The best smartphone gimbals for iPhones and Android phones in 2024

Best smartphone gimbals:
(Image credit: ZHIYUN)

The best smartphone gimbals can do things that your camera's image stabilization can't. Stabilizers can take out the worse of your wobbles, but a gimbal controls the movement of the phone itself, creating smooth panning and sweeping movements and even following subjects around the frame. With your smartphone on a gimbal, you can capture professional-looking sequences without any complex, heavy gear.

The best gimbals are mechanical stabilizers that use at least two but normally three axes of rotation to keep a camera steady. These have motors that work individually or together to achieve a whole range of movements. For example, Pan Follow mode will keep your camera level as it moves, while Follow modes allow smooth vertical tilts too and POV modes let you tilt the camera horizontally too for more dynamic angles, but still perfectly stabilized.

Better still, dedicated smartphone gimbals have companion apps that work wirelessly with the gimbal to offer subject tracking, automated panoramas, and more. If you are using a camera, rather than a phone, check out our separate guides to the best gimbals for DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, or to the best GoPro gimbal.

There are three main players in the gimbal market, including DJI, FeiyuTech, and Zhiyun. These companies make full-size gimbals for mirrorless cameras too, but here we're concentrating on smaller, lighter gimbals specifically for phones.

So what are the best smartphone gimbal features to look for? Here's a list:

• Phone size: the best camera phones today are pretty big, so check the specs to see if your phone will fit

• Phone rotation: some gimbals can quickly rotate between regular horizontal shooting and vertical shooting for TikTok etc.

• Selfie sticks: some gimbals have extending handles so that you can hold them further away to film yourself

• Folded size: smartphone gimbals are lighter and smaller than those for regular cameras, but some even fold down small enough to fit in a bag or a coat pocket

• LED lights: some gimbals have LED lights built-in or attached magnetically. They are surprisingly powerful and very effective for selfie shots

The best smartphone gimbals in 2024

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(Image credit: Adam Juniper / Digital Camera World)
Best overall

Specifications

Compatibility: Smartphones up to 3.2-inches wide
Dimensions (folded) L x W x H: 276×111.5×99 mm
Dimensions (unfolded): 189×84.5×44 mm
Bluetooth: Yes
Weight: 340g

Reasons to buy

+
Analog focus/zoom wheel
+
Improved ActiveTrack subject tracking
+
Mode selection from the handle
+
Engaging motion timelapse effects

Reasons to avoid

-
Not the cheapest
-
Phone clip prevents wireless charging

We didn't think smartphone stabilizers could get any better than the DJI OM 5 but the DJI Osmo Mobile 6 goes to show they can. We're still not convinced by the fiddly folding mechanism but other than that it's an extremely robust, professional selfie stick/gimbal that has a lot of advanced features such as motion timelapse, subject tracking and an analog zoom/focus wheel for easy control. 

This certainly isn't a budget option but it's by far one of the best selfie sticks you can buy if stabilization is your main game. We tested it using the iPhone 14 Pro Max and despite it being one of the heavier smartphones now available it was able to keep up with some aggressive movements from us and still maintain incredibly smooth footage. It's an excellent selfie stick/gimbal but you will have to pay a hefty chunk more. 

Read our full DJI OM6 review

Best smartphone gimbals: DJI OM 5

(Image credit: Adam Juniper/Digital Camera World)
best price to performance

Specifications

Compatibility: Smartphone (67 to 84mm width)
Stabilization: 3-axis
Weight: 290g
Dimensions: 174.7×74.6×37 mm (folded), 264.5×111.1×92.3 mm (unfolded)
Battery life (approx): 6.4 hours

Reasons to buy

+
Extension-pole gives extra perspective
+
Pouch and mini-tripod included

Reasons to avoid

-
Joystick and W/T are not analog
-
Cannot be used to charge phone

The DJI OM5 might have been superseded by the DJI OM6, but this smartphone gimbal from DJI has a 21.5cm extendable pole and is the most lightweight one yet at just 290g.

DJI has removed the big heavy battery found in previous models for a lower-powered one but don't worry, it still has over 6 hours of battery life (and you could always charge it with one of the best power banks) The handling and build quality of the OM5 is excellent, it has a rubber handle for grip and the joystick is perfectly positioned for easy operation. 

You can use gesture controls such as displaying a "V" sign to initiate record and ActiveTrack will lock on and track a subject. Our one slight concern is that the hinge at the top of the extension rod is really easy to turn which can be frustrating when you're opening the hinge in a hurry. That aside, it's a great gimbal which is why it got five stars in our review. 

Read our full DJI OM 5 review

(Image credit: Vic Bussey)
Best budget option

Specifications

Compatibility: Smartphone (50 to 90mm width)
Stabilization: 3-axis
Weight: 246g
Dimensions: with center post extended: 508 x 57 x 56mm, folded: 145 x 65 x 56mm
Battery life (approx): 5.5 hours

Reasons to buy

+
Great stabilization
+
Small and compact
+
Affordable

Reasons to avoid

-
Plastic build
-
ZY Cami app isn't compatible with every phone

The Zhiyun Smooth X is a compact, lightweight mobile phone gimbal with a battery life of 5.5 hours. Despite its plastic build, it still feels well-made and the affordable price tag certainly makes it a tempting buy for anyone who wants to improve their smartphone filmmaking.

Since you're able to swivel the gimbal head 90-degrees into portrait orientation, it makes it perfect for using for videos to be posted on TikTok or Instagram

One of our only niggles with the Zhiyun Smooth X is that the ZY Cami app that you need to use in order to set up the gimbal isn't compatible with every phone. However, most phones are capable of running the app, so check the compatibility list here if you're unsure.

Read our full Zhiyun Smooth X review

(Image credit: George Cairns)
A super-versatile gimbal that can be used for both smartphones and smaller mirrorless cameras

Specifications

Compatibility: Smartphone, mirrorless
Stabilization: 3-axis
Weight: 787g
Dimensions: 228 x 179 x 272mm unfolded
Battery life (approx): 13h

Reasons to buy

+
Sling arm for low angles
+
Programmable dial

Reasons to avoid

-
Occasional vibration 
-
Didn’t auto track subject via app

The FeiyuTech Scorp Mini is an incredibly lightweight and manoeuvrable gimbal that will suit the needs of smartphone and mirrorless camera users when it comes to shooting pans, tilts and tracking shots while keeping your horizon level. The sling arm enables you to get low angle shots with ease and you can also make smooth moves using the tactile front knob and rear joystick. Juts bear in mind that given the compact size of the gimbal it won’t suit cameras with a long lens – but of course it handles smartphones with ease.

Read more: FeiyuTech Scorp Mini review

(Image credit: Rod Lawton)
Designed to handle bigger phones and with its own fill light too

Specifications

Compatibility: Smartphones
Stabilization: 3-axis
Weight: 625g
Dimensions: 311 x 168 x 52mm
Battery life (approx): 24h (standby)

Reasons to buy

+
Quick to set up and balance
+
Zoom/focus control wheel

Reasons to avoid

-
No screen
-
Mode display is tiny

The Zhiyun Smooth 5S handled our iPhone 13 Pro Max and its 3-camera array with no problems, and its fill light is both powerful and simple to use. But with the phone’s accessory port jammed up against the tilt motor for horizontal video, it makes using mic impractical, plus there are not one but two matching apps and the 5S has tiny mode lamps you can barely see in daylight. The Zhiyun Smooth 5S is very effective, however, and while the apps are a bit of a muddle, you can use it with your phone's native app too and still get the benefit of basic stabilization and control options.

Read more: Zhiyun Smooth 5S review

(Image credit: George Cairns)
An affordable gimbal with good usable battery life and effective selfie-tracking,

Specifications

Compatibility: Smartphone
Stabilization: 3-axis
Weight: 370g
Dimensions: 181.7 x 107.7 x 56.3mm
Battery life (approx): 10h

Reasons to buy

+
Gets up and running quickly 
+
Tracks your every move

Reasons to avoid

-
Compression in HYPERLAPSE clips
-
Poor image stitching in PANO mode

The ZHIYUN Smooth Q4 Combo enables you to perform professional and disciplined camera moves on your smartphone while keeping the footage stable and the horizon level. You can make the gimbal pan and tilt, zoom in or out of your subject and trigger the recording with one hand thanks to the Bluetooth connected app on your smartphone. It will help elevate your camera moves to a more professional level. The Smooth Q4 is an adequate smartphone gimbal that’s on par with the DJI OM 5 in relation to price, features and performance. If you want a faster way to attach your smartphone to a gimbal then the OM 5’s mount has a magnetic clamp that might sway you to buy that device. 

Read more: Zhiyun Smooth Q4 Combo review

(Image credit: George Cairns)
Capture steadicam style movies with your smartphone using the Vimble 3

Specifications

Stabilization: 2-axis
Weight: 387g
Dimensions: 300.7 x 130.7 x 87.5mm
Battery life (approx): 10 hours approx

Reasons to buy

+
Gliding movement (even shooting wide-angle)
+
App controlled auto tracking
+
Trigger recording via gestures
+
Telescopic extension rod

Reasons to avoid

-
Hit and miss timelapse performance
-
No mode display

This compact, lightweight and durable gimbal will have you panning, tilting and tracking your subjects like a Hollywood camera operator. Using your smartphone’s front-facing camera and the free Feiyu ON app, you can make the gimbal track your movement as you walk and talk and trigger the recording with a hand gesture. Some of the app’s panning timelapse features didn’t perform as well as we hoped but all in all this is an effective budget smartphone gimbal.

Read more: FeiyuTech Vimble 3 review

(Image credit: George Cairns)
A versatile lightweight gimbal perfect for shooting with a phone or action cam

Specifications

Stabilization: 3-axis
Weight: 550g
Dimensions: 240 x 68 x 150mm
Battery life (approx): 1 hr 41min

Reasons to buy

+
Smooth roll, tilt and pan action
+
Built-in fill light
+
Menu display
+
Attachable tripod legs

Reasons to avoid

-
Joystick drops off
-
No smartphone remote control
-
Struggles with mirrorless cameras

The Zhiyun Crane M2S enables you to perform a combination of tilts, pans and even rolls with your smartphone or action camera so that you can capture professional steadicam style clips. Its quick release plate enables you to detach a camera and remount a different one with a minimum of fuss and effort. It will even shine a little light on your selfies thanks to a built-in fill light.

Read more: Zhiyun Crane M2S Combo Kit review

Other buying guides

Best SLR gimbals
Best GoPro gimbals
Best action cams
Best 360 cameras
Best cameras for YouTube
Best cameras for vlogging
Best 4K cameras for filmmaking
Best camera phone
Best video tripods
Best camera sliders
Best on-camera monitors
Best LED light panels

Rod Lawton
Contributor

Rod is an independent photography journalist and editor, and a long-standing Digital Camera World contributor, having previously worked as DCW's Group Reviews editor. Before that he has been technique editor on N-Photo, Head of Testing for the photography division and Camera Channel editor on TechRadar, as well as contributing to many other publications. He has been writing about photography technique, photo editing and digital cameras since they first appeared, and before that began his career writing about film photography. He has used and reviewed practically every interchangeable lens camera launched in the past 20 years, from entry-level DSLRs to medium format cameras, together with lenses, tripods, gimbals, light meters, camera bags and more. Rod has his own camera gear blog at fotovolo.com but also writes about photo-editing applications and techniques at lifeafterphotoshop.com