Leaf area index (LAI) is a vital parameter for predicting rice yield. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveillance with an RGB camera has been shown to have potential as a low-cost and efficient tool for monitoring crop growth. Simultaneously, deep learning (DL) algorithms have attracted attention as a promising tool for the task of image recognition. The principal aim of this research was to evaluate the feasibility of combining DL and RGB images obtained by a UAV for rice LAI estimation. In the present study, an LAI estimation model developed by DL with RGB images was compared to three other practical methods: a plant canopy analyzer (PCA); regression models based on color indices (CIs) obtained from an RGB camera; and vegetation indices (VIs) obtained from a multispectral camera. The results showed that the estimation accuracy of the model developed by DL with RGB images (R² = 0.963 and RMSE = 0.334) was higher than those of the PCA (R² = 0.934 and RMSE = 0.555) and the regression models based on CIs (R² = 0.802-0.947 and RMSE = 0.401–1.13), and comparable to that of the regression models based on VIs (R² = 0.917–0.976 and RMSE = 0.332–0.644). Therefore, our results demonstrated that the estimation model using DL with an RGB camera on a UAV could be an alternative to the methods using PCA and a multispectral camera for rice LAI estimation.