Top 5 Budget-Friendly Camera Drones for Beginners
Last Updated April 19, 2025
Do you want to begin your journey of taking breath-taking aerial shots, but feel a little intimidated?
Flying a drone can feel incredible, but the risk of crashes, complex controls and especially the cost can be overwhelming.
That’s why we decided to buy and test the most popular camera drones of 2024. Our research revealed that the market is overflowing with thousands of scam products, while only a handful actually performed as promised!
To our surprise, our test winner was actually created by a smaller start up company that managed to beat the competition in ease of use, battery life and camera quality!
Here’s a list of our Top 5 Camera Drones in 2024, with a full review of our top pick at the bottom of the page.
9.8
“Outstanding”
User Ratings (6,354+)
Starship Drone
Price: $99 $149
Easiest Drone To Fly During Our Tests
4K 60 FPS Quality Photos & Videos
Longest Battery Life (Charges with USB)
Over 3,000 Foot Range
Simple To Use App
360° Photo/Video Mode
Smart Anti-Collision Sensors
Inbuilt GPS Tracking
Weighs Under 249g (No License Required To Fly)
Sells Out Frequently
Only Available Online
CURRENT SALE: 34% OFF
12,487 VISITORS BOUGHT DURING SALE
▼
Money Back Guarantee: Try Risk Free For 30 Days.
#2
9.3
“Excellent”
DJI Mavic Mini SE
Price: $299
4K Camera
Lightweight and Powerful
Long Flight Time
Simple To Operate
Easy To Charge
4km Transmission Range
Some People Complain About The App
Expensive
#3
9.1
“Great”
HOLY STONE GPS DRONE
Price: $199
Weighs Less Than 250g
CMOS Galaxy Core Sensor
4K 85° Wide-Angle Camera
Advanced Connection Technology
10,000 Feet Long Range Transmission
#1 Overall Camera Drone
9.8
“Outstanding”
User Ratings (6,354+)
Starship Drone
Price: $99 $149
Easiest Drone To Fly During Our Tests
4K 60 FPS Quality Photos & Videos
Longest Battery Life (Charges with USB)
Over 3,000 Foot Range
Simple To Use App
360° Photo/Video Mode
Smart Anti-Collision Sensors
Inbuilt GPS Tracking
No License Required To Fly
Sells Out Frequently
Only Available Online
CURRENT SALE: 34% OFF
12,487 VISITORS BOUGHT DURING SALE
▼
Money Back Guarantee: Try Risk Free For 30 Days.
4K VIDEO & PHOTOS
We were able to take some amazing videos and photos using this drone.
BEST VALUE FOR PRICE
The amazing build quality, performance & simplicity of the Starship Drone is unmatched at a price of just $99.
LONGEST BATTERY LIFE
During our testing the Starship Drone was able to out last all other competitors by a significant margin.
We Bought and Tested the Most Popular Drones, Here's Why Starship Drone Is Our #1 Pick.
Written By Max Dunn – Updated April 20, 2025
Summary: Buying an affordable camera drone no longer means losing out on all the latest features and performance. During our testing we found the Starship Drone was able to keep up and even exceed the performance of the expensive ‘big brand’ name drones.
UPDATE April 19, 2025: Due to frequent media coverage and high consumer demand, the Starship Drone is currently sold out in retail stores nationwide. However, it may still be available on their online website HERE.
Flying drones has been a passion of mine for over 10 years. I started out with RC helicopters back in 2012, gradually moving on to micro drones and the latest models as the technology evolved. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to fly some of the most advanced drones available, including high-end models like the Shotover U1, which was used to film action scenes in the James Bond movies.
While top-tier drones are thrilling to operate, they come with hefty price tags and steep learning curves. Crashing a $1,000 drone on your first flight? That’s the stuff of nightmares.
On the other hand, more affordable drones tend to be much easier to control, but often come with a serious downside: poor camera quality. So, when I heard about Starship by Starscope—a drone that’s pocket-sized, beginner-friendly, and equipped with a 4K camera—I had to find out if it could really deliver. Here’s what I discovered..
Setup & Testing
The drone arrived quickly, and I was impressed by how small and lightweight the package was. Unlike other drones I’ve tried, which can take weeks to arrive from overseas, the Starship Drone shipped within a few days, right here in the US.
The setup was surprisingly simple. I connected it to the controller, and within minutes, I was ready to fly. There was no need for complicated instructions or hours of calibration—just instant fun.
Our team tested the Starship for over two weeks in various conditions—indoors, outdoors, over rough terrain, and on the beach. Here’s what we found:
Stunning Video Quality – The dual 4K cameras truly make a difference. One front-facing and one bottom-facing camera allow you to capture high-quality footage from virtually any angle. Whether I was filming sweeping beach landscapes or flying through trees, the footage was consistently sharp and smooth.
Easy to Control – Even as a beginner, flying this drone was a breeze. Its intuitive controls and anti-collision sensors helped keep the drone steady, even in tricky conditions. And the built-in stabilization tech ensured that every video came out smooth and professional-looking.
Portable & Compact – We loved how foldable and lightweight this drone is. It literally fits in your pocket, so you can take it anywhere. Whether we were hiking or exploring the city, the drone was always ready to capture stunning aerial shots on the go.
Extended Battery Life – The Starship’s battery life far exceeds other drones I’ve tried. It offers up to 15 minutes of flight time per charge, which is plenty for capturing all the footage you need in one session.
Advanced Features for Pro-Level Shots: This drone is packed with features like a 50x zoom, obstacle avoidance, and a Follow Me mode, making it perfect for solo adventurers and content creators. The Follow Me mode was especially handy for capturing action shots without having to manually control the drone.
After comparing the Starship Drone to other drones in its category, it’s clear why this one came out on top. The combination of affordability, quality, and user-friendly features makes it the #1 choice for anyone looking to up their content creation game.
Glowing Customer Reviews
Another thing we loved about the Starship Drone is just how great their customer service is. You can reach them via email or live chat if you need any help. We reached out to them anonymously multiple times and the response times were very fast.
Starship Drone claims to take their customer satisfaction seriously and it certainly shows.
Here are some posts we found on social media:
It’s clear that the Starship Drone is developing a cult like following all over the US.
So, What's The Verdict?
I have to say that I was honestly very pleasantly surprised after reviewing and testing this drone. Never thought I’d say this but I would highly recommend this drone, especially while its on sale for $99.
It seems like modern technology has advanced to such a level where an ambitious start up company can design a high tier drone for a fraction of the price of traditional big brand companies.
So whether you are a beginner or a drone enthusiast looking for a new drone that has a crystal clear & stable camera, long battery life, great transmission range and many other incredible features, you should seriously consider picking up the Starship Drone.
How to Get Your Starship Drone
You can order the Starship Drone directly from their official website. Act quickly—stock is limited, and this is a limited-time offer!
Click HERE to claim your discounted Starship Drone (Discount auto applied at checkout)
If you’re unsure, remember the Starship Drone comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee (no questions asked) meaning that you could always buy one and return if if you don’t like it.
Frequently Asked Questions
With the rise in popularity, our readers have emailed us many questions about Starship Drone. Here are some of the most commonly asked ones:
No. All you need to do is unpack it, charge it, connect your phone and fly away!
No, the Starship Drone comes with a pre charged lithium battery and a charging hub that you connect to an outlet. But you can always get extra batteries to bring with you as they are easy to swap so you can get back up in the air in no time.
Yes. You can install an app on your phone that allows you to control the Starship Drone with two different modes, touch controls or by tilting your phone.
You don’t need to have any experience or knowledge of drones to use it. There is no license needed for recreational purposes.
How Much Does It Cost?
From my experience, a top tier level drone costs around $500-1000 so without knowing the price tag of the Starship Drone, I would have expected it to be in this price range as well.
In reality, the Starship Drone usually sells for $149 as the founders of the start up company are doing everything to keep the prices as affordable as possible.
In fact they are even running a limited time 34% OFF sale right now, meaning some lucky customers are going to be able to get the drone for just $99!
That’s a small price to pay to be zooming through the sky with 4K Ultra HD video.
How Can It Be So Affordable?
The big name brands spend billions on fancy advertising (e.g. $6.5 Million for a 30 sec SuperBowl Ad) and bonuses for their greedy CEOs. Guess who’s paying for that in the end?
The customer!
Instead, Starship Drone doesn’t run many ads and instead relies on word of mouth referral sales from their customers. That and selling mostly through their online store allowed them to keep costs lower than the competition.
Where Can I Buy The Real Starship Drone?
BEWARE of copycats — they DO NOT use the same Camera and Anti-Collision technology as the genuine Starship Drone! Only buy the Starship Drone from the official site listed below!
To take advantage of the current 34% discount and order simply follow these steps:
1. Visit the official website to check stock
2. Select the amount of devices you want to purchase
3. Fill your shipping information and payment method
*Special Offer Now $99 vs $149 – Available Online Only -While Supplies Last
#1 – Starship Drone
$99 $149.99
Meet Our Tech Review Expert, Max.
Max Dunn is a techie at heart who always dreamed of turning his fascination with computers and drones into a career. He finds working for Top Tech Report a perfect opportunity to express his views of all kinds of new and exciting products. Being an avid reader, particularly of fantasy and sci-fi, Max pursued a degree in Computer science and Literature. When not at his computer, he’s watching sports or playing table top games.
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