Every way to know a drone is over your home.
Free apps, portable receivers, fixed receivers and Tripwire Home, side by side. Prices, range, power and limits, with a source for every other company’s numbers. Written by Thalrix, the maker of Tripwire Home, so check the sources yourself.
Prices and specs checked November 10, 2026. Other makers’ ranges are their own claims.
The options, in plain numbers.
| Detail | Tripwire Home Thalrix | Drone Scanner (and similar apps) Dronetag and others | DroneScout Bridge BlueMark | Dronetag RIDER Dronetag | UAS Sentry Nexus Observer UAS Sentry | Dronetag Scout Gen 2 Dronetag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Fixed outdoor receiver for a house | Phone app | Small relay for a phone app | Pocket-size portable receiver | Handheld touchscreen receiver | Fixed professional receiver |
| Price | $499 once (holiday price) | Free | €99 excl. VAT (maker launch price) | $1,129 at Advexure | $1,595 at Altitude Hobbies | From $3,499 at Advexure |
| When it listens | 24/7, mounted outside. Alerts your phone wherever you are | Only while the app is open and the phone is outside or near a window | Relays Remote ID to a phone app, so the app still has to be running | While charged and switched on. Battery 6 to 10 hours | While charged and switched on. Battery 12+ hours | 24/7, mounted outside |
| Remote ID it hears | Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Remote ID | iPhone: Bluetooth only. Android: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on many phones | Not stated by the maker in its launch post | Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Remote ID | 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz Remote ID | Remote ID (higher tiers add aviation receivers) |
| Range | Up to 10 km (about 6 mi) line of sight, in our testing | Depends on the phone | Not stated | Up to 3 mi (5 km) line of sight, maker claim | Not stated. Button antennas for about 1 mile, stick antennas beyond | Up to 10 km (6 mi) Baseline, 25 km High Performance, maker claim |
| Power | Power over Ethernet, one cable (25 ft included) | Your phone | USB | Battery, USB-C charging. IP54 | Battery, USB-C charging | PoE, or LTE. IP67 |
| Subscription | None needed for alerts. Optional Home Plan $49/yr | None | None stated | None for local use. Optional LTE cloud $75 per quarter | None stated | Cloud app needs a Scout Cloud License (quote) |
| Best for | Homeowners who want 24/7 alerts and a record | A one-off spot check | Improving a phone app’s reception | Carrying in the field or in a vehicle | A dedicated handheld screen | Professional sites |
| Source | thalrix.com | App stores | BlueMark | Advexure | Altitude Hobbies | Advexure |
Tripwire Home: Ships within 2 business days. 30-day returns, 1-year limited warranty. No camera, no microphone.
Pick by how you want to use it.
You want to know whenever a drone is over your home, even asleep or away
Get a receiver mounted outside. Tripwire Home is built for a house, listens on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Remote ID all day and night, sends the alert to your phone and keeps a dated record with the flight path. At $499 it costs less than the portable receivers, and alerts need no subscription.
You saw a drone once and you’re curious
Try a free Remote ID app first and stand outside the next time you hear it. On an iPhone it only hears Bluetooth Remote ID.
You want something to carry in the field or the truck
A portable receiver such as Dronetag RIDER or UAS Sentry Nexus Observer is built for that. Expect about $1,100 to $1,600, and keep it charged.
You protect a business, utility or campus
Look at fixed professional receivers such as Dronetag Scout, or enterprise Tripwire with solar power and cellular service, sold by the year.
What none of them can see.
Every product on this page reads FAA Remote ID, the signal most drones flown in the US must broadcast. None of them sees a drone with Remote ID switched off or modified, many recreational drones under 250 grams, or most government and military aircraft. None of them can stop a drone, and you shouldn’t try: jamming or shooting down a drone is a federal crime. Seeing drones that don’t broadcast takes RF spectrum detection or radar, at far higher prices.
More on apps: phone app vs. a dedicated detector.
Good to know.
What is the best drone detector for a home?
For most homes, a receiver mounted outside that listens all day and night and alerts your phone. Tripwire Home is built for exactly that, at $499 once with no subscription needed for alerts. Portable receivers such as Dronetag RIDER and UAS Sentry Nexus Observer cost about $1,100 to $1,600 and are made to be carried. A free phone app is fine for a one-off check, but only listens while it is open.
Is Tripwire Home the same as Thalrix Tripwire?
No. Tripwire Home is the consumer product for houses and small properties: $499 once, no subscription needed. Tripwire (enterprise) is a site sensor for airports, utilities and campuses, sold as an annual subscription with solar power and cellular service. Both are made by Thalrix.
Can any of these detect a drone with Remote ID turned off?
No. Every product on this page is a Remote ID receiver. None of them sees a drone with Remote ID switched off or modified, many recreational drones under 250 grams, or most government and military aircraft. Seeing those takes RF spectrum detection or radar, which cost far more.
Do I need a subscription for Tripwire Home?
No. Alerts, the flight path, the pilot’s location (when the drone broadcasts it) and 30 days of history are free. The optional Home Plan ($4.99/month or $49/year) adds permanent history, PDF evidence reports and repeat-visitor patterns.
How far does Tripwire Home detect drones?
Up to 10 km (about 6 miles) with a clear line of sight in our own testing. Trees, hills and buildings shorten that, so mount it as high and clear as you can.
Is it legal to own a drone detector?
Yes. Remote ID receivers like these only listen to a signal the FAA requires drones to broadcast publicly. Jamming or knocking down a drone is a federal crime, and none of these products does that.
The home drone detector, $499 once.
Mounts outside with one cable. Alerts your phone day and night. Ships within 2 business days.