If you already have a GoPro camera and was searching for the best RC drone to get your camera airborne – you have come to the right place as we are reviewing the best drone for GoPro cameras you can buy today.

With an incredible amount of options available on the market, choosing the right drone for you is not an easy task, let alone choosing the best drone that can mount your GoPro camera.

When we first started to research the drones that are compatible with GoPro Hero cameras, we were greatly surprised by the amount of outdated information available on the internet.

Looking for best drones for your GoPro camera? We have a pick for you!

The problem is that many drone manufacturers have either pulled out of the market or went broke due to the increased regulation that has been recently imposed on the drone usage and tighter competition.

So we tasked ourselves to cut through the noise and clutter to give you a single resource with the most relevant and current information available on best drones for GoPro in 2020. The aim was to create an objective buyer’s guide which is useful and relatively concise. I hope you find it that way and get a great deal of value!

Image Range / Fly Time / Speed / GoPro Hero Supported
Best Overall – Xiro Xplorer G
If you need the most airtime you can have – Xiro Xplorer is the best drone to do the job. It also features an ergonomic design, stunning looks, and solid quality.
1 640 feet < 25 min 34 Mph Hero 3,4
Best Cheap GoPro Drone – Ionic Stratus
With a price tag of around $100, Ionic Stratus is the best budget drone for GoPro. It packs an incredible feature set and great value for the price. Battery life is mediocre, however.
492 feet <10 min N/A Hero 3,4,5,6,7
Best GoPro Integration – GoPro Karma
If you are after the best drone and GoPro integration, nothing beats GoPro Karma. Stable video quality and reliable connection make it one of the best drones for aerial photography.
9 840 feet < 20 min 35 Mph Hero 4,5,6,7
Best for Racing and Fun – Traxxas Aton Plus
A multi-purpose drone that has beginner, intermediate and expert control modes. Race drone speeds and the best fail-safe features we’ve seen in drones.
3 280 feet < 30 min 50+ Mph Hero 3,4
Best Follow Me – Airdog ADII
The most advanced aerial platform on the market. If you need the drone to take the best ‘follow me’ footage, there is no better alternative.
492 feet < 15 min 45 Mph Hero 5,6
Best Value Drone – Holy Stone HS700
The best value gopro drone we could find. With the price tag of under $300 and loads of features, there is no competition.
1 300 feet < 20 min 15 Mph Hero 2,3,4
Best Action Drone – Staaker Action Sports Drone
The best action GoPro drone on the market. Five follow-me modes powered by artificial intelligence proactively position the drone to take the best shots and video footage of your sport activity.
19 miles < 30 min 50 Mph Hero 4,5,6
Best Beginner Drone – DROCON Bugs 3 Drone
The cheapest GoPro drone in our review with a price tag of under $100. Despite being budget, it has all the main features you need. Brushless motors, two way communication and a very reasonable range.
1 500 feet < 20 min 30 Mph All Heros
Top 8 Drones for your GoPro

Best Overall – Xiro Xplorer G

If you need the most airtime you can have – Xiro Xplorer is the best drone to do the job. It also features an ergonomic design, stunning looks, and solid quality.

1 640 feet < 25 min
34 Mph Hero 3,4

Best Cheap Drone – Ionic Stratus

With a price tag of around $100, Ionic Stratus is the best budget drone for GoPro. It packs an incredible feature set and great value for the price. Battery life is mediocre, however.

492 feet < 10 min
N/A Hero 3,4,5,6,7

Best GoPro Integration – GoPro Karma

If you are after the best drone and GoPro integration, nothing beats GoPro Karma. Stable video quality and reliable connection make it one of the best drones for aerial photography.

9 840 feet < 20 min
35 Mph Hero 4,5,6,7

Best Racing & Fun – Traxxas Aton Plus

A multi-purpose drone that has beginner, intermediate and expert control modes. Race drone speeds and the best fail-safe features we’ve seen in drones.

3 280 feet < 30 min
50+ Mph Hero 3,4

Best Follow Me Drone – Airdog ADII

The most advanced aerial platform on the market. If you need the drone to take the best footage of you doing active sports, there is no better alternative.

492 feet < 15 min
45 Mph Hero 5,6

Best Value – Holy Stone HS700

The best value gopro drone we could find. With the price tag of under $300 and loads of features, there is no competition.

1 300 feet < 20 min
15 Mph Hero 2,3,4

Best For Action & Sports – Staaker Action Sports Drone

The best action GoPro drone on the market. Five follow-me modes powered by artificial intelligence proactively position the drone to take the best shots and video footage of your sport activity.

19 miles < 30 min
50 Mph Hero 4,5,6

Best Beginner Drone – DROCON Bugs 3 Drone

The cheapest GoPro drone in our review with a price tag of under $100. Despite being budget, it has all the main features you need. Brushless motors, two way communication and a very reasonable range.

1 500 feet < 20 min
30 Mph All Heros

The Xiro Xplorer G is an RTF (i.e. ready to fly) drone that is specifically designed to support GoPro Hero 3 and 4 cameras.

You can also use GoPro Hero 5 and 6, but you won’t be able to connect it to the drone to stream the video from the camera without having to remove it.

The drone is quite versatile and is suitable for a bit of everything – general use, sport flying, and even aerial photography.

The Xiro Xplorer G is one of the best drones to buy if you are a beginner.

Design And Durability

The design of Xiro Xplorer G is eye-catching and practical at the same time. In fact, holding the drone in your hands gives you a feeling of a refined simplicity as it is one of the best-looking drones we have ever seen. In addition, it is also one of the most durable drones we have ever tested. The build is sturdy and the plastic is robust.

Reportedly, the x-shape body and sharp edges have been designed to be aerodynamically efficient and visually appealing. The drone’s body is made out of interchangeable modules that are easily swapped if required. For example, you can interchange the GoPro camera for a native camera quite easily and quickly.

If you have a GoPro Hero 3 or 4 cameras, then you will get to benefit from the FPV (i.e. First Person View) feature by using your phone. Not only you can have a live view from your drone’s cockpit, you can also define a course for the drone to fly.

Battery

The battery that comes with the drone is a custom shape, so you won’t be able to use a generic type battery. Not that there is a great need for it, as the stock battery comes with 5200 mAh capacity that will give you up to 25 minutes of airtime.

Charging the battery requires 30 to 40 minutes, which is superior to many other drones out there.

Controller

The Xiro Explorer is extremely easy to fly due to a very comfortable remote and stable positioning in the air. The controller has an ergonomic shape and is made using quality materials.

The controller looks and feels simple and neat partially due to a smart button layout.

The Xiro Xplorer G Remote Control Functions are neat and simple - one of the best remote controls in RTF drones

Features

The Xiro Xplorer G is packed with features, some of which are typically found in premium drones.

One of the most basic features is a ‘return home’ which enables the drone to remember the take-off position and safely return at a push of a button. The feature auto enables if the drone loses the connection with the controller or battery levels get critically low.

The ‘follow me’ feature is engaged via a mobile phone application. It tells the drone to follow your movement and track you. Additionally, you can engage a ‘self-circling’ option which would make the drone hover over you capturing you in a circular fashion with the drone and the camera facing your way.

The ‘follow-snap’ feature is a more advanced version of the ‘follow me’ feature which allows you to pick an object on the screen for the drone to follow and rotate around it.

The ‘waypoint navigation’ feature is impressive. It allows you to place up to 16 points using the mobile application on the map. Once done, you can engage the Xiro Xplorer G to execute the defined route. Whilst the drone is following the waypoints, you can control it to turn in a way that captures the best frame.

Performance

The Xiro Xplorer G comes with three different flight modes designed to cater for any experience level the users might have.

The first mode is designed for beginner users in mind and represents the safest option if you are just starting out. Before flying the drone the system checks that it has a solid GPS signal with at least six satellites. Whilst in flight, the speed is limited to 2 meters per second, the fly-away distance to 100 meters and the maximum height to 50 meters.

The second mode is designed for people with flying experience and sets fewer constraints. It allows the drone to fly without having a GPS connection. The horizontal speed is now limited to 6 meters per second, fly-away distance to 300 meters and altitude ceiling to 120 meters.

The third mode increases the vertical speed to 3 meters per second, horizontal speed to 8 meters per second, fly-away distance to 600 meters and vertical ceiling to 120 meters. This mode is for exper use only and should not be engages unless you feel extremely comfortable with drone’s controls.

Bottom Line

Xiro Xplorer G is a highly capable drone as far as the flying performance is concerned. It is fast and has one of the best airtimes available on the market. It is robust, ergonomically designed and simply looks stunning. The only area where it slightly falls short is the camera footage quality due to the GoPro 3-axis gimbal that comes in the box.

The Xiro Xplorer G could easily be your best general-purpose and versatile drone, yet if the aerial photography is your main priority, there are better alternatives available in our review.

8.5/10
  • Features 90% 90%
  • Usability 80% 80%
  • Flight Time 90% 90%
  • Performance 80% 80%
POSITIVE
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Consistent and stable aerial video
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Great range and flight time
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Easy to use, ergonomic controls
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Beautiful and compact design
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Great value, affordable
NEGATIVE
Best ebook reader reviews with benefits, pros, cons and recommendations No native support for GoPro 5 and 6
Best ebook reader reviews with benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Does not take photos

2. Best Budget Drone For GoPro: Ionic Stratus

Ionic Stratus, also known as the Ionic 2.4 Ghz Remote Control Drone is positioned as a mid-sized budget drone for your GoPro camera.

Although this is an entry-level drone, it is a highly versatile, full-featured drone with a full-function remote control.

The drone comes certified with a number of standards, such as EN62115, ASTM, and EN71, which is great to see in a budget range.

Ionic Stratus is the Best Budget Drone For GoPro. It represents an exceptional value and rich feature set.

Design And Durability

Ionic Stratus is one of the biggest and heaviest drones in our review. It spans 20 inches in width if you factor in the blade protectors. However, it is not the size that makes unportable, but rather the solid arms that do not fold like most of the drones in our review. In other words, although you could probably stick it into your backpack, it is much more preferred to carry it in a car.

The drone comes with a 6-axis gyro system, which is a standout feature in this price range. In fact, Ionic Stratus was the first budget drone to feature such a gyro system. It makes the drone stable in mixed outdoor conditions allowing it to withstand a mild wind, as long as you are not pushing it too much.

It is great to see that budget drones are featuring more advanced systems now. After all, you’ll have your GoPro camera mounted on it, which is four times the price of the drone, so you do want to keep it safe.

Also, the drone has a highly durable body. It comes with a shock-absorbent cradle head and shock resistant landing gear to protect the drone and the camera from light to medium impacts and crashes.

The Ionic Stratus can mount various ‘general’ size cameras, however, it has been specifically designed for GoPro Hero. At the time it was launched, the GoPro Hero 4 camera was out, which the harness that comes with the drone was tailored to support. You can still mount Hero 5 and 6 cameras just as easily, yet it will be a slightly less perfect fit.

Actually, the camera mount is probably the least impressive part of the drone as it does not use a gimbal and is fixed to the drone’s frame. We were not expecting a gimbal to come with a budget drone, as it would have been unreasonable, but what we’ve learned is the importance of having one.

Apart from the mount itself, it is not been positioned perfectly relative to the landing gear. This results in the landing gear getting into the video frame on most of the GoPro video settings, which is not ideal footage (see the video above).

Battery

The 7.4V 1200MAh Lithium battery that comes with the drone allows for about 10 minutes of airtime. This is not too spectacular and is somewhat expected in the budget drone range.

It takes around 2.5 hours to recharge the battery, so we recommend buying at least one additional battery together with this drone.

Controller

The drone comes with a full-featured control stick that allows the quad to move in all directions and even perform some 360-degree flips. You do not need to train for the flip as it is a single button operation that initiates and completes the flip safely. The drone can also do a 3D roll in both forward and backward directions.

The remote is easy to use and allows the controls to be customized to your liking, which is also a bonus for a budget drone. It keeps a stable connection with the drone up to a 150 meters distance.

Features

One of the features we do not often see on budget drones is the headless mode. It allows the pilot to control the drone and not worry about its orientation in the air when flying. The headless mode uses the pilot’s position as a reference point making it easier to control the drone, especially in the distance where you cannot tell the front and the rear of the drone apart. You can turn this mode on or off while the drone is in flight.

Moreover, the Ionic Stratus features an integrated, GPS based ‘return home’ functionality which makes sure that the drone will always find the way back to its take-off location.

The Ionic Stratus comes with some handy accessories such as protection frame, spare blades and landing skids making ready to use out of the box. In case you need more, there are plenty of other options and accessories to choose from at very affordable prices.

Performance

The Ionic Stratus allows you to select one of the three flying speed settings to tailor your flying experience. The fastest setting enables the drone to reach speeds of around 30 miles per hour.

In addition to the straight-line performance, the drone can perform a couple of tricks – the ‘one key roll‘ and a 3D roll.

The One Key Roll function is triggered by pressing a button on the radio controller to roll forward once. There is nothing you need to do except pressing the button to have the drone execute this trick and then hover in the air.

The more interactive trick is a 3D roll, which allows the pilot to control the roll by pressing the roll button and navigating the control stick forward, backward or to the sides. In fact, you can do a whole sequence of the rolls, holding the button and alternating the control stick positions.

Although the Ionic Stratus is capable of performing a couple of air tricks, it does not have a full 3D movement support and it would not be fair to expect it to have it. This is a drone that makes a small step forward to introduce the user to some of the advanced and fun ways of playing with your quadcopter, but it is not tailored for expert use. If you are someone starting out and wanting to get a little bit of exposure to what the big guys can do – the Ionic Stratus is one of the best RC drones for beginners out there.

Bottom Line

The Ionic Stratus is an incredibly feature-rich for a budget drone. It represents an amazing value that other quads will struggle to match. At the same time, the video footage comes out slightly shaky due to the motor vibration and the landing gear gets in the way. Unless that’s a showstopper – the Ionic Stratus is the best drone under $100 for GoPro camera by a country mile.

8/10
  • Features 90% 90%
  • Usability 90% 90%
  • Flight Time 60% 60%
  • Range 70% 70%
POSITIVE
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Amazing value, best budget drone for GoPro
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Compatible with all GoPro Heros
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations 3D roll is fun
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Durable landing gear and body
NEGATIVE
Best ebook reader reviews with benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Below average flying time
Best ebook reader reviews with benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Shaky footage as the camera mount does not absorb motor vibration
Best ebook reader reviews with benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Takes too long to recharge the battery

3. Best GoPro Integration – GoPro Karma

The GoPro Karma is a very different drone which had a hard time getting released.

At first, the initial batch came out with a battery defect, causing GoPro to recall the drones.

With the issue being fixed now, is it the best drone for GoPro on the market today? Let’s find out.

The GoPro Karma is definitely the Best Drone For GoPro hands down. It is robust, stylish, has amazing flying performance and specifically tailored to work with GoPro Hero 4, 5 and 6

Design And Durability

The GoPro Karma design has a strong focus on portability. The drone is lightweight and comes with a compact case that includes rotors and the landing gear nicely folded.

The GoPro camera is designed to be mounted at the front of the drone rather than underneath it. That setup allows the drone to have a slimmer profile compared to the competition.

The camera gimbal can also be used as a stick gimbal. If you don’t have a gimbal stick for your camera yet, this could be a good way to save some money. Moreover, the gimbal that comes in a package is of excellent quality and is one of the best drone gimbals for GoPro we have seen.

Despite the drone being light, it is also extremely rugged. The drone’s body, controller, grip, and the camera itself is sturdy and capable of withstanding some physical impacts.

Most of the critical drone components such as arms, landing gear, propellers, or gimbal are made easy to remove and replace in case of damage or fault.

Out of the box, the GoPro Karma is designed to work with GoPro Hero 5 and 6 cameras, however, if you buy an additional harness, GoPro 4 Silver and Black cameras would mount just as easily.

Battery

The battery life is the Achilles heel of GoPro Karma as it only lasts 17 minutes in the air. This is almost 10 minutes shorter than the best results we’ve seen amongst other drones of the same class such as Yuneec Typhoon or Xiro Xplorer G.

Controller

The drone and the controller communicate with each over the Wi-Fi network, which allows a smooth operation up to 1.86 miles or 3-kilometer distance. Although it is a great result, if you compare it to DJI Mavic Pro’s range of 4.3 miles or 7 kilometers, it is inferior.

The controller is well built and is made of a quality plastic that grips well and has a good feel. The top part of the controller features a touchscreen display. The best part is that you can adjust the camera settings, including the shooting mode or the shutter via the controller.

Features

To improve the video and photo quality, the drone comes with a built-in gimbal. You can take it out and mount it on the grip which also comes in the package to get yourself a camera stabilizer. The grip also works with a standard GoPro mount system, which can be attached to a motorbike or a car.

Amongst the typical options of most drones, the GoPro Karma features an automated landing and take-off ability.

The drone comes with a ‘return home’ feature allowing the drone to return to the original take-off location in case of low battery or signal loss.

Drones in this price range more often than not come with a collision detection system, and unfortunately, it is not the case for GoPro Karma which makes it feel under-equipped compared to the rivals.

Performance

In our tests, the GoPro Karma demonstrated a maximum speed of 35 miles or 56 kilometers per hour. Although this is not the best result we’ve seen in drones, it is very respectable.

The real highlight is the best in class video quality, and the footage looks crisp with vibrant colors the GoPro cameras are known for.

The three-axis gimbal works exceptionally well with the drone’s rotors even at high speeds and tight turns. The video frame is being kept consistently stable, allowing the camera to do its best job possible.

While the drone is in flight, the video signal is being sent to the transmitter, which shows a live ‘cockpit’ view of the camera. The image quality on the transmitter is crisp when the drone is in short-range, yet degrades sharply as soon as the distance increases.

Bottom Line

GoPro Karma is the best drone for GoPro integration there is, it is simple and works extremely reliably. The gimbal keeps the camera remarkably stable and the end footage result is of the best video quality you could expect from GoPro. Given the video performance and superb stability, it makes GoPro Karma one of the best drones for aerial photography.

At the same time, the drone is giving way to the competition in terms of battery life and technological advancement. It feels under-equipped and less sophisticated compared to its rivals.

7,7/10
  • Features 80% 80%
  • Usability 90% 90%
  • Flight Time 60% 60%
  • Performance 80% 80%
POSITIVE
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Compact, slim and portable
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Great camera stabilization
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Multipurpose gimbal
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Best GoPro integration on the market
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Solid build quality
NEGATIVE
Best ebook reader reviews with benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Collision detection system would be nice
Best ebook reader reviews with benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Shorter transmission range than other drones
Best ebook reader reviews with benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Mediocre battery life

4. Best GoPro Racing Drone – Traxxas Aton Plus

Traxxas Aton Plus is a ‘ready to fly’ sport quad designed by a well known RC company Traxxas. The company is well known for RC cars, but their entry into the quad market is relatively recent.

The objective that Traxxas has set for themselves when designing the Aton Plus is to create an ultimate quad that is so versatile that it appeals and works for the users of any skill levels.

Has Traxxas managed to pull it off? Let’s check this quad out!

The Traxxas Aton Plus is one of the best drones for the money there is. It fits all skill levels and flying styles.

Design And Durability

As soon as you unpack the box, the ‘wow’ factor just screams at you. The colors are super vivid and the body profile has some great looking, sleek curves. In fact, it reminds you of a racing car, which is the Traxxas pedigree they are so well known for.

You will also find a Quick Start guide in the box advising you to get familiar with Know Before You Fly responsibilities as a pilot.

The frame is made of a molded plastic that has a sturdy feel and holds the drone and electronics together.

The canopy is made of a quality rugged plastic giving the drone the necessary protection for beginner pilots who are just starting out.

Putting the drone together completes the image and exhibits the feel of toughness, aggressiveness, durability, and performance making you extremely impatient to fly it.

At the back of the quad, you will find the four light indicators that represent the level of readiness of Power, GPS, Home Location, and Info. It may take the quad up to a minute to check and initialize all the systems before you can safely fly it.

Each arm has a very bright LED to help you understand the drone’s orientation in the air. The LED lights are very bright and are highly visible even during the daytime. If you like colors other than red and white, which it comes with, you can purchase different color lenses separately.

Battery

The Aton Plus comes with a high capacity of 5000mAh 3S LiPo battery allowing you over 30 minutes of airtime. This is one of the best results we have seen in ready to fly drones, big or small.

Flying the Aton Plus with the GoPro camera mounted reduces the overall airtime by 3-4 minutes. Nevertheless, it still represents an exceptional result compared to the competition.

Controller

The radio that comes with the Aton Plus is almost the same radio that came with the LaTrax Alias (if you know). It has more buttons to accommodate more advanced features of the drone, yet in essence, it is the same unit. The controller is simple, has a fairly generic feel, looks plain and feels somewhat cheap, but it gets the job done well and reliably.

A little LCD screen on the radio will help you stay in touch with the current settings, such as transmitter and receiver battery levels, throttle rate, current flight mode and helicopter lights on/off.

Features

Aton Plus comes with multiple features that are not only fancy but also practical. Below are some of the most important ones:

3-axis gimbal

Traxxas has recently updated their not-so-great gimbal system from 2-axis to 3-axis support. The updated system results in better camera stability and reduced camera vibration caused by the rotors.

Airbrake

Whenever you find yourself in a panic situation losing control over the drone, you can hit the ‘Airbrake’ button to get the drone auto-stabilize, hover and wait for your further commands. This feature is extremely handy irrespective if you are a beginner or an expert pilot.

Return Home

If you want to have your drone return to its take-off position, you can use a ‘Return home’ button. Engaging this mode will see the drone elevate to take a 45-degree angle to the original takeoff position and commence the descent.

Keep in mind that the drone does not have a collision-avoidance system. Hence you need to consider the path it will roughly take and ensure that there are no obstacles in the way.

Traxxas Flight Link App

A highly customizable mobile phone application that can be downloaded from the Apple or Google stores. It allows you to customize almost all Aton’s controls and settings for each flight mode.

Performance

The performance of the Aton Plus is dependent on one of the three modes that you can choose from. They are Film, Sport, and Expert.

Film Mode

This mode is designed for the drone to maintain a stable position in the air using the 6-axis stabilizing gyro system. Minimizing the vibration and quad movement improves the video and photo shot quality allowing the pilot to focus on the object being filmed. The result is exceptional images and amazing video quality.

When using the default Film mode setting, you may find the controls feel quite docile. If you do, those settings can be changed to be more responsive which is handy when filming fast-moving targets.

The Film mode is excellent for learning the basic drone controls. It is perfect for beginner pilots who want to take it safe and easy.

Sport Mode

The Sport mode is all about fun as it allows the drone to show its athletic nature and perform some acrobatic maneuvres. When engaged, it gives additional control over the drone’s features allowing it to perform controlled flips and rolls, engage an air brake and get the drone to ‘come back home’.

We found the ‘air brake’ feature to be exceptionally handy as it stabilizes the drone and makes it hover when engaged. This is a really handy feature to prevent a drone crash whenever you start losing control over it. It is not about being an expert or a beginner, any of us may find this feature helpful given the right circumstances.

Expert Mode

The Expert mode disables any assistance or aid such as an accelerometer and gyroscope. IT allows the drone to fly at a speed higher than 50 mph and maneuver at extreme roll and pitch angles.

Despite the size of the drone, it can forward, backward or side flip with ease.

As the name suggests, the Expert mode is not for everyone and requires a certain level of skill to unleash the full potential of Aton Plus. At the same time, if you want to learn some of the air acrobatic tricks, you can safely do it. The ‘air brake’ is only a button click away to prevent a drone crash and regain your composure. You just need to make sure that you have one of your fingers close to the ‘air brake’ button.

Bottom Line

Traxxas Aton Plus is a highly versatile quad that can be used by beginners, intermediates, and experts. It does not do excel at any one thing in particular but rather does everything pretty good. It is a solid package that is great for beginners to learn the drone basics and it is equally good for taking video and photo shoots.
If we had to pick an area the drone leans naturally more towards to, it would be its racing nature and although it is not a real racing drone, it is a great way for beginners to get their feet wet.

9/10
  • Features 80% 80%
  • Usability 90% 90%
  • Flight Time 100% 100%
  • Performance 90% 90%
POSITIVE
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Best in class airtime
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Airbrake system is great at preventing accidental damage
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Insanely fast
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Film, Sport, and Expert flying modes
NEGATIVE
Reviews with benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Radio transmitter feels cheap

5. Best Drone For Filming – Airdog ADII

Airdog ADII is an evolution of the original Airdog drone released in 2014.

The new model was successfully funded by a Kickstarter campaign and developed by Helico Aerospace and comes with some great updates that are not so obvious from the first sight.

Airdog ADII is a very special drone built with a strong sports-action focus. The company motto is “The Future is Hands-Free” and the drone definitely lives up to that promise.

Airdog ADII is the Best Drone For Filming. The drone's aerial camera and follow abilities are simply the best we have seen.

Although the updated version is a lot better than its predecessor at being a general-purpose drone, it is still not perfect and we should not expect it to be. For those of us looking for an everyday drone, the Airdog ADII is probably not the best pick.

Design And Durability

When designing the Airdog ADII, the engineers had a clear, but a fairly contradictive set of objectives. The drone had to be light, portable, yet very durable. Those usually mutually exclusive factors come with a couple of constraints making it tricky to achieve, but we think AirDog has done just that.

Light, durable plastic, and aluminum materials have been predominantly used to make the drone rugged yet light at the same time. You can fold the drone away in your backpack by removing the propellers and folding the arms, and although it may take some room in your backpack, it is still reasonably portable.

The arms have a very sturdy feel and do not wobble, which is an excellent sign as foldable parts are prone to excessive play and ‘flop’.

Overall, the physical design has not changed much compared to the original AirDog, but the color scheme has. It no longer looks like a toy drone and portraits an image of serious, advanced, and sophisticated machinery.

The AirDog ADII has been designed to be the best sport-tracking action drone around. It is not a general-purpose drone, and hence, most of the design philosophy revolves around the hands-free tracking rather than the manual control. Due to that, the drone does not come with the radio controller but has a small waterproof transmitter pod called AirLeash instead.

The drone and AirLeash work in a tandem communicating with each other and exchanging the GPS and barometer readings to maintain consistent awareness of each other’s positioning. In other words, AirDog must always have an AirLeash to fly (got it?). There are multiple sensors used on the drone such as a gyroscope, GPS, accelerometer, magnetometer, and LiDAR to improve tracking and positioning precision.

Battery

The battery is mounted into the drone’s body from the back door which can be easily removed or replaced if required. It allows the flying time to range between 10 and 20 minutes depending on the flying habits, which is an average result.

Although 15 minutes of flying time on average may not seem to bad, we would have expected a better result from a drone that costs north of 1k. At the end of the day, having multiple spare batteries is highly recommended.

Features

Updated Gimbal System

You get an updated and enhanced 3-axis gimbal system that is compatible with GoPro Hero 5 and Hero 6 cameras. The clip-on mechanism is very similar to the one GoPro has introduced on Karma drones.

You will also find the adaptor on the gimbal which connects to the GoPro camera to recharge its battery and take over the camera controls.

Autonomous Modes

There are two main modes the AirDog can track you – hover and follow, which you can toggle between the two by pressing the play/pause button on the AirLeash.

In both modes, you can specify the elevation and the orientation by pressing the arrow buttons at any time, even whilst the drone is in action.

Choosing the hover mode will park the drone in the air and make it stick to the defined position no matter what. Since you have the AirLeash with you, the drone will always face you no matter how close or far you are, making sure that you are in the frame.

The follow mode is where the AirDog ADII truly shines and outperforms any other drone ever created. It has two sub-modes – fixed and adaptive.

Opting for the fixed mode will make the quad stay at a predetermined distance away from the AirLeash and will maintain it no matter what you do and where you go.

With the adaptive mode, you can choose one of the existing presets to make the drone follow you swinging, changing the elevation and proximity in a predefined way. The 3D tracking makes the video footage more dynamic and captures you from all possible angles. You can also create your own preset and have the drone follow you in the exact way you prefer. Moreover, you can use an app to set the entire course using the map to define the waypoints. For each of the waypoints, you can set the elevation making your course as custom as you want it to be.

Return Home and Spot

Getting the drone back is pretty straightforward, and there are two ways to do it. You can engage the return home mode, which will elevate the drone high enough so that it is capable of descending to the take-off location at a 45-degree angle.

Alternatively, you can use the spot function, which will bring the drone to where you are.

Performance

The AirDog ADII is a capable performance machine that can travel at speeds of 45 miles or over 70 kilometers per hour. This is not as fast as the Traxxas Aton Plus, but it gets close, which is quite impressive for a non-race drone.

Another important point worth mentioning is how well does the drone perform in a windy environment. This is probably the best wind resistant drone we have ever tested. Irrespective of the wind direction, the drone stays level and barely ever flinches.

As for the maximum operational ceiling, it is 11 500 feet or 3500 meters which is probably more than you’ll ever need.

Bottom Line

In summary, AirDog ADII is an amazing machine, but it is not for everyone. If you are looking for a general-purpose, recreational drone – check out other options in our review such as Xiro Xplorer G or Traxxas Aton Plus.

Alternatively, if you are looking for a smart aerial platform that is focused on active sports in open spaces – the AirDog ADII is ahead of the competition by a country mile. At the same time, for the price tag – we would love to see it have a collision-avoidance system integrated.

8.5/10
  • Features 80% 80%
  • Usability 100% 100%
  • Flight Time 70% 70%
  • Performance 90% 90%
POSITIVE
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Stable gimble
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Best drone for filming yourself
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations State of the art tracking/following system
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Quality build
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Portable and foldable design
NEGATIVE
Reviews with benefits, pros, cons and recommendations No obstacle avoidance system
Reviews with benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Expensive
Reviews with benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Average battery life

6. Best Value GoPro Drone – Holy Stone HS700

Holy Stone is an established player in the drone market, yet until recently they have specialized at making mini-drones predominantly for children.

Having enjoyed great success with their HS170 Predator mini-drone, Holy Stone has now moved into serious adult drones with the release of HS700.

Their latest model comes with many new smarts and features such as integrated GPS module and brushless motors.

The drone also comes with a mobile phone app that displays important information and controls the drone in flight.

In addition, the drone features an onboard camera which takes reasonable quality video, yet we recommend that you swap it with a GoPro. The bracket is designed to fit Hero 3 and 4 cameras, yet with some little tweaking Hero 5, 6 and 7 can also be mounted.

Design And Durability

The design looks sleek, and the build quality is sturdy. As a whole, the drone feels lightweight, but not too light to make it feel cheap. The body is molded with a solid quality plastic that feels robust and can take some beating.

Rotor arms are part of the body and do not fold, so if you are looking for an ultra-portable drone to carry around in your backpack, HS700 is not the best fit for that. On the other hand, if durability is more critical for you, then you may have just found one of the toughest drones out there.

The remote looks plain, and as the drone, it features a quality plastic that feels composed and ergonomic in hands. It has an LCD display showing the battery charge level, connection range and other handy details when flying. The phone holder at the top of the remote grips the smartphone well and gives it a secure fit.

Battery

The battery performance is one of the best in the price range as the drone comes with a LiPo 2800mAh cartridge shape battery. It provides HS700 close to 20 minutes of air time while most drones in the price range deliver 10 minutes on average.

The only complaint with the battery is the recharge time. It takes between 5 and 7 hours for a full charge cycle to complete. A spare battery would have been great, but unfortunately, only one is included in the base set.

Features

Although you are likely to already have a GoPro camera, Holy Stone HS700 comes with its own camera in the box. It is not as good as a GoPro, but with 12 MP, 1080p resolution and 120° wide-angle lens it delivers a reasonable video quality.

The main highlight, however, is a mobile app, which is optional to use and unlocks many cool features of the drone. The user interface design is quite intuitive so you should find it easy to navigate around it.

First, the app allows you to activate and configure the Follow Me mode. It does a great job at tracking the target and capturing the best moments keeping the target in focus.

You will also find a Return to home feature which there are three types of. You can specifically ask the drone to return home via the mobile app or the drone will initiate the return in case of a signal loss or low battery.

Holy Stone HS700 also comes with a custom flight path feature that is typically found in much more expensive drones. It allows you to manually set altitude, radius, distance and individual waypoints for the drone to navigate through.

Performance

The drone is surprisingly smooth and predictable. In fact, it is so easy to control and forgiving that I would recommend it to beginners. It held altitude well and proved to be stable while in flight, even in windy conditions.

It also packs an excellent performance package as it comes with very capable 1500Kv brushless motors. They allow the drone to achieve heights of 150+ meters and speeds of 25+ km/h which makes it suitable for experienced users. Despite the drone being agile and swift, it is not a race drone like Traxxas Atom, yet it can deliver plenty of casual fun performing bank turns and figure 8’s.

Lastly, HS700 integrates an updated 5G WiFi video transmission which ensures a reliable video streaming on your phone at a distance of up to 400 meters.

Bottom Line

Holy Stone HS700 may not be the first drone that comes to mind when you are thinking of getting your GoPro airborne, but it definitely is a very capable one. The battery performance and the feature set can easily compete with other drones that are double the price. If you are looking for a drone that is packed with smarts such as return to home, GPS tracking, custom flight path and more – Holy Stone HS700 is one of the best value GoPro drones around.

9/10

  • Features 90% 90%
  • Usability 90% 90%
  • Flight Time 90% 90%
  • Performance 90% 90%
POSITIVE
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Sturdy build
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Steady while hovering
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Perfect for beginners
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations ‘Follow me’ and custom flight path modes
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Amazing value for the price
NEGATIVE
Best ebook reader reviews with benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Non-foldable design
Best ebook reader reviews with benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Can’t adjust camera in flight

7. Best Action Drone for GoPro – Staaker Action Sports Drone

Staaker Action Sports Drone was designed in Norway specifically for action sports fans who can’t use a regular drone remote when doing active sports.

The drone was born out of the passion for skiing and the lack of good options to take quality footage has pushed the founder to deliver his offer.

It took 50 prototypes and three years in the making to deliver what some might say to be the most complete and polished action sports drone on the market.

With extreme sports photography and video footage being the target market, Staaker is a perfect fit for skiing, snowboarding, biking, rafting and any other activity that has you moving on the terrain or water.

Design And Durability

Staaker Action Sports Drone comes with a rugged case that keeps the drone safe in case you drop it. The drone’s body features foldable arms making the drone extremely portable and easy to carry in your backpack.

The drone has a unique remote control that looks more like a bracelet. It features an LCD display with four simple and big buttons to control the drone. The bracelet fits securely around your hand and was designed to be operated even with ski gloves on. In addition to drone controls, the remote features a tracker that the drone uses to follow you.

The tracker helps the drone to determine your position and movement patterns so that some artificial intelligence can do its magic to position the drone in the best way possible to give you shots and footage from amazing angles.

Battery

The drone comes with a smart LiPo 14.8V rechargeable battery that stores 6400 mAh of electric power. It has intelligence built into it to measure current, temperature and voltage to make sure you always have a safe flight.

Given the optimal weather conditions, the battery can keep your Staaker airborne for up to 30 minutes. This is the best battery life of all drone in our review. Despite the result, we still recommend having at least one spare battery with you, since you will discover later that flying Staaker Action Sports Drone barely ever gets enough.

Features & Performance

The drone features five flight modes –  Follow, Circle, Compass, Hover, and Scenery.

Follow – stays behind you no matter what you do. The distance and height can be controlled from the tracker.
Circle – similar to follow, but the drone circles around you as you move.
Compass – fixes a compass direction keeping the same background in the picture.
Hover – holds the drone at the specified height to give you the top-down shot or footage.
Scenery – manual control that allows you to use the button on the remote to control the drone.

Whichever mode you use, the drone does an amazing job at sticking to the plan as long as you keep yourself moving at 80 km/h or less. The distance can be controlled from your bracelet remote to keep the drone up to 1,150 feet away.

The drone also comes with impressive weatherproof capabilities. It can fly in the rain, snow and reasonable wind.

The most impressive feature of Staaker Action Sports Drone is the sophisticated artificial intelligence that makes a lot of right decisions when filming you.  It uses signals from the tracker on your wrist to predict your movement such as a ski jump or bike trick to proactively position the drone for the best angle to get that perfect shot.

In addition, some things you would normally expect to do are automated. For example, unfolding the drone arms automatically lock arms into place in preparation for flight. Also, when landing the drone, the gimbal retracts protecting the camera from touching the ground.

On the downside, Staaker Action Sports Drone doesn’t have obstacle avoidance or collision detection system. If you are flying the drone in areas full of trees and obstacles (or even birds) it could come quite handy. Otherwise, depending on your use and experience level, an obstacle avoidance system may not be necessary.

Bottom Line

Doing away with the traditional remote control, Staaker Action Sports Drone is a great choice for anyone who takes active sports shots and footage seriously. With five different flight modes, it has everything you would ever want from an action drone and some more. The drone constantly monitors your movement and learns your patterns to proactively position itself in a way that gives the best angle for that perfect shot or video footage.

9.2/10

  • Features 90% 90%
  • Usability 90% 90%
  • Flight Time 90% 90%
  • Performance 100% 100%
POSITIVE
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Rugged construction
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Extremely easy to use for an action drone
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Portable design
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations 5 follow modes that work
NEGATIVE
Best ebook reader reviews with benefits, pros, cons and recommendations No obstacle avoidance
Best ebook reader reviews with benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Average image stabilization

8. Best Beginner Gopro Drone  – DROCON Bugs 3 Drone

Offering some features only found in much more expensive drones, DROCON Bugs 3 is one of the top affordable drones on the market.

Unlike many other cheap GoPro drones, DROCON Bugs 3 features brushless motors.

Compared to conventional motors, they provide greater reliability and life span. They also consume less battery power, leaving you more air time to enjoy the drone.

Design And Durability

The build quality is extremely sturdy, with the pure nylon fiber body being able to withstand a lot of stress and impact shocks if the drone crashes.  The center of gravity is located at the dead center of the drone body to help keep the machine very steady in mid-flight.

Battery

Despite being a budget drone, it comes with a decent 7.4V 1800 mAh battery. It has enough capacity to keep your drone up in the air from 15 to 20 minutes depending on your style of flying.

Features & Performance

The drone can fly up to 30 miles an hour and ascend to 1000 feet which is quite impressive for a budget GoPro camera drone.  The controller, however, has a larger operational distance of 1500 feet.

DROCON Bugs 3 uses two-way communication over a 2.4G frequency. The connection remains stable and resistant to signal interference from other drones in the area.

The drone has not been originally designed to host a GoPro camera but it does come with an action mount so you can attach a GoPro or similar sized camera to help you capture some great aerial footage.  The mount is not a gimbal, so image stabilization may prove a bit tricky due to drone rotor blades generating some vibration.

Finding the downsides is a tricky challenge given the price range. Everything we can think off is not to be expected in drones under $100. GPS tracking or return home feature could have been included, but that is as far as we can go looking for shortcomings.

Bottom Line

DROCON Bugs 3 Drone is an incredible value for money. It is very easy to use, has features found on more expensive drones and is made of sturdy shock-resistant plastic. If you are looking for a first GoPro drone to start learning flying or practice your skills keeping you main drone safe from accidents – DROCON Bugs 3 Drone is the best cheap GoPro drone for the job.

7.5/10

  • Features 70% 70%
  • Usability 90% 90%
  • Flight Time 70% 70%
  • Performance 70% 70%
POSITIVE
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Brushless motors
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Fast
Best drones for gopros reviews benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Easy to use and operate
NEGATIVE
Best ebook reader reviews with benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Does not have GPS / return home
Best ebook reader reviews with benefits, pros, cons and recommendations Bulky

Best Rated Drones For GoPro – Quick Summary

GoPro is a well-established brand that has positioned itself as a market leader in action cameras.  Since you have invested a lot of money buying one, finding the drone that is compatible with your camera may potentially save you some cash. The thing is that drones packaged with integrated cameras are typically more expensive than drones with a camera harness only.

There are, however, a couple of things you need to be aware of before making a decision, and this review packs everything you need to know to help you choose the best drone for your GoPro camera.

The top 8 drones that are compatible with your GoPro Hero cameras are summarised in the table below. It is designed for people who do not have the time to go through the complete review and would only want to know the highlights.

At the same time, we would like to encourage you to read the entire review. We believe that it will help you make a better, more educated decisions when buying the best drone for your GoPro camera. In addition, if you need a more detailed comparison between all the drones we have reviewed here – please see a more comprehensive table at the bottom of this review.

How do we test Drones?

We have seen a fairly rapid pace of drone development over the last couple of years. Drones have become smarter, lighter, portable and more feature-rich than ever. Some even come with integrated cameras capable of recording 4K videos and amazing quality controllers featuring live view displays.

For those of you who want to take their drone experience to the ultimate and the most immersive levels – you can opt for an FPV (i.e., First Person View) goggles that allow you to have a bird’s eye view from the top or even a  VR headset.

Despite the growing number of updates, enhancements, and features, the most important aspects to consider when buying a drone have not changed. You still want to have an easy to use operation, reasonable airtime, good range, swiftness, and some handy perks to make your experience even more enjoyable.

As you may have guessed, below are the main aspects that you should consider when choosing the best drone for GoPro or any drone for that matter:

  1. Performance (e.g., speed, control, maneuverability)
  2. Flight time (e.g., battery capacity, drone efficiency)
  3. Range (e.g., the maximum distance you can control the drone at)
  4. Feature set (e.g., drone’s technical and functional capabilities)
  5. Ease of use and control (the process of setting up, flying and maintaining the drone)

Our review concludes the top 8 drones that you can mount your GoPro Hero camera on. The options we have listed below will fit you if you are looking for the best budget drone for GoPro or a full-featured, best premium drone for your GoPro Hero camera. Rest assured, we have a drone pick for your needs and budget!

Now that you have picked the best drone for your needs, pack your bag with a portable Bluetooth speaker or a top-rated handheld radio and hit the road.

Lastly, consider reading the drone code to ensure you have the required knowledge to be mindful and stay out of trouble.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Gimbal?

A gimbal is a motorized device designed to reduce or even eliminate vibration on the camera caused by the drone motion and motors. It also stabilizes the image being taken despite the constant drone movements in the air.

What is an RTF drone?

RTF stands for Ready To Fly and represents drones that predominantly contain everything required for it to fly out of the box. The exception could be batteries required for the remote controller.

What do I need to know before I fly a drone?

Please feel free to check the http://dronesafe.uk/drone-code/ that contains comprehensive documentation on everything you need to know before you fly a drone.

How low can I fly my drone?

According to the rules, you should no be flying your drone higher than 400 feet as it poses a danger to aircrafts in the air.

Are There Places I am not Allowed to Fly My Drone?
Yes, you are not allowed to fly your drone in national pars, over stadiums, within 5 miles of international or domestic airports, over people, any type of public events, white house or anything else that may pose even the slightest risk to other people.
Do I need to Register My Drone?
Yes, you must register your drone with FAA if it weights more than 0.55 lbs but less than 55 lbs. You will have to provide personal details and pay a $5 fee. The registration will be valid for 3 years after which it would need to be renewed.
Can Drones be Used with Virtual Reality Headsets?

Yes, definitely there are drones with virtual reality support. However, the drones reviewed in this article are designed to work with GoPro cameras and cannot work with VR headsets. Stay tuned, the Best Drones with VR Headset review is coming!