Welcome to our top 10 best cheap beginner drones for sale 2018. We update this article often to keep the content fresh and to offer you with the latest changes in the drone consumer market for beginners. Because shopping for the right beginner drones can be quite difficult. Especially if you have never flown a drone and don’t know which one is the best pick.
Which is why we have assembled the top 10 best cheap beginner drones for sale 2018 to guide you through. In this article, you will find the top 10 best cheap drones for sale 2018 under $50 and $100. We only list the best drones that are easy to control, learn, and provide you a lot of features without denting your bank.
I always recommend to every reader to start with a cheap beginner drone. Why? Because if you have never flown a drone before and you decide to buy an expensive drone like DJI Mavic Pro or Phantom 4 Pro. Without prior experience or knowledge, you might end up crashing the drone and regret your purchase. So, instead of doing that. I want to encourage my readers to make a smart investment first by buying cheap beginner drones for sale first.
These cheap beginner drones for sale will not only teach you how to fly them. But also train you how to capture pictures, and a lot more. That way you get the chance to familiarize the controls and become an expert remote pilot within a matter of time. You’ll thank me later when you buy an expensive drone with prior experience because you won’t make these beginner mistakes. Without further ado, let’s find out the top 10 best cheap beginner drones for sale 2018!
IN 1802 Drone
Amazon.com First and foremost, the IN 1802 drone is one of my favorite starter’s choice for beginners. Plus it is under $100 and is packed with a ton of features which makes this drone incredibly affordable. The IN 1802 drone is a direct clone of the popular DJI Tello, however for a good reason why I ranked this little sliver bird in the first place.
Starting with how easy it is to control. The IN 1802 Drone is built on a 6-axis gyroscope that provides incredible stability and smooth flight controls. The remote controller also comes with trimming buttons which you will have to adjust the movement slightly to achieve stability. I didn’t spend more than a couple of minutes before I achieved stability and flew the drone like a boss.
Additionally, it weighs slightly more compared to most of the toy-grade drones under $50. This is especially important for making good wind resistance when you are flying outdoor. Flight-time wise, it has a battery life of 12 minutes. Furthermore, it has a control distance of up to 100 meters.
Lastly, the IN 1802 drone is equipped with a 720p HD camera. Although, the drone doesn’t come with a micro SD card slot which is a bit unfortunate. But you still can save videos and pictures on your smartphones. Features wise, you can perform waypoint mode, 3D flip, and return to home function. If there is anything to be said about this little sliver bird, it would be the fact that the IN 1802 drone is swift, nimble, and agile yet packed with features. Check out our review about this DJI Tello clone.
back to menu ↑ScharkSpark Thunder FQ35
Amazon.com ScharkSpark is a U.S based company that was launched recently and made great success selling their latest foldable quadcopters. While they don’t have a lot of drones to show, the Thunder FQ35 is an exceptional quality quadcopter built for beginners. It follows a similar style of popular DJI Mavic Pro foldable motor arms.
The ScharkSpark Thunder FQ35 drone is packed with features as most beginners will expect from a foldable quadcopter in its price range. Built with a six-axis gyroscope for smooth and easy flight controls. This drone focus on ensuring that you can fly the drone with precise enough to learn and master it. Furthermore, the Thunder FQ35 comes with a fixed camera featuring 720p HD resolution quality.
Even though it is relatively new, there are many good reasons why the Thunder FQ35 is a direct competitor against popular Eachine E58 and X12 Drone. This foldable quadcopter is lightweight and super easy to carry around anywhere you go. Store it in your pants pocket or travel case and fly when you find good spots!
Performance-wise, the ScharkSpark Thunder FQ35 drone has a battery life of 9 minutes with a control distance of up to 100 meters. At the price tag, these specifications are pretty good for today’s standard. Since you are looking for cheap beginner drones for sale, we rank ScharkSpark Thunder FQ35 as our top second choice for new pilots.
back to menu ↑X12 Drone
Amazon.com The third runner up and also a personal favorite of mine. This X12 drone is a clone of the popular DJI Mavic Air that was released in January 2018 to fill in the gap between DJI Spark and DJI Mavic Pro. Featuring a compact and portable design, the X12 drone comes with foldable motor arms that follow a similar style to DJI Mavic Air. Plus, the X12 drone comes in four different colors of your choice: Red, Blue, White, and Black.
Like the IN 1802 drone, the X12 drone has a battery life of 12 minutes. Thanks to a powerful 1000mAh modularized battery, most of the power is focused on efficient and delivering the propulsion for speed and controls. This foldable drone uses a foldable remote controller like the IN 1802 drone and Eachine E58. It is big enough to fit your iPhone 7S Plus with a phone case on it.
If you have never flown a drone before and are looking for a great product to start with. I think, personally, the X12 drone is a great pick. Not because of its compact and portable design. But, because it is juiced and packed with features. There are a lot of things you can do with X12 from performing aerial stunts, waypoint mode, return to home, and automatic landing/takeoff.
Best of all, the X12 drone is affordable. In exchange, you get a drone that is durable, packed with features, and easy to control. At the price X12 drone is being sold, it is certainly a killer deal. If this quadcopter is the one you want to buy, be sure to read our in-depth review of X12 drone.
back to menu ↑Force F100
Amazon.com The Force F100 drone is among one of my favorite racing drones. Like the HS150 Bolt Bee, the Force F100 is built for speed with amazing mobility and precision. While it is not that cheap, but it is not that expensive. For drones under $100, the Force F100 comes with quite a few good features and an action camera mount that you can insert your GoPro HERO5.
This mid-sized quadcopter is packed with a top racing speed of 35 miles per second and has a control distance of up to 300 meters. Which I must say is very good for a cheap drone for beginners in its price range. Because most of the modern drones you will see don’t have this kind of aerial capabilities.
Flight time-wise, the drone can soar in the sky for up to 20 minutes. But realistically, you will be able to fly for up to 15 minutes at most. This is twice the amount of flight time compared to what cheap drones for beginners bring to the table.
Speaking of features, the Force F100 can perform return to home, altitude hold, and headless mode. If you decide to mount an action camera on it. You can turn Force F100 into an aerial photography drone and take your flight experience to the next level. At the price tag and features that it has to offer. The Force F100 is truly a dealbreaker!
back to menu ↑HS150 Bolt Bee
Amazon.com | Price history for Holy Stone HS150 Bolt Bee Mini Racing Drone RC Quadcopter RTF 2.4GHz 6-Axis Gyro with 50KMH High Speed Headless Mode Wind Resistance Includes Bonus Battery | |
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Another favorite of mine. This lighting fast yellow bird is packed with speed and quite cool features. The HS150 Bolt Bee is made by Holy Stone, a Chinese Company, who is well known for selling popular drones like HS700 Ophelia, HS170 Predator, and of course, HS160 Shadow. However, the HS150 Bolt Bee is one of the fewest racing drones that are affordable at entry-level.
Packed with superior speed and the capability to fly at 31 miles per second. The HS150 Bolt Bee will be one of the fastest drones you ever see. Not only it is fast, but the HS150 Bolt Bee also comes with a unique design style that is focused on aerodynamics to maximize speed. The controls are very easy and a drone is stable to fly around.
The remote controller comes with five-speed modes that allow a smooth and gradual learning process. Plus, the drone can perform such as 3D flips, Headless Mode, Altitude Hold, and few other tidbits. On average, it has a flight time of 7 minutes which isn’t half-a-bad for a racing drone! With a maximum control distance of 70 meters, there is plenty of room to fly around.
Because of the HS150 Bolt Bee high speed, it makes a good resistance against wind. This is the perfect choice for beginners who wants to be able to fly the drone outdoor while piloting the fastest entry-level quadcopter. I own this and I enjoyed every moment of it!
back to menu ↑Eachine E58
Amazon.com One of the most popular foldable drone that resembles DJI Mavic Pro. The Eachine E58 is a baby version of Mavic Pro. It is around 2 to 3 times smaller and fits in your palm of a hand. The unique design and style give out the appearance of a friendly drone, yet durable and easy to control.
This cheap beginner drone is packed with a load of features. Eachine E58 can perform a set of tricks, headless mode, return to home, and automatic landing/takeoff. There are more than just these features that I listed which you can find in our review article about this drone.
However, one key feature that I think makes the Eachine E58 so good is the amazing aftermarket support that it has to offer. Repairing the Eachine E58 is easier to do so compared to most drones. Because the motor arms, propellers, guards, and even extra motors can be done with replacing the damaged pieces and a bit of soldering.
Lastly, the Eachine E58 has an average flight time of 9 minutes with a control distance up to 100 meters. At the price range, I think it is pretty decent for a foldable drone. If getting a DJI Mavic Pro is your end goal, but you have never flown a drone. I would recommend this cheap drone for beginners since its affordable and you will learn a lot about it.
back to menu ↑HS210 Night Elf
Amazon.com | Price history for Holy Stone HS210 Mini Drone RC Nano Quadcopter Best Drone for Kids and Beginners RC Helicopter Plane with Auto Hovering, 3D Flip, Headless Mode and Extra Batteries Toys for Boys and Girls | |
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Another quality drone crafted by Holy Stone. The HS210 Night Elf is an incredibly stable and nimble drone built for beginners. While this drone has a similar body hull to most of the standard toy-grade quadcopters in the price range. The HS210 Night Elf is a great cheap drone for beginners. Here is why.
This little bird comes with an upgraded 6-axis gyroscope that stabilizes the drone automatically. Which means you do not have to use the trimming features. Hence, the remote controller doesn’t come with trimming buttons at all. This allows beginners to focus more on flying the drone around and getting more enjoyment out of it.
On average flight time, the HS210 Night Elf can fly up to 6 minutes. With a control distance of 50 meters, it is quite exceptional for a starter’s drone. However, it doesn’t come with a lot of features. But from our review, the HS210 Night Elf can perform automatic take-off and land as well flips.
Price-wise, I think HS210 Night Elf is a quality drone crafted for beginners who want to have an affordable quadcopter that is easy to control and learn. It is small enough and the remote controller comes with an inscription for easy to understand.
back to menu ↑Potensic A20 Mini Drone
Amazon.com The Potensic A20 mini drone is one of the great cheap drones for beginners. Just like HS210 Night Elf, it is easy to control and comes with beginner-friendly features. Most notable for its features such as headless mode, altitude hold, and automatic takeoff/landing.
Thanks to the built-in barometer which detects a change in the air pressure automatically, the drone stabilizes itself that makes it very easy to control. An excellent choice for beginners looking to have an affordable drone that is easy to learn.
The Potensic A20 mini drone has an average flight time of 5 minutes and considerably less control range compared to HS210 Night Elf. However, these minor drawbacks make up for their incredible stability and smooth flight controls.
Despite its minor drawbacks. Beginners will find a Potensic A20 mini drone to be a great choice for learning and training. There is a Wi-Fi version of the A20 mini drone equipped with a camera. However, I think if you are looking for a drone to learn, then this mini quadcopter should be sufficient.
back to menu ↑LBLA S5 Drone
Amazon.com What’s more fun than being able to splash the drone into the water and fly as nothing happened? The LBLA S5 drone is a waterproof drone built for beginners at an affordable price tag. If you have heard of Splash Drone 3 where it can dive in the water and race across it. The LBLA S5 Drone is similar to that, except you only can splash on the water.
Equipped with a 480p HD camera that you can connect to your smartphones and stream videos in real-time. The FPV mode allows you to view through the eyes of drones in the first person that enriches your flight experience. In addition to that, you can capture pictures and share with your friends and family.
Along with these nifty features, the LBLA S5 drone uses a 6-axis gyroscope and a built-in barometer for responsive and smooth flight controls. The remote controller uses 2.4GHz that ensures quick and precise controls that the drone can fly with grace like never seen before.
Lastly, the LBLA S5 drone battery lasts approximately 7 minutes and has a control distance of 50 meters. Which is slightly more than what most drones have to offer in its price range. It is easy to see why this is one of the popular cheap drones for beginners due to features and a great price deal.
back to menu ↑AKASO A200
Amazon.com Looking for a sleek, fancy, and badass looking cheap drone for beginners? Meet the AKASO A200 drone. This mini drone comes with a built-in 720p HD camera that offers clear and sharp resolution images. Unlike most drones in the price range, the AKASO A200 is equipped with landing pads that provide support for softening the impact when it lands.
The AKASO A200 drone includes a modern and sleek remote controller that appears to be professionally crafted. While it is slightly bulky, the controls are very easy to understand and learn. Thanks to the inscription on the remote controller, beginners don’t have to spend too much time learning what each button does. This means beginners will be able to spend more time flying around and having fun.
On average, the AKASO A200 drone can fly for up to 8 minutes with a control distance of 70 meters. This gives plenty of flying room for beginners to soar around. Because the AKASO A200 comes with 3-speed modes. This lets beginners learn how to fly a drone and become an expert pilot in no time. Plus the highest speed mode provides resistance against wind. Let’s alone make this a great pick for beginners who enjoys outdoor nature.
Which Cheap Beginner Drones For Sale Should You Pick?
Any. It all boils down to your preference and what you are looking for. I own most of these cheap beginner drones and liked them all. So, I think it depends on what is your preferences. If you enjoy racing, then you might want to look at the racing drones. Likewise, if you want to become an aerial photographer, then you should take a look at drones with a camera.
Do These Cheap Beginner Drones for Sale Breaks Easily?
Not all of these cheap beginner drones for sale breaks easily. If you are looking for durable drones, then I recommend X12 Drone, IN 1802 Drone, Thunder FQ35, Force F100, and HS150 Bolt Bee. I know it is a lot of drones to name. But through my experience flying some of these drones that I own personally and crashed them several times.
It is very hard to break these drones nowadays because of technology advancement that makes them more modern and improved. I try to keep a list of high-quality cheap beginner drones for sale that you can enjoy and not having to worry about breaking them on your first few flight sessions.
Why You Should Buy Cheap Beginner Drones for Sale?
Believe it or not, I have heard stories and witnessed some in person when a few friends of mine bought an expensive drone. They end up crashing or getting their drones stuck in a tree because they didn’t have prior flying experience. I am not saying that you shouldn’t buy expensive drones. But if you do want to, that is your choice.
However, there are many good reasons why you should buy cheap beginner drones for sale 2018. First of all, they are cheap. Obviously. Secondly, they make great training drones. Third, you minimize your risk of investment. So if something goes wrong with your first few flight sessions. At least, you aren’t blowing away your $1,000 yet. You simply can go ahead and buy another cheap beginner drones for sale and learn how to fly.
Once you master the flight controls, you can decide whether you want to buy an expensive drone or not. If you are thinking of buying a drone with a camera, I recommend you to check out both my articles: Drones with HD Camera and Drones for Photographers. See for yourself which one you prefer. If you have any questions about these drones. Feel free to comment below. We are always happy to answer any questions that you might have. Happy flying guys and fly safely. 🙂
