DJI Air 3S vs. Autel Evo Lite+: Which mid-range drone is right for you?

Two of the most popular mid-range drones right now are the DJI Air 3S and the Autel Evo Lite+. On paper, they seem like competitors. But in the air? Not so much.

Between these two, which is better? To me, the answer is obvious: the DJI Air 3S. There’s really only one real reason to go for the Autel Evo Lite+ over the DJI Air 3S, and that’s price. The Autel Evo Lite+ is about $200 cheaper (when considering both drones in their base form without things like spiffed-up controllers). Yes, that means the DJI Air 3S is 22% more expensive. But while the Autel Evo Lite+ might be cheaper, the DJI Air 3S is far more than 22% better, and absolutely worth the price difference for most pilots.

But if you want a more in-depth answer, including a comparison of specs (and validation for why I think the DJI Air 3S is that much better), read on.

DJI Air 3S vs. Autel Evo Lite+ comparison guide

DJI Air 3S vs. Autel Evo Lite+: Side-by-side specs

You can check out the drone’s specs on their respective websites: DJI Air 3S specs and Autel Evo Lite+ specs. But as far as how they compare, side-by-side, I did the work for you:

Feature	DJI Air 3S	Autel Evo Lite+
Price (Base Kit)	$1,099	$899
Weight	724g	835g
Folded Dimensions	214×101×89 mm	210×123×95 mm
Unfolded Dimensions	266×325×106 mm	427×384×95 mm
Image Sensor	1-inch CMOS (wide), 1/1.3-inch CMOS (3x tele)	1-inch CMOS
Photo Resolution	50MP (wide), 48MP (tele), multiple modes	20MP
Video Resolution	Up to 4K/120fps; slow-mo; 10-bit color	Up to 6K/30fps
Aperture	f/1.8 (wide), f/2.8 (tele), fixed	Adjustable f/2.8–f/11
ISO Range	100–12800 (normal), up to 6400 in slow-mo	Up to ISO 48000 (night mode)
Gimbal	3-axis mechanical	3-axis mechanical
Max Flight Time	45 min (hover: 41 min)	40 min
Max Flight Distance	32 km	Not specified
Max Wind Resistance	12 m/s	Not specified
Obstacle Avoidance	Omnidirectional (6-way) with LiDAR assist	Forward, backward, downward only
Transmission System	OcuSync 4.0 (O4), 20 km FCC	12 km tri-band SkyLink
Storage	42GB internal + microSD	6GB internal + microSD
App Features	ActiveTrack, MasterShots, Waypoints, FocusTrack, QuickShots	Rocket, Orbit, Flick, Fade Away
Color Profiles	D-Log M, HLG, 10-bit HDR	Standard only
Portrait Shooting	Native vertical shooting via 2.7K mode	Software crop (no true vertical sensor)
Anti-China Buyer Appeal	DJI (China) – primary concern in U.S. policy circles	Autel (also China) – often overlooked

Who should buy the DJI Air 3S?

Sally French, The Drone Girl, with the DJI Air 3S and the DJI RC 2. (Photo by Hamilton Nguyen)

Choose the Air 3S if:

You want a drone that’s reliable, smart and easy to fly
You care about software quality and long-term support
You plan to grow your skills and want something that can grow with you
You want to avoid an early upgrade

Unless I’m packing ultra-light, this is the drone I bring when I travel. It’s also the one I recommend to other creators and travel bloggers.

Read my full DJI Air 3S review.

Who should buy the Autel Evo Lite+?

Sally French, The Drone Girl, reviews the Autel Evo Lite+ in May 2022.

Go with the Evo Lite+ if:

Your budget is capped at $899 and cannot move
You shoot mainly in static, low-light scenes or open spaces.
You’re upgrading from a basic beginner drone and want better camera quality — but not necessarily smarter flight tools

It’s a decent drone with a solid camera. But it’s not a smart drone in the way the Air 3S is.

Read my full Autel Evo Lite+ review.

Get the Autel Evo Lite+ now from retailers including:

And with that let’s dive into some more specific specs.

Camera comparison: Autel has one edge, DJI has more versatility

Autel Evo Lite+: 1-inch CMOS sensor with adjustable aperture (f/2.8–f/11)
DJI Air 3S: Dual 1/1.3-inch sensor (medium tele-camera) and 1-inch CMOS sensor (wide-angle camera), fixed aperture (f/1.8 wide angle and f/2.8 medium tele)

For low-light purists or those who love manual control, the Evo Lite+ has a better sensor on paper. The 1-inch sensor performs beautifully in dusk and twilight scenes, and the aperture control is rare at this price.

But even though the DJI Air 3S has a fixed aperture, I think it wins for versatility. Its dual-lens setup — wide and 3x telephoto — gives you more storytelling flexibility. You can punch in for tighter framing or use the 3x lens for cinematic compression. And DJI’s image processing has improved so much that the smaller sensor often performs just as well in most conditions.

The only reason why the Autel Evo Lite+ might be tempting is if you shoot static low-light landscapes or really need that range.

Check out one of the videos I made using the DJI Air 3S in Hawaii:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sally French (@thedronegirl)

Obstacle avoidance: DJI is miles ahead

Obstacle detection is perhaps the area where DJI most proves its tech dominance.

DJI Air 3S: Full 360° sensing with APAS 5.0 for obstacle avoidance in all directions
Autel Evo Lite+: Forward, backward, and downward sensors only

If you’ve ever flown sideways or backward and clipped a tree, you’ll appreciate the Air 3S’s all-direction sensing — particularly if you’re flying in narrower areas (e.g. not an open field). The DJI drone felt safe. The Autel drone felt riskier in tighter spaces.

The DJI Air 3S has about 45 minutes of flight time. (Photo by Hamilton Nguyen)

That’s because the DJI Air 3S is equipped with an omnidirectional binocular vision system, supplemented with forward-facing LiDAR and an infrared sensor at the bottom of the aircraft. The DJI air 3S wins here by a wide margin.

App and user experience: DJI Fly is still more polished, as are other features like internal storage

Drone hardware only gets you so far. Software matters, as does the end-to-end user experience. Autel has come a long way, but its app still lags in stability and interface.

DJI Air 3S: Relies on DJI Fly app, 42 GB internal storage
Autel Evo Lite+: Relies on Autel Sky app, 6 GB internal storage

Internal storage is huge for me. I’m constantly forgetting SD cards. Even if I have it, I’m worried it’ll be corrupted or I just don’t want to mess around with having to connect one more thing to another thing. Sure, 6 GB of internal storage is good, don’t get me wrong. But when flying with the DJI Air 3S, I’ve never used a microSD card period, believe it or not.

Both apps are fine in terms of the flying experience. But as far as the post-flying experience — where you want to transfer your footage to your phone to post on Instagram — that’s where DJI Fly soars.

There’s just no comparison — the DJI experience is plug-and-play. And even though the Autel Fly app has been out there a while, it sometimes feels like it’s still in beta.

What about China concerns?

One reason some people avoid DJI is concern over Chinese tech, either due to privacy fears or U.S. government restrictions. And yes, DJI has faced massive pushback in the U.S.

For example, the Department of Interior issued a report about how an internal ban made it impossible for them to purchase DJI drones. Branches of the U.S. military also do not use DJI drones. Because many government entities have banned use of DJI or Chinese-made drones more broadly, other private corporations have followed suit. Some big businesses that hire contract drone pilots won’t allow them to fly with Chinese-made drones.

That’s another story unto itself. But if your goal is to buy a drone that’s not made in China, the Autel Evo Lite+ is not the answer, because Autel is also a Chinese company.

This is a frequent misconception. Some buyers think they’re side-stepping the China issue by choosing Autel, but they’re not. Autel props up its Seattle offices to lead people to believe it’s an American drone company, but its drones are still developed in China. And in fact, DJI also has offices in the U.S. — it just doesn’t pretend to be an American company. (You should definitely check out these photos of DJI’s Shenzhen headquarters though.)

In fact, DJI has often been more transparent about its privacy protocols than smaller Chinese rivals.

Now for the bad news. Anyone looking for a high-quality, American-made camera drone under $1,000 is out of luck. There are some options for American-made drones under $1,000, but they’re mostly targeted at kids. That includes the CoDrone from Robolink or the Hopper drone from FTW Robotics. Both, coincidentally, are made by companies based in San Diego, designed for classrooms and cost about $250.

The bottom line? If your DJI vs. Autel debate for you is political, maybe give up. You’re picking between two Chinese options.

Price and value: DJI costs more — but it’s worth it

I mentioned this up front, but I want to circle back because this is often the final decision maker. Price.

DJI Air 3S: Starts at $1,099 (base kit), often $1,349 with RC-N2 controller
Autel Evo Lite+: Starts at $899, sometimes bundled with extras

That’s a 22% price difference, which might feel like a lot — until you fly them both. The DJI Air 3S is smarter, safer, more reliable and backed by a more robust app ecosystem. It feels like a generation ahead, because it is.

If you don’t pay that 22% premium now, you’ll likely spend more upgrading sooner than you planned. The Air 3S offers greater value once you factor in time saved troubleshooting software or replacing outdated gear.

Drone technology moves fast, and the Autel Evo Lite+ is old in drone years

Drone technology moves fast. Sometimes I feel like new drones come out even more frequently than firmware updates. Every year brings massive gains in flight intelligence, camera performance and safety systems. So when choosing a drone, especially in the critical $800–$1,200 mid-range category, you don’t just want the best specs for your money — you want something that will still feel current in a year or two.

Now here’s the thing. The Autel Evo Lite+ is already quite old. Even though it’s a toddler in human years, the drone — which hit shelves in early 2022 — is a geriatric in drone years. The DJI Air 3S is much younger, having launched in late 2024.

The DJI Air 3S is definitely my favorite travel drone. It’s DJI’s newest drone in its fleet of mid-range camera drones. But even that isn’t DJI’s newest drone. There’s the DJI Flip, a positively delightful budget and beginner-oriented drone, which came out in January 2025. And then in May 2025, DJI gave us the Mavic 4 Pro, which is best for either high-end photographers or even certain enterprise and industrial drone users.

Drone gear is a long game. If you skimp now, you’ll likely end up paying more later when you’re frustrated with your drone’s limitations and buy something better. I’ve done that. Most pilots I know have too.

The bottom line: Buy the DJI Air 3S, unless your budget won’t budge

The DJI Air 3S is 22% more expensive—but it’s easily 50% better. Probably more.

Get the DJI Air 3S if you want smarter flight, safer obstacle avoidance, better video flexibility, and a more future-proof drone. It’s $1,099—more than the Autel—but easily earns its price tag.
Consider the Autel Evo Lite+ only if you absolutely must stay under $1,000. At $899, it’s a solid value, but it’s also starting to show its age.

If your max budget is $899 and there’s no wiggle room, then the Autel Evo Lite+ is fine. It flies, it films, and it beats most beginner drones. But if you can stretch even a bit? Find a way to get the Air 3S. You’ll save more money in the long run by skipping the “regret upgrade” cycle.

The post DJI Air 3S vs. Autel Evo Lite+: Which mid-range drone is right for you? appeared first on The Drone Girl.