A cordless drill/driver is the tool most people reach for first, and for good reason: it bores holes in wood and metal, drives screws, and mixes small batches of thinset or paint if you ask it to. It is not a hammer drill (that adds a masonry tapping action for concrete and brick) and it is not an impact driver (that trades a chuck for high-torque bursts on fasteners). For everyday building, hanging, and repair, the plain drill/driver is the workhorse.
Before any model number, the real decision is the battery. A drill is rarely your only cordless tool, so buy into the platform you will grow with. Milwaukee's M18 and DeWalt's 20V MAX have the deepest lineups, Makita's 18V LXT is huge and mature, and Ryobi's ONE+ is the value king for homeowners. None of these cross. An M18 pack will not fit an M12 tool, Ryobi's 18V ONE+ batteries will not run its 40V gear, and Makita 18V LXT and 40V XGT are entirely separate platforms. Pick the family first, then the drill.
The all-around pick: DeWalt DCD800B
For someone starting fresh or already holding a few 20V MAX packs, the DCD800B is the sensible default. It is a brushless two-speed drill with a 1/2-inch chuck, enough speed for clean holes in high gear and enough low-end control for driving without stripping heads. The battery story is the draw: a FLEXVOLT pack drops to 20V to run this and every other 20V MAX tool, so one battery family covers a growing kit. The catch runs one direction only. A standard 20V MAX battery will never power a 60V FLEXVOLT tool, so match the pack to the job.
The deepest pro system: Milwaukee 2903-20
Anyone building out a pro kit should look hard at the M18 FUEL 2903-20. Its POWERSTATE brushless motor is rated around 1,200 in-lbs, and the M18 lineup is the broadest in the trades, so the same battery feeds a saw, an impact, a work light, and a couple hundred other tools. The honest catch is that it is a full-size drill and the flagship packs add weight, so overhead work asks more of your wrist than a subcompact would. For a system you will keep expanding, it is the safe long-term bet.
The most comfortable to run: Makita XFD14Z
Reviewers keep calling Makita's XFD14Z the nicest drill to actually hold. It is rated up to about 1,250 in-lbs, so it is no lightweight on torque, but the real story is ergonomics: a compact head, even weight, and a grip that stays comfortable through a day of repetitive driving. It runs on 18V LXT, the platform with the most cordless tools Makita makes. Worth repeating, because people get burned here: LXT 18V and 40V XGT do not share batteries, so do not buy XGT packs expecting them to fit.
The homeowner value: Ryobi PBLDD01
For most people drilling pilot holes and driving deck screws on the weekend, the Ryobi ONE+ HP PBLDD01 is plenty and costs a fraction of the pro tools. The brushless motor handles shelf brackets, flat-pack furniture, and general repair without complaint, and it joins the enormous ONE+ ecosystem, where the same 18V battery runs everything from a string trimmer to a shop vac. Do not expect it to auger big holes in hardwood all day, and skip any thought of fitting Ryobi's 40V outdoor packs, since they are a separate system.
The tight-space pick: DeWalt DCD794B ATOMIC
Not every job needs a full-frame drill. The ATOMIC DCD794B is a short, light 20V MAX subcompact that fits inside cabinets, between studs, and in the corners where a big drill simply will not reach. It weighs noticeably less, which your arm notices by the end of a long day, and it runs the same 20V MAX and FLEXVOLT packs as the DCD800B. It is the drill to add once you are already in the system and want something that disappears into a tool bag.
The short version
Buy the platform before the drill. Starting fresh or already in DeWalt, the DCD800B covers the most ground. Building a pro kit, the Milwaukee 2903-20 sits on the deepest battery system. For all-day comfort it is Makita's XFD14Z, and homeowners are well served by the Ryobi PBLDD01 without paying pro money. Add the DeWalt DCD794B when you need something small for tight spaces. Match the battery to the tools you already own and you will be happier than chasing a single torque number on the box.