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Whether you’re chasing cinematic landscapes or just want to snap the ultimate selfie from above, finding the best drone comes down to knowing what kind of flying experience you're after. From compact options you can slip into a backpack to advanced models that shoot silky-smooth 4K footage, today’s drones come packed with features that cater to everyone — from total beginners to seasoned pilots.
If you're new to the skies, a beginner drone with built-in safety features and multiple flight modes is a great place to start. If you prefer portability, a mini drone might be the perfect travel companion, especially one with a decent flight time and a responsive remote controller. For creators, the best camera drones often include a stabilized 4K camera and are just as comfortable pairing with an Android device as they are with iOS. And if you’re working with a tighter budget, there are plenty of budget drone options that don’t skimp on core features like quadcopter stability or intelligent flight paths.
We’ve tested drones across a wide range of categories to help you find the right fit — whether you're capturing epic sunsets, learning the ropes or just having fun in the backyard.
The best drones for 2025
Steve Dent for Engadget 92 100 Expert Score Best drone overall DJI Mini 4 Pro Type: Mini camera drone | Flight time: Up to 34 minutes | Camera resolution: 48 MP | Video resolution: 4K at up to 100 fps | Weight: Under 249 grams Read our full DJI Mini 4 Pro review DJI’s Mini 4 Pro can do it all at a very reasonable price. It has an excellent onboard camera with a 1/1.3-inch sensor, 24mm f/1.7 lens, support for 4K 100 fps video with D-LogM, HLG and HDR capture and up to 48MP still photography. Endurance is around 45 minutes with the Intelligent Flight Plus battery and it can fly up to 12.4 miles away in unobstructed terrain, all while transmitting a 1080p 60 fps signal to your controller. It has multiple subject tracking modes so it’s ideal for vlogging, and obstacle detection sensors on all sides help keep it out of danger. On top of that, it weighs less than 249 grams so it’s exempt from licensing requirements in most regions. Best of all, and I can’t say this enough, it’s priced reasonably and even the basic kit comes with an RC-N2 smartphone controller. Pros Maneuverable
Improved obstacle avoidance
New ActiveTrack 360 feature is great
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