DJI Flip vs Mini 4 Pro: which should you buy?

Get the DJI Flip ($483) if you'll mostly film yourself and friends up close: its full-coverage prop guards, palm takeoff and people tracking make it the safer, simpler choice near people. Get the Mini 4 Pro ($835) if you want the more capable all-round drone: omnidirectional obstacle sensing, tracking of people, vehicles and boats, true vertical shooting, waypoints and a 20 km video link. Both weigh under 250 g, so neither needs FAA registration for recreational flying.

Flip or Mini 4 Pro? — Both weigh under 250 g and share a 48 MP 1/1.3-inch sensor. The Flip suits close-up vlogging; the Mini 4 Pro is the more capable all-rounder.

Specs side by side

	Flip	Mini 4 Pro
Our price (standard kit)	$483	$835
Fly More Combo	$857	$1,209
Takeoff weight	249 g	249 g
Sensor and lens	1/1.3 in, 48 MP, 24 mm f/1.7	1/1.3 in, 48 MP, 24 mm f/1.7
Video	4K/60 HDR, 4K/100 slow-mo	4K/60 HDR, 4K/100 slow-mo
Color	D-Log M	D-Log M, HLG
Vertical video	2.7K vertical (cropped)	True vertical (gimbal rotates)
Max flight time	31 min	34 min (45 min with Plus battery)
Obstacle sensing	Forward 3D infrared + downward	Omnidirectional
Tracking subjects	People	People, vehicles, boats
Prop guards	Full coverage, built in	Optional accessory
Video link (FCC)	O4, 13 km	O4, 20 km
Max speed	12 m/s	16 m/s
Controller in standard kit	RC-N3	RC-N2

Prices are our current prices. Specs are DJI's published figures.

The key differences

Safety style. The two drones protect you in different ways. The Flip's guards fully enclose the propellers, so a bump into a person or a wall is far less likely to cause injury or a crash. The Mini 4 Pro has open propellers but sees in every direction and brakes or flies around obstacles. Near people, the Flip is more forgiving. Around trees and buildings, the Mini 4 Pro's sensing does more.

Controller-free flying. The Flip can take off from and land on your palm and fly Follow, Dronie, Circle, Rocket and Spotlight shots from the mode button or the app, without a controller. The Mini 4 Pro is a traditional drone: you fly it with the controller.

Camera. Both use a 1/1.3-inch 48 MP sensor and record 4K/60 with 4K/100 slow motion, so image quality is close. The Mini 4 Pro's gimbal rotates for full-resolution vertical shots, while the Flip crops to 2.7K for vertical video. If you post a lot of Shorts and Reels, that favors the Mini 4 Pro.

Range and wind. The Mini 4 Pro's link is rated 20 km FCC versus 13 km, and its 16 m/s top speed versus the Flip's 12 m/s helps it get home against a headwind.

Flight time. 34 minutes versus 31 is a small gap. The Mini 4 Pro also accepts a Plus battery for 45 minutes, but that puts it over 250 g, so it then needs FAA registration.

Price. The Flip costs $352 less. Its Fly More Combo ($857) is less than a Mini 4 Pro Fly More Combo ($1,209) by $352 as well.

Common mistakes

Using the Flip as a long-range landscape drone. It can do it, but the Mini 4 Pro is faster, flies longer and handles wind better.
Relying on tracking near obstacles. DJI says the Flip's tracking modes don't avoid obstacles. The Mini 4 Pro also can't avoid moving subjects. Track in open areas.
Flying the Mini 4 Pro in Sport mode near trees. Its vision sensors switch off in Sport mode.

Quick answers

Which is better for travel? Both fold small and skip FAA registration at under 250 g. The Mini 4 Pro is the more versatile travel camera. See best drone for travel.

Which is better for kids and families? The Flip, because of the guards and palm landing.

Can I add guards to the Mini 4 Pro? Yes, DJI makes a 360° propeller guard. It takes the drone over 250 g, and obstacle avoidance doesn't work with it fitted, so the Flip is the better choice if you want guards all the time.