Factual comparison of ExpressLRS 2.4 GHz and 915/868 MHz: chip, packet rate, range, penetration and legality by region.
ExpressLRS is the most widely used open source radio link in FPV. It runs in two frequency families: 2.4 GHz, on the SX1280 chip, and sub-GHz around 900 MHz, on the SX1276 chip. The band you pick sets the maximum packet rate, the range, how well the signal gets through obstacles and, above all, what is legal in your region.
2.4 GHz reaches up to 1000 Hz in the FLRC modes (F500 and F1000), with 2 to 3 ms over the air latency. That is what race and freestyle want, where every millisecond counts. Sub-GHz tops out at 200 Hz, around 5 ms, enough for smooth long flights but not tight racing. More Hz means lower latency but shorter range.
A lower frequency travels farther and gets through trees, buildings and terrain better. That is why sub-GHz is the long range standard, with tens of kilometers in line of sight. 2.4 GHz gives less range and weaker penetration, irrelevant up close but decisive when the drone drops behind a hill. Real range always depends on antenna, power and surroundings.
The band is not free everywhere. 2.4 GHz is ISM and is used legally almost worldwide. In sub-GHz, 915 MHz is legal in the United States and parts of Asia but illegal in the European Union, where the long range band is 868 MHz. 433 MHz is experimental. Practical rule: RX and TX must use the same band, a 2.4 receiver does not talk to a 915 transmitter.
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