The best cheap drones to buy in 2024

The best cheap drones prove that drone flying and drone photography don’t have to be expensive pursuits. While there are plenty of dazzlingly expensive drones out there, they tend to be geared toward pros, or at least pretty serious creators (there are even models specifically for film crews). 

Adam Juniper with a drone
Adam Juniper

Adam has long obsessed with cameras and tech, and jumped into drones even before you could buy them – building several of his own before off-the-shelf possibilities emerged. He is not just our resident expert on all aspects of camera drones, but the author of several books on the subject including bestsellers The Complete Guide to Drones and The Drone Pilot's Handbook. As a father, he's also keen to find a few cheap and robust drones!

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Adam Juniper
Managing Editor

With over 20 years of expertise as a tech journalist, Adam brings a wealth of knowledge across a vast number of product categories, including timelapse cameras, home security cameras, NVR cameras, photography books, webcams, 3D printers and 3D scanners, borescopes, radar detectors… and, above all, drones. 


Adam is our resident expert on all aspects of camera drones and drone photography, from buying guides on the best choices for aerial photographers of all ability levels to the latest rules and regulations on piloting drones. 


He is the author of a number of books including The Complete Guide to Drones, The Smart Smart Home Handbook, 101 Tips for DSLR Video and The Drone Pilot's Handbook