one of the sleekest controllers with a very futuristic and minimalistic design.
The buttons and sticks are highly responsive and easy to use. The controller has a smartphone mount that can comfortably accommodate most smartphones.
Battery
The SP500 comes with two modular batteries, and each battery supports a flight time of 15 minutes. That means you can double the flight time to 30 minutes.
2: Altair Aerial 818 Hornet – Beginner Drone With Camera
Key Features
- 720p HD camera
- Extended flying time of 30 minutes
- Easy to fly for beginners
- VR Headset compatible
- Multiple speed levels
- One-key take-off & land
- Live FPV Video
- Affordable Price
Design
The Altair 818 Hornet is one of the coolest quadcopter drones in the market when it comes to design. The drone requires some basic assembly, which can be easily done by simply attaching the propellers, landing gear, and the camera. The instruction manual is straightforward to follow.
Features
It is an extremely beginner-friendly drone along while cheap at a price. The design has incorporated almost all basic features that a newbie would want to have in his drone during the learning process. It is one of the best drones for kids.
Altair 818 hornet drone integrates with an app quickly, and the entire process is very smooth if you have a stable Wi-Fi connection. The app facilitates the FPV feature, which can also be viewed in VR. The one-touch take-off and landing feature makes it very easy to handle for kids and new users.
The drone has different flight modes and speed levels, which you can experiment according to your proficiency level. The altitude hold feature is a perfect addition for those who wish to use this drone for aerial photography.
Camera
The Altair Aerial 818 Hornet is equipped with a 720p HD wide-angle camera that gives crisp and clear photos and videos. It also facilitates First Person View with a transmission range of 60 meters.
The camera also supports a Class 10 SD card of up to 32GB. However, you need to purchase the SD card additionally.
Remote Controller
One of the major problems that most new users face is getting the hang of the controller. It can be frustrating to refer to the manual every time you are confused about the functions of each button on the controller.
The 818 Hornet addresses this issue by providing a cardboard sheet fixed on top of the controller, labeling every button. This makes it super easy for learners to know what they are doing. The cardboard sheet is easily removable for those who do not need it.
Battery
The drone comes with two batteries included in the package, each having a flight time of 15 minutes. That means that you can fly your drone for 30 minutes in a go, which is quite impressive for a drone that clocks at 150 bucks.
3: Holy Stone HS270 – Best Video drone Under $150
Key Features
- 2.7k Full HD camera
- 18 minutes of flying time
- Voice recording
- Foldable Design
- Live FPV Video Transmission
- 600 meters long range
- Return to home
- Design your flying path
Design
Although Holy Stone HS270 is designed to be an entry-level drone, it offers you the aesthetics of a professional drone along with a design and features that will allow you to enjoy your flight experience.
The drone itself is very sleek and compact. The foldable design makes it even smaller making it very easy to carry while traveling. The high-quality polycarbonate plastic exterior with grey coating does not make it look like a cheap toy drone.
The built also adds to the strength and makes it crash resistant in case amateur pilots ending up rough flights and landings.
Features
The Holy Stone HS270 is equipped with powerful brushless motors that make it more battery efficient and less noisy. The controller is impressively responsive, and the controller layout pays attention to the fact that the beginners will use it.
The drone is equipped with some fantastic flight options such as Follow Me, Auto Hover, Automatic Takeoff and Landing, and Custom Flight Path. These features allow users to bring in more variation and thrill in their flight experience.
Camera
The HS270 is equipped with a decent 2.7K camera with a live FPV transmission range of up to 400 meters. Since the drone is designed for great wind resistance, the visual output is much more transparent and crisp. It is the best budget video drone with a live feed.
The camera has a 90-degree adjustable lens that allows you to capture a broader area. The camera supports an SD card for storage, which is needed to be purchased additionally.
Battery
Although the HS270 battery offers an impressive 18 minutes of flight, the battery charging time of 6 hours is very long. This makes the flight recharge ratio very poor and can undoubtedly be improved.
4: Simrex X11 – Upgraded GPS Drone Under 150
Key Features
- 1080p Full HD camera
- 22 minutes of flying time
- Low battery auto return to home
- Trajectory flight mode
- Upgraded GPS
- Dual controlling options
- Altitude hold feature
- Follow me mode
SIMREX is amongst the high-quality brands when it comes to quadcopters, and the X11 is loaded with some impressive features compared to what you find in most cheap drones.
Design
The Simrex X11 is a reasonably large-sized drone that weighs about 2.8 pounds. The drone requires a bit of assembling. However, it can be done easily by following the instruction manual.
The design is impressively robust and resembles professional grade drones. It is designed to protect its landing gear and camera in case of rough lading.
Features
This $150 Simrex X11 drone comes with some fantastic functions to add more thrill to your flying experience. The single key launching and landing and Headless mode functions are great for new drone pilots.
The Altitude hold feature is amazing if you wish to capture some still footage without the camera is shaky. The GPS connectivity, along with the auto-return, brings in more flight precision and safety since it minimizes the risk of losing your drone.
Remote Controller
The controller fits nicely in your palms and has easy to handle functions. It has a dedicated LCD screen on the remote that updates you with relevant flight information such as distance and battery status.
The controller also has a smartphone attachment, which makes it much more functional.
Camera
If you are aiming to buy a drone to brush up your aerial photography game without breaking your bank account, the SIMREX X11 is equipped with the best camera features.
It comes with a 1080p Full HD adjustable camera with a 108-degree FOV. It also facilitates FPV live video feed. Although it is not enough for professional quality images, the camera still manages to give decent quality output for learners.
The X11 by Simrex is equipped with a 2 axis gimbal, which brings in more stability.
Battery
The package includes a single Lithium battery that can run for a maximum of 22 minutes.
5: Holy Stone HS165 – Foldable GPS Drone Under 150 Dollars
Key Features
- 1080p HD camera
- Pocket-sized foldable drone
- Multiple speed options
- Easy to fly
- One key take-off and landing
- Real-time live video feed
- Return to home
- Design your flying route
Holy Stone drones enjoy a consistent reputation for high quality, and the HS165 is one of the most impressive and best quadcopters under 150 dollars.
Design
The drone has a sleek, foldable design that weighs a little over 170 grams. That makes this pocket mini drone a very travel-friendly drone. The design is very solid and ensures impeccable crash resistance. The black color exterior with a satin finish makes it aesthetically appealing.
Transmitter
It is one of the most beginner-friendly drones with a very well-designed controller. The controller looks similar to gaming console controllers with well-labeled buttons and a great grip.
The smartphone attachment on the controller is another plus. That means that you can easily rest your smartphone on the controller when using the app to control the drone.
Features
The Holy Stone HS165 is one of the most well-loaded drones of the entire lot when it comes to flight features. It facilitates flight mode, orbit mode, tap flight, and automatic return-to-home flight mode.
The Tap Fly mode allows you to preset a custom path for your drone to fly and make it return to its origin. The auto return-to-home feature minimizes the risk of losing your drone if it goes out of range or the battery drains out.
Like most Holy Stone drones, the HS165 is a GPS enabled drone which brings in high precision during flights.
Camera
The HS165 comes with a 1080p camera with a 90-degree field view. Although the camera lacks a gimbal and adjustable angles, it still manages to produce a decent quality visual output.
It has a 5GHz fpv camera with a live transmission range of an impressive 800 meters. It supports a memory card of up to 32GB, which is to be purchased additionally.
Battery
The battery runs for a maximum of 15 minutes, which is okay for a 150 dollar drone. The battery recharge time of 120 minutes could be improved slightly.
6: DBPOWER U818A – Best Aerial Photography Drone Under 150
Key Features
- 720p HD camera
- Dual battery
- Minimalistic design
- FPV live video
- Dual speed modes
- One key take-off/landing
- 3D VR supported
- 12 months warranty
Design
The DBPOWER Drone U818A is a super light-weight drone with a very minimalistic design. It is made out of ABS quality plastic with LED lights attached to its rotors.
The lights add some aesthetics and functionality for night flying, but there is nothing too extravagant about the design itself. That being said, it is still a decent built for a 150 dollar drone.
Although the built is not very resistant to high winds, the package includes spare rotors in case of an accident. Other parts are easily and readily available in the market at very economical prices.
Remote Controller
Although the design of this DBPOWER drone is a bit of a let-down, the impressively designed controller compensates well for the shortcomings.
The controller box is strong and sturdy with well-labeled buttons and an LED screen. The controller can easily fit in your palms and provides a good grip, which is essential for new pilots.
Features
The drone supports a single button launching and landing, which is great for beginners. It comes with different speed settings, which you can use according to your flying proficiency.
The headless mode and altitude hold are another impressive addition that allows greater control and stability, especially if you wish to shoot aerial footage.
The drone is easy to connect to an app for an FPV experience. The app is easily available on both Android and iOS platforms. It also supports a 3D VR view, but you need to purchase a VR headset additionally.
Camera
Given that the U818A is one of the cheap drones, the addition of a 720p HD camera is quite impressive. The camera allows you to capture videos and images of reasonable quality and is great for those who wish to brush up their photography skills. However, do not expect professional-grade quality from this camera.
Battery
The drone comes with two 350mAh rechargeable batteries. Each battery can run for a maximum of 9 minutes, depending on wind conditions. That means you can have a maximum flight time of 18 minutes. The batteries take about 55 minutes to get fully recharged. It is advised to charge the battery with a computer USB port.
7: Holy Stone HS110g GPS Drone – Best Quadcopter Under 150
Key Features
- Full HD 1080p camera
- Live FPV video broadcast
- Auto Return to home
- GPS Follow me mode
- Custom flight route
- Auto Hover
- Bright LED lights
- Price less than $150
Design
The Holy Stone HS110G has a very professional look with a solid exterior and a jet black coating. Another attractive design feature is the stripe markers to let you identify the front and back of the drone. The drone is equipped with LED lights, which allow for night time flying.
Features
The HS110G is equipped with some of the best and impressive features for a drone for $150. GPS connectivity is one of the key features since it brings in both stability and precision. It helps in keeping your drone stable when you have to capture your footage and eliminates the risk of the drone by supporting the auto-return feature.
The Follow Me mode and Trajectory mode are some other intelligent flight modes that enhance your flying experience. There are multiple speed settings that you can choose according to your comfort and proficiency.
Transmitter
The controller has a very professional look and feels with nicely placed buttons. It offers greater functionality and handling experience than most other drones in the same league.
The controller also has a phone mount that can comfortably accommodate most smartphones for an FPV experience.
Camera
If good camera resolution at a reasonable price is the main purchase influencer for you, the HS110G is your best bet. It is a 1080p HD camera that gives excellent quality still images and video footage.
With a 110 degree filed view, this is an excellent option for those who are looking for a training drone to brush up their aerial photography skills.
Battery
The box contains a single 1500mAh battery that supports a flight time of 13 minutes and a maximum flight distance of 300 meters.
Tips & Tricks
If you have never flown a drone before, it is recommended that you start your first flight on a day with little or no winds, so that you can get the hang of the controls.
Conclusion
Thanks to the technology trickling down, greater commercialization, and increased competitiveness, there is more variety and options available even in the budget drone segment.
However, it is usually to be able to find a drone that grades high in all major parameters such as camera, design, features, and battery. When making a purchase decision, prioritize your parameters and decide what feature is more relevant to you and which ones you can let go of so that you can make the right pick.
For example, if you are specifically buying a drone for aerial photography, go for an option that gives you the best camera features even if you have to compromise on a few flight modes.
Likewise, if photography is not your primary purpose, and you are a hobbyist, you might want to compromise on camera features and focus more on flight performance and features. Check out drones with camera.
