DJI Spark Alternatives – The Best Options

DJI Mavic Mini

I have loved the DJI Mavic series of drones ever since they came out. Blowing the rest of the competition out of the water with the video quality, controls, range, and much more.

BUT, the Mavic Pro and its follow up the Mavic Pro 2 are just too expensive for most people.

That is where the DJI Mavic Mini comes in. It is about as cheap as you can get in the DJI range without sacrificing much quality. And when you compare it to the DJI Spark, it is cheaper, has better video, a 3 axis gimbal and it is 50g lighter, coming in under the FDA limit for registering a drone! How great is that?

The Mavic Mini does not have the gesture modes of the Spark, which is great if you want to do selfies or use it for that kind of photography or videography. But, for most people that is irrelevant.

The Mavic Mini is DJIs best small drone hands down!

Zerotech Dobby

The Dobby ZeroTech is a great option for those that want a decent drone at a lower price point.

When I was hunting for a present for my niece who suddenly became drone obsessed (and I did not want her playing with my Mavic Pro) I settled on this one.

It is super lightweight and compact (with foldable arms) and it includes impressive features like:

• 13 Megapixel images and 1080p Video (Electronic Stabilization)
• Collapsable, with foldable arms and propellers
• Built-in flight modes (Face tracking, Target tracking, Orbit Mode, Auto pull away/up – aka Dronie)
• Photos – Single, Burst, or Timer
• Take off from the palm of your hand using voice command, tapping or throw and fly
• Return to Home: returns to hand with shutoff for safety
• Standardized USB Charger for easy use with most chargers etc
• Phone App controlled using wifi

More info on the specs here.

This drone works well both indoors and outdoors, so is a fun drone as well as having a decent camera.

The photos are taken with a 13MP camera and it can shoot up to 1080p which is decent for the price. There is no mechanical stabilization though, just software, so the videos will be good but not as great as the Spark.

There is only 9 minutes of flying time which might be a little frustrating and spare batteries are not cheap (about 50 each).

However, it’s a great starter drone with some cool features and video/camera included. Not bad if you ask me!

HUBSAN H501S X4 Drone

The Chinese are deep in the drone game and come out with all sorts of toys and models every single year. One such manufacturer is Hubsan who’s X4 model is worth checking out as a super-budget option.

Although it is not up there with the DJI models, it has 1080p video, a dedicated controller which is great for control range, but it can only manage 300m max distance. However, the flight time is decent at 20 minutes. Which beats the Dobby quite easily.

It also comes with enough modes to make it fun to play with, for a while: GPS Positioning / Follow Me / Headless Mode / Auto Return Home / Altitude hold / Orbiting.

It is around half the price of a DJI drone, but you also sacrifice quality. So, it’s a decision you have to make.

EACHINE E511S GPS Drone

This drone is a bit of a Mavic Mini ripoff if you take a close look, but still worth checking out if you are on a budget. The arms fold almost exactly as the DJI does, with the remote doing the same. However, the price is less than half of a DJI project which might suit some people.

Where this drone falls down in comparison to the DJI range is the image quality. It only managed 1080p which is quite poor in this day and age. The flight time is decent at 16 minutes, but you won’t get the range the DJIs can manage with only 300m (as far as I can find online – it’s hard to get the proper specs).

The gimbal is also lacking a little but does manage wide-angle and the ability to move up and down by 45 degrees.

All in all, it’s yet another option for those on a budget. Honestly, though, I would just save up and get the Mavic Mini. You will be happier for longer and it is less of a toy.

DJI Mavic Air

There used to be only the DJI Spark or the Mavic Pro when it came to super-portable drones for the average Jo like you and me. Then DJI upped the ante and release an in-between drone – the DJI Mavic Air.

Even smaller and lighter than the Mavic Pro, but a few more features/specs above the Spark. So, if you are seriously thinking about a Spark, this is the toughest decision – Spark vs Mavic Air.

Here is the feature list:

• 4K video,  12MP RAW Images (also does 1080p)
• Built in flight modes (Follow me, Orbit/Point Of Interest, Course/Direction Lock, Waypoints, Return to Home)
• Controller that connects to a phone (or just use your phone)
• Range of up to about 1.25 miles with the controller
• Flight time of about 21 minutes

This is perhaps one of the best portable drones to come on the market since the Mavic Pro and Spark. It just combines the best of both their worlds.

Genius Idea Drone

Quite a new contender on the market, the Genius Idea Follow Me drone is a super portable drone that is the closest thing to the Spark I have seen in a while.

Its shape and layout are very similar to the Spark, it is also a tiny bit lighter. It also comes with quite a lot of the same flight modes (see specs).

The big bonus with this drone is the battery life, which is claimed to be 18 minutes or more, and also the type of battery – small, round and cheap Lithium batteries.

It is also about 2/3 the price of the Spark.

What else do you get:

• 4K stabilized video (with a 13MP sensor)
• 18+ minute flight time (more than some of the smaller options)
• Flight Modes: Return to home, Follow, Face recognition (great for selfies), Orbit/circling, Route planning, Selfie gesture mode
• Phone App controlled

For those not wanting anything fancy in terms of controllers or flight modes, this is a great option. It is a reasonable price, very light and portable, and a great way to either get a drone experience or take some cool selfies and videos when out and about.

Wingsland S6 Mini Drone

The Wingland S6 is similar to the Dobby in terms of it’s small size, light weight and of course short flight time.

But if portability is what you want, this drone delivers! It also has 4K video, which is rare for such a small drone.

And it has loads of intelligent flight modes, which is usually a compromise for such a low price point.​

It includes impressive features like:

• 4K UHD video
• Built in flight modes (Course-Lock mode, 360 Photo mode, Orbit, Follow me, Outdoor Auto Hovering)
• Return to Home: one click
• Outdoor and indoor flying possible
• Phone App controlled

If light and portable with decent video is what you are after, this might be the perfect drone for you. Of course, the build quality is less than any DJI product, but you can’t have everything, right?

DJI Mavic Pro 2

The DJI Mavic Pro 2 is an alternative to the Spark worth mentioning because it is really its big brother.

The Mavic is also quite new on the market and has similar intelligent flight features to the Spark (without the gestures). However, what it has over the Spark is its collapsed size, which is a lot narrower (and easy to pack/carry).

It also has a remote controller as standard (extra with the spark and often not an option with most small drones) which means its range is an insane 4 miles and a flight time of around 25 minutes!

It also has 4K with a 3-axis gimbal, so physical stabilization – ie. it’s a pro-level camera.​

Here is the full feature list:

• 4K Video (3-axis gimbal Stabilization) 12MP RAW Images (also does 2.7K, 1080p etc)
• Built-in flight modes (Follow, Active Track, Orbit, Way points via GPS, cinematic, and more)
• Return to Home: returns to hand with shutoff for safety
• Controller that connects to phone or tablet
• Range of up to about 4 miles with the controller
• Flight time of about 25 minutes

All in all the Mavic Pro is a serious drone at about the thousand bucks mark (without all the extras). So, if all you are after is an entry-level, give this a miss. But, if you are serious about having a portable drone that can also do great selfies, this is your guy for sure!

Here is a full review from the Youtube star Caisey Neistat – forward to 2:40 to see the review!