Open Source Drone Software
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Drone Software
View 173 business solutionsBrowse free open source Drone software and projects below. Use the toggles on the left to filter open source Drone software by OS, license, language, programming language, and project status.
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QGroundControl
Cross-platform ground control station for drones
QGroundControl is a cross-platform ground control station for MAVLink-enabled drones and autonomous vehicles. It provides full setup, configuration, flight control, and mission planning for platforms including PX4 and ArduPilot. Mission tools can create waypoint, survey, and structure-scan routes. The live flight view combines maps, instruments, vehicle position, telemetry, and optional video streams. Guided setup tools cover sensors, radios, flight modes, power systems, and vehicle parameters. Multiple vehicles can be connected and monitored from the same application. Additional tools include log downloading, geotagging, MAVLink inspection, consoles, and joystick control across desktop and mobile systems. -
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ArduPilot
ArduPlane, ArduCopter, ArduRover, ArduSub source
ArduPilot is an open-source autopilot platform for autonomous and remotely operated vehicles. It supports airplanes, multicopters, helicopters, rovers, boats, submarines, balance bots, and other specialized vehicle types. Separate vehicle stacks include ArduPlane, ArduCopter, Rover, ArduSub, and Antenna Tracker. The software provides manual-assisted modes as well as fully autonomous missions with waypoint navigation and scripted behavior. Advanced failsafes can react to lost control links, low batteries, positioning problems, and other system failures. MAVLink telemetry connects vehicles with ground stations and companion computers for configuration, monitoring, and mission control. Extensive logging, sensor integration, camera control, scripting, and hardware support make it suitable for hobby, research, and commercial robotics. -
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PX4 Autopilot
PX4 Autopilot Software
PX4 is used in a wide range of use-cases, from consumer drones to industrial applications. It is also the leading research platform for drones and has been successfully applied to underwater vehicles and boats. PX4 provides a standard to deliver drone hardware support and software stack, allowing an ecosystem to build and maintain hardware and software in a scalable way. Drone development is complicated, and how to get started can be daunting and hard to navigate. These tutorials and resources provide a walkthrough of the basics of PX4. PX4 is highly portable, OS-independent and supports Linux, NuttX and MacOS out of the box. The PX4 User Guide explains how to assemble supported vehicles and fly drones with PX4. See the forum and chat if you need help! -
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ExpressLRS Configurator
Cross platform configuration & build tool for the ExpressLRS radio
ExpressLRS Configurator is a free, open-source, cross-platform application for configuring and building firmware for the ExpressLRS radio control system. It provides a graphical interface that simplifies preparing firmware for compatible radio transmitters and receivers. Users can select their hardware targets, choose firmware versions, and customize configuration settings before building firmware. The application supports device-specific options, including regulatory domains, binding phrases, and network settings. It helps streamline firmware installation and updates across supported ExpressLRS hardware. By organizing configuration and build processes into a single interface, it reduces the need for manual development tools and complex commands. ExpressLRS Configurator is designed for drone pilots, RC enthusiasts, and technicians who need to maintain reliable and customizable radio communication systems. -
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Betaflight App
Cross platform configuration and management application
Betaflight App is a free, open-source configuration and management application for flight controllers running Betaflight firmware. It provides a graphical environment for configuring drones and other supported aircraft without manually editing firmware settings. Users can adjust flight characteristics, receiver inputs, motor configurations, and onboard system parameters. The application includes tools for tuning PID controllers, configuring flight modes, and adjusting filtering settings. It also supports firmware flashing, sensor calibration, and diagnostic monitoring of connected flight controllers. Betaflight App is available as a Progressive Web Application and as standalone software for multiple operating systems. Designed for FPV enthusiasts and drone builders, it simplifies flight controller setup, troubleshooting, and performance optimization. -
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ExpressLRS
High Performance Open Source Radio Control Link
ExpressLRS is an open-source radio-control link system designed for low latency, long range, and high update rates. It supports 2.4 GHz, 900 MHz, and dual-band radio hardware from many manufacturers. Packet rates can reach up to 1000 Hz on supported configurations. Receivers can expose protocols including CRSF, SBUS, SUMD, HoTT telemetry, MAVLink, and PWM. Firmware updates can be delivered over Wi-Fi, while Bluetooth or Wi-Fi modes can emulate a simulator joystick. Bind phrases simplify pairing without requiring physical bind-button procedures. The project also supports telemetry, displays, and remote configuration of compatible video transmitters and receivers. -
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ODM
A command line toolkit to generate maps, point clouds, 3D models
OpenDroneMap ODM is a command-line photogrammetry toolkit for converting aerial imagery into geospatial and 3D products. It can process photographs captured by drones, balloons, kites, and other aerial platforms. Outputs include classified point clouds, textured 3D models, georeferenced orthophotos, and digital elevation models. The processing pipeline integrates specialized open-source projects for reconstruction, meshing, geospatial conversion, and point-cloud processing. ODM runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux and is commonly deployed through Docker. GPU acceleration is available for selected feature-extraction workloads. NodeODM can expose the processing engine over a network for integration with other applications. -
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WebODM
User-friendly, commercial-grade software for processing aerial imagery
WebODM is an open-source, user-friendly application for processing aerial imagery into mapping and 3D products. It can generate georeferenced maps, point clouds, elevation models, textured 3D models, and Gaussian splats. Its interface is designed to make photogrammetry workflows accessible without requiring direct command-line operation. Processing can be handled by several supported engines, including ODX, MicMac, and LGT. The current project has formally separated from OpenDroneMap and no longer serves as a front end for ODM. It is distributed under the AGPLv3 license and offers downloadable installers. WebODM targets professional mapping workflows while retaining self-hosting and open-source deployment options. -
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DroneBridge for ESP32
Secure & transparent telemetry link with support for WiFi and ESP-NOW
DroneBridge for ESP32 is lightweight firmware that turns inexpensive ESP32 boards into wireless telemetry links for drones and other vehicles. It bridges serial data to standard Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Long Range, ESP-NOW, or Bluetooth Low Energy. MAVLink, MSP, LTM, and arbitrary serial payloads can be transported through the system. Standard Wi-Fi can reach roughly 150 meters, while compatible ESP-NOW or long-range Wi-Fi setups can extend much farther. Traffic can be encrypted with AES-256-GCM, including broadcast-based ESP-NOW communication. A web interface handles configuration, and over-the-air updates simplify maintenance. The project focuses on telemetry and low-data-rate communication rather than video transmission. -
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Flix
Making an ESP32-based quadcopter from scratch
Flix is an open-source ESP32-based quadcopter project built from general-purpose components for education, research, and experimentation. Its firmware is written in Arduino-style C++ and intentionally kept compact so learners can understand the complete flight-control stack. Communication uses MAVLink over Wi-Fi or ESP-NOW. The drone can be controlled with a USB gamepad, radio controller, or smartphone. A wireless command-line interface supports configuration and analysis without a wired connection. The project also includes a Gazebo simulator that runs the original flight code and a Python library for scripted or automatic flights. Hardware files, assembly instructions, troubleshooting guides, and flight-control documentation make it suitable for hands-on learning. -
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CarlaAir
Fly Drones Inside a CARLA World
CarlaAir is an open-source robotics simulator that combines CARLA urban driving with multirotor drone flight inside one Unreal Engine environment. It is designed for research involving coordinated aerial and ground autonomous systems. Vehicles, pedestrians, drones, weather, and sensor streams can coexist within the same simulated world. Users can access both CARLA and AirSim-style Python APIs to control different agents and environments. The platform supports synchronized cameras, lidar, navigation sensors, trajectory recording, and joint air-ground scenarios. ROS 2 examples connect simulated vehicles and drones to external robotics workflows and RViz. Prebuilt packages for Linux and Windows reduce setup effort for researchers studying embodied intelligence and autonomous systems. -
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OPEN DRONELOG
High-performance universal dashboard application for organizing
OPEN DRONELOG is a local-first application for importing, organizing, and analyzing drone flight logs. It supports DJI flight logs, Litchi CSV files, Airdata exports, and optional custom parser plugins. DuckDB powers large-scale telemetry analysis with automatic downsampling for responsive charts. Interactive maps provide 3D flight paths, terrain views, replay controls, joystick visualization, and synchronized telemetry. The application tracks batteries, maintenance, tags, media captures, flight statistics, and pilot-specific profiles. Data can be exported to CSV, JSON, GPX, KML, reports, and shareable flight cards. It is available as a Tauri desktop app, self-hosted Docker web app, and limited browser-based viewer. -
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OpenMVG
open Multiple View Geometry library. Basis for 3D computer vision
openMVG is an open-source C++ library for multiple-view geometry, photogrammetry, and Structure from Motion. It provides an end-to-end framework for reconstructing 3D scenes from collections of ordinary images. Its libraries cover image handling, feature description, feature matching, feature tracking, camera models, triangulation, robust estimation, and geometric solvers. Command-line binaries handle individual reconstruction stages that can be combined into complete pipelines. Reconstructed scenes can be exported to other multi-view stereo tools for dense point clouds and textured meshes. The project emphasizes readable, maintainable implementations backed by tests and examples. It runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, and iOS. -
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ESP-Drone
Mini Drone/Quadcopter Firmware for ESP32 and ESP32-S Series SoCs
ESP-Drone is an open-source quadcopter platform built around Espressif ESP32, ESP32-S2, and ESP32-S3 microcontrollers. It combines lightweight hardware with firmware derived in part from the Crazyflie project. Pilots can control the drone through a mobile application or compatible gamepad over wireless connections. Stabilize mode provides basic assisted flight, while additional hardware enables height-hold and position-hold modes. The project supports the Crazyflie client ecosystem and ESP-BOX3 joystick control through ESP-NOW. Android and iOS companion application source code is available separately. Its simple architecture makes it particularly suitable for education, experimentation, and embedded drone development. -
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SkyShit FPV for Anafi, Bebop 2 & Disco
SkyShit FPV Suite for Parrot Drone (Anafi, Bebop 2 & Disco)
SkyShit Booster Mod Custom FPV Suite for Anafi, Bebop 2 & Disco drones SkyShit FPV Suite is a MacOS application that runs on Apple Computer. Allowing users to receive FPV live feed from all Parrot drones (Anafi, Bebop 2 and Disco) to be displayed on multiple big LCD screens on Mac computer (Please see SSFPV_INSTALL_User_Manual.pdf for supported configurations). SSFPV Suite makes use to the Parrot SDK engine and the supreme graphics performance of modern Mac computer. As a result. The FPV suite becomes the lowest latency and the most responsive FPV applications to all Parrot drones on this planet. The FPV performance of this suite outperforms all iOS and Android FPV flight applications and supports to both SkyController 2 and SkyController 3 thru USB tethering. If you have several 46' LCD TV units connected to a Mac via HDMI or thunderbolt interfaces. This application is a game changer for you and your colleague to enjoy the most luxurious FPV experience on Parrot drones ever. -
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PS-Drone
Programming a Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 with Python - The Easy Way
The PS-Drone-API is a full featured SDK, written in and for Python, for Parrot's AR.Drone 2.0. It was designed to be easy to learn, but it offers the full set of the possibilities of the AR.Drone 2.0, including Sensor-Data (aka NavData), Configuration and full Video-support. The video function is not restricted to mere viewing, it is also possible to analyze video images data using OpenCV2. Obviously, the PS-Drone is perfect for teaching purposes; however, even the requirements for professional purposes can be satisfied. PS-Drone comes with a tutorial, explaining its most important commands and the drone's most important sensor values. The examples are easy to understand for people with little programming experience. A full list of commands and a description of all sensor data is available in a detailed documentation. It took several months to create PS-Drone, so it would be nice to get some donations for further development (e.g. Parrot's Bebop) and as a appreciation. -
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OpenReco
Open-source photogrammetry for 3D reconstruction.
OpenReco is an open-source photogrammetry and reality-capture platform designed to turn photographs into accurate 3D models, dense point clouds, textured meshes, DEMs, and orthomosaics. Built for researchers, drone operators, surveyors, developers, hobbyists, and digital artists, OpenReco aims to provide a transparent and extensible alternative to proprietary photogrammetry software. The project focuses on ease of use, performance, and reproducible workflows while embracing the open-source ecosystem. OpenReco supports image alignment, camera calibration, sparse and dense reconstruction, mesh generation, texturing, and export to common formats. Whether you're reconstructing archaeological sites, creating digital twins, generating terrain models, or building assets for games and visualization, OpenReco provides a powerful foundation without licensing restrictions. -
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Advanced Drone system
Advanced Drone System
This project intends to modelize a framework for remote controlled airplanes. This framework includes PPM/PCM drivers and data telemetry (location, speed, altitude) based on the SensorsAPI, to provide a reliable augmented reality for FPV flights -
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This project consists of the design of a complete drone quadcopter + remote controller system, using the microcontrollers ESP8266 and MSP430 respectively. To contribute to the project please send a message to request SVN permissions.
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The DTC (Drone Traffic Control) project for air traffic drones. It also utilizes DGPS for accurate position measurement of the drones.
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Drone WayPointer
A ROS package to remotely control the Parrot AR Drone 2.0
"Drone WayPointer" is a ROS package that provides a UI to allow for remote control of the Parrot AR Drone 2.0. It is developed in C++ with qt-ros and the Qt4 Development FrameWork. It is designed to work with the ROS - Fuerte and it uses the the ardrone_autonomy driver (Fuerte-devel Branch). It has so far only been tested on the tum_simulator and not on the actual drone. The main functionalities it provides is camera streams of front or bottom cameras of the drone, button and slider control of the drone XYZ velocities, control using waypoints and waypoint commands, pose estimation using simple dead-reckoning and measurement and image recording functionalities. -
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DroneSploit
Drone pentesting framework console
DroneSploit is a Python command-line framework for authorized security testing of drones and related wireless systems. Its interface is modeled after Metasploit to provide a familiar module-oriented workflow for security researchers. The framework gathers drone-specific assessment techniques and security modules in one console. Individual modules activate only when their required external tools and dependencies are available. Its architecture is built on the SploitKit framework and can be extended with additional modules. The project has been presented as a drone penetration-testing research platform at security conferences. Because its capabilities can affect real devices and networks, it is appropriate only for systems covered by explicit testing authorization. -
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FASTER
3D Trajectory Planner in Unknown Environments
FASTER is a research-grade 3D trajectory planner for autonomous navigation in unknown environments. It was developed for both aerial robots and ground vehicles that must move safely while new obstacles are discovered. The planner continuously builds safe and unknown-space trajectory segments rather than assuming the environment is fully mapped. Optimization is used to generate dynamically feasible paths while maintaining safety constraints. The project integrates with ROS, Gazebo, MAVROS, mapping components, and the Gurobi optimizer. Simulation examples demonstrate navigation for UAVs and ground robots in cluttered spaces. FASTER was published in IEEE Transactions on Robotics and is primarily intended for robotics research rather than turnkey consumer navigation. -
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Flask RESTful Example
Flask backend development interface example, using Flask
Flask RESTful Example is a practical Python backend reference showing how to build production-style APIs with Flask. It covers application configuration, standardized responses, logging, database access, authentication, background tasks, and deployment. MySQL and Redis examples demonstrate relational storage and caching workflows. Authentication examples include JWT, mobile verification codes, and WeChat-based login scenarios. Reporting modules generate Excel, Word, PDF, and hierarchical tree outputs. Celery, APScheduler, unit tests, coverage reports, Docker, Gunicorn, Nginx, and Drone CI demonstrate supporting infrastructure around the API. The repository is organized as a collection of real backend patterns rather than a single narrowly focused service.
Open Source Drone Software Guide
Open source drone software gives developers, researchers, and hobbyists access to publicly available code for controlling unmanned aerial vehicles, covering everything from flight control and navigation to mission planning and telemetry. Rather than relying on a closed, proprietary flight controller, users can inspect, modify, and extend the underlying code to fit specific hardware, missions, or research needs. This openness has made these tools a foundation for a wide range of drone projects across hobbyist, academic, and commercial settings.
These tools typically include a flight control layer that manages stabilization and navigation, along with companion ground control software used to plan missions and monitor a drone in flight. Because the code is open, developers can add custom sensors, integrate new hardware, or build specialized functionality that a commercial closed-source platform might not support.
This software is used by drone hobbyists, robotics researchers, and companies building custom drone applications who need flexibility beyond what off-the-shelf commercial platforms typically offer. As drone use continues to expand into new industries, more developers are turning to open source tools as a transparent, customizable foundation for building specialized aerial systems.
Features Provided by Open Source Drone Software
- Flight control firmware: Manages core stabilization, navigation, and control logic for the drone's flight behavior.
- Ground control station software: Provides an interface for mission planning, live monitoring, and manual control during flight.
- Autonomous mission planning: Allows users to define waypoints and automated flight paths in advance.
- Sensor integration support: Enables connection to a wide range of cameras, GPS modules, and other onboard sensors.
- Telemetry and data logging: Records flight data in real time for later analysis or troubleshooting.
- Simulation environments: Allows flight behavior to be tested virtually before deploying on real hardware.
- Custom hardware compatibility: Supports a broad range of flight controller boards and companion computers.
Types of Open Source Drone Software
- Flight controller firmware projects: Focus specifically on the core code that governs a drone's flight stability and control.
- Ground control station applications: Concentrate on mission planning and in-flight monitoring rather than flight control itself.
- Simulation and testing frameworks: Provide virtual environments for testing flight behavior without physical hardware.
- Companion computer software: Runs alongside the flight controller to handle additional processing, such as computer vision.
- Swarm coordination tools: Focus on managing and coordinating multiple drones operating together.
- Research and academic platforms: Built with flexibility suited to experimental or scientific drone applications.
- Specialized application frameworks: Extend core drone software toward specific use cases like mapping or inspection.
- Communication protocol libraries: Handle the messaging standards used between drones and ground control systems.
- Autopilot simulation tools: Allow flight algorithms to be tested and refined in a simulated environment before real flight.
Advantages of Using Open Source Drone Software
- Full code transparency: Publicly available code allows users to fully understand and verify how the software behaves.
- No vendor lock-in: Users are not dependent on a single company for updates, support, or continued development.
- Extensive customization: Developers can modify or extend functionality to support unique hardware or mission requirements.
- Strong community support: Active open source communities often provide shared knowledge, plugins, and troubleshooting help.
- Lower software costs: Avoiding licensing fees can make advanced drone capabilities more accessible to smaller teams.
- Rapid feature development: Community contributions often accelerate the pace at which new capabilities become available.
What Types of Users Use Open Source Drone Software?
- Drone hobbyists: Use these tools to build and customize personal drones beyond what commercial options typically allow.
- Robotics researchers: Rely on open source flexibility to test experimental flight algorithms and sensor configurations.
- Academic institutions: Use these tools for coursework and research projects involving unmanned aerial systems.
- Commercial drone developers: Build specialized applications, such as mapping or inspection tools, on an open source foundation.
- Agricultural technology companies: Customize drone software for crop monitoring and precision agriculture applications.
- Emergency response organizations: Adapt open source tools for search and rescue or disaster assessment missions.
- Independent hardware developers: Integrate custom flight controllers or sensors using openly available code as a starting point.
How Much Does Open Source Drone Software Cost?
Because this software is open source, there is typically no direct licensing fee for the core code itself, though users should expect real costs tied to hardware, development time, and ongoing maintenance. Building a functional drone system still requires physical components, including flight controllers, sensors, and airframes, regardless of the software being free to use.
Additional costs can come from the engineering time needed to configure, customize, and test the software for a specific application, particularly for more complex or specialized use cases. Organizations without in-house technical expertise should also budget for the learning curve involved in working directly with open source drone code.
What Software Can Integrate With Open Source Drone Software?
This software commonly connects with a wide range of flight controller hardware, since compatibility with different physical components is a core part of its design. Ground control applications often integrate with mapping and geographic information systems to support mission planning over specific terrain. Communication protocols allow integration with companion computers running additional processing tasks, such as computer vision or object detection. Some setups also connect with cloud-based data platforms to store and analyze flight telemetry after missions are complete.
Trends Related to Open Source Drone Software
- Growing adoption in commercial applications: More businesses are building custom drone solutions on open source foundations rather than proprietary platforms.
- Increased integration with computer vision: More projects are combining open source flight software with onboard image processing capabilities.
- Expanding swarm coordination capabilities: More tools are adding support for coordinating multiple drones simultaneously.
- Rising use in agricultural applications: More open source projects are being adapted specifically for precision agriculture use cases.
- Improved simulation accuracy: Simulation environments are becoming more realistic, reducing the need for extensive physical testing.
- Growing academic and research adoption: More universities are incorporating open source drone platforms into robotics coursework.
- Increased hardware compatibility: More flight controller boards and sensors are being supported as the ecosystem matures.
- Expanding regulatory compliance features: More projects are adding functionality to support evolving airspace regulations.
- Rising interest in autonomous mission capabilities: More development is focused on reducing the need for manual flight control.
- Growing use in emergency response scenarios: More organizations are adapting open source tools for search, rescue, and disaster assessment work.
How To Get Started With Open Source Drone Software
Choosing the right software starts with identifying your specific use case, since flight controller firmware, ground control applications, and specialized frameworks each serve different needs. Buyers should consider hardware compatibility carefully, ensuring the software supports the flight controllers and sensors already in use or planned for a project. It is worth evaluating the strength and activity of the surrounding community, since ongoing support and updates often depend heavily on community involvement. Simulation capabilities deserve attention as well, particularly for testing flight behavior safely before real-world deployment. Finally, consider the technical resources available in-house, since working directly with open source code requires real engineering capability to configure and maintain effectively.
