These cheap drones under $500 are great gift ideas for first time flyers

Ryze Tello: $199 at Amazon
The Ryze Tello is an inexpensive indoor drone that comes with propeller guards and is controlled via a smartphone app or can be connected to Bluetooth controllers. At just 2.8oz / 80g it’s incredibly small and lightweight and can capture 5MP photos and video at 720p, but although it’s not a drone for image capture outdoors it can take off from the palm of your hand and can perform flips for fun and is a great learning drone as well as one that’s suitable for children. Please note, currently delivery is noted as after Christmas.

HoverAir X1: was $479 now $379 at Amazon
The HoverAir X1 is a foldable autonomous drone that uses intelligent tracking algorithms to track the user and the people around them. It’s small, lightweight and incredibly easy to use with palm take-off and landing. The propellers are enclosed in permanent propeller guards for safety and the HoverAir X1 can capture 2.7K video and 12MP photos using the basic point-and-shoot camera. It can only be flown 98ft / 30m away from the user, but it performs extremely well when subject tracking. This deal is for the Combo package that includes an extra battery and charging hub.

DJI Mini 2 SE: $469 at Amazon
The DJI Mini 2 SE is DJI’s most basic drone model and sits within the sub-250g category of regulator-friendly models. It may be inexpensive, but it benefits from DJI’s market-leading build quality and stable performance. The camera can capture video at up to 2.7K at 30fps and 12MP photos in both JPEG and Raw formats. There’s no collision avoidance, but you do get Quickshots automated flight patterns for professional-looking video making it a great model for beginners.

Potensic Atom Combo: was $449.99 now $369.99 at Amazon
The Potensic Atom is more of a direct competitor of the DJI Mini 3 but with a price closer to the DJI Mini 2 SE. This makes it an attractive option for beginners who would like an inexpensive sub-250g drone, but with camera functionality that will meet their needs for the foreseeable future. The Atom can shoot video in up to 4K at 30fps and can capture 12MP photos in JPEG and Raw formats. Build quality is great, and although there’s no collision avoidance it does offer Quickshots.

BetaFPV Cetus X FPV Kit: was $279.99 now $247.99 at Amazon
FPV drones take a lot of getting used to in terms of flight, not to mention they’re typically self-build. The BetaFPV Cetus X is a ready-to-fly FPV kit that comes with everything you need to get started including analogue the Cetus X, FPV goggles, a controller, batteries and other accessories, and its design means it can be flown safely both indoors and out. The flight modes also allow you to build up to the most difficult manual/acro flight mode as your skills increase, making it a fun option.

Ryze Tello: £139 at Amazon
The Ryze Tello is an inexpensive indoor drone that comes with propeller guards and is controlled via a smartphone app or can be connected to Bluetooth controllers. At just 2.8oz / 80g it’s incredibly small and lightweight and can capture 5MP photos and video at 720p, but although it’s not a drone for image capture outdoors it can take off from the palm of your hand and can perform flips for fun and is a great learning drone as well as one that’s suitable for children. Please note, currently delivery is noted as after Christmas.

HoverAir X1: was £469 now £395 at Amazon
The HoverAir X1 is a foldable autonomous drone that uses intelligent tracking algorithms to track the user and the people around them. It’s small, lightweight and incredibly easy to use with palm take-off and landing. The propellers are enclosed in permanent propeller guards for safety and the HoverAir X1 can capture 2.7K video and 12MP photos using the basic point-and-shoot camera. It can only be flown 98ft / 30m away from the user, but it performs extremely well when subject tracking. Currently, there's a £74 discount coupon to apply at check out. 

DJI Mini 2 SE: was £309 now £269 at Amazon
The DJI Mini 2 SE is DJI’s most basic drone model and sits within the sub-250g category of regulator-friendly models. It may be inexpensive, but it benefits from DJI’s market-leading build quality and stable performance. The camera can capture video at up to 2.7K at 30fps and 12MP photos in both JPEG and Raw formats. There’s no collision avoidance, but you do get Quickshots automated flight patterns for professional-looking video making it a great model for beginners.

Potensic Atom Combo: was £369.99 now £329.99 at Amazon
The Potensic Atom is more of a direct competitor of the DJI Mini 3 but with a price closer to the DJI Mini 2 SE. This makes it an attractive option for beginners who would like an inexpensive sub-250g drone, but with camera functionality that will meet their needs for the foreseeable future. The Atom can shoot video in up to 4K at 30fps and can capture 12MP photos in JPEG and Raw formats. Build quality is great, and although there’s no collision avoidance it does offer Quickshots. Apply the £40 coupon at checkout. 

BetaFPV Cetus X FPV Kit: £246.94 at BetaFPV
FPV drones take a lot of getting used to in terms of flight, not to mention they’re typically self-build. The BetaFPV Cetus X is a ready-to-fly FPV kit that comes with everything you need to get started including analogue the Cetus X, FPV goggles, a controller, batteries and other accessories, and its design means it can be flown safely both indoors and out. The flight modes also allow you to build up to the most difficult manual/acro flight mode as your skills increase, making it a fun option. If you sign up to BetaFPV's email there's a 5% discount to be had.