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It takes a tremendous effort to learn a new skill and people always seek ways to train and hone their new ability with as little cost as possible. Newcomers to the drone world are no exception to this. Learning to fly a drone is best done with as little financial risk as possible and that is why getting a cheap, under $50 drone is critical for rookies.
This guide is also aimed at people who are looking for a cheap, fun gift for their children or friends. Drones under $50 are a thoughtful and useful present you can give to someone you care about. With drones gaining ever more importance and applications in our daily life, learning to fly them could be a time well spent, especially for young teenagers or kids.
As I have mentioned above, flying drones requires some experience, so it is a good choice to try a cheaper drone. That’s why we have made a list of the best drones under $50 that you can buy right now. If you need any kind of advice on how to buy, our detailed buying guide will be good enough to assist you with your purchase.
Here is the list of quadcopters under $50
| Drones Under $50 | Flying Time | Video Resolution | Warranty | Buy now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SNAPTAIN H823H Mini Drone for Kids | 21 minutes | No camera | 1 Year | Check the Price |
| Potensic Upgraded A20 Mini Drone | 12 minutes | No camera | 1 Year | Check the Price |
| Holy Stone HS210 Mini Drone | 21 minutes | No camera | 3 Months | Check the Price |
| SANROCK Drone for Kids with Camera | 12 minutes | HD 720p | — | Check the Price |
| Hand Operated Drones for Kids or Adults | 8 minutes | No camera | 3 Months | Check the Price |
| Holy Stone HS190 RC Drone | 5-7 minutes | No camera | 1 Year | Check the Price |
| SIMREX X300C Mini Drone | 8-10 minutes | HD 720p | 3 Months | Check the Price |
| Force1 UFO 4000 LED Mini Drones | 18 minutes | No camera | 3 Months | Check the Price |
| DROCON Mini Drone for Kids | 5 minutes | No camera | 1 Year | Check the Price |
| Dwi Dowellin Mini Drone for Kids | 7 minutes | No camera | 1 Year | Check the Price |
Below are some other good beginner drones that we didn’t list in the table but are worth examining into more details.
JJRC H31 (no camera)
Key specifications: 70 meters/200 feet range, 8 minutes flight time, no camera
We will start this guide on best drones under 50 dollars with a very inexpensive quad from JJRC.
The H31 is great for beginners, but without a camera it is not so good for budding photographers.
The JJRC’s H31 is a fast, agile quad with some unique features rarely found on drones in this price zone. It’s fun to fly as it races around at a decent speed, and with its lightweight, rugged chassis and robust propeller guards, it can easily take a beating while you learn to control it.
Best of all, the H31 is waterproof. So if you take it outside and accidentally splash into a lake or get caught in a storm, the specially coated electronics inside the drone will stay safe and dry.
Even in this price range, the H31 has some good specifications for a cheap beginner drone, although it does not come with a camera. But it can be mounted. But what this rugged drone does best is just fly!
Vandora Mini Quad (2 MP camera)
Another cheap drone with camera and integrated Wi-Fi for live streaming (and storage) of your camera shots is the Vandora Mini Quadcopter. There is an optional headless mode for when your drone leaves the line of sight, but the Vandora also has LED lights for improved optics.
You can also rely on the Home Return button to get your drone back on the ground, even if it seems impossible to fly it home yourself. If you want a more customized flight experience, you can choose from four different speed modes.
The removable camera makes it a little heavier which takes a toll on it camera. Once camera is removed, you will enjoy a slightly longer flight time. The drone is equipped with a 2MP camera, which is far superior to other drones in this price range. The compatibility with apps for smartphones is great for streaming over Wi-Fi, but you can also store the video on the internal memory card. The altitude hold function is also helpful when using the camera, as the drone’s responsiveness can cause video to become unstable.
And if you want to have a little fun flying this drone instead of just recording video, the 360-degree tilt button is helpful for this.
SANROCK drone for children with camera (720p HD)
For the aspiring kid videographer out there who is looking for a camera drone, Sanrock has a pretty good deal for you at an amazingly affordable price.
Since the main attraction of this drone is its camera, you can use it to take extremely creative aerial shots in 720p HD resolution at 30 frames per second. In addition, the 90-degree rotation mechanism allows you to shoot both what is under the drone and what is in front. However, these camera capabilities do affect battery life, as it can only fly for 5-6 minutes on one battery.
It also provides direct FPV transmission to your cell phone, which can be connected to the remote control. On the other hand, it has all auxiliary functions such as altitude hold mode, one-button takeoff/landing, emergency stop and headless mode for a better flying experience. It is even possible to use your cell phone as a controller using the gyro sensors with its gravity-induction mode.
Best features:
- 720p HD video recording
- FPV transmission
- Gravity induction mode
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- ✈【Altitude Hold】The drone will hover at the certain height when you release the throttle stick. Easy operation with extra fun.
- ✈【3D Flips Stunt】The robust and fantastic 360°flips & rolls stunt reveals effortlessly with the 6-Axis Gyro flying control system.
- ✈【Headless Mode】You are the pilot of the drone in headless mode. Orients the drone from your perspective to avoid the common direction chaos.
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- [Easy to Play]: -One Key Taking-off / Landing and auto-hovering function enable this mini drone to take off easily and hover at its current height. Friendly for kids and beginners to control the drone with the throttle stick.
- [3 Battery for More Fun Time]: -Come with 3 drone batteries, this micro drone aims to extend your fun flight time up to 15-18 minutes. Enjoy more fun time with your kids or friends.
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- [Easy to Use & More Fun]: The drone can be Tossed to Launch, it can perform Circle Fly, 3D Flips and High-Speed Rotation. What's more, One Key Start/Landing and Altitude Hold function enables the mini drone to take off easily and hover at fixed height stably. Nice drone for kids and beginners to control with the joystick.
- [Three-Speed-Mode Drone]: Our drones have Low/middle/high speed modes, perfect for kids with different skill levels to have different flying experiences. Besides, 2.4GHz remote control allows multiple rc drones for kids 8-12 to race at the same time.
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- ✈【Suitable for Beginners: Headless Mode/Altitude Hold /Emergency Stop】 Under headless mode, the drone will fly following the directions of the right control stick regardless of the position of the drone's head or tail. Release the left control stick, the drone can automatically be suspended at altitude. In case of emergencies, press the take-off/landing button to stopping flying immediately to avoid loss. It has a stable control performance for the beginner to operate it easily.
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- Hand Operated Drones - High-Tech infrared motion sensors to detect obstacles,hand-controlled ufo induction drone.
- Easy to control:When the toy is flying,you can move the palm near the perimeter of the drone to control the direction,the drone will fly in the opposite direction,you can also place the palm under the drone to let it rise.
- Material:The outer casing of the drone is made of soft plastic material. It is very safe and will not hurt the kids' palm. When the drone lands to the ground, it will also protect the outer casing from damage. Also it is equipped with the voltage protection system,the quality is trustworthy.
Simrex X300C (with camera)
Here we have another miniature drone. Simrex X300C is the name, and it features a tiny FPV camera, twin-bladed propellers and lots of fun. At first glance, you will notice that Simrex X300C looks very similar to one of DJI’s most popular models – Mavic Air. However, the X300C is much smaller and has nothing of what the flagship model from DJI has. The only similarity is the design. Of course, at a price of about 40 dollars, you can’t really expect it to compete with Mavic Air, can you?
Still, compared to other drones in a similar price range, Simrex X300C does a pretty good job. The headless mode and altitude holding are its main features that allow beginners to take control of the drone without too many problems. Although it only has low-power brushed motors and twin-blade propellers, Simrex X300C is still capable of high-speed acrobatics.
It is also foldable, comes with a special controller and can fly for about 8 minutes. If this is not enough for you, you can always buy additional batteries. They are quite affordable, a 2-pack costs about $10 to $15 and gives you a flight time of more than 20 minutes (with the included one). The range is not the greatest, though. The cutouts start at about 40 meters, so be careful, otherwise your X300C might fly away…
Syma X5C-1 (with camera)
Syma X5C-1 is the new version of the popular Syma X5C. The drone climbs quickly in flight and it can be set low for inexperienced users. The wind resistance is surprisingly good for a mini drone. The radio control has a fairly limited range of about 98 feet, which can be easily increased.
The integrated LCD display provides some indication regarding the movement of the unit. As expected, the quality of the videos is low, but reaches an acceptable level only in good lighting. If you fly outside on a beautiful spring day, you can record videos and photos in better quality. The camera has a slot for a micro SD card (the supplied card has 4 GB of memory) and is hooked onto the removable flap that closes the battery compartment.
When the drone is switched on, the four lower lights (two red and two green) help you to see the front and back of the quad copter. From the point of view of value for money, the Syma X5C-1 is one of the best products available on the market. The remote control is available in a neat size, which makes it easy to use.
Features
- 6-axis gyroscope
- USB Charging
- 3.7V 500 mAh LiPO battery
- Card reader
- 2MP HD camera
- 360 degree version
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- Easy Remote Control Drone for Kids: Fly this mini RC drone for boys and girls with a push of a button; launch, land, and perform 360° flip drone stunts with the easy-to-use 4-channel remote transmitter that allows you to fly multiple flying toy drones at once
- Vibrant LED Drone with 2 Speeds: Pilot this drone day or night, indoors or out with ultra bright neon-colored LEDs; this small drone races in low or high speeds to fit the drone flying preferences of beginners, intermediate, and experienced drone flyers
DROCON Mini Drone for Kids, Great Drone for Beginners Foldable Portable Pocket Small RC Quadcopter with Altitude Hold Mode, 3D...
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- 【Having Fun】The drones can perform 3D flip, and it has one-key take-off/landing / one key return/ altitude hold/lock and unlock,which makes the drone easier to play.
- 【Won’t Lose Direction】In Headless Mode, you can fly the drone without worrying about what direction it is facing, especially when the drone is far away. The drone will hover at the certain height when you release the throttle stick. Easy operation with extra fun.
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- A Great Gift for Kids: High quality crash guards design, without worry about your kids get hurt from the falling aircraft. Meanwhile, protect the propellers and motors better.
- Easy To Play: 3 speed modes, you can adjust the speed to meet your operation proficiency. The Auto-hovering function enables the drone to hover at current height when you release the throttle stick, more stable to achieve flips and rolls.
Eachine E10C (2 MP camera)
Key Specifications: 20 meter/65 foot range, 5 minutes flight time, 2MP camera, 720p video
It’s for whom/not for whom: this micro (nano?) drone is a great novelty that also offers real functionality, perfect for gadget lovers and drone novices. But if you are looking for a product that can fly outdoors, you should look elsewhere.
The JJRC’s H31 is considered a microdrone, and it’s certainly very small, but next to the microscopic Eachine E10C, it frankly looks huge. You can balance the tiny E10C on your fingertip, and yet this drone has an HD camera that can record 720p material onto a micro SD card (which unfortunately is not included).
The E10C’s dedicated controller also offers multiple speeds suitable for different levels of experience, and advanced users can even perform stunts like flips and 360° rolls using the controller’s dedicated buttons.
It should be noted that a drone of this size will have difficulty remaining stable in conditions other than the quietest, so this is a product designed exclusively for indoor use. But don’t let that put you off – you can have lots of fun whizzing around your house with this tiny drone!
Syma X20
The Syma X20 drone fits in your hand, but still offers many of the functions of a full-size copter.
Although it has no camera, it has the flight performance you would expect from less affordable drones. Thanks to the headless mode, 360-degree roll button, altitude hold function and one-button start and home button, flying is easy even for inexperienced pilots. More experienced pilots can adjust the speed to suit their needs.
A USB charging port is handy, but I’m a little stunned by the choice of Syma’s battery. An internal battery means there are no replacement or replacement options, so you have to wait about 50 minutes for the device to recharge between flights.
And although the flight time for this category is relatively short – only about five minutes – more experienced pilots can almost double these minutes, according to the manufacturer. If you don’t spend too much time over-correcting or bumping things, you can expect the battery charge to take much longer.
Stability and maneuverability are crucial in the X20, partly due to its small size and partly due to the lack of a camera. So if you don’t plan to take pictures or videos during the flight, the X20 is a solid choice for stunts and regular flying.
Buying guide
What can you expect from such cheap drones?
The first one is quite obvious and out of question. These cheap mini flyers are well suited as beginner-friendly learning platforms, and that is a clear fact.
They are intuitive, responsive and well suited to guide you through your first steps in the world of drones.
And that is not the only thing these birds are capable of…
SOLID PERFORMANCE
Even though they are relatively small and do not have powerful brushless motors, these birdies are still able to offer you excellent all-round performance. But don’t expect too much, because their prices reflect their power well.
Comparing these birdies with premium models doesn’t do them much justice, but that’s just because they are designed for two completely different types of users.
CAREFREE FLYING
Another thing that these birds are very good at is carefree flying for their users.
This is not only because they are cheap to replace (if they break), but also because they have weak engines and cannot do much harm to people or objects.
But you should still supervise your children when they learn to fly drones for the first time!
All the best when you learn to fly higher.
The advantages of an inexpensive drone
The obvious advantage of a cheaper drone is of course the price. But there are many other reasons to choose a drone from this list.
First of all, cheaper drones are very well suited as training drones, since they are generally lighter and less powerful than drones in the higher price range and have a shorter range. This means that you probably won’t accidentally lose sight of the drone, and you shouldn’t worry so much about crashing into something in mid-flight or failing the landing.
If you know that you only spent $50 instead of $500 on your drone, you will also feel less valuable for your new toy and therefore less hesitant when you learn to fly it (see our article on flying). And with less power and range, these drones are also better suited for indoor flying, which is another great way to practice the technique and build confidence before you start your drone activities outdoors.
Typical features and what to look for
Cheaper drones can have all the functions of higher-quality models. However, for the lower price, you should not expect quite the same level of quality that you can find in a top brand like DJI or Parrot – read our article about the top drones manufacturers.
Here are some of the things you should look out for if you want to buy the best drone under 50:
Camera: Not every drone in the under $50 price range will have even one camera, and it is highly unlikely that every drone with a camera will be able to handle more than 720p video or 2-3MP still images. Check out this article to understand the difference between 720p & 1080p.
The type of camera in these cheaper drones is useful for first-person flight (FPV) with real-time relays, which many models offer when synchronized with a smartphone. If you are looking for more information about camera drones, check out our article about the best drones with camera.
If you want high quality images at an affordable price, look for drones that offer camera mounts. For example, if you already own a GoPro Hero (see the GoPro website), you can turn many cheap drones into more than capable film devices.
Range: will not be excellent, but the experience of seeing what your drone sees when you control it is well worth the small investment! The range is generally between 50 and 200 feet.
Battery: Probably one of the biggest differences between cheaper and more expensive drones is battery life. While a DJI Mavic can achieve up to half an hour of flight time on a full charge, a drone from this list is more likely to reach about 5-8 minutes.
You can of course purchase additional batteries to extend this battery life (assuming your drone has a removable battery), but this will increase the overall cost of the drone.
Other features: You won’t find high-end features like collision detection and GPS on these drones, but you will find things like speed settings, stunt buttons and a button to take off.
It is a good idea to decide which features are important to you before you buy.
Are these drones child-friendly?
Yes! Each of the drones listed above can be considered a child-friendly model but here is a separate article on the best drones for kids (some of these drones are listed there as well). However, children under 7 years of age are probably not the most appropriate age group. On the positive side, children older than 7 years old are likely to have a lot of fun when they learn to fly these birds.
This is partly due to the sheer simplicity of these models. They do not have the advanced features that are a must on the premium models. Noooooooooooooooooooooooo! They have only one control board, to which 4 motors are attached and which is in some cases equipped with LED lights. Cameras are also available, but in this price range they are usually in short supply (or produce a terrible image quality).
It all boils down to one simple conclusion – with an incredibly simple interface and responsive controls, these little birds are very suitable for children. So if you want to give your little ones a toy that keeps them away from their video games and smartphones, drones are the best choice!
Final words
For a start, an easy start is highly recommended. Over time, you can move on to more advanced drones.
Apart from the price, your drone for beginners should not be something you stumble upon in business. There are some of the best drones under the age of 50 that you can handle better. Take your time and analyze what you want from a drone before you buy it. They may be cheap, but they have high qualities that fit your needs perfectly. The above instructions will help you make the right decision.
In case you are looking for a bit more powerful and expensive drones, here are the lists of:
![Best Quadcopters under $50 in 2022 [With and Without Camera]](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA3MCA3MCIgd2lkdGg9IjcwIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjcwIiBkYXRhLXU9Imh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGZHJvbmVwZWRpYS54eXolMkZ3cC1jb250ZW50JTJGdGhlbWVzJTJGcmVodWItdGhlbWUlMkZpbWFnZXMlMkZkZWZhdWx0JTJGbm9pbWFnZV83MF83MC5wbmciIGRhdGEtdz0iNzAiIGRhdGEtaD0iNzAiIGRhdGEtYmlwPSIiPjwvc3ZnPg==)
![Best Quadcopters under $50 in 2022 [With and Without Camera]](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA3MCA3MCIgd2lkdGg9IjcwIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjcwIiBkYXRhLXU9Imh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGZHJvbmVwZWRpYS54eXolMkZ3cC1jb250ZW50JTJGdXBsb2FkcyUyRnRodW1ic19kaXIlMkZtb3N0LWV4cGVuc2l2ZS1kcm9uZXMtb3g4dWVuYmZwNzFzdnFseHNsM2F4dXo3N2tkc2QybDQ1YnZrY2t1cGZnLmpwZyIgZGF0YS13PSI3MCIgZGF0YS1oPSI3MCIgZGF0YS1iaXA9IiI+PC9zdmc+)
