DJI vs Skydio: Drones & aerial compared

November 2026 edition · assessment by Frontier Tech Intelligence

DJI ranks 10 on the Robotics 100 with a score of 92; Skydio ranks 69 with 80. DJI is ahead on deployment, production, commercials, progress, technology and positioning. Skydio is ahead on leverage. Level on firepower. DJI is based in Shenzhen, China, Skydio in San Mateo, United States. DJI: Established. Skydio: Private, founded 2014. DJI is named in 39 signals and Skydio in 4.

DJI →

Shenzhen, Guangdong, China · Robotics · Systems / Drones & aerial · Established · dji.com

DJI designs, manufactures and sells consumer and professional drones, including the Avata 360, Neo 2 and Mini 5 Pro, plus related video transmission and swarm systems.

Robotics 100 · rank 10 · score 92

Scores, Robotics (of 10)

Deployment10
Production10
Commercials10
Progress9
Technology10
Positioning10
Firepower8
Leverage6

Darker bar: ahead of the other company on that measure.

Positioning

DJI is the dominant Chinese drone maker (~60-77% global share depending on source, ~$3.5B estimated 2024 revenue) shipping millions of units a year, having launched the FlyCart 100 (a 100kg delivery drone) in December 2025 and folded in its Livox lidar subsidiary. Its setbacks are US Covered List/NDAA pressure and an ongoing DC Circuit case. It is the multi-rotor category leader facing a US market-access fight.

Latest signals

  • DJI has become one of the world’s largest robot producers by leveraging drone-motor expertise for robot actuators.a16z
  • DJI’s Matrice 5TD drone combines multisensor hardware with AI detection of 17 object types.ZDNet Korea
  • DJI delivered DJI Dock 4 with 25-second automated drone battery swaps.RoboticsTomorrow

39 signals name DJI.

Facts, with sources

  • [object Object]www.usinenouvelle.com — 2026-09-19
  • DJI SDR Transmission 2 wireless video transmission systemwww.usinenouvelle.com — 2026-09-19
  • Mondo Tech to develop small consumer-assistance robotshumanoid.guide

14 facts on file.

Skydio →

San Mateo, California, United States · Robotics · Systems / Drones & aerial · Private · founded 2014 · www.skydio.com

Skydio builds and sells autonomous drones, including the Skydio X10, for aerial operations in low-light and other environments.

Robotics 100 · rank 69 · score 80

Scores, Robotics (of 10)

Deployment8
Production8
Commercials8
Progress8
Technology8
Positioning8
Firepower8
Leverage8

Darker bar: ahead of the other company on that measure.

Positioning

Skydio is a US drone maker (60,000 cumulative units, the largest US drone factory, a $3.5B expansion announced) with nine-figure annual revenue, serving 1,200+ public-safety agencies and 45 of 51 state DOTs. It raised a $110M Series F at a $4.4B valuation (April 2026), won a $52M US Army order for 2,500+ X10D drones, and signed a CentralSquare DFR partnership, though it lost the Minneapolis DFR contract (July 2026). Revenue is estimated at 100-500m.

Latest signals

  • L3Harris Technologies and Skydio are integrating tactical radio technology into U.S. military drones.Interesting Engineering
  • Skydio introduces the F10 drone modelIEEE Spectrum Robotics
  • Encord’s platform supports multimodal data workflows for more than 300 AI teams.EU-Startups

4 signals name Skydio.

Facts, with sources

  • Series F; $4.4B valuation; US manufacturing pushskydio.com
  • [object Object]skydio.com
  • 201-1000 (est)skydio.com

9 facts on file.

More comparisons

Questions this page answers

DJI or Skydio: which is ahead in robotics?

DJI ranks 10 on the Robotics 100 with a score of 92; Skydio ranks 69 with 80. DJI is ahead on deployment, production, commercials, progress, technology and positioning. Skydio is ahead on leverage. Level on firepower. DJI is based in Shenzhen, China, Skydio in San Mateo, United States. DJI: Established. Skydio: Private, founded 2014. DJI is named in 39 signals and Skydio in 4.

How do DJI and Skydio compare?

DJI ranks 10 on the Robotics 100 with a score of 92; Skydio ranks 69 with 80. DJI is ahead on deployment, production, commercials, progress, technology and positioning. Skydio is ahead on leverage. Level on firepower. DJI is based in Shenzhen, China, Skydio in San Mateo, United States. DJI: Established. Skydio: Private, founded 2014. DJI is named in 39 signals and Skydio in 4. Both company files carry the scores on eight measures, the facts with sources and the latest signals.

Every comparison here comes from the same files members use every day.

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