The commercial drone market has changed dramatically since the FAA issued its first comercial permit in 2006, points out Skywatch Head of Marketing Ilan Yusim. From their unique position in the industry, Skywatch gathered data from policies issues across the U.S. between 2018 and 2021 to track changes in drone market share and pricing.
Drone Market Share: Who’s Gaining Ground?
The drone manufacturing industry is maturing – and so are drone customers. As the capabilities of drones increase, they are used for more sophisticated and specific applications. What does this mean for the drone industry? DJI is still, without a doubt, the dominant drone manufacturer. New manufacturers are entering the field, however: bigger names like Autel and Skydio, and also smaller manufacturers who solve specific problems for industry verticals. “Autel, which released the acclaimed EVO 1 in 2018, and newer versions such as EVO 2 with 8K capabilities, has risen its market share by 4.4%. Skydio, which builds tech-savvy products such as the Skydio 2 with autonomous flight, has risen 1.5% in the same period. Dozens of other companies with unique products and capabilities have boosted their share of the market as well,” writes Yusim.
The Average Price of an Insured Drone is Increasing
Commercial drones can do more: but equipped with ever more sophisticated and accurate sensors, average prices are rising too. “Our analysis demonstrates a current average price of $2,903.76 for a consumer drone, up 22% since 2018,” Yusim writes.
“3+ years of data from dozens of makes and thousands of individual units have provided valuable insight into where various industry players stand. The Skydio 2 Autonomous Drone, Autel’s EVO II 8K, and other specialized solutions have widened the options for drone professionals, signalling an overall maturation of the drone industry,” Tomer Kashi, co-founder and CEO of SkyWatch, told DRONELIFE. “DJI still dominates the field, but increased demand and evolving capabilities have closed the gap to a certain extent. As we serve thousands of commercial drone professionals in North America across all verticals and use cases, we look forward to seeing what comes next.”
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
TWITTER:@spaldingbarker
Subscribe to DroneLife here.