An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is defined as a motorized aerial vehicle that does not carry a human operator. The drone uses aerodynamic forces for the uplift and to fly autonomously or by the remote pilot. The drone can be recoverable or consumable and it can carry a deadly or nonlethal payload. Apart from military use, drones are now used for commercial and private use.
Drones are now used to capture images or record footage from a bird’s perspective. Several companies have been working on manufacturing and launching consumer drones with advanced features. They are working to provide their customers with the most efficient drone machines. For example, DJI launched its new DJI Air 2S with improved picture quality and superior flight performance. On the other hand, the innovative drones by different manufacturers can be used for precise directions in remote locations and product delivery.
Top 10 Drone Manufacturing Companies In The World
DJI
DJI arguably is the most popular drone maker in the industry. DJI is based in Shenzhen, China, and they have grown in leaps and bounds since their inception in 2006, which was over ten years ago. Currently, DJI has several offices in America, Europe, and some in major cities in Asia.
The company offers a handful of models in the budget. They have excelled in the area of semi-professional and industrial drone models. Also, they have been setting new benchmarks with virtually every new drone model and upgrading. Meanwhile, various sectors rely on the high-level advanced technology offered by the DJI drone models. These sectors are:
- Disaster tracking
- Cinematography
- Conservation
- Agriculture
- Search and rescue
- Emergency response
- Surveillance
On the other hand, DJI has been working on redefining the possibilities of filmmaking platforms, equipment, and aerial photography drones. Some of the popular drones from the DJI are:
- DJI Phantom (Phantom 3 and Phantom 4 Pro)
- DJI Spark
- DJI Mavic (Mavic Pro, Mavic 2, and Mavic 3)
- DJI S900 Hexacopter Model
- DJI Air 2S
- DJI FPV
Altair Aerial
Altair Aerial, an RC toy company based in Lincoln, Nebraska, is best known for its economy class drone models. As you know, drone flying as a hobby is rapidly growing among different demographic groups. Also, there is a huge market for drones that fall in the price category of $100 to $300. This niche has been targeted by Altair Aerial and it has been a success in such efforts.
The most popular models of Altair Aerial are:
- Altair Aerial AA108
- Altair Tomahawk
- Altair Blackhawk
- Altair 818 Hornet
DROCON
DROCON is another middle and low-cost segment. DROCON is often referred to as a pseudo-brand of drones as they don’t build their products. Instead, they rebrand the drones from other manufacturers. Not as much is known about the company other than it has an address in Australia and a website in the UK. All DROCON models are sold primarily through Amazon and their drones are popular among drone hobbyists.
Like Cheerson, DROCON is mainly known for the mini models and they are of great value for money. However, since these are extremely cheap models, it is uncommon for some models to malfunction. The popular drones from DROCON are:
- DROCON U818 Plus
- DROCON Blue Bugs (With GoPro)
- DROCON Bugs 6
Force1
Force1 is an attractive name in the world of drones. It is mainly because of the wide range, such as entry-level to intermediate to advanced drone models that the brand offers at competitive prices. When you look for a drone under $500, then you will see 4 to 5 drone models from Force1.
Some popular drones from Force1 are as follows:
| Drone | Specifications |
| Beginner Level | |
| Halo3000 | Altitude Hold
Superior Stability 720p HD Camera |
| UFO3000 | |
| Red Heron | |
| Raven | |
| Discovery | |
| Intermediate Level | |
| F111 Phoenix | Custom Route Mode
HD Camera Wi-Fi FPV App Control |
| Rogue F72 FPV Drone | |
| Thunderbolt | |
| Advanced Level | |
| F100 Ghost | GPS-Enabled Flight
Advanced Motor Technology VR Capability |
| Bugs6 | |
| F200W Shadow | |
Cheerson
Cheerson Hobby is a small drone business based in Guangdong Province, China. As the name of the company suggests, Cheerson drones are specially designed for hobbyists and budget-conscious travelers. The company manufactures various forms of remote-control toy drones with a price range under $100.
Cheerson Hobby is best known for making mini and nano quadcopters such as:
- Cx-10 Mini
- Cheerson CX-33S Tricopter
- Cheerson Cx-20
Eachine
Eachine started as a company offering affordable entry-level quadcopters. However, over time, the company has evolved and introduced several popular modular styles, GPS, FPV, and Racing Drone models. Eachine is especially appreciated by the drone hobbyists because of the good prices they offer in the competition.
Some drone models from Eachine such as Eachine Racer 250 compete with the Walkera Runner 250 because of the same features. Not every drone model is more affordable than Eachine but they offer better performance in terms of stability and durability as compared to the Walkera model.
Famous Eachine drone models are:
- Eachine E511S GPS
- Eachine 511
- Eachine UK65/US65
- Eachine Tyro99
Parrot
Parrot, a French company specializing in telecommunications equipment, is a new entrant in the drone market. The high-end, cutting-edge technology and wireless products created in collaboration with some of the world’s best-known designers aim to bring new solutions to the industrial/professional market. Although Parrot is a new entrant in the drone market, they have established a great market share by manufacturing high-quality drones for consumer and professional categories.
The Parrot Ar. Drone, a mid-range drone, had a major impact when it was introduced to the market. It was known as the first piloted quadcopter with augmented Wi-Fi and reality. Apart from Parrot Ar. Drone, several famous and important drones have made an impact in the drone market.
- Ar. Drone 2.0
- Parrot Mambo Mini Drone
- Parrot Bebop 2
- Parrot Disco FPV
- Parrot ANAFI
Hubsan
For those who prefer entry-level or mid-level drones, Hubsan is the perfect drone manufacturer for drone hobbyists. Hubsan’s headquarters is in Shenzhen, China with a major office in South El Monte, CA, USA. The best-selling series of Hubsan is X4. The drone models in this series are of the entry-level category. Due to great durability, the X4 series by Hubsan is value for money to their customers.
Apart from the X4 series, there are some other famous drones by Hubsan that are equipped with altitude hold function, headless mode, 1080p HD camera, Follow Me, FPV, GPS Positioning, and much more. The top priority drones from Hubsan are:
- H501S
- H502S
Holy Stone
If you are looking for quality drones under $100, then Holy Stone manufactures a better mix of quality and featured drones. These drones are manufactured in two modern factories located in Yilan Taiwan and Lung Tan. Also, there is an advanced materials research laboratory in Japan. Holy Stone focuses on manufacturing fully featured and high-quality drones that are easy and simple to fly for beginners, intermediate, and advanced level users.
Some of the famous drones by Holy Stone are as follows:
- HS720E GPS Drone with 4K EIS Camera
- HS360 2.5K Camera with Gimbal and EIS
- HS710 Ultralight 4K GPS Drone
Other than the above-mentioned drones, several other drones such as Holy Stone F181 RC, Holy Stone X400, and U818A HD Plus range from $80 to $110. These drones are having features such as:
- Easy Handling With Cursor
- Headless Mode
- Altitude Hold
- 4-Way Flip
- Excellent Camera Capabilities
Despite the cheap price of the drones by Holy Stone, they are of high build quality, durability and strength.
Syma
Syma is based in Shantou, China and the brand has been an industry leader in the manufacturing of high-quality drones through innovation. They have been manufacturing RC quadcopters and drones for a decade. The visionary and innovative approach gives an improved flying experience to hobbyist drone users or beginners.
The famous drones by Syma are:
- X30
- W1 Pro
- X25 Pro
- X8 Pro
- X8SW-D
Syma manufactures drones with a high-quality build and advanced features such as active tracking, circle flight, GPS Tracking, optical flow, waypoint, one key return, HD Camera 1080P – 5G, palm control, brushless motor, and much more.
Drone Manufacturers – Top 10 Companies Around The World
When it comes to commercial or private drones, people are more aware of DJI than other companies. It is because it has set a benchmark of drone technology that is being used by commercial sectors and personal users. Apart from DJI, there are other drone manufacturers across the globe. These companies have been working to bring the best drones in the world for their customers.
The top drone manufacturers provide their customers with drones of different price categories for different categories of users such as beginners, intermediate, and advanced or professional. These drones are having basic and advanced features that can be used by beginners or professionals, according to their needs.