Not sure what's the best drone for your needs? PCMag is here to help you suss out the top options for photography and video, whether you want to make your vlogs, home movies, or real estate content stand out. We've reviewed 71 drones (and counting!) over the last decade with an eye toward camera quality, flight performance, and safety, and our drone analyst is an FAA-certified Part 107 remote pilot, so you can trust that we're experts in the category. Our current best drone recommendation for most people is the Editors' Choice-winning DJI Mini 4 Pro, which is quite compact and provides excellent image quality. However, all the models here are worth a look, so click through to the reviews of each for the full details. Make sure to also read past the list to learn everything you need to know before you start flying.

What Are the Rules for Owning a Drone?

With many tech products, you can just open the box and start using it. But that's not the case with drones. You need to learn the rules about flying, take an online test, and (depending on how much your drone weighs) register it with the FAA prior to your first flight. That may seem daunting to pilots just starting out, but we walk you through the basics here. (For more detail, read our full guide to US drone regulations.)

First up, if you're flying your drone for fun, you can operate under recreational rules. There are nuances to where and when you can fly your drone, so you should always use one of the FAA's B4UFLY apps to check if flights are legal. Generally, you are OK if you:

• Fly at or below 400 feet
• Keep your drone within sight
• Don't fly in restricted airspace
• Don't fly near other aircraft, especially near airports
• Don't fly over groups of people
• Don't fly over stadiums or sporting events
• Don't fly near emergency response efforts such as fires
• Don't fly under the influence

All pilots must take a free online knowledge test, called the Trust test, before their first flight. If you buy a lightweight (249g) drone, you can skip registration and get flying once you've passed the test. However, if your drone weighs 250g or more, you must go to the FAADroneZone website to register it; for recreational pilots, the cost is $5 per operator. Once you get your registration number here, you must label your drone with it (use a Sharpie or printed label).

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The rules and regulations are stricter if you plan on flying for money. If you have a monetized YouTube channel, take photos of properties for real estate listings, or offer drone snaps as part of your wedding package, you need to obtain a remote pilot certificate from the FAA. You need to pass a paid ($175) exam at a testing site and go through a background check to obtain this type of license. Commercial pilots have to follow the same basic rules as recreational flyers and must register each drone they own at a cost of $5 per aircraft.

Are Drones Safe to Fly?

The drones we recommend are both safe and easy to fly. All of our suggestions include four-rotor designs with GPS-assisted stabilization that let them hover perfectly in place. The GPS feature also supports automatic return to home and landing, so you're less likely to lose your drone if communication between the aircraft and remote control is disrupted.

You won't find it on beginner models like the Mini 2 SE or Mini 3, but pricier models (starting with the Autel Nano+ and DJI Mini 4 Pro) include obstacle detection sensors, too. These extra cameras look for objects and apply the brakes if your drone is headed for a crash. DJI's system goes further; many of its drones can autonomously alter course to avoid trees, fences, and other obstructions.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Flyaways still happen, however—there are horror stories on various web forums—and there's always a chance you'll have to come in for an emergency landing and try and find your drone amongst the brush or unfamiliar territory. Recent DJI models have a Find My Drone feature that shows where your drone is on a map (and makes it beep loudly if it still has battery life). An extended warranty program (DJI Care Refresh) is available for pilots who are worried about damaging their drones.

What Are the Types of Drones?

Several products on the market sell as drones but don't quite fit that description. Remote-controlled aircraft have been around for ages, for instance. With the recent surge in popularity, companies are now tagging those products as drones. These don't include GPS stabilization, return-to-home functionality, and other automated flight modes that make a drone a drone.

Racing drones fall under this umbrella. Enthusiasts often build their own racing copters from kits or parts. Doing so requires some skill with a soldering iron and screwdriver, but it has become an aspect of the hobby itself. Those of us who aren't good at building rigs can look instead to a ready-to-fly racer. DJI has a couple in its catalog; its FPV Combo can move at a brisk 87mph, while the small Avata 2 goes as fast as 60mph. Both ship with a motion controller and a set of FPV goggles for flight control, a notable difference compared with most drones that rely on handheld remotes with touch screens.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Small drones aren't only for racing, either. Some people use tiny, homemade Cinewhoop drones for long, one-take video tours. GoPro sells an ultralight version of its action cam, called the Hero10 Bones, for DIY drone builders who want the best video quality for these types of shots. Again, for pilots who don't want to build a Cinewhoop drone, the DJI Avata 2 supports slower speeds and is small enough to work its way through tight spaces for one-shot videos.

Which Brand of Drones Is Best?

DJI models currently dominate our top picks, and there's a good reason for that. The company is simply a few steps ahead of the competition right now and offers products at a lot of price levels. Its camera quality is unbeatable, with even basic models supporting 10-bit color sampling, 4K resolution, and Raw photography. It also wins out in aircraft design since its drones use higher-grade plastics than others we've tested, are perfectly stable in flight, and provide excellent battery life. Add a slick app interface that lets you use your phone or tablet to control the drone and its camera, and you've got a winning formula.

DJI's closest competitor in terms of quality and value is Autel Robotics. It makes fewer models, but its 249g Evo Nano+ and mid-sized Evo Lite+ are pretty good drones. Their airframe plastics and cameras aren't quite on par with those of DJI's, but they're not far behind. Pro drone pilots might prefer Autel because its aircraft don't include a geofence system; in other words, it's easier to get them up and running in controlled airspace once you have tower authorization. Their obstacle detection and strong battery life make them useful for industrial inspections and real estate imaging.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Other companies that previously made consumer drones are now out of the game. Parrot, Skydio, and Yuneec now make only unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for use in agriculture, enterprise, and industry. Sony sells the Airpeak S1, a big bird that works with Alpha mirrorless cameras and compact cinema models like the FX3. It's meant for the most demanding photographers and moviemakers—the drone starts at $9,000, and then you need to spend a couple thousand dollars on a camera and gimbal.

The Best Small Drones

Most consumer drones are small enough to carry in a backpack or camera sling. Folding airframe designs are the standard, even among drones that are heavy enough to require registration. So when someone is looking for a small drone, they are generally seeking out a light 249g flyer. These drones don't require registration in the US and are less regulated abroad as well.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The DJI Mini 4 Pro is the best 249g drone we've tested; it has a dual-aspect video camera and all-around obstacle sensors. The Mini 3 is nearly as good for less money. It omits an obstacle avoidance system but is otherwise similar. And the DJI Mini 2 4K and SE are the best small drones if you're shopping on a budget. Meanwhile, the Autel Evo Nano+ provides good video quality and obstacle sensors.

The Best Drones for Professionals

DJI's Inspire 3 is its big, quad-rotor model for cinema production. The drone features a full-frame, 8K camera that can take DJI or Sony lenses and supports CinemaDNG and ProRes Raw recording. Its bottom-mounted camera and retractable landing gear are also advantages because they enable more complex camera and aircraft movements compared with drones that have nose-mounted cameras.

If you want a smaller drone with high-end video specs, think about a version of the Mavic 3, which starts at $1,279 for the Classic edition or $2,199 for the Pro. All versions of the Mavic 3 support 5.1K50 recording with a Four Thirds format camera in 10-bit HEVC. On the high end, the Mavic 3 Pro Cine ($4,799) sports a triple camera stack and adds support for ProRes 422 HQ with a 1TB SSD for onboard storage. The Pro Cine is a worthwhile splurge for serious cinematographers—the upgraded video toolkit and included Pro RC remote justify the cost.

DJI offers Matrice drones for industry and enterprise and Agras drones for agriculture. As mentioned earlier, Sony's Airpeak S1 can carry big cameras but is smaller than the Inspire series, so it's just as good for location work. The Airpeak works with Sony mirrorless cameras.

Should You Have Any Concerns About Drones?

Unfortunately, there are some ethical concerns about DJI. The US Department of the Treasury flagged DJI for aiding the Chinese government's surveillance of the persecuted Uyghur ethnic group in what is considered a continuing genocide. For its part, DJI says it shouldn't be on the Entity List: A representative tells PCMag that "DJI has done nothing to warrant our inclusion on the Entity List." Being on the Entity List prevents DJI from receiving certain exports from the US but doesn't do anything to prevent it from selling its products stateside.

We’re also keeping an eye on the Countering CCP Drones Act that, if passed into law, will ban sales of and render all DJI and Autel drones inoperable in the US. It’s attached to the NDAA, the big annual bill that funds the Department of Defense and already passed the House of Representatives. The Senate version of the NDAA originally omitted the drone ban, but a proposed amendment put it back on the table. DroneHarmony reports that a vote might happen as soon as September, so you might want to hold off on any drone purchase for now.

Explore More About Drones

Ultimately, you can't go wrong with any of the models we list here. For the latest field-tested drone reviews, check out our drone coverage. And, if you just bought a quadcopter and are looking to get started, read our guide on how to fly a drone.