Top 5 best gimbals 2025

We have evaluated and ranked the top phone gimbals available.

Welcome to our often updated list of the top stabilizers for producing level, stable, and fluid content on your smartphone: the best phone gimbals available in 2025. As new mobile gimbals pass our rigorous testing and approval process, we’ll update and revise this guide, so be sure to return frequently for changes.

The Hohem iSteady M7 is, in our opinion, the greatest phone gimbal available in 2025. Strong motors allow this heavy-duty flagship model to stabilize larger, bulkier phones that other gimbals cannot manage, and it is loaded with features that you won’t find anywhere else right now, like a detachable touchscreen remote control. Additionally, it uses an AI-assisted module to track subjects.

However, because of its high cost and inability to fold down to a compact size, the iSteady M7 may not be the ideal option for everyone. Don’t worry; our sorted list below includes all the deserving substitutes from companies like Insta360, Zhiyun, DJI, and more.

• Best overall: Hohem iSteady M7
• Best cheap gimbal: Joby Smart Stabilizer
• Best Value: DJI Osmo Mobile 6
• Best for iPhone: Insta360 Flow 2 Pro
• Best smart stabilizer: Zhiyun Smooth 5S AI

The best mobile gimbals in 2025

Complete reviews of each of the top phone gimbals on our list can be found below. You can be certain that our suggestions are reliable because each one has undergone a rigorous testing process.

The best overall phone gimbal

1. Hohem iSteady M7

We believe that the Hohem iSteady M7 is the greatest phone gimbal currently on the market since it combines sophisticated capabilities, compatibility with larger phones up to 500g in weight and 12.5mm in thickness, and dependable, highly configurable stabilization. The iSteady M7 is the preferred gimbal for anyone with a bigger (or even foldable) phone, a phone with a bulky cover, or a phone with substantial customizations because most mobile gimbals can support phones up to about 300g in weight and 10mm in thickness.

Therefore, it is not able to fold down to the same ultra-compact size as the Insta360 Flow 2 Pro or DJI OM 6 because it is one of the most robust, strongly made gimbals featured in our buying guide. For storage and transit, the iSteady M7 may be secured into a “flat” position and placed inside the (included) zip-up hard case, but you’ll still need a backpack or something similar to take it around—it’s definitely not pocketable.

The iSteady M7 is excellent at the fundamentals of stabilization because to its comfortable grip, comprehensive control configuration, and efficient, simple-to-understand phone movement modes. It’s also ideal for perfectionists because practically every element of gimbal movement can be customized by the user. However, it may be its more sophisticated features that set it apart from the competition. For example, a detachable AI tracking module functions as a strong LED fill light with completely adjustable brightness and color settings and allows full subject tracking with any app.

The hidden weapon is a touchscreen control module that can be detached from the handle and used as a remote control with a 10-meter range. You won’t find this on any other gimbal available at the moment, and Hohem’s ingenuity is very remarkable.

The best overall phone gimbal at: Amazon, Best Buy, or Wallmart.

The best cheap phone gimbal

2. Joby Smart Stabilizer

Note: that the Joby Smart Stabilizer is the only phone gimbal on our list without a live review on TechRadar at the moment. However, we have used the device enough to know that it is a capable low-cost choice.

Many vloggers use Joby’s flexible GorillaPod compact tripod, but the company’s phone gimbal isn’t quite as well-known. The Smart Stabilizer feels quite outdated in comparison to the other products featured because to its large, non-folding design and Micro USB port. While some of the other gimbals discussed here may fit in a big pocket, this one needs something in the backpack or camera bag category. However, it does come with its own protective carry case, which is amazing considering the really low price point.

Decked out in tough, hard-wearing plastic, the gimbal does look the part and performs well as a stabilizer, with the companion app offering some effective and smooth object tracking. However, do note that despite the Smart Stabilizer’s size and weight, the motor can only stabilize phones up to 210g – a fair bit lighter than the DJI, Insta360 and Zhiyun gimbals can manage. It all adds up to the feeling that Joby is lagging well behind the curve – even if the inclusion of a built-in extension rod may be useful to some. But we suppose that’s acceptable given the budget-friendly nature of this device.

The best cheap phone gimbal at:Amazon, Best Buy, or Wallmart.

The best value phone gimbal

3. DJI Osmo Mobile 6

We believe that the greatest phone gimbal in terms of value is the DJI Osmo Mobile 6 (also called the OM 6). The OM 6’s attitude, design, and performance make it an all-around solution that will work for most users, especially those at the more casual end of the market, even if we wouldn’t describe it as exceptional in any one aspect. Additionally, it’s a fantastic (and reasonably priced) investment because it’s currently less expensive than before.

First of all, it has a great design. The OM 6 is very small and light when folded up—almost “pocket-size.” However, this mobility belies its capability: a built-in extension rod (also known as a selfie stick) enables the attached phone to be held at a reasonable distance from the user, making it ideal for taking selfies or group photos. Our favorite feature of the design is the magnetic clamp that holds your phone and makes it easy to connect and remove from the gimbal arm. It also has a screw-on micro tripod that allows it to be placed on flat surfaces to take pictures of the user from a distance.

When used with MagSafe iPhones, it also has a quick-launch function that, as soon as the phone is attached, links the devices and starts the Mimo companion app instantly.

The OM 6 has excellent general stability, which keeps the tethered phone level, solid, and moving smoothly while feeling wonderful in the hand. The integrated ActiveTrack 6.0 face and object tracking makes basic self-shooting a breeze, but there are also a variety of gimbal movement modes and user-friendly manual settings for those who wish to accomplish a variety of pictures. While some other gimbals can follow faces when using third-party camera applications, this isn’t the fastest or most responsive tracking we’ve seen, and it only works with DJI’s Mimo app.

With its user-friendly interface, entertaining unique shooting modes, customizable photo and video settings, and integrated features for instantly uploading film to social media, the Mimo app is usually excellent.

Lastly, we would describe the 6.5-hour battery life of the OM 6 as decent rather than exceptional. On a full charge, other gimbals—even smaller ones like the Insta360 Flow Pro—offer a lot more functionality.

The best value phone gimbal at:Amazon, Best Buy, or Wallmart.

The best phone gimbal for iPhone

4. Insta360 Flow 2 Pro

The Flow 2 Pro is more of an evolution than a revolution, building progressively on the first Flow Pro, which came out just a year earlier. The features that made the Flow Pro one of the best-rated gimbals of 2024 are still present, including a clever, incredibly small folding design, an integrated extending selfie stick, and the ability to attach your phone and quickly deploy the gimbal from its folded state to fully functional mode using its magnetic clamp. Naturally, Apple DockKit support has returned, meaning that the gimbal can now automatically track faces using not just the Insta360 camera app but also just about any other good iOS camera app.

Unfortunately, Android users have nothing to be thrilled about since, despite the numerous improvements, they are unable to monitor anything outside of the Insta360 app, which, it must be stated, tracks subjects quite well—even re-acquiring them if they leave the area and return later.

A Free Tilt mode that increases the gimbal’s range of motion, a more robust build with a more steady built-in tripod, and an overall neater and easier-to-use control arrangement are among the improvements. Importantly, the stability is still excellent, and the gimbal’s diminutive size doesn’t seem to affect its ability to level and move.

For iPhone users that want a reliable but highly portable phone gimbal that can be slipped into a coat pocket or small bag, the Insta360 Flow 2 Pro is undoubtedly the best choice on the market right now.

The best phone gimbal for iPhone at:Amazon, Best Buy, or Wallmart.

The smartest phone stabilizer

5. Zhiyun Smooth 5S AI

As the name implies, Zhiyun’s flagship mobile gimbal is an improved Smooth 5 model. Although it has a similar look, the Smooth 5S AI has several enhancements, chief among them being a magnetic tracking module driven by AI that can be oriented either direction toward or away from the bearer. The gimbal can track the motions of a single subject on its own thanks to this module’s small camera, which can recognize faces. This implies that it will follow you regardless of the camera app it is running.

The Smooth 5S AI truly stands out from its rivals thanks to its hardware-based, app-agnostic monitoring. Naturally, it’s excellent for those who like utilizing third-party camera applications, but when using the Zhiyun ZY Cami app to record video, tracking is considerably more quick and fluid than when using the AI module. The latter detracts a little from the AI module’s luster because the gimbal motions are more jerky and delayed.

Additionally, the gimbal arm of the Smooth 5S AI has an integrated LED light. This is a rather good fill light that can light up close faces, even if it just faces forward and isn’t powerful enough to, say, light an entire living room. However, we’re not so sure about some of the other design decisions. Although it folds up somewhat, it’s more bigger and less portable than the Insta360 Flow Pro and DJI OM 6, and the handle doesn’t have an extended selfie stick to expand its reach. Additionally, the mounting configuration takes longer than the magnet-based alternatives described above. However, the package does contain a decent little tripod.

Stabilization works very well – to a point. The 3-axis gimbal succeeds in keeping a smartphone level and follows movements well, tilting the handle more than around 40 degrees in either direction can fox it to the point where it abruptly stops, allowing the phone to tilt too. It’s not a huge issue as long as you take pains to avoid it, but given the weightier, more articulated gimbal setup it uses compared to the compact DJI and Insta360 models, we were expecting a little more robustness from the Smooth 5S AI.

Also consider

Many of the phone gimbals that we’ve examined came very close to making this list. You might also want to have a look at these honorable mentions.

The most cost-effective iPhone gimbal is the Insta360 Flow Pro: The original Insta360 Flow Pro uses Apple DockKit compatibility, just as its successor the Flow 2 Pro (see above), to follow subjects using hundreds of iPhone camera applications. Although it has since been supplanted as the best gimbal for Insta360, it still performs well because to its excellent mobility, fast-deploy folding mechanism, and strong stabilization. It’s also less expensive than before.

How to choose the best phone gimbal

Which gimbal features are the best?

A smartphone may be held and automatically stabilized by any phone gimbal, keeping it level and steady while the user is walking or panning. Additionally, the majority allow for subject tracking, in which the phone is moved by the gimbal arm to monitor the motions of a human subject. These tracking systems can occasionally be software-based, using the algorithm of a specific app to identify and follow a subject. Other gimbals are more adaptable and versatile since they can track utilizing third-party software. Another important factor to think about is portability: are you content to carry your gimbal in a bigger backpack or do you require it to fold up to a very tiny size for transportation?

What’s the best gimbal for me?

It’s crucial to think about your needs before purchasing a phone gimbal. What is the size and weight of your phone? Do you anticipate long shooting days when a long battery life is essential? Do you vlog alone and require a gadget with efficient topic tracking?

Some people find that a low-cost phone gimbal, such as the Joby Smart Stabilizer, is more than enough, while others will appreciate the hardware-based tracking module of the Zhiyun Smooth 5S AI if they need to employ subject tracking with all of their favorite camera applications. However, we believe that for the majority of users, the DJI Osmo Mobile 6 offers the best combination of cost, functionality, and performance.

How we test phone gimbals

First of all, it’s useful to clarify what a phone gimbal is: a portable gadget that eliminates unwanted wobble and tremor from films taken with your smartphone. It accomplishes this by employing sensors to identify undesired motions and motors to instantly counteract them.

Therefore, during testing, we primarily focus on the gimbal’s ability to steady, which includes how fast and precisely it reacts to movement and how smoothly it counteracts it. Nobody really uses a jerky gimbal.

We also examine the setup procedure, including how simple it is to place (and unmount) a smartphone on the gimbal and couple the two devices for optimal functionality. How long does the gimbal’s battery last, and does it include physical controls so we don’t have to touch the phone?

Next, we examine any other features the gimbal could have, such as the capacity to follow moving objects, produce visually striking trick shots, vast panoramic images, or lengthy time-lapse videos.