Best Drone App to Enhance your Flying Experience [2023]

Most drones today will require the use of your mobile device. 

The drone controller of your unit can only do so much since it only controls the basic flight features of the drone.

Downloading a drone app on your smartphone or tablet can unlock awesome flight features and functions. 

Most times the drone manufacturers will have an app to go along with their units.

However, many wonder if it is possible to use a third-party app with their phone controlled drones. 

In this article, we will be taking a look at some of the best drone apps you can use with your drone. 

First, identify what it is you’re hoping to do with your drone and choose an app that best suits your needs. 

Our list includes free and paid apps for mapping, weather. Photography and more.

Best drone app

Google Earth 

One of the first things you want to do with your drone is to fly it.

However, before doing so you will need to figure out where to fly. 

There are many drone-dedicated mapping apps out there and they show you where it is safe to fly your drone. 

That being said, Google Earth is one of the best apps to do so.

This app finds exceptional places for you to fly your drone.

The best thing about it, Google Earth is absolutely free and you can use it on your phone. 

It is also available on the web as well.

Airmap 

Whether you use your drone for recreational or commercial purposes, you should have the Airmap app. 

It has all the best features you need to help you fly your drone with confidence. 

Commercial pilots especially love the high-end features such as flight logging, geofencing. 

There are also several features a beginner pilot can make use of. 

For instance, Airmap can tell you if it’s safe to fly in your current location and sends real-time alerts for nearby traffic and changes the airspace conditions. 

This drone flying app also includes information about UAV laws in over 20 countries 

This makes Airmap a great app to have especially if you travel overseas with your drone 

You can also use Airmap to control DJI drones.

It allows pilots to map out flight paths and control the drone from inside the app.

B4UFly

B4UFly is a must-have app if you are residing in the United States or planning to fly there at some point. 

It was created by the Federal Aviation Administration to make it quick and easy for drone pilots to know where they are allowed to fly. 

This app includes a detailed listing of every airport in the country and displays a 5-mile radius of each. 

Get the B4UFly app and fly legally without disregarding the FAA regulations when flying your drone in the US. 

This app is the number one source for legal information regarding drone flight in the United States. 

Hover

Hover is one of the most underrated apps out there. 

It is a great app for drone pilots of all levels since it is simple to use and vital for a safe flight. 

The app gathers information about your current position, nearby air traffic and local current and forecasted weather conditions. 

Hover provides a detailed breakdown of temperature, wind speed and direction and tells you whether it is safe to fly in your current location. 

There’s also a flight log feature that allows you to save and track your flight data. 

While this feature isn’t unique to the Hoover app, coupled with the weather information and others, it sure beats downloading an additional app. 

Hover features a customizable news feed that keeps you up to date with all the latest news in the drone world. 

It shows you some of the most relevant and interesting posts from major tech websites and blogs. 

The Hover app is available for both iOS and Android phones. 

DroneDeploy

If you own any DJI drone from the Phantom 3 or newer, get the DroneDeploy app. 

You can use this app as an alternative controller for your unmanned aerial vehicle. 

It provides advanced flight planning and autonomous flight controls for your drone. 

You can select a path of coordinates and simply watch as your drone flies the route without trouble. 

DroneDeploy can also be used to control camera exposure and so much more in just a few taps. 

You can capture and share high-quality interactive 2D maps, 3D models, photos, videos, panoramas, thermal scans and more directly from your smartphone or tablet. 

It is one of the best flight apps that provide instant offline maps without waiting for hours

UAV Forecast

If you’re looking for a drone app that gives you detailed information about the weather then UAV forecast is the ideal app for you. 

This app will tell you everything that you need to know about the weather conditions in your current location. 

All you need to do is punch in the information about your drone and the app will tell you if it’s safe to fly or not. 

The wide range of information provided by this app includes wind speed, direction, chill and temperature cloud cover visibility and many more. 

UAV also has a map with Satellite Roads, Hybrid and Terrain view modes and display no-fly zones nearby as well. 

It is great to use if you own the DJI Spark, Mavic, Mavic Pro, Inspire, Yuneec, Anafi, Ryze, Syma, 3DR, Parrot Bebop, and many others.

KittyHawk 

It is impossible to find an app that does everything but KittyHawk comes pretty close. live 

This amazing app is useful for many things including flight logging, preflight planning, live streaming, fleet management and more. 

Best of all, it is now one of the only apps that you can use to gain FAA approval for hobby flights.  

This drone FPV app also helps you with weather conditions, no-fly zones, air traffic information and others 

The developers are constantly adding new features to improve the app and help drone pilots get ready for flights and make the most of their time in the sky. 

However, some of the newer and advanced features require a subscription but it is definitely worth it. 

Pix4D

Pix4D App is free but the software behind it isn’t so you need to think before getting the app. 

This app is a powerful 3D mapping tool for your unmanned aerial vehicles. 

It is quite similar to DroneDeploy and offers programmable flight routines for many drones and not just DJI units. 

Pix4D also helps to capture imagery data for advanced 2D and 3D output but as mentioned before you will need to pay for some expensive software to get the most out of this. 

However, it is well worth it as the output is pretty awesome in a commercial business 3D mapping sense. 

You may have come across Pix4D before and not realize it. 

Yuneec, for one, builds its core apps using Pix4D for mapping and more. 

If you can afford the software, then Pix4D is an awesome app to get. 

Sun Surveyor(Sun and Moon)

If you’re into outdoor photography then the Sun Surveyor (Sun and Moon) app can be very useful. 

Capturing images outside means that you will have to manage sunlight to get the best shots possible. 

Sunlight can distort images, create dark shadows, affect exposure among others.

For outdoor drone photography, this is more so since there is no shade in the sky.

Instead of guessing where the sun and moon will be, the Sun Surveyor app will give you their locations with great accuracy. 

However, do note that this app is not free but is available for both Android and iOS devices. 

PhotoPills

Drone photographers are going crazy over a single app. 

PhotoPills is a photography planning app that helps you plan your photos ahead of time. 

This way you’re always at the right place at the right time to capture the best shots possible. 

It contains a wide array of useful features that comes in handy for bringing your images to life. 

You can be sure that the pictures will look exactly the way you imagined in your mind. 

All you need to do is to enter the location where you want the Sun, Moon and the Milky Way. 

PhotoPills will then calculate exactly when the scene happens and let you know.

This allows you to plan sunrise and sunset photos and tell you how much light you have. 

PhotoPills also includes a Drone View that allows you to plan compositions based on your flying altitude. 

If you’re into drone photography, download PhotoPills today.

Tesla Field recorder

Tesla Field Recorder is one of the best drone apps for iPhone and does something that many other drones can’t do.

This app checks for magnetic fields and you may be wondering why you may need it. 

The compass in your drone uses magnetic fields and if there’s magnetic activity at your location or nearby, the performance of your drone can be affected. 

This free drone app relies heavily on the magnetometer sensor on your mobile device that transforms your phone or tablet into a metal detector/ electromagnet scanner. 

Not only can the app detect magnetic fields it also records them so you can send them to anyone else that may find the information useful. 

Unfortunately, Tesla Field Recorder is only available for iOS devices. 

Verifly

Insurance is a big part of our lives and unlike car and home insurance where you pay a premium every month, VeriFly provides insurance on demand. 

This app aims to provide coverage for personal and commercial flights up to 2 miles around you for up to 8 hours.

All you need to do is choose your takeoff point on a map and see the price for 8 hours of coverage.

You can also log your start time and finish time and only pay for what you use.

Verifly provides insurance in all 50 states in the United States.

If you need drone insurance, this app works with any drone that weighs up to 35 pounds.

Be sure to read all the policies before using the app.

Litchi for DJI Drones

If you’re looking for a good alternative to the DJI GO or DJI GO 4 app to fly your DJI drone, then go with the Litchi app. 

This is one of the best flight control apps available and it offers several impressive auto-tracking features that are useful when recording videos. 

Some of the flight modes include Follow Me mode, VR mode, Focus, Panorama, Ground Station, Waypoints and many more. 

Create and plan your waypoint mission and when on location, the drone follows the pre-programmed path without any trouble. 

You can also see what other Litchi pilots are creating via the Mission Hub on your computer. 

Litchi is available for both iOS and Android but you’ll have to pay to use it.  

It  is compatible with DJI Mavic Mini 1, Mavic 2 Zoom/Pro, Mavic Air/Pro, Phantom 4 Normal/Advanced/Pro/ProV2, Phantom 3 Standard/4K/Advanced/Professional, Inspire 1 X3/Z3/Pro/RAW, Inspire 2 and Spark

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to use the app from the manufacturer to fly my drone? 

You may not always need to use the manufacturer apps to fly your drone. 

There may be a few alternative apps you can use instead of the manufacturer app. 

You’re in luck if the manufacturer has exposed an API or SDK to allow third-party software to control the drone. 

The only time where you will be unable to use an alternative app is if the manufacturer has restricted the use of all third-party software. 

Do I need to use an app to fly my drone?

Some drones can be controlled with just the dedicated drone controller while others may require an app. 

A dedicated drone controller controls the basic flight features of the drone and if you want to access other advanced flight features then an app may allow you to do so. 

For instance, the DJI Mavic Air 2 can capture photos and videos as well as activate the Return To Home function and more using the drone controller. 

However, you will need an app on your mobile device to enable Quickshots or swap to panoramic photos. 

Keep in mind too that the live view from the camera is also linked to the app in most drones. 

Although you don’t have to use an app to fly your drone, it is always better to do so due to the access to many advanced flight features.

Should I pay for expensive UAV apps? 

Consider your needs first before choosing a drone app that requires you to pay. 

If you are searching for an app to perform a specific function, do your research and see if there is a free app on the market that offers to do what you need. 

The drone app market is huge and you never know what you might find so take the time and put in the work to save a few dollars if you’re on a budget. 

If you cannot find a free drone app then most of the features that are included in UAV apps that you pay for are generally worth it. 

However, only purchase the app if you are going to make use of most of the features. 

Conclusion

Using an app to fly your drone can unlock a world of possibilities.

In some cases, you are not just locked to the manufacturer’s app and may be able to use a third-party app to control your drone.

Some are free while others can come at quite a steep price.

All you have to do is figure out your needs and choose the best app to meet those needs.

There are tons of drone apps out there and this is by no means an exhaustive list.

We’ve just selected a few of the best free and paid apps out that can enhance your drone flight and your captured aerial footage.

You can also check out our DJI Fly App review for some alternatives to the app.