so my brother wants to get into drones and keeps asking me for advice but honestly i dont know that much myself. he has maybe 200 bucks and doesnt want DJI for some reason, i think he had a bad experience with their app or something. are there actually good alternatives or is DJI kind of just the only real option at this price range. i rememberd seeing something about Autel but i thought those were more expensive. he just wants something he can take to the park and fly around, not really worried about 4k video or anything crazy

Autel does make some cheaper stuff now but yeah they're generally pricier and tbh the beginner experience isnt as smooth as DJI. at 200 dollars the options kind of thin out fast if you're avoiding DJI. Potensic makes some decent budget stuff, the Atom maybe, though i havent flown one personally. the problem is at that price point you're either getting something with mediocre gps and questionable wind resistance or you're getting a toy-tier thing that looks like a drone but flies like a leaf

might be worth asking him what the actual issue with DJI was because the app thing can sometimes just be a phone compatibility issue, not a dealbreaker

the DJI thing is probably just nerves or he heard something secondhand. most people who actually fly regularly end up on DJI eventually, the ecosystem is just too good. that said if hes really set against it and 200 is the hard limit, he might just want to start with something dirt cheap like a syma or even a mini indoor thing just to figure out if he even likes flying before spending real money. plenty of people buy a 250 dollar drone and it sits in a closet after 3 flights