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DJI Mavic Air is a great drone, a real beast among the semi-professional models. However, either the price tag or your skill level are not good a good fit with this DJI model so you are looking for a cheap clone of DJI Mavic Air?
If that is a yes, then you’ve come to the right place as we noticed a lot of people in our community asked us for recommendations.
All the Mavic Air clones and alternatives we will list below are fairly well-known and good drones. Of course, they are a step or two behind one of the DJI’s flagship models but still embody a good replica.
It is not fair to call these drones Mavic Air knockoffs, as they are not that. But again, could be considered as such in the context of flying performance and overall abilities.
Before we move on with the Mavic Air replicas and alternatives, check out our comparison of Mavic Air vs Mavic Mini vs DJI Spark, two cheaper but insanely popular DJI models. You can also check our review of the latest Air model, Air 2 and how it fares against Mavic Mini.
Top 11 Drones Like DJI Mavic Air – Mavic Air Clones
DJI Mavic Air 2
This is a brand new DJI drone that was released in April 2020. The drone saw huge improvements over its predecessors. This machine is a real beast with impressive flight time of 34 minutes, 48 MP photos and HDR capabilities.
The Mavic Air 2 weighs 570g (1.3 pound) and feautres a 1/2-inch CMOS sensor capable of 12MP and 48MP photos (JPEG and RAW). When it comes to video, the Mavic Air 2 can shoot up to 4K 60fps at 120 Mpbs. Mavic Air 2 is also capable to shoot in the H.265 HVEC video codec to improve efficiency without any loss in quality.
It is a bit more expensive but also much more feature rich than the Mavic Mini as you can see in our comparison of Air 2 and Mini.
DJI also introduced some new smart camera features on the new Air 2, called Scene Recognition and Hyperlight.
- Scene Recognition is made for detecting sunsets, blue skies, grass, snow, and trees. It then optimizes images with these objects for a stunning final photo.
- Hyperlight is a feature that is drumming around mobile markets – it aims to increase the quality of night shots by taking multiple photos and merging them to reduce the amount of noise (graininess) that’s common in low-light images.
Mavic Mini
It is small, feathery light and can fly up to 30 minutes. DJI Mavic Mini is currently the cheapest Mavic drone by DJI. It is a perfect drone for everyone, beginners and advanced users alike and it looks like a meld of all Mavic models together – it is on par with Mavic 2 Pro in terms of flight time, it lighter and more portable than any other Mavic model. The only drawback is lack of 4K videos but it does 2.7k and it is only fractionally worse than 4K Mavic models.
There is hardly another drone more compact and lighter than the new DJI Mavic Mini. Weighing only 249 grams (without propeller protection), the new DJI Mavic Mini does not even require a drone license plate or registration – for example in the USA.
Granted, it is not the most stable drone in windy conditions nor are the plastic legs and propellers as sturdy as with high-end DJI drones (cost of the weight reduction) but Mavic Mini is just incredible piece of engineering with frugal mindset.
DJI Mavic Mini
Hubsan Zino/Zino Pro
In terms of quality the Hubsan H117S Zino is really top! Everything works as it should. Here you get a high quality copter at a moderate price. If you have 20 dollars to spend more, you can get yourself even better version of Hubsan Zino Pro that has a lot more features.
The Hubsan has similar characteristics to the DJI Mavic Air (which is a superior to Mini) but it costs less than Mavic Mini and in terms of value/price ration is this one a real bang for the buck. It can do 4K video and has a 1KM range when on controller but it can do up to 2.5 KM on flight mode like Waypoint. It has a shorter flying time than Mavic Mini (23 minutes compared to 30 minutes) and is heavier. But it has a superior camera and is much more sturdier and crash resistant.
Contixo F24 Pro
This foldable drone is an absolute steal for its price. It features an excellent 4K Ultra HD Camera that is vertical adjustable with a 120° FOV lens.
You can take 4k images and 2.7k recordings with it.
Intelligent 25000 mAh batteries power the drone for a whopping 30 minutes of flight time.
The range is also impressive – 1,700 feet for live video and image transition.
The drone also comes with follow me mode, gesture control and orbit mode – three surprising features for this price range drones. But that is not all since the drone also has tap to fly option with 16 waypoints you can use to direct the drone on its fly path.
Hubsan Zino 2
This is a third Zino model by Hubsan, even though the name suggests otherwise. This is a drone that came as a third generation after Zino and Zino Pro.
The new Zino 2 will be a much more powerful drone with important specs jacked up:
- range is improved from 2.5km to 6km
- flying time is improved from 23 to 33 minutes
- camera will be able to do 4k on 60 fps (better than Mavic Air)
- 32.6 x 26 x 9.49 mm in size, meaning it is slightly bigger
- weighs almost 1Kg (915 grams) which is 215g more than Hubsan Zino.
Potensic D88
The Potensic D88 is a decent foldable drone with a good-quality 2K camera with a 110-degree wide angle lens so it can see more within the frame and a modestly able 1 axis gimbal.
It has a 2MP CMOS sensor which will allow you to take awesome aerial photography and it comes with dual GPS modules and intelligent flight modes that will make it easier to fly the drone.
The feed from the camera can be streamed via Wi-Fi using the mobile app for real-time first-person videos. The transmission range is up to 984 feet.
The drone features a 3400mAh battery which is good enough to power it through 20-minute flights.
JJRC X12 (Eachine EX4)
The JJRC X12 a fantastic drone that flies very stable and is absolutely reliable.
The 25 minutes flight time is a bit exaggerated. 20 minutes is realistic and the gimbal works reliably, unless you are at the maximum or minimum deflection, in which case you will see vibrations or movements of the drone, because the gimbal cannot compensate.
The camera is useful for private purposes, but unfortunately not for professional use. Therefore the RAW material is missing. All in all the JJRC X12 is worth every cent and an absolutely good drone. Considering it is almost 4x cheaper than Mavic Air, you might want to consider it as a good alternative.
The drone also comes under a different brand name – Eachine EX4 Aurora (here is a full review). It is the same drone but only sold under three separate brand names, since C-Fly sells it under their brand name Faith.
As you can read from the full review, this drone is similar to Mavic Mini in its flying time, camera abilities and size.
Mavic Air alternatives for under $100
DJI Tello Ryze
This is now the segment with very cheap, beginner drones that are decent alternatives to Mavic Air.
DJI Tello – it is under $100 and it’s got a camera on it, it takes photographs and it takes video. The quality of the video and the photographs is not fantastic as the photographs are much better than the video. The video is okay if you get a really still day with zero wind as there’s no stabilization on it. It transmits the video via Wi-Fi so the video can tend to look quite jerky because of the wind and then and frames can drop because of the Wi-Fi signal. It has couple of intelligent flight modes, take off and landing are assisted and activated with a single tap on a screen of your phone.
The great thing about these two little drones is they are both pretty crash proof. Those two drones are really just a toys and if you are buying your first drone and if you really want to get something that is going to shoot really high-quality photos and videos, than my next recommendation will be a good fit for you.
Here is a full review of DJI Ryze Tello drone.
DJI Ryze Tello
HS165 GPS Drone
Cheap but very good foldable drone that comes with a decent 1080p camera and more advanced features like intelligent flying modes.
The flight modes include Follow Me, Orbit Mode and even Trackpoint Mode which are features seen only in much more expensive and more famous models. That is not all as the drone also has Smart Return to Home and automatic takeoff/landing and altitude hold function – what else can a beginner ask for?
Key Specifications:
- Flight Time: 15 Minutes
- Control Range: 400 Meters
- Camera: 5MP
- Image Resolution: 1080P HD
Le-Idea IDEA 20
Le-Idea IDEA 20 is a newcomer that entered the market with a splash (for this price range): having a 17 minutes flight time and a gimbal, a rare occurrence in this price segment.
The pseudo-4k FHD camera is also more than decent while the drone comes with a dual GPS/GLONASS system for footage stability and better control.
The beforementioned gimbal is a modest, 1-axis stabilizer but nonetheless, a praiseworthy feature for such an affordable drone.
In combination with its maximum remote control distance up to 300 meters, strong brushless motors, and solid camera capabilities, the Le-Idea IDEA 20 is a powerful GPS camera drone at an entry-level price.
Key Specifications:
- Flight Time: 17 Minutes
- Control Range: 300 Meters
- Camera: 5MP
- Image Resolution: 4K FHD (Pseudo) / 1080P HD (True)
Which Best Drones Like DJI Mavic Air Clones To Pick?
Although there are few drones like DJI Mavic Air, the above mentioned models could be called Mavic Air clones, in broadest sense of the word.
If you are tired of DJI and their models, then Hubsan drones from the Zino series are definitely worth a look. Also, the chinese XIAOMI continues to impress with their drones and their flasgship model FIMI X8 SE is carving out a market for itself.
The more cheaper alternatives are Potensic and Eachine Aurora, both under $300 with solid equipment.
And finally, we made sure to suggest a short list of DJI Mavic Air replicas and clones for under $100. There you have, again, one DJI model with Ryze Tello and one from Holy Stone along with a newcomer on the drone market – Le Idea.
Why There Are DJI Mavic Air Clones?
Well, anything good in any industry always attracts copycats and imposters. So does Mavic Air – a lot of other companies have modelled their drones in a hope to shave off a bit of the DJI market share while emulating them.
But, quality comes with price so not everybody can afford DJI Mavic Air. Sometimes you just want a cheaper drone to learn the flying skills or to use it as a perfect gift for a friend or a kid. Btw. our guide on best drones for kids might be a good start for those of you who came to this article for this reason.
However, our list has drones that do not resemble DJI Mavic Air in appearance but rather in flight performance. We also made sure that these Mavic Air clones are just like Mavic Air but only cheaper – some of them well under $100, which means 8x less than Mavic Air.
If you want to see more expensive drone models – click on our guide about that.
Are These Drones Like DJI Mavic Air Clones Worth It?
Of course they are.
You don’t want to spend too much money on a drone when you are still fresh to the piloting world. Having a too expensive drone in the air could be a fun-decreasing and stressful experience, if you keep thinking how bad would it be if you crashed that drone.
With these more cheaper DJI Mavic Air clones and replicas, you can have more comfortable flights as there would be a lesser financial damage in case of a crash or drone breakdown.
Should You Get DJI Mavic Air?
Yes, you should if you have the money. This is still one of the top drones on the market when it comes to overall performance and abilities.
However, if you are a noob, you are better off with one of these alternatives.
