By what it is for

Drone types

These five categories are not marketing segments; they are five different answers to “what is the drone for”, and they differ on the things that matter — whether you frame the shot, whether it comes home on its own, and whether you register it.

Sub-250 g camera

11 drones · 5 brands

Real camera drones designed to the gram against the FAA's registration threshold.

~$279–~$1,599 · 11 under 250 g

Beginner / budget

9 drones · 5 brands

GPS, brushless motors and return-to-home at the price where those things stop being assumed.

~$170–~$450 · 4 under 250 g

Camera drone

9 drones · 3 brands

Over the line, and built to be: bigger sensors, real apertures, and enough mass to hold a shot in wind.

~$400–~$2,499 · 0 under 250 g

FPV

8 drones · 5 brands

Flown through goggles. Ready-to-fly kits only — a radio and goggles in the box, not a bare airframe.

~$160–~$999 · 6 under 250 g

Selfie / follow-me

4 drones · 2 brands

Palm-launched cameras that fly themselves. No GPS, no return-to-home, and no framing during the flight.

~$199–~$699 · 4 under 250 g