The best gimbals for iPhone or Android in 2025

Smartphones have become very good at stabilizing video, but they can’t beat the efficiency and control of actual smartphone gimbals. Holding your camera phone directly while recording can lead to unexpected movements, jumps, and trips. Add shaky hands to the equation, and any smartphone will need some help keeping footage steady.

Those looking for the best phone gimbal will soon realize there are many options. Finding the right smartphone gimbal can be daunting, so we have curated a list of the best handset stabilizers available.

The best smartphone gimbals, at a glance

Below, you’ll find a quick breakdown of our top smartphone gimbals picks, followed by a deeper dive into each alternative further down in the article.

• ZHIYUN Smooth 5S: This is a pretty pricey mobile gimbal at $169, but you will be hard-pressed to find anything better than this one.
• Insta360 Flow 2 Pro: The Insta360 Flow 2 Pro is the best gimbal if you want a very portable option. When folded, it can easily fit in a pants pocket!
• DJI Osmo Mobile 6: The Osmo Mobile 6 is our top pick for a folding gimbal. It’s lightweight, powerful, and an overall perfect companion for videographers on the go.
• DJI Osmo Mobile SE: Almost as good as the Osmo Mobile 6, but much cheaper.
• ZHIYUN Cinepeer CQ5: This is a great gimbal for mobile videographers. It’s foldable, robust, has AI capabilities, and the removable LED light will keep clips well-lit at night.
• Hohem iSteady MT2: Smartphone gimbals are great, but many of us have multiple cameras. This stabilizer can be used with a smartphone, a GoPro, or a Sony RX100.
• MOZA AirCross S: With a carrying capacity of 1.8kg, the MOZA AirCross S is an excellent pick if you prefer a larger phone. It can also hold regular cameras and action cams.

ZHIYUN Smooth 5S

We loved the ZHIYUN Smooth 4, which held the #1 spot on this list for years, but is now very old and hard to find. It’s finally time to replace it with the latest and greatest from the same company. The ZHIYUN Smooth 5S is a pretty pricey mobile gimbal at $169, but you will be hard-pressed to find anything better than this one.

It all starts with the design, which looks very nice and clean, mainly consisting of white, with black accents. There’s also a gray version if you’re feeling less adventurous. Build quality is as good as you can expect from the Smooth line-up, following the tradition of the Smooth 5 ($149 at Amazon) and Smooth 4 ($328 at Amazon).

Other highlights include 3-axis stabilization, magnetic and built-in lights, portrait/horizontal shooting modes, a great set of controls (including a knob), and AI shooting templates through the app. The payload supports up to 300g, and the unit measures 311 x 168 x 52mm.

Insta360 Flow 2 Pro

When folded, this small gimbal is about the size of a large smartphone (although much thicker, obviously). It can easily fit in a pants pocket, an advantage Insta360 often shows off.

It has most of the features you’d expect of a larger gimbal, including a magnetic mounting system, a built-in extender rod, and even a trigger. It also adds something most gimbals on this list don’t have, which is a built-in tripod. You simply pull the three tripod feet out of the bottom, and it will prop anywhere. You don’t need to sacrifice your normal tripod, either, as the Flow also has a traditional tripod mount, too.

This model also includes some really nifty, modern features. For example, it supports tap-to-connect, 360-degree infinite pan tracking, and has a really cool tracking ring light. This new version also includes some really interesting upgrades over its predecessor. It has AI enhancements with improved tracking tracking, supports smartphone remote control, and even includes a helpful selfie mirror in the back of the gimbal.

That said, it is a high-tech, modern smartphone gimbal, and its price is $159.99. Again, it is totally worth it, if you will take advantage of all the features.

DJI Osmo Mobile 6

DJI’s Osmo Mobile 6 barely missed our top spot. It is a bit pricey at $149 and doesn’t offer as much as ZHIYUN’s offering. The OM 6 features a folding design that earns top marks for portability and sets it apart from most other gimbals on the market. It’s super portable and has a built-in extension rod that turns it into a selfie stick.

The DJI Osmo Mobile 6 comes in at 309 grams right out of the box, and measures 276 x 111.5 x 99mm when completely unfolded. The gimbal packs a 1,000mAh battery, which isn’t great, but you still get about six hours and 24 minutes of battery life. The clamp can also handle its own, as it can hold devices as heavy as 290 grams, and as wide as 84mm.

DJI Osmo Mobile SE

If you like the DJI Osmo Mobile 6, but deem it too pricey, then we’d like to show you something more affordable from the same brand. This one is $99.

The DJI Osmo Mobile SE comes with some of the best features you’ll find on its bigger brother, such as 3-axis stabilization, a portable and foldable body, a magnetic design, and even a very similar control interface. In fact, some people might see it as a bit of an upgrade, as it has a longer 8-hour battery life, as opposed to 6:26 hours of juice on the Osmo Mobile 6. It also happens to have improved mechanical range, especially on the pan and tilt.

Of course, some downsides come with a price cut. It is larger, even if by a bit. It’s also heavier at 352g. It lacks a selfie stick extender, and a rocker replaces the side wheel.

ZHIYUN Cinepeer CQ5

Think of the ZHIYUN Cinepeer CQ5 as a direct competitor to the Insta360 Flow 2 Pro, making it another of the best smartphone gimbals around. It is small and foldable, yet very capable and with plenty of really advanced features. The good news is that this open is much cheaper at $99

The main difference with this one is that it doesn’t have a magnetic, removable dock for your phone. The fill light and AI device are magnetic and removable, though. It still gets a really nice design and more ergonomic handle. Additionally, it has AI capabilitiesand voice command support.

The rod can be extended by 215mm, which is nice for shooting content by yourself or taking selfies. It also has an 11-hour battery life, which is quite outstanding for small smartphone gimbals.

Another difference to keep in mind is that this model doesn’t have integrated tripod legs. It includes a tripod, but it must be manually attached using the tripod screw.

Hohem iSteady MT2

Smartphone gimbals are great, but it’s definitely better to have some versatility. The Hohem iSteady MT2 features more compatibility with smartphones and other cameras, including action cameras and dedicated cameras. Here’s a list of all the cameras the gimbal supports.

The unit is also very technologically advanced, offering AI features, a magnetic fill light, an excellent array of manual controls, and more.

This gimbal only weighs 653g, and it can carry as much as 2 lbs. It can pan 360 degrees, tilt 290 degrees, and roll 200 degrees. And if you care about battery life, this one can achieve up to 17 hours, which is quite impressive. However, this is reduced to 6-8 hours if you use AI and the fill light.

Just be ready to pay for all these features and versatility. The Hohem iSteady MT2 has a $369 price, making it one of the most expensive units on this list of the best gimbals for Android and iPhone.

MOZA AirCross S

The MOZA AirCross S is a beast of a gimbal. It is built amazingly and looks very nice, but it stands out because it’s one gimbal to rule them all. You can use it with smartphones, traditional cameras, and more. Thanks to its 1.8 kg payload capacity, you can also use multiple shooting devices with it.

The MOZA AirCross S is not cheap at $259, but it comes with all the bells and whistles. You get 3-axis 360-degree stabilization, as well as an excellent ergonomic design and hand position. The 10-hour battery life is also very nice, considering the gimbal’s capacity.

Buying the right phone gimbal for your needs

You need to consider several things when picking out a phone gimbal. The obvious factors to consider are price, size, weight, battery life, and build quality. Of course, mobile gimbals have other more complex features to keep in perspective. An essential one is the stabilization technology in use. Are you working with a 3-axis or a 2-axis stabilizer? 2-axis stabilizers smooth out tilt and roll, which means movements going up/down or from side to side. The third axis steadies panning. Of course, we recommend 3-axis stabilizers, but they can often be a bit bigger.

It’s also important to consider device compatibility. You will need to look elsewhere if the gimbal doesn’t fit or the hardware isn’t made for your handset. The motors need to handle your handset’s size and weight. The software will make a massive difference in your experience, too. Be sure to look at how many features the app has (if there is one).

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