When searching for the best follow-me drones, make sure you determine the features that are right for you. We recommend that you choose a drone with great visual recognition technology or GPS transmission. Make sure that it has a high-quality camera that captures HD video. Considering all the features they’ll need, they probably won’t make a great indoor drone. When buying a follow-me drone, always make sure it has a good flight time, sufficient distance range, and intelligent flight features. Be sure to also check out our list of highly-rated drones.
After analyzing over one hundred different drone models with a range of features and different prices, we have determined that the DJI Mavic Pro Quadcopter is the best follow-me drone you can purchase today. Continue reading to find out more about this model and our other top picks for the best drones.
Top 10 Best Follow Me Drones
#1 DJI Mavic Pro Quadcopter Follow Me Drone
Award: TOP PICK
WHY WE LIKE IT: The DJI Mavic Pro uses excellent drone technology, especially its follow-me mode that allows you to position the drone, frame your shot, and capture high-quality photos with precision and ease.
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- Use gestures to take photos
- Fantastic 4.3-mile range
- Auto-leveling and object recognition
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- Best to buy extra batteries
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The DJI Mavic Pro excels in all of its features, beginning with excellent 27-minute average flight times. That allows users to cover up to eight miles off one charge. The drone can transmit a live video stream with a transmission range of up to 4.3 miles away from you. It’s also incredibly easy to fly with great automatic smart flight mode features like precision hover, obstacle avoidance sensors, and automatic leveling. All of this is achieved with two high-quality sensors that make it one of the safest drones to fly.
The Mavic Pro’s camera system is fantastic as well, featuring 4K video capture at 30fps and a 3-axis gimbal stabilizer for smooth footage. This drone is extremely easy to position for tracking and at different altitudes. Once set, it maintains a level height to the ground, even on uneven terrain. You can toggle on a Tripod Mode that optimizes the drone’s movements to capture sharp photography. It also has a very handy Gesture Mode that allows you to simply gesture at the drone when it’s tracking you to take pictures. The DJI company’s patented ActiveTrack Technology allows you to use a hybrid of precise GPS tracking with visual recognition for more dynamic, reliable tracking performance. Its functionality rivals the best professional drone on the market.
#2 DJI Mavic Air 2 Follow Me Drone
Award: HONORABLE MENTION
WHY WE LIKE IT: The DJI Mavic Air boasts a long list of intelligent features that enable it to do almost everything automatically, including following a subject, sensing and avoiding obstacles, following a flight path, and more.
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- Automatically lock onto subjects
- Intelligent battery with 34-minute flight time
- Auto-leveling and object recognition
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- Not compatible with goggles
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The DJI Mavic Air 2 is an advanced drone that’s packed with intelligent features, like Ocusync 2.0 which allows video transmission from the drone to your device at an impressive range of up to 6.2-miles away. When you’re in tracking mode, you can use the Spotlight 2.0 smart flight feature to have the camera precisely lock onto a subject no matter how the drone is flying within space. The Mavic Air 2 has omnidirectional obstacle sensing, meaning it’s hyper-sensitive to its environment in three different directions: forward, backward and downward. That makes for smooth flying and precise obstacle recognition and avoidance, which is especially important when operating around trees to avoid crashes.
The Mavic Air 2 also has an intelligent flight battery that maximizes flight time to 34 minutes. The battery power provides accurate real-time battery life updates and can sense any instance of overheating. The drone’s camera delivers 4K video at 60fps and 48MP photos. It truly has one of the best video cameras. If you’re tracking a vehicle, like a car or a bike during extreme sports or outdoor sports, the Mavic Air 2 will keep up at speed of up to 42.3 mph while in its intelligent Sport Mode.
#3 DJI Spark Follow Me Drone
Award: BEST FOR SOCIAL MEDIA
WHY WE LIKE IT: One of our favorite drones, the DJI Spark auto-follow drone, is all about fun, which is why it makes it easy for people to launch quickly, capture fun videos and pictures, and send them to your phone or other devices, and share them directly on social media.
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- Quick launch in seconds from your hand
- Easy gesture and palm controls
- Share media directly to social media
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- Initial setup takes long
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The DJI Spark is a fun, easy-to-use drone with the benefit of DJI’s high-end tech and software. Launch the Spark within seconds from the palm of your hand with its Quick Launch feature that kicks on by simply recognizing your face. This feature is fantastic for a quick selfie along with its intuitive gesture controls that allow you to frame the shot and take photos with your hand gestures. You can also turn on Palm Control Mode, which allows you to operate simple basic movements with your hands.
Capturing 1080p HD video and 12MP photos is just as easy, with precision tracking through ActiveTrack and intuitive, one-touch capture in TapFly mode. Content can be delivered to your smartphone. The DJI GO 4 app allows you to quickly compose and edit cinematic videos and photos, then share them directly to your favorite social media platforms. For additional social media tools, you might also want to invest in the best vlogging camera to keep the content flowing.
#4 Yuneec Typhoon H Pro Follow Me Drone
Award: BEST FLIGHT EXPERIENCE
WHY WE LIKE IT: The Yuneec Typhoon H Pro has six brushless motors to power it through the air, which provides fantastic stability and constant distance when hovering and following you in follow-me mode.
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- Eight smart tracking flight modes
- Six-rotor propeller system
- Anti-vibration 3-axis gimbal
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- Instruction manual could be better
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The Yuneec Typhoon H Pro takes your drone flight experience to new heights with a six-rotor propeller system. This enables precision flight control and added stabilization, including a fail-safe mode that triggers automatically if one of the rotors should fail. The design proves especially useful when experiencing winds during flight. The Typhoon H will automatically return home at that point and when battery life is too low to avoid crashing.
The tracking on this drone is fabulous, featuring eight different smart flight modes that will help you make use of its fabulous 4K Ultra HD camera. The Typhoon H will track you as far out as 150 feet. You have the option to have it orbit you in a circular motion while keeping the camera focused on you. The camera has a full 360-degree range of motion, 98-degrees of which can be captured by the wide-angle camera. A 3-axis anti-vibration gimbal ensures a smooth range of motion. For additional options, you might also want to check out our best selfie drone buying guide for smaller models with similar capabilities.
#5 DJI Mavic Mini Follow Me Drone
Award: BEST PORTABLE DESIGN
WHY WE LIKE IT: Somehow, the DJI Mavic Mini manages to include advanced visual tracking recognition and a high-quality camera into a drone that folds to about the size and weight of a smartphone, which is ideal and lightweight for taking it with you wherever you travel.
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- Foldable to pocket-size
- Weighs 0.55lbs
- Cordless charging base
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- No obstacle avoidance
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If you want a powerful drone with fantastic portability, the DJI Mavic Mini is the super-compact camera drone you want. As a sub-250 gram drone, the Mavic Mini is just slightly heavier than a smartphone and folds up to only 5.5-inches for easy transport. Its lightweight design enables it to achieve a great 30-minute flight time even with a smaller battery than standard-sized drones, plus it’s a good portable drone.
The Mavic Mini uses the same high-quality CMOS sensor as other DJI drones, which gives you use of fabulous and steady tracking features. You can use the DJI app to control everything, so there’s no need to bring an extra controller with you if you’re traveling light. The camera is mounted to a 3-axis gimbal and captures up to 2.7K HD resolution video. It’s a great gift for anyone looking for the best drone for traveling.
Related: You may also want to take a look at our best foldable drone.
#6 DJI Mavic 2 Zoom Quadcopter Follow Me Drone
Award: BEST FOR VIDEO
WHY WE LIKE IT: The DJI Mavic 2 Zoom allows you to capture true-to-life colors and vibrant gradients in incredible 4K HD video quality. Highlights and shadows look amazing, and manual aperture settings make getting the perfect video effortless.
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- f/2.8-f/11 adjustable aperture
- Advanced Hasselblad color and light processing
- Hybrid autofocus tracking system
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- SD card sold separately
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The DJI Mavic 2 Zoom delivers some serious video via its Mavic 2 Pro Hasselblad camera with 2x optical zoom. Videos and images are processed with the camera’s patented Hasselblad Natural Colour Solution that optimizes for enhanced, true-to-life color detail with a fantastic dynamic range. You’ll notice a stunning difference in lighting and gradation when capturing aerial shots of natural landscapes, making it an excellent choice for aerial video.
High-quality video captured in 4K HD resolution offers fantastic lighting contrast, great color tones, and vibrant highlights that will get you that cinematic shot. You can manually adjust the camera’s f/2.8-f/11 aperture, which provides excellent control over the lighting and smoothness of your footage. The camera’s 48mm telephoto lens is the ideal size for capturing cinematic, professional-looking video. You can also extend its 2x optical zoom up to 4x with digital lossless technology, even when shooting in full HD. Plug this device straight into the best 4K TV for outstanding playback footage.
#7 DJI Inspire 1 Pro Black Edition Follow Me Drone
We’re sorry, this product is temporarily out of stock
Award: BEST FOR STILL PHOTOGRAPHY
WHY WE LIKE IT: Filmmakers and professional photographers will make the most of the DJI Inspire 1’s 4/3 camera sensor that has a fantastic dynamic range when capturing light.
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- Zenmuse X5 4/3 sensor camera
- Interchangeable lens mount
- Record and capture in RAW
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- Disappointing 18-minute flight time
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The DJI Inspire 1 is a pro-grade filmmaking and photography drone with a fantastic camera, the Zenmuse X5. The Zenmuse X5 is an extremely compact 4/3 camera that captures 4K video at 30fps and 16mp quality images in RAW format. It also has an interchangeable MFT lens mount so you can use your favorite lens for shooting. The camera’s stabilized on a pro-grade 3-axis gimbal with 0.2-degree precision accuracy for smooth capture of epic shots.
The Inspire 1 offers incredible focus control, allowing users to manually adjust the camera’s aperture to achieve the exact shot and depth of field you want. DJI even created an optional remote purely for focus controls, the DJI Focus, that you can opt to purchase to get the most out of your camera settings. At any rate, the camera captures 12.8 stops of dynamic range, which produces incredible detail in shadows and highlights. There are additional control options for the camera, such as manual control for aperture, features we love in the best digital cameras.
#8 Holy Stone HS100 Follow Me Drone
Award: BEST ON A BUDGET
WHY WE LIKE IT: The Holy Stone HS100 is a fun self-following drone for the budget-conscious enthusiast with some surprisingly advanced features not usually found in entry-level drones.
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- Panoramic 120-degree lens
- Great value for 2K HD video capture
- Intelligent one-touch tracking features
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- Battery recharge can take up to 6 hours
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The Holy Stone HS100 boasts a wide range of fantastic smart features for a drone at a friendly price range. Its follow-me mode provides automatic, accurate tracking that keeps you centered in the frame of the camera. The camera lens provides a 120-degree wide-angle panoramic view. It is also adjustable up to 90-degrees vertically, which provides great versatility with your camera angles at this affordable price.
For the cost, it’s amazing that you can capture video in up to 2K HD resolution and transmit it directly to your mobile device. The drone’s flight controls are intuitive for beginners, including one-key takeoff, options to hold a specific altitude, and an automatic one-key return home feature. The return home feature initiates automatically if the battery is about to run out. One tip to extend your flight time is to bring fully-charged spare batteries in case the first battery runs low on juice. Its four rotors are designed to be wind resistant for added safety and stability when capturing photos and videos. It’s a good choice if you’re in the market for the best drones for beginners with a few added features.
#9 Autel Robotics EVO Follow Me Drone
Award: BEST INTERFACE
WHY WE LIKE IT: The Autel Robotics EVO drone maximizes its high-grade construction and fantastic camera with a smart remote controller interface, including a sharp OLED screen. This gives users the ability to operate the drone without a smartphone or smart device while still getting real-time flight info. For a truly remote experience, you’ll have to try one of the top-rated fixed-wing drones.
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- Fantastic battery monitoring
- 3.3-inch OLED controller interface
- Use smartphone for dual-screen control
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- Orange color may be unattractive to some
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The Autel EVO is a very portable, compact foldable drone made from high-quality materials with durable construction. This durable drone really stands out with its fantastic controller interface, which is highlighted by a 3.3-inch OLED screen. The screen on its remote control allows you to easily view flight information like battery life, location, speed, and a first-person view from the drone. You can use the flight controller on its own or along with your phone to create a dual-screen interface.
The intuitive controls make it easy to initiate automatic tracking and other one-touch actions at a range of up to 4.3 miles away. Capture video with ease in 4K HD resolution at 60fps and 12MP high-resolution photos. The EVO has stabilized hovering and the camera is mounted on a 3-axis gimbal, so thanks to this excellent feature, all imagery is smooth and sharp. It’s a great option for anyone looking for the best FPV racing drone with follow-me capabilities. Moreover, you’ll want to compare FPV vs GPS drones to see which one fares better.
#10 Altair Outlaw Follow Me Drone
We’re sorry, this product is temporarily out of stock
Award: BEST FOR BEGINNERS
WHY WE LIKE IT: The Altair Outlaw comes in a complete kit that is ready-to-fly. The common-sense controls and flight assist features are ideal for novice drone pilots to have a safe flight experience without worry.
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- Easy one-touch take off and land
- Auto return home
- Comes ready-to-fly
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- Camera angle not adjustable
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For those just starting out with drones, the Altair Outlaw is an easy-to-use drone that provides everything you need for a successful flight. It offers a great range of intuitive assisted flight features and flight capabilities, like one-touch takeoff and one-touch landing. It will also automatically return home upon the touch of a button, when it goes out of range, or if the battery is getting low.
Those easy-to-use flight features extend to its follow-me features. The drone’s 1080p HD camera will lock onto and follow you when Follow Me Mode is activated, allowing for easy HD video recording and high-resolution images. You can also toggle on Altitude Hold Mode to keep it at the same height while tracking you. Waypoint Flight Mode allows you to direct the drone to lock onto certain points of interest, coordinates, or follow a flight path. It’s a great choice if you want the best drone for kids.
How We Decided
Follow me drones fall into two categories based on the technology they use to keep track of the subject. There are drones that use GPS technology and a transmitter to keep connected with the operator. The other category is drones that use recognition technology to identify and track their subject. The latter category has become the most popular tech among consumers, so we largely focused on drones that use this type of follow-me technology in our search.
A drone’s camera and capture quality are just as important. We only looked at drones with a 2-axis gimbal camera stabilizer to ensure that photographs and videos captured in-flight are smooth. We also only considered high-quality cameras that can capture images at full HD resolution or higher.
From there, we looked at the practical considerations of operating the drone, like flight time, follow-me range, and overall signal range. All drones needed to have at least 15 minutes of flight time, which is still not enough for some of the longest flying drones, but it’ll work. We looked at drones that could maintain accurate tracking at a range of at least 5 feet. For overall operating signal flight ranges, drones needed to maintain a signal of at least one mile.
Best Follow Me Drones Buyer’s Guide
The Most Important Features to Consider
- Follow Me Technology
There are two methods available when looking at drones that will track you automatically without you having to pilot it. One type of drone uses GPS technology, which provides the most precise tracking accuracy. GPS drones make a connection to a GPS transmitter or device, like your phone, and simply follow the location of that signal. The other type of follow-me technology is based on a visual recognition process. The drone’s camera and sensor identify the subject and follow it as it moves. You can control its tracking and adjust it as needed from an app on your phone. This is one of the most important features to consider when purchasing a drone, and you should fully consider the advantages and benefits of each version. - Camera
Follow me drones are fantastic for capturing aerial view video and photos. Of course, the camera needs to be high-quality along with the aircraft. The good models don’t always have to be high-end drones, but make sure that the camera captures a minimum of 1080p HD resolution video. Also, be aware that some drones do not come with a camera as they are designed for mounting your own action camera, like a GoPro. This is something you’ll find on the leading drones for GoPro. In addition to camera resolution, make sure that the camera has a gimbal stabilizer so that your video won’t come out choppy and your photos won’t be blurry. - Battery Life and Range
Battery life and distance range are very important factors when operating a drone. The battery life of a drone affects its flight time, so make sure that you purchase a drone with a flight time that fits your usage. Time per battery varies by product and manufacturer. Follow me drones also have a range limit that varies greatly depending on the model. Not all drones can ascend to panoramic heights, so be very aware of the range limit of the drones you’re looking at. Note that the follow me range is different from the drone’s overall range when piloting it.
