It’s nice to have fun with drones, wouldn’t you say?
Simple, cheap drones, even without a camera, come in handy for these purposes, but what are the best ones?
Our recommended cheap drones without a camera are the Potensic upgraded A20, Holyton HS330 and HT02, SYMA X20 Pocket, and TUDELLO RC mini drone.
You’ve come to the right place if you’re looking for cheap drones without cameras.
In this article, we’ll go in-depth on what we love about these drones, why to choose mini drones without a camera, and a few tips we want to share with you.
To help, we’ve identified and reviewed the best drone courses for beginners and professionals.
1. Potensic upgraded A20 mini drone.
- One Key Taking-off / Landing and auto-hovering function
- Come with 3 drone batteries
- With more fun functions like headless mode, 3 speeds adjustable, remote control
- 4 propeller guards design keeps the drone safe from damage when flying indoors.
The Potensic upgraded A20 is one of the most fun mini drones without a camera that comes at an incredibly low price, making it affordable for anyone and an excellent gift for kids and adults alike.
| Core Specs | Potensic upgraded A20 mini drone |
|---|---|
| Weight | 25.8 g |
| Flight Time | Up to 15-18 mins with three batteries |
| Does it have duct guards? | Yes, propellers are protected. |
| Any intelligent functions? | Altitude hold, three speeds, can flip, rotate, and circle fly |
| Connectivity | With the remote controller |
✅ Pros
- It’s a tiny drone that weighs under 30 grams
- This drone is very cheap, making it affordable for anyone
- It’s an excellent gift for kids
- It has altitude hold and a few intelligent functions
- The kit comes with three batteries
- This drone has duct guards, offering protection from impacts
- Due to its small size and weight, the drone is durable
❌ Cons
- It’s a very short-range drone.
- No wind resistance
- It may randomly unpair and needs to be paired again.
The Potensic upgraded A20 mini drone is perfect for kids and adults to have fun and fly indoors or outdoors on short range.
Potensic is a well-known company that creates all sorts of drones, from toys to professional drones with cameras for photography and filmmaking.
And because of the meager price, this drone without a camera could be a fantastic gift for yourself or your kids.
This drone doesn’t need to be registered in many countries and territories worldwide.
» MORE: 5 Fun Games To Play With Drones (For Kids or Teens)
2. Holyton HS330 mini drone
21 Mins Flight Time, Auto Rotation, Auto Hover, Circle Fly, 3D flip, Throw to Go, Nano Indoor Toys for Boys and Girls
The HS330 is yet another fantastic mini drone without a camera that offers a lot of fun for beginners, adults, and even kids.
Because of the secured duct guards, this drone is one of the safest to fly indoors and around people and objects.
| Core Specs | Holyton HS330 mini drone |
|---|---|
| Weight | 33 g |
| Flight Time | 5-7 mins per battery pack; it comes with three batteries |
| Does it have duct guards? | Yes, also with safe upward guard covers |
| Any intelligent functions? | Yes, auto-hover, flips, auto-rotation, throw to fly |
| Connectivity | With the remote controller |
✅ Pros
- It’s a tiny, fun drone that doesn’t cost much
- This drone is small and portable, weighing only 33 grams
- It has several intelligent functions, including auto-hover and throw to fly
- It comes with duct guards, making it perfect for kids to fly and for indoor flights
❌ Cons
- It will fly much less than advertised
- Cannot fly outdoors even in slightest wind.
The Holyton HS330 is another fantastic drone without a camera that offers good flight stability. It can fly for some time and has advanced features.
What I love about this drone is the ability to throw and fly once connected to the remote controller. Also, the duct guards around the drone have extra protection.
3. SYMA X20 Pocket
6-Axis gyro quad-rotorcraft flight, suitable for indoor playing, Headless Mode, One Key Take off / Landing, Altitude Hold, 360°Stunt Flip, Auto hovering.
The SYMA X20 Pocket is an excellent mini drone capable of extraordinary flight stability with several intelligent functions.
Although this drone is not the safest on our list, it can make a great addition to a beginner pilot who wants to have fun flying drones without cameras.
| Core Specs | SYMA X20 Pocket |
|---|---|
| Weight | 22 g |
| Flight Time | 5 mins with the integrated battery |
| Does it have duct guards? | No, only propeller guards |
| Any intelligent functions? | Headless mode, one key takeoff and landing, altitude hold, auto flips, and rolls |
| Connectivity | With the remote controller |
✅ Pros
- It’s a very lightweight drone that can easily fit in your pocket
- It has several intelligent functions with excellent hovering stability and two speed modes
- This drone has an LED light in the front
- The price is low
- It’s simple to use and requires no prior experience
❌ Cons
- Does not resist well to impacts
- The propellers are not protected well.
The SYMA X20 Pocket is a fantastic choice if you’re looking for a perfect beginner drone without a camera to fly and have fun.
This drone has an internal battery that can be recharged via a USB cable, making it suitable to charge from a power bank when you’re away.
What I like about this drone is its overall stability and flight performance, and it comes with several intelligent functions.
The only negative thing is that it only has propeller guards, which are less effective than duct guards.
4. TUDELLO RC mini drone
Suitable for Kids and Beginners, RC Quadcopter Indoor with Headless Mode, Small Helicopter with 3D Flip, Auto Hovering, and 2 Batteries, Great Gift.
The Tudello mini drone is a unique one without a camera that is safe to fly indoors, outdoors, and near people and objects, offering high protection through solid duct guards.
| Core Specs | TUDELLO RC mini drone |
|---|---|
| Flight Time | Up to 8 mins per battery (two included) |
| Does it have duct guards? | Yes, good protective duct guards with extra protection above and below the propellers |
| Any intelligent functions? | Headless mode, flip, auto hover, altitude hold function, throw to go (fly) |
| Connectivity | With the provided remote controller |
✅ Pros
- It can be used by kids and adults
- This drone is very cheap
- It’s lightweight and portable
- It can fly for a decent amount of time per battery pack
- It also has several intelligent functions
❌ Cons
- It only comes with two batteries
- Does not fly well outdoors due to low wind resistance and short range.
The TUDELLO RC is a terrific option capable of safely flying indoors and outdoors that won’t empty the bank account.
I personally love throw-to-go (fly) drones because they are entertaining and offer a great experience for adults or kids.
5. Holyton HT02
Suitable for Adult Beginners and Kids, Portable RC Quadcopter with Auto Hovering, 3D Flip, 3 Speed Modes, Headless Mode and 3 Batteries, Emergency Stop.
I recommend the Holyton HT02 golden model if you’re considering a different type of drone without a camera that remains cheap.
This tiny drone can be packed in the remote controller and offers a unique flying aspect.
Moreover, this is the lightest drone on our list at only 19 grams.
| Core Specs | Holyton HT02 |
|---|---|
| Weight | 19 g |
| Flight Time | Up to 24 mins with three batteries offered |
| Does it have duct guards? | No, but it has attachable propeller guards |
| Any intelligent functions? | Headless mode, three speeds, flips, emergency stop, auto hovering |
| Connectivity | With the remote controller provided |
✅ Pros
- The drone can be stored and transported INSIDE the remote controller
- It can fly for an extended period compared to similar drones and comes with three batteries
- Easy-to-use and beginner-friendly
- It’s very lightweight
- It has an emergency stop feature and several intelligent modes with three speeds.
- Excellent hovering stability
❌ Cons
- The propellers are not protected well from impacts
- The controller feels tougher to hold and use.
What we love about this drone is how you can transport it. You can store the Holyton HT02 in the remote controller, which can fit even in your pocket, making it very portable.
This drone doesn’t have duct guards but includes propeller guards.
In general, many people are delighted by its aesthetics and flight performance.
» MORE: How to Fly a Drone: Ultimate Beginner Guide (with Drawings)
What should the price range be when choosing cheap drones without a camera?
I will say never invest more than $100 on any drone without a camera. In fact, a reasonable price tag would be under $50.
Remember that these drones are cheap for a reason, and although they may fly decently, they won’t offer the same satisfaction as flying advanced drones with a camera.
What to look for in cheap drones without cameras
Here are a few essential things to consider if you choose a cheap drone without a camera.
- Weight: We’re not looking at drones under 250 grams but under 100 grams. You won’t have to register one of these toys.
- Duct guards: A cheap drone without a camera should have duct guards to offer protection when flying indoors and outdoors near people and objects.
- Good battery: It’s good practice if any of those drones have multiple batteries, so you can keep your drone flying longer.
- Innovative features: We should not expect a return to home or other intelligent features, but for the drone to have good hovering stability, flip or do tricks, and offer auto-landing on low battery is not too much to ask.
- Durability: If the drone has good frame durability, you and your kids can fly, have fun, and learn.
What to avoid in cheap drones without camera
- Too bulky and plasticky: If you crash these kinds of drones, it can also harm others and you. Many years ago, I had a similar bulky drone without a camera, which didn’t end well when it crashed.
- Exposed propellers: The drone should have some protection, even if it isn’t duct guards. Exposed props carry too much risk for beginners.
Why do only we recommend lightweight drones without cameras?
A lightweight drone is the way to go if we aim to purchase a cheap drone without a camera.
Larger drones do not mean they will fly better or farther.
Because we’re looking for cheap drones without a camera, large ones may come with disadvantages, such as the requirement of registering them, plasticky parts that won’t withstand any crashes, and the inability to fly them indoors.
Overall, they’re big disappointments.
We don’t want to offer you those options, so our list has only the best choices.
Why choose a drone without a camera?
Maybe you’re just starting out and want to get a feel for how a drone works but don’t want to invest hundreds of dollars or more in professional drones.
Perhaps you simply want to have fun and let your kids fly a small safe to fly a drone and enjoy quality time together.
The reasons could be infinite.
One of the most significant advantages of acquiring small drones without a camera is that those may be classified as toy drones if they’re under a certain weight.
Can you add a video camera on drones without a camera?
Unfortunately, no.
These drones are designed to work without a camera, and the transmission won’t support video links either.
Such drones lack any video modules, and adding one may not be an option.
You can install an FPV video module to a large drone without a camera (to support the extra weight and stability) and connect to the drone power, whereas you can see the video via FPV goggles.
But such modules can cost a fortune, whether analog or digital, and there aren’t any guarantees that the drone can deliver enough power to make them work.
Not to mention you’ll be voiding the warranty for the drone, and you definitely need to know what you’re doing.
» MORE: Best Drones for Kids: How to Choose the Right Drone for Your Kid