Two of the world’s first 360° drones – but which one is actually better?
At the end of 2025, a notable shift took place in the drone world. Until then, 360° cameras and drones had existed as separate categories. While they could be combined, the result was never truly integrated or particularly user-friendly.
Then the Antigravity A1 entered the market – a compact, sub-250g drone with a built-in 360° camera system. Its core idea was simple: fly first, choose your shots later.
DJI responded quickly, launching its first drone designed specifically for 360° filming – the DJI Avata 360 – in March 2026. While both devices belong to this new category, their approaches are very different.
Placing these two drones side by side quickly reveals that there are more differences than similarities.
Price and availability
One of the biggest differences between the two is the price. The DJI Avata 360 is available starting at around €719, with Fly More bundles priced at approximately €939. In contrast, Antigravity A1 kits start at around €1,399 and go up to €1,699.
This means the Antigravity A1 is nearly twice as expensive, in some cases even more. Considering that DJI offers better technical performance in several areas, the price gap becomes one of the strongest arguments in favor of the Avata 360.
Design and build quality
From a design perspective, these drones follow two completely different philosophies. The Antigravity A1 is built to be максимально compact and lightweight. Its foldable arms make it easy to transport, and its weight stays below 250 grams, which means fewer restrictions in many countries.
The DJI Avata 360, on the other hand, is larger and heavier at around 455 grams. It is not foldable but features integrated propeller guards and feels significantly more robust. Its construction is more aerodynamic and designed to handle more demanding conditions.
In practice, this means the Avata 360 can better withstand minor impacts, while the A1 feels more fragile and requires more careful handling.
Camera and image quality
Although both drones shoot 8K 360° video, there is a clear difference in quality. The DJI Avata 360 uses larger sensors and supports up to 8K at 60fps, while the Antigravity A1 is limited to 30fps.
Additionally, DJI supports 10-bit video and the D-Log color profile, offering significantly more flexibility in post-production. The Antigravity A1 uses a simpler 8-bit image with more limited editing potential.
In real-world use, this results in one clear outcome: the Avata 360 delivers sharper, cleaner footage with a wider dynamic range. Stitching – the merging of dual camera feeds – is also smoother on DJI.
For photography, the Avata 360 offers up to 120MP resolution, while the A1 produces roughly half that.
Editing and workflow
The real value of 360 drones lies not only in capturing footage but in what happens after the flight. Both manufacturers provide software that allows users to select angles from 360 footage and create traditional videos.
The workflow is similar. Footage is imported, camera movements and key angles are defined, and the software generates a smooth video based on those inputs. Automatic editing options are also available.
This means a single flight can produce multiple different shots and formats, making 360 drones a powerful tool for social media and marketing content.
Safety and flight assistance
In terms of safety, DJI clearly takes the lead. The Avata 360 uses not only visual sensors but also LiDAR technology, offering full 360-degree obstacle detection. The Antigravity A1’s sensors only cover the front and downward-facing areas.
Additionally, the Avata 360 includes built-in propeller guards, providing extra confidence when flying in tight environments.
Both drones offer automatic takeoff, landing, and GPS-based return-to-home, with battery life around 20 minutes. The Antigravity A1 is also available with higher-capacity batteries, although this pushes it above the 250g limit.
Flight experience and control
The DJI Avata 360 offers two control methods. It can be flown with a traditional controller or with FPV goggles and a motion controller. This gives users more flexibility and allows for solo operation.
The Antigravity A1 operates exclusively in FPV mode, meaning it always requires goggles and, in many regions, a second person to maintain visual line of sight.
In terms of flight feel, the Avata 360 is faster, more precise, and more responsive. The A1 is calmer and slower, which may suit beginners but limits more dynamic content creation.
Noise level
The DJI Avata 360 is noticeably louder than the Antigravity A1. While the numerical difference is not large, in real-world use the sound is clearly more prominent.
Conclusion
The Antigravity A1 was the first drone to fully integrate a 360° camera into a single system. It represents an important step forward and a key innovation that pushed this category forward.
The DJI Avata 360 takes that idea to the next level. It offers better image quality, more features, greater safety, and a significantly better price-to-performance ratio.
Tests and comparisons clearly show that the Avata 360 is currently the most complete 360 drone on the market, offering more value for both content creators and everyday users.
If the goal is to create high-quality, flexible content, the DJI Avata 360 is clearly the stronger choice right now.
