Looking for the best drones under $400? Fortunately, you have a lot of choices, all of the drones I have listed are very good, they all come with excellent cameras, the top 4 which you can use for professional drone photography. They are all GPS enabled drones and come with all the benefits that a GPS system brings like autonomous flight modes, automatic return home and the ability to track the drone on your smartphone.
Before you go purchasing any type of drone, please make sure that you are familiar with the drone laws wherever you live. For example, if you live in the UK, you will now need to register any drone that comes with a camera, even if it weighs less than 250g. This wasn’t the case before, but recent changes in the UK drone laws now require owners to get an operator ID which must be displayed on the drone.
For more information on UK drone laws, please check out the CAA website.
In the US, if you intend to fly for just recreational purposes, you will not need to register any drone that weighs less than 250g, however, any drone that weighs over 250g, will need to be registered. If you intend to fly any drones for commercial purposes, you will need to register the drone and obtain an FAA drone license, check out this article for more information on US drone laws.
Something else, you may want to consider is getting drone insurance, it is not required by law (if you fly for fun), but since some of the drones on this list are quite expensive, you may want to get drone hull insurance, just in case something happens during flight and your drone is seriously damaged.
12 Best Drones Under $400
- 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor
- 12MP images (RAW & JPEG)
- Records Videos in 4k at 30fps
- 5 QuickShots
- 31 minutes of flight time
- 10km transmission range
- 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor
- 12MP images
- Records videos in 2.7k at 30fps
- 4 Quickshots
- 30 minutes of flight time
- 4km transmission range
- 1/2.6 CMOS sensor
- 12MP images (RAW & JPEG)
- Records videos in 4k at 30fps
- 4 QuickShots
- 30 minutes of flight time
- 8km transmission range
1. DJI Mini 2
The DJI Mini 2 is one of the best drones for its price, it actually costs a little over $400 and is the successor to the Mavic Mini. The drone is small and compact which make it easy to carry around and would make a great drone to travel around with. It comes with an HD camera that is capable of recording in 4k at 30fps at a speed of 100Mbps. You can also shoot images in both RAW and JPEG and capture 3-types of panorama photography. It has a feature called quickshots that will allow you to record short cinematic videos hands-free and the camera comes with HDR support. It’s a fantastic drone that is suitable for professional drone photography and comes at a reasonable price.
Key Features
- 1/2.3-inch sensor with 24mm lens & 84° FOV
- Fixed f/2.8 aperture
- Records videos in 4k at 30fps, 2.7k at 30fps & 1080p at 60fps
- 12MP still images (JPG+RAW)
- ISO Video/Photo – 100-3200 (Auto & Manual)
- Quickshots for hands-free cinematic videos
- 3-axis gimbal for video/image stabilisation
- 31 minutes of flight time
- OcuSync 2.0 transmission technology
- 10km range
2. DJI Mavic Mini
The DJI Mavic Mini does not have the best specs on this list but it is my favourite drone, and it does come with some awesome features. One of the main attractions of this drone is how lightweight it is, the drone weighs less than 250g, which is important because it means you will not have to register the drone with the FAA (or the CAA if you live in the UK). The Mavic Mini comes with a very good HD camera that has a 1/2.3” CMOS sensor that can capture 12MP still images and record videos in 2.7k at 30fps. This is a good drone for people looking to get into drone photography, you can shoot slow-motion videos and capture short cinematic videos through its Quickshot feature. It has a dual GPS system for easier navigation and an optical flow/infrared sensor on its belly for more accurate hovering capability. The drone also has a great flight time of around 30 minutes which is on the higher-end for consumer drones.
Key Features
- 1/2.3-inch sensor with 24mm lens & 83° FOV
- Fixed f/2.8 aperture
- 12MP still images
- Sing shot & interval photography modes
- ISO Video – 100- 3200 (Auto & Manual)
- ISO Photo 100-1600, (Auto), 100-3200 (Manual)
- Records videos in 2.7k at 30fps, 1080p at 60fps
- Take short cinematic videos with its Quickshot feature
- 30 minutes of flight time
- 4km control range
3. Fimi X8 Mini
The Fimi X8 Mini is a fantastic little drone, it has more or less the same features as its larger counterpart, the Fimi X8 SE but I decided to put this further up the list because of its small size and compact design. The drone weighs under 250g (with the pro battery) and has a good flight time of 31 minutes. It comes with an HD camera that records video footage in 4K at 30fps and captures still images in 12MP. It has an advanced image chipset from Hisilicon that records more colour details in every shot that results in HDR images and videos and has a feature that allows you to take short videos at the push of a button. What sets it apart from the DJI Mini 2 and Mavic Mini is the intelligent flight modes, the drone comes with active track and waypoint flight modes.
Key Features
- 1/2.6-inch CMOS sensor with 26mm lens & 80° FOV
- Fixed f/2.0 aperture
- 12MP still images (RAW & JPEG)
- Records videos in 4k at 30fps
- HDR support for images & videos
- Intelligent flight modes
- 4 Quickshots
- 31 minutes of flight time
- 8km control range
4. Hubsan Zino Pro
One of the best-looking drones on this list, the Hubsan Zino Pro is a big upgrade to the original Zino drone. It’s a medium-sized that has a compact foldable design, which makes it great for travelling with and it comes with many advanced features. The Zino Pro comes with a 4K camera that is supported by a 3-axis gimbal and has a Sony image sensor that can capture images in 12MP. The camera is compatible with ND filters that will give you more options for better drone photography and has an image chip from Ambarella that enhances the quality of the videos and photos. It has a good flight time of 23 minutes and comes with several smart flight modes.
Key Features
- 4k/30fps camera
- 1/3-inch Sony Sensor
- Sony image sensor
- 3-axis gimbal for stabilisation
- Ambarella A12S Chipset with EIS
- Intelligent flight modes
- GPS automatic return home
- 23 minutes of flight time
- 4km transmission range
5. DJI Mini SE
The DJI Mini SE is DJI’s cheapest GPS drone, it comes equipped with an HD camera that is stabilised by a 3-axis gimbal. The camera can record amazing video footage in 2.7k and capture crystal clear images in 12MP. The drone has an optical flow sensor and an infrared sensor for better flight stabilisation and comes with 30 minutes of flight time. Its Quickshot mode will allow anyone to capture short cinematic video footage at the push of a button and the DJI Fly app will allow you to enhance these videos and share them with family and friends.
Key Features
- 1/2.3-inch sensor
- 12MP images
- Records videos in 2.7k@ 30fps
- 3-axis gimbal
- Quickshots for easy cinematic videos
- Automatic return to home
- 30 minutes of flight time
- 4km control range
6. Holy Stone HS700E
This is one of Holy Stone’s most powerful drones, the HS700E comes with some impressive features. It has a nice solid structure that allows it to be flown in slightly windy conditions and comes with powerful brushless motors that provides the drone with good stability. The main feature is its HD camera that comes with electronic image stabilisation that will reduce distortion in videos and images. The camera can record video footage in 4k and captures 8MP images and can also stream HD live video footage to your smartphone. The drone comes with intelligent flight modes, 21 minutes of flight time and a range of 1km.
Key Features
- HD camera with 130° FOV
- 8MP images
- Records videos in 4k
- Electronic image stabilisation
- GPS automatic return to home
- Intelligent flight modes
- 21 minutes of flight time
- 1k transmission range
7. Ruko F11 Pro
This is a well-built drone that has a robust structure and comes with many advanced features. Its bulky design and powerful brushless motors give it some good resistance to high winds and provides the drone with good stability during flight. The drone comes with a good HD camera that has a wide-angle view and can capture high-quality videos and photos. It comes with smart flight modes, automatic return to home and 30 minutes of flight time.
Key Features
- HD camera with 120° FOV
- Captures 4k images
- Records 2.9k videos at 25fps
- Intelligent flight modes
- GPS Automatic return to home
- 30 minutes of flight time
- 1.2km control range
8. Contixo F35
The Cobtixo F35 is a foldable drone that has a bulky body mainly because of its large battery. The drone has a long flight time of 30 minutes and comes with 2 batteries that will allow you to extend the flight time without having to wait for the battery to recharge. It comes with an HD camera that is stabilised by a 2-axis gimbal and can record video footage in 4k and capture 8MP still images. Some advanced features include a low battery automatic return to home, intelligent flight modes and gesture control mode. The drone can transmit live HD video footage and has a transmission range of 1.5km
Key Features
- HD camera with 100° FOV
- Captures 4K images
- Records video footage in 4k@30fps
- 2-axis gimbal
- Intelligent flight modes
- 30 minutes of flight time
- 1.5km range
9. Potensic Dreamer 4K
A beautiful drone that has a similar look to the DJI Phantom drones, it comes with powerful features that makes it easy to operate and suitable for beginners. The main feature of this drone is its HD camera, it comes with a Sony sensor and can capture 8MP images and record 2.7k video footage. The drone comes with GPS technology and has an automatic return to home feature which is activated whenever the drone battery gets low on charge. The drone also comes with a few intelligent flight modes, a good flight time and a transmission range of 800 meters.
Key Features
- HD camera with Sony sensor
- 8MP images
- Records video footage in 2.7k@30fps
- Damping plate to reduce image/video distortion
- 30 minutes of flight time
- Intelligent flight modes
- Automatic return to home
- Dual GNSS receiver
- 800 meter range
10. Holy Stone HS720E
One of Holy Stones newest drones, the HS720E comes with some impressive features that includes a camera that records actual 4k video footage, which is a first for a Holy Stone drone. This is a beautiful drone that has a nice foldable design, its classed as a toy drone but it has a very premium feel to it. The drone comes with a decent HD camera that can record video footage in 4k at 30fps and capture very good images in 10MP. It has an electronic image stabilisation features that will minimise any kind of distortion in your videos and photos, for a toy grade drone, this very good feature. The drone also comes with a GPS module and an optical flow sensor and can be flown autonomously via its smart flight modes.
Key Features
- HD camera with 130° FOV
- Records videos in4k@30fps
- 8MP still images
- Single-axis gimbal
- Electronic image stabilisation
- GPS & Optical flow sensor for better flight stability
- 22 minutes of flight time
- 900-meter control range
11. Holy Stone HS710
This lightweight, foldable drone comes equipped with an HD camera and GPS enabled intelligent flight modes. The camera can capture good videos in 4k and capture 8MP images and its lens can be remotely adjusted to get better viewing angles. Some advanced features include follow me mode, waypoint mode and an automatic return to home feature. It has a dual GNSS receiver and an optical flow sensor for a more stable flying experience and comes with 25 minutes of flight time.
Key Features
- HD camera with 120° FOV
- Captured 8MP images
- Records 4k vidoes@15fps
- Adjustable lens
- Intelligent flight modes
- Automatic return to home
- 25 minutes of flight time
- 600 meter range
12. Ruko U11 Pro
A small and lightweight drone, the Ruko U11 Pro is great for those looking for a drone that they can easily travel with. The drone comes with a dual GPS receiver and has intelligent flight modes such as follow me, waypoint and orbit mode. It has a flight time of around 26 minutes and comes with two batteries. The camera can capture images in 4k and record videos in 2k and real time video is transmitted in 720p.
Key Features
- HD camera with adjustable lens
- Captures images in 4k
- Records videos in 2k
- HD live video feed
- Dual GPS
- Intelligent flight modes
- 26 minutes of flight time
- 500 meter range
