Betaflight Rates Explained

calendar Jul 13, 2026 · 3 min read · fpv betaflight rates tuning freestyle  ·
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Rates control how fast the drone rotates in response to stick input. Higher rates = faster rotation = more aggressive feel. A rate profile is shaped by three parameters — RC Rate, Super Rate, and Expo — plus the choice of rate system (Betaflight, Actual, etc.).

Common Shorthand Profiles

The 533 / 633 / 733 shorthand names a profile by its maximum rotation rate in °/s — 733 peaks near 730 °/s, 533 near 530 °/s:

ProfileMax rateFeelUse case
733~733 °/sPunchyFreestyle, flips, confident pilots
633~633 °/sBalancedGeneral freestyle / cruising
533~533 °/sMellowLearning acro, racing lines, cinematic

All three use a fixed Super Rate 0.70 with RC Rate stepped up (0.80 / 0.95 / 1.10). For the exact values in both rate systems, with copy-paste CLI and graphs, see Rate Presets.

What Each Parameter Does

RC Rate — base sensitivity at center stick. Higher values make the whole stick feel more responsive.

Super Rate — adds extra rotation speed toward the stick edges. This is the "high end" speed you hit at full deflection. Range: 0.0 – 1.0 (0 = linear, higher = more curve toward edges).

Expo — softens the center stick region, giving finer control around hover/center while keeping full deflection fast. Range: 0.0 – 1.0.

Max Rotation Rate Formula

For the default Betaflight rate style:

1maxRate = (RC Rate × 200) × (1 / (1 - Super Rate))

Example — profile 733 (RC Rate 1.1, Super Rate 0.7):

1maxRate = (1.1 × 200) × (1 / (1 - 0.7))
2        = 220 × 3.33
3        ≈ 733 °/s

This is why the shorthand number is the max rate: with Super Rate fixed at 0.70 the denominator is 0.30, so maxRate = 666.7 × RC Rate.

Expo does not change the maximum. Expo only softens the curve between center and full stick; at full deflection the output returns to the same maxRate. To go faster you raise RC Rate or Super Rate, not Expo. Use the Rates Preview tab in Betaflight Configurator to see the real curve for any values.

Rate Styles

Betaflight supports multiple rate styles — each uses the same three sliders but applies them differently:

StyleCharacteristic
BetaflightDefault. Predictable, widely used.
ActualRC Rate maps directly to max °/s. Intuitive.
QuickratesSimplified two-parameter curve.
KissClassic Kiss FC style.

Actual Rates are increasingly popular because RC Rate directly equals max rotation speed in °/s — no math needed.

Practical Tips

  • Start with 533 when learning; the lower max rate keeps rotations slow and controllable.
  • Move to 633 or 733 when you want faster flips and a livelier center.
  • Add a little Expo (0.10–0.20) if the center feels twitchy — it softens fine control without changing the max rate. Above ~0.5 it starts to feel "laggy" at center.
  • Rates are per-axis. Most pilots copy the same profile across Roll, Pitch, Yaw — but yaw is often set slightly lower for cleaner spins.

CLI

 1# View current rates
 2rates
 3
 4# Set a 733 profile (legacy Betaflight style) on Roll
 5set roll_rc_rate = 110
 6set roll_srate = 70
 7set roll_expo = 0
 8
 9# Copy same values to Pitch
10set pitch_rc_rate = 110
11set pitch_srate = 70
12set pitch_expo = 0
13
14# Lower yaw slightly for cleaner spins
15set yaw_rc_rate = 95
16set yaw_srate = 70
17set yaw_expo = 0
18
19save

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