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Top-Rated Drones Under $100

If you don’t have big bucks to spend on a high-end drone, there are plenty of affordable alternatives. These under-$100 drones earn top marks from Amazon users.

August 6, 2018
Top-Rated Drones Under $100

In the last decade or so, drones have quickly become a staple in our society. From high-end security implementations to palm-sized novelty drones flown for fun, it's hard to deny the appeal of these sleek airborne machines.

Unsurprisingly, online storefronts have been swamped with drones of all shapes, sizes, and prices – far too many for one person to sift through. To help simplify things, we've picked a few highly rated drones on Amazon. If you'd rather not spend big bucks on a drone, there are plenty of top-rated quadcopters for under $100 on offer.

Ryze Tello

The Ryze Tello is a toy quadcopter flyable via smartphone or laptop (using Scratch). Its video quality isn't anything to write home about, but it's a fun tech toy and learning tool.
Ryze Tello Review

Cheerwing Syma X5SW-V3

Cheerwing Syma X5SW-V3 Headless Quadcopter

$44.98 at Amazon
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This top-selling drone from Cheerwing USA is nimble, affordable, and feature-rich. Not only does the six-axis gyro allow for highly stable flights, it also makes in-air tricks a real possibility. With some practice, you can perform 360-degree rolls while streaming a first-person view to your iOS or Android device.

Eachine E010 Mini UFO Quadcopter Drone

Eachine E010 Mini UFO Quadcopter Drone

$24.99 at Amazon
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While the word "drone" typically conjures a machine the size of a small pizza, you can find much smaller versions online. Measuring less than 2 by 4 by 4 inches (HWD), this tiny drone is small enough to rest in the palm of your hand. And since it only costs $21, this is a great, low-cost entry to the world of drones.

UFO 3000 LED Drone Quadcopter

UFO 3000 LED Drone Quadcopter

$29.99 at Amazon
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Flying a drone is enjoyable in and of itself, but aesthetics are also important. If you're looking to put on a beautiful light show, this LED-lit quadcopter is worth the asking price. Impress your friends and neighbors with mid-air tricks accented with glowing blue and green lights.

QCopter HD Camera Drone with Bonus Battery

QCopter HD Camera Drone with Bonus Battery

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As fun as drones are, some models can only keep going for a few minutes at a time. But this bundle from QCopter comes with two rechargeable batteries to keep you in the air longer. And with a fly time of up to 15 minutes per battery, a single swap can keep the fun going for upwards of a half hour.

Hubsan X4 Quadcopter with FPV Camera

Hubsan X4 Quadcopter with FPV Camera

$307.21 at Amazon
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Want to get started on perfecting your aerial photography skills without spending much? This $79.99 drone from Hubsan has a flight range of about 320 feet, and can stream live video to the 4.3-inch screen built into the controller. Slap in a Micro SDHC card, and you can record your footage locally, too.

Rabing Flying Car Quadcopter

Rabing Flying Car Quadcopter

$14.76 at Amazon
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Not content with a simple drone? Well, this awesome combo from Rabing spices things up with a one-two punch of RC driving and quadcopter piloting. Start off by doing some sick donuts on the ground; moments later, you can lift off. And with the bright multi-color LED lights on the body, this machine looks incredibly stylish in either mode.

Tozo MJX X901 Mini Hexacopter

Tozo MJX X901 Mini Hexacopter

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Interestingly, this tiny copter from Tozo uses a six-blade setup. While four-blade models are more popular, the additional two blades featured here can deliver some stability in rough environments. And since it measures roughly 0.8 by 3.8 by 3.4 inches (HWD), it travels extremely well. Add in the 180mAh Li-Polymer battery, and you can stay in the air for up to seven minutes at a time.

KingPow VR RC Drone

KingPow VR RC Drone

$99.99 at Amazon
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Looking for an immersive remote flight experience? This quadcopter from KingPow not only streams live footage from the air, but it's also built to work with smartphone VR setups. Pair the drone with your phone, snap it into a headset, and you'll get an amazing view as you maneuver the drone through the air in first-person.

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About Grant Brunner

Grant Brunner