Looking to purchase your first drone but do not want to spend too much? Or maybe you are looking for a cool gift for someone? Well, you have come to the right place because in this article I will show you the best drones under $100 that also comes with a camera. In my view, a drone without a camera is not nearly as fun to fly as a drone with a camera. The drones in this list will be geared towards beginners but even experienced flyers will have some fun with them.
One of the best features of modern consumer drones is the fact that most of them now come with very good cameras, the following list has been updated for 2022 and lists some best drones under $100 with a camera.
Do You Need To Register These Drones?
This will depend on where you live, if you are in the USA, you will not need to register the drone if it weighs under 250g, however, you will need to pass the new TRUST exam from the FAA. This will test your knowledge of basic safety and regulatory information on operating drones.
If the drone weighs over 250g, you will need to register the drone with the FAA and make sure that the drone is marked with your registration details and carry proof of your registration details.
For those of you residing in the UK, you will need to register your drone, even if it weighs less than 250g, however, if it does not come with a camera and it weighs less than 250g, there is no need to register it.
You will need to obtain a Flyer ID, which will require you to pass an online theory test and you will also need to obtain an Operator ID, which has a £10 annual fee. You will also need clearly label your drone with your Operator ID.
For more information, please visit the FAA or CAA website, as drone registration requirements are subject to frequent change.
Follow The Rules
Always read the instruction manual before you fly and if you are a complete beginner, make sure to fly in a wide open area with no one else around.
Rules for recreational use of drones are similar around the world, if you observe the following, you should be safe:
- Keep the drone in your visual line of sight
- Fly under 400ft
- Don’t fly close to people
- Don’t fly in residential, commercial, and industrial areas
- Don’t fly near airports, airfields and aircrafts
- Don’t fly under the influence of drugs & alcohol
- Obey local laws if they restrict drone operations
- Respect people’s privacy
As an added precaution, you should consider installing a mobile app that will let you know where you can fly and if the weather forecast is suitable for drone flight.
What Is The Best Drone Under $100?
There are a lot of good drones in this price range, however, my personal favourite is the DJI Tello drone. It’s a fantastic little drone that comes with a good HD camera and some very fun features, however, there are some very good models on this list that you may prefer to the Tello drone.
12 Best Drones Under $100
The Tello drone tops this list and for under $100, you do get your money’s worth and more. This drone is suitable for beginners, kids and even more experienced pilots, the drone is designed to be flown indoors and outdoors and has a robust build that can withstand the occasional crashes. The drone is tiny and can fit in the palm of your hand, it weighs just 80g making it a superb travel companion. It has a 5MP 720p camera that takes outstanding videos and images, the quality of which is far superior to every other drone on this list. The drone is flown via its own app, this is a break from DJI as all other DJI drones are flown via the DJI GO APP. It has a few intelligent flight modes that make taking videos and images far easier and with its electronic image stabilization software, the resulting videos and pictures are of excellent quality. This is by far the best drone under $100 and is worth every cent.
Key Features
- 720p HD camera
- 5MP images
- EZ Shots
- Acrobatic manoeuvres
- 13 minutes of flight time
- One-button take-off/landing
- One-button return home
- Program your own flight manoeuvres
2. Holy Stone HS200
Holy Stone have established itself as one of the leading manufacturers of drones for beginners and the HS200 is no different. This is an awesome camera drone that comes with some solid features like FPV, altitude hold and 4-speed modes that will be suitable for beginners and more experienced pilots. The camera shoots videos in 720p and takes still images in 2mp, both videos and images are of good quality especially for the price it’s selling for. It has a headless mode for beginners and has a flight time of 7-9 minutes.
Key Features
- 720p Camera
- 2 MP Images
- FPV
- 9 minutes flight time
- 4 Speed modes
- Gravity sensor control
- Automatic take-off/landing
3. Holy Stone F181W
Another Holy Stone drone on this list, the F181W is an upgrade to the F181 with one of the upgrades being FPV capability. The F181W comes with a 2mp 720p camera with 120° wide-angle FOV. The camera quality is pretty good considering the price you are paying and with its altitude hold function, you can take good quality images and videos with little distortion. The drone comes with FPV capability which allows you to attach your smartphone to the controller and stream live video feed from the camera. Flight time is around 7-10 minutes. Definitely a drone worth considering.
Key Features
- 720p Camera
- 2 MP Images
- 120° FOV
- 10 minutes flight time
- 4 Speed modes
- Cool design with LED lights
4. Potensic P7
This is one of the most enjoyable drones on this list and comes with a very cool feature that I have not seen in any other drones. It has a drone fighting mode that allows multiple users to engage in a drone battle, the drone emits infrared waves from its nose and whenever a drone gets hit 4 times, it lands automatically and the last remaining drone is the winner. Other features the drone comes with includes an HD camera, propeller guards, multiple speed modes, gesture control and 10 minutes of flight time.
Key Features
- HD camera
- FPV capability
- Gesture control
- Battle mode (requires another drone)
- 1 hands-free flight mode
- 10 minutes of flight time
- Gravity sensor control
5. Holy Stone HS160
The Holy Stone HS160 is part of a new range of foldable drones that is becoming more and more popular. This is a very lightweight drone that you can travel around with and is small enough to fit in your back pocket. It comes with a 720p camera that is fitted on its nose and can take some good quality videos and images. The drone is controlled either by the controller or your smartphone, controlling it through your smartphone gives you more options like first-person view and using a VR headset. There is a gravity sensor feature that will allow you to control the drone through motion when using your smartphone.
Key Features
- 720p HD Camera
- 2 MP Images
- FPV capability
- 9 minutes flight time
- Gravity sensor control
- Gesture control
6. Snaptain A15H
This is a nice looking foldable drone that is lightweight and comes with a lot of features that will make it enjoyable to fly. The drone has some bright LED lights on the front and on the end of its rotor arms, this will allow you to fly the drone in the dark, although for a small drone like this, it’s preferable if you fly it indoors. There is a 720p camera on its nose that has a wide-angle lens that will allow you to capture more details in your videos and photos. Other cool features the drone comes with include voice control, 3D flips and trajectory hands-free flight mode.
Key features
- 720p camera
- FPV capability
- Compatible with VR headsets
- Voice control
- 3-speed modes
- One button take-off/landing
- 7 minutes of flight time
7. Simrex X300C
This is one of the cheapest FPV drones on the market, the Simrex X300C is a mini drone that is mainly suitable for indoor flight. The drone is perfect for beginners, it’s easy to fly and comes with some cool features, plus it is very cheap. The drone comes with a decent HD camera with which you can stream live video footage to your smartphone. It has 3-speed modes so you can test your flying skills and it can be controlled with your smartphone and comes with gravity sensor mode where you can control the drone by moving your phone around. The drone has a decent flight time of around 7 minutes and a control range of around 40 meters.
Key features
- 720p camera
- FPV capability
- App control
- Gravity sensor control
- 7 minutes of flight time
- 3D flips
- Multiple speed modes
8. Simrex X900
The Simrex X900 drone comes equipped with an HD camera that can capture some pretty decent images and videos, especially for a drone that costs less than $100. The camera has a wide-angle view and can stream live video footage to your smartphone. Other features the drone comes with includes 3-speed modes to test your flight skills, one-button flips and rolls, gravity sensor control and 10 minutes of flight time.
Key features
- HD camera with 110° FOV
- Gravity sensor control
- 3-speed modes
- 10 minutes of flight time
- 120-meter range
- One-button take-off/landing
9. Holy Stone HS110D
This is one of the best selling drones for under $100 on Amazon, it’s small and lightweight is great for people looking for their first affordable FPV drone. The HS110D has an HD camera that takes pretty decent videos and photos and you can live stream videos to your smartphone. The drone comes with altitude for better hovering capability and has voice and gesture control modes that are fun to use especially for kids. The drone has a flight time of around 10 minutes and you get an extra battery with the package which will save you money from having to purchase one separately.
Key features
- 1080p camera with 120° FOV
- FPV
- 10 minutes of flight time
- Gravity sensor mode
- Voice control
- 100-meter control range
10. Deerc D10
A fun little drone that comes with an HD camera and some really cool features that everyone will enjoy using. The drone has a range of around 80 meters and a flight time of 10 minutes, you do get an extra battery, which is always a bonus. Some of the features include multiple speed modes, trajectory flight mode and one button take-off/landing. The drone can be controlled with just a smartphone and also has voice control for take-off and landing and gesture control to capture images.
Key features
- HD camera
- FPV capability
- 10 minutes of flight time
- Gesture control for images/videos
- Voice control
- Gravity sensor control
- 80-meter range
11. Holy Stone HS260
A stunning drone that comes with some impressive features and looks amazing. The Holy Stone HS260 is a nice foldable drone that is equipped with an HD camera that can capture some cool images and videos. The drone has a flight time of around 12 minutes and comes with 2 batteries. The drone comes with voice and gesture control and can also be controlled with just your smartphone. It has one button take-off/landing and also has a couple of hands-free flight modes.
Key features
- HD camera
- Compact foldable design
- 12 minutes of flight time
- 80-meter range
- Voice & gesture control
- Hands-free flight modes
- 2 Speed modes
12. Deerc D20
A small foldable drone that is fun to fly and perfect for kids and beginners, the Deerc D20 is one of the best drones under $100. This is a great drone to fly indoors and comes with some cool features such as an HD camera, 3-speed modes, altitude hold, one-button take-off/landing and 3D flips. The drone comes with two batteries, with each battery providing around 8 minutes of flight time. Other features include voice control, gravity sensor control and FPV capability.
Key features
- HD camera
- FPV capability
- Great for indoors
- 8 minutes of flight time
- 40-meter range
- Gravity sensor control
- Voice & gesture control
Wow….
Great review. I never realized you could get such great drones for less than 100 bucks.
I always thought that a decent drone with a camera would be 300 or more.
What would be a good drone in the next price bracket?
Definitely will be looking closer at your recommendations.
Paul.
Hey, I really enjoyed reading your review about the best drones under $100. I’m a huge DJI fan and I own a Mavic air myself and I’m super happy with it. However, I never knew that DJI had a super small drone like Tello Quadcopter I think I really have to test that out. 🙂 since it is only $106. I also must say I think I have a bit mixed feelings about the EACHINE E58 since it looks like Mavic ripoff. How well does it perform?
Hey Aaron
As huge DJI fan myself,I say you should try out the Tello drone. It is in my opinion the best drone under $100. As for the Eachine E58 ,yeah it does seem like a complete copy cat of the Mavic,and it has nowehere near any of the cool features and flying capability of the Mavic. It is more targeted to those who do not want to spend to much on a drone like the Mavic but are attracted to its small.compact and foldable design. For undwer $100 it is still a god drones.
All the best
Great site guys, I’ve bookmaked your pages as I’ll be back to keep an eye on drone progress. Love that you’ve even thrown in some UK drone LAW. This is not only common sense but encourages safe use.
Love the lists of price ranges, this helps a lot and the beginner’s advice is invaluable.
Cheers nOrm
Hi Norm
Thanks for the comment,really appreciate it.
All the best
I think your list is really good and it gave me a much needed lesson on drones. I am just at the beginning stage of deciding what type is best.
I think the one thing I noticed for each drone under a $100 is the flying time is under 10 minutes. Did I read that correctly?
You mentioned extra batteries to solve the short flight life. What are the costs for extra batteries?
Also, if I wanted more flight time, how much does the cost go up?
Thanks for your post!
Hi
Thanks for your comment,these drones will be perfect for beginners but their fight times are short and that is why I recommend purchasing extra batteries. As for their cost that will depend on what type of battery your drone takes. If you want a drone with more flight time,you will be looking at paying much more than $100. However, as a beginner I suggest you stick with the ones on this list or something similar so that you can practice your flying skills for something a bit more sophisticated later on.
All the best
Wow a drome including camera for under $100 that is an unbelievable price!!
I remember when drones first came out and they were like $1000 or maybe more. If you lost a propeller they were really annoying to replace.
It sounds amazing that it comes with a 5MP camera as well. 13 mins flying time sounds OK? (ish) My question is how long does it take to recharge?