The drone world continues to grow each year as more people jump at the opportunity to pick up their own aircraft and start exploring the skies! The brand DJI has dominated the drone space and controls a large portion of the market share. To the point that they have a complete monopoly over the industry.
However, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t consider investing in different drones; instead, it can be helpful to ask questions like, what is the best DJI alternative?
DJI Alternative #1: Autel EVO Lite+
We briefly touched on this above, but Autel Robotics is the best alternative to DJI drones. They are a company operating out of Washington State and creates drones focusing on portability and camera quality. They have highly advanced technology to offer longer flight times and many great features. Autel Robotics makes drones that are great for beginners and veteran flyers
Autel robotics is perhaps the biggest competitor to DJI, and for a good reason. They offer a wide range of drones that fit the needs of different flyers. The EVO Lite+ is Autel Robotics’ strongest drone and is a great aircraft for battery life and obstacle detection while supporting 6K recording.
It has a large 1-inch sensor camera with a variable aperture, so it is an excellent camera for photographers and videographers looking to get some incredible shots. Its sensor size also makes it a popular choice for enthusiasts and professionals. It offers a long flight time of up to 40 minutes, with speeds of 40 mph, giving you plenty of time to explore any desired area. In addition, the drone has level 7 wind resistance, making it an excellent choice for adventures that find themselves in less-than-ideal weather conditions.
If you’re looking for the best DJI alternative, then the EVO Lite+ by Autel Robotics is a great competitor and option for professionals looking to capture incredible footage and beginners just starting their drone flying journey.
The Autel Robotics EVO Lite+ drone boasts a 1-inch CMOS sensor with a 6K camera, offering adjustable aperture and supporting 6K/30FPS video.
Its unique moonlight algorithm delivers superior night photography, achieving sharp, vibrant low-light shots with an ISO up to 64,000.
SkyLink provides a robust 7.4-mile transmission range at 2.7K/30FPS. Pilots benefit from 40-minute flight time, dynamic tracking, one-click vlog quick shots, and the SkyPortrait feature.
DJI Alternative #2: Holy Stone HS720
Holy Stone focuses on selling low-cost drones that are great for beginners. They offer a lot of exciting aircraft that come with advanced features like GPS, HD Cameras, and several fun flight modes. Overall, they build some sturdy drones that can be a great choice for hobbyists looking to expand their collection.
If you’re looking for a high-quality and professional drone, then the DJI models are still a significant improvement from the drones that can be purchased via Holy Stone. Nonetheless, Holy Stone offers a range of impressive and fun drones at a much lower price. For example, the Holy Stone HS720 is an excellent drone that comes at a highly affordable price. It has a 4K UHD camera with image stabilization, so you won’t need to worry about blurry images or videos when shooting.
It also has GPS-assisted intelligent flight, which is excellent for beginners that might worry about losing the drone in the sky when flying. It offers an impressive 26 minutes of flight time and brushless motors so you can enjoy a longer and quieter flight.
If you’re looking for the best DJI alternative, I would argue that Holy Stone drones and the HS720 are excellent choices for beginners looking to pick up their first drone and dive into the craft.
Great budget option for a foldable drone. But it will require registration as it weighs over 249 grams! Equipped with the needed Return-to-Home (RTH) feature it will ensure you never loose your drone.
Holy stone offers one of the best customer service experiences out of the other budget options.
DJI Alternative #3: SwellPro Spry+
SwellPro is another Chinese-owned company that manufactures drones primarily for pleasure use. Their central selling point is building drones that are waterproof and target consumers that want a drone that is excellent for filming water-based activities. If you enjoy boating, sailing, or surfing, the best DJI alternative would be to pick up a SwellPro drone.
The DJI drones might be more advanced in their features and flying capabilities, but SwellPro takes the crown in adventure sports. You could compare them to the GoPro of drones. SwellPro boasts being completely waterproof, even the remote controller. For example, the Spry+ drone is capable of taking off and landing on water, and it is corrosion-resistant while being entirely waterproof. To make things better, the waterproof controller lets you fly the drone while surfing or sailing to capture some wicked action footage.
It includes 4K 30FPS recording and 12Mp photos, so you can be ensured that the pictures and videos taken are of good quality. It also emphasizes image stabilization to ensure smooth and shake-free footage when trying to capture any watersport-related events.
The camera is placed within a toughened glass dome that is resistant to water and created to increase transparency when wet by minimizing any distortion caused by the water. In addition, the Spry+ is extremely fast and can reach speeds up to 18 m/s. So, you won’t need to worry about keeping up with a surfboard or even some sea-doos! If you’re an avid surfer or water-sport enthusiast, the best DJI alternative is the Spry+ or some other drones Swellpro offers.
The Spry drone by Swellpro is specifically tailored for marine environments, boasting a 100% waterproof IP67 rating and buoyancy features.
Engineered with corrosion-resistant materials, it can effortlessly land on and take off from water. Its compact design, coupled with high-thrust motors, allows it to reach speeds of over 65 KM/H, ideal for capturing dynamic water sports like surfing or wakeboarding.
Despite its power, the Spry is user-friendly, offering both GPS and ATTI flight modes.
DJI Alternative #4: EXO X7 Ranger Plus
EXO is another drone company rising in popularity. They emphasize the importance of GPS in drones and ensure that flyers won’t have to worry about losing their aircraft in any challenging environment. EXO makes its drones out of Hong Kong and ships the product worldwide. They are on a mission to create the most affordable and professional drone in existence.
If you are looking for a drone with excellent GPS and ease of use, the EXO X7 Ranger Plus might be a worthy competitor. EXO wants to create easy-to-fly drones that have amazing features and takes post-worthy images and videos. The X7 is no stranger to this and offers an abundance of features and benefits that have cemented its place on my list as potentially the best DJI alternative.
If you’re a photographer, you’ll be happy to know that It has a 4K camera and 3-axis gimbal for taking smooth and shake-free footage. It also has impressive obstacle avoidance and level 5 wind resistance, so you won’t need to worry about flying in most weather conditions. The drone operates via a joystick control and can reach 3-speed levels with a maximum of 27 MPH. The drone is on the heavier side, weighing roughly 3 pounds, so take into account that it will need to be registered with the FAA and government before flying.
Nonetheless, EXO drones have incredible GPS capabilities, and the Ranger X7 alone has 10+ GPS smart features to ensure that you won’t lose it when flying in complicated environments. If you anticipate taking your drone into overgrown forests or on rocky mountains, then this is a drone worth considering!
From the drone's high-end camera to the obstacle avoidance and GPS systems, the EXO X7 Ranger Plus has everything you need in a drone. This drone also has a flight time of up to 25 minutes to let you enjoy long flights without interruption.
The EXO X7 Ranger Plus offers a range of advanced features, such as automatic return-to-home, altitude hold, and 360-degree panoramic shots, which make it easy to control and operate, even for beginners.
DJI Alternative #5: Skydio 2+ Pro Kit
Skydio is an American drone manufacturer run by three university friends on a mission to create a drone that could fly autonomously without using GPS. Therefore, they worked to develop a fixed-wing drone that uses a laser range finder to navigate its way through any terrain.
With this technology, they plan to continue making drones for both the US government and commercial purposes. Nevertheless, If you are looking for the smartest DJI alternative, look no further than the Skydio 2+. The drone is full of navigation and obstacle avoidance features like boomerang, drones, fixed, track, hover, and more that can be used while maintaining cinematic compositions.
In addition, the Skydio 2+ offers three different ways to fly the drone. You can opt to take control remotely, unlock hands-free flight, or fly short distances using your mobile device. The drawback to this drone when comparing it to its DJI competitors is that it may be far ahead in flying abilities and overall technology, but the camera needs upgrading.
If the image quality is one of your primary concerns, then the Skydio might not be the best DJI alternative. It has a 1/2.3 inch sensor capable of 4K footage at 60 frames per second. It is excellent for average or beginner users but not for professional or semi-professional photographers and videographers.
This drone is brilliant as it uses obstacle avoidance and lasers to create a real-time 3D map of its surrounding.
If you’re looking for a fun drone to fly without worrying about crashing into any low-hanging branches or cliffs, the Skydio 2+ is an excellent choice.
So, why not DJI?
To put it simply, DJI is an expensive, Chinese-owned company. Yes, they have good-quality drones and technology, but because of their market control, they can set higher prices. Not everyone is able or willing to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on an aircraft when many other brands offer the same benefits at a lower cost. In addition, the DJI company does not yet build and sell fixed-wing drones.
This is a significant drawback for drone enthusiasts looking to fly longer distances and need a drone powerful enough to map more unexplored areas. This may be because DJI makes most of its products at scale and in large amounts to make lots of money. As a result, introducing a fixed-wing aircraft may have been inconvenient for manufacturing, combined with low interest in the product.
The final reason why you might opt to invest in a different brand is that many people are anti-monopoly and don’t like it when one company controls such a significant market share. It can be better to have multiple companies competing for the top to increase innovation and lower the risk of price control by the dominating business or brand.
If this sounds like something you stand against morally, then the better decision would be to find the best DJI alternative and support the companies building these drones and fighting to gain a spot in the market. The same sentiment can apply to the fact that DJI is a Chinese-owned company, and purchasing their drones in the United States will not support your local economy or give jobs to Americans.
Instead, it will be funneling money outside of the country and into the hands of manufacturers using technology to mass produce the aircraft. Nonetheless, the choice is ultimately yours, but it’s good to stay informed and be aware of the many options in existence.
What is the best DJI alternative?
I’m a long-term reviewer of all kinds of drones and have years of experience flying them on various terrains. With this knowledge, I’ve listed potential alternatives to purchasing a highly commercialized DJI drone. After extensive research, it’s clear that the best DJI alternative is Autel Robotics.
Autel Robotics was only founded in 2015, but their sleek designs and technology led to them quickly establishing themselves as a formidable competitor of DJI. Their EVO series took the United States by storm as drone enthusiasts praised its portability and clever foldable designs.
They operate out of Washington State and build drones for both commercial and government uses. The drones are of excellent quality, with top-notch cameras, long flight times, and plenty of valuable features. If you are looking for the best DJI alternative, then Autel Robotics should be at the top of your list.
I spent many hours researching and testing drones before I decided which brands and companies would make this list. It’s crucial to choose a drone with valuable features, a sturdy build, and an excellent camera for anyone interested in capturing footage from the sky. So, keep reading and learn more about some of the best alternatives to purchasing a DJI drone.
Final Thoughts On DJI Alternatives
DJI has dominated the drone market for too long and is slowly increasing prices to unrealistic and unfair levels. So, it doesn’t hurt to start shopping around and looking for the best DJI alternative. The drones mentioned in this list all excel in different factors and may be an excellent choice, depending on the purposes you hope they will serve. However, after comparing all the companies, the best overall is Autel Robotics.
It’s EVO Lite series, and the EVO Lite Plus is an excellent drone for photographers, videographers, and average drone enthusiasts. Its portability and clever foldable design make it a great travel companion for adventurers and travelers alike. In addition, it is capable of 6K video, so you can be confident that any footage taken comes out crystal-clear and in focus.
The Autel Robotics EVO Lite+ drone boasts a 1-inch CMOS sensor with a 6K camera, offering adjustable aperture and supporting 6K/30FPS video.
Its unique moonlight algorithm delivers superior night photography, achieving sharp, vibrant low-light shots with an ISO up to 64,000.
SkyLink provides a robust 7.4-mile transmission range at 2.7K/30FPS. Pilots benefit from 40-minute flight time, dynamic tracking, one-click vlog quick shots, and the SkyPortrait feature.
