Holy Stone HS720G vs Holy Stone HS360S
These two sit on opposite sides of the 250-gram line, which is usually where the decision ends rather than begins. The Holy Stone HS360S needs no FAA registration to fly recreationally; the Holy Stone HS720G needs registration and Remote ID. The Holy Stone HS360S is the cheaper of the two at ~$239.
| Drone | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bundle price | ~$300base kit | ~$239multi-battery bundle |
| True first-year price | ~$300 | ~$239 |
| Flight min per $100 | 8.7 | 8.4 |
| Rating | No cited rating | No cited rating |
| Takeoff weight | 380 g | 249 g |
| FAA registration | Required | Not required |
| Remote ID | Built-in | Not published |
| Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1/3" |
| Sensor area | 28.1 mm² | 17.3 mm² |
| Megapixels | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Max video | 4K/30fps | 4K/20fps |
| Colour depth | 8-bit | 8-bit |
| Log profile | — | — |
| Gimbal | 2-axis | None |
| Obstacle sensing | None | None |
| Claimed flight time | 26 min | 20 min |
| Tested flight time | — | — |
| Battery | — | — |
| Transmission | 5.8 GHz Wi-Fi | 5.8 GHz Wi-Fi |
| Max range | 1 km | 3 km |
| Max speed | — | — |
| Wind resistance | Not published | Not published |
| Service ceiling | — | — |
| Internal storage | None | None |
| Controller | Holy Stone controller (phone required) | Holy Stone controller (phone required) |
| Return to home | Yes | Yes |
| Geofencing | No | No |
| Care plan (1 yr) | Not in our snapshot | Not in our snapshot |
| US availability | Sold | Sold |
| Released | 2022 | 2023 |
| Flight claim measured at | Holy Stone quotes 26 minutes per battery. The "52 minutes" on the retail box is the two included batteries added together. | Holy Stone quotes about 20 minutes per modular battery, measured without specifying camera or wind conditions. |
Holy Stone HS720G
A two-axis motorised gimbal plus electronic stabilisation, brushless motors, GPS return-to-home and built-in Remote ID — for a drone that has been on shelves since 2022, the feature list holds up better than the numbers behind it. Range is the giveaway: the controller is rated at roughly a kilometre, a fraction of what the newer sub-250 gram models claim, and there is no obstacle sensing. At 380 grams it also crosses the registration line, which means $5 to the FAA, a TRUST certificate and Remote ID that this aircraft at least provides itself. Two batteries come in the box, which is where the "52 minute" figure on the packaging comes from; a single flight is 26.
Full spec sheet →Holy Stone HS360S
Two hundred dollars, GPS, optical-flow hold for indoor flying, a modular battery and 249 grams on the scale. Read the camera spec twice, though: the 1/3-inch GalaxyCore sensor records 4K at 20 frames per second, which is below the 24fps floor most people consider watchable and well below the 30fps everything else here manages. Stills at 4K resolution are fine. There is no gimbal and no obstacle sensing, and return-to-home fires automatically on low battery or lost link, which is the feature that keeps a first drone out of a tree line. As an aircraft to learn on in an open field before spending real money, it does the job; as a camera, it is the weakest in this catalog.
Full spec sheet →