Updated September 30, 2026 · SmartHomeCue Editorial Team
Annke vs Lockin
Where Annke and Lockin differ
| Compare |  Annke | Lockin ReviewVisitVisit |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.99Lower | $129.99 |
| Products | Camera, Video doorbell | Smart lock, Video doorbell |
| Free features | Local SD card storage without monthly fees | AI detection, video, remote access and app control with no fee |
| Top resolution | 4k | 2k |
| Monitoring per month | Not confirmed | $0 |
| Minimum contract | Not confirmed | 0 months |
| Professional monitoring | Not confirmed | No |
| Cloud plan per month | Not confirmed | $0 |
Same on both: Local storage (Yes), Money-back period (30 days), Installation required (No).
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Key differences
- Annke scores higher overall: 9.4 vs 9.0.
- Price is lower at Annke: $19.99 vs $129.99.
- Products: only Annke offers Camera.
- Products: only Lockin offers Smart lock.
- Support channels: only Annke offers Chat.
- Power source: only Annke offers Wired, Poe.
- Ecosystems: only Lockin offers Google, Homekit, Matter.
Our verdict on each
Annke
Annke is a straightforward way to cover a house with cameras and video doorbells without a subscription line, and the entry figure of $19.99 sits below Aqara. It suits homeowners who want card storage and Alexa voice control more than a full alarm system.
Lockin
Lockin suits people who want a lock and a video doorbell with no running fees. The range starts at $129.99, with cloud and monitoring both at $0. Expect US only, a 0 months commitment, and no one watching your alarms.
Score breakdown
| Area | Annke | Lockin |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.7HigherEntry price of $19.99 sits below the £36.98 listed by Aqara, and the cost score of 9.7 reflects that. | 9.2Entry price of $129.99 with cloud plan of $0 and monitoring of $0 keep running cost at nil. |
| Offer | 9.2HigherThe range spans camera and video doorbell with 4k at the top and card recording as standard, for an offer score of 9.2. | 9.0Range covers smart lock and video doorbell on a diy model, with video kept on the device and detection. |
| Trust | 9.1HigherSold by ANNKE INNOVATION (HK) CO., LIMITED with support on email, chat and phone; the trust score is 9.1. | 8.8Founded 2014, Matter certified, US market, warranty of 1 year and 30 day returns. |
The numbers side by side
| Fact | Annke | Lockin |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.99 | $129.99 |
| Money-back period | 30 days | 30 days |
How they place
| Ranking | Annke | Lockin |
|---|---|---|
| Video doorbells | 10 of 54 | 7 of 54 |
What each covers
| Products | Annke | Lockin |
|---|---|---|
| Camera | Yes | No |
| Smart lock | No | Yes |
| Video doorbell | Yes | Yes |
What we checked
Annke
- annke.com: 11 facts, checked September 30, 2026
Lockin
- lockin.com: 16 facts, checked September 30, 2026
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Annke | Lockin |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Not confirmed | Diy |
| Power source | Battery, Wired, Solar, PoeCovers more | Battery, Solar |
| Ecosystems | Alexa | Alexa, Google, Homekit, Matter, SmartthingsCovers more |
| Legal entity | ANNKE INNOVATION (HK) CO., LIMITED | Not confirmed |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 2014 |
| Support channels | Email, Chat, Phone, Help centreCovers more | Email, Phone, Help centre |
Smart home devices
| Fact | Annke | Lockin |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Not confirmed | $129.99 |
| Protocols | Not confirmed | Matter, Thread, Wi fi |
| Matter certified | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Hub required | Not confirmed | No |
| Local control | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Subscription per month | Not confirmed | $0 |
| Warranty | Not confirmed | 1 year |
| Markets | Not confirmed | US |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Annke | Lockin | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.99lowest quarter | $129.99highest quarter | $69.99 |
| Monitoring per month | Not confirmed | $0at the median | $0 |
| Minimum contract | Not confirmed | 0 monthsat the median | 0 months |
| Money-back period | 30 daysat the median | 30 daysat the median | 30 days |
| Cloud plan per month | Not confirmed | $0below the median | $3 |
Median across 65 listed brands.
Pros and cons
Annke
Pros
- The entry price of $19.99 is below the £36.98 listed by Aqara, and a little above $13.99.
- Local storage is listed as yes, and card recording comes with no monthly fee, so the running cost stays flat.
- Support runs on email, chat and phone, which is wider than email alone at this price.
Cons
- The starting figure of $19.99 sits above $13.95 and $13.99, so the smallest budgets are served elsewhere.
- The listed ecosystems are alexa, so a Google Home or HomeKit household has nothing here to link to.
- The range covers camera and video doorbell, with no alarm panel or smart lock to add to the same order.
Lockin
Pros
- No contract: 0 months means nothing locks you in
- Cloud plan and monitoring both sit at $0, so the buy is the whole cost
- Detection, video, remote access and app control are bundled at no extra charge
Cons
- Professional monitoring is not offered, so alarms are not watched
- US is the only listed market, so buyers elsewhere face a shipping question
- Warranty runs 1 year, shorter than the life of a front door lock
Who each suits
Annke
Who it suits
- Households that want footage kept on a card inside the home: local storage is listed as yes and card recording carries no monthly fee.
- People covering a front door and a garden in a single purchase, since camera and video doorbell handle both jobs.
- Alexa homes, where voice control is the main way the cameras get used; the listed ecosystems are alexa.
Who should look elsewhere
- Tight budgets: JOOAN lists $13.99 and The Home Security Superstore $13.95, each under Annke's $19.99.
- Google Home and Apple HomeKit households: the listed ecosystems are alexa only, so Aqara is worth weighing even at £36.98.
- Shoppers who want a wider basket, such as alarms alongside cameras: Annke's range is camera and video doorbell, so a broader comparison is worth making against Aqara at £36.98.
Lockin
Who it suits
- Renters and homeowners replacing a front door lock who refuse subscriptions
- Matter-minded buyers already running Alexa, Google, HomeKit or SmartThings
- People who want video history on their own device rather than in the cloud
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers who want a watched alarm service, since professional monitoring is not part of the Lockin offer and Annke or Aqara suit camera-led setups
- Shoppers outside the US, because US is the only listed market
- Anyone after a wired camera or full alarm kit, since smart lock and video doorbell stops at locks and doorbells
Country by country
| Country | Annke | Lockin |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | Yes | No |
| Australia | Yes | No |
| Belgium | Yes | No |
| Brazil | Yes | No |
| Bulgaria | Yes | No |
| Canada | Yes | No |
| Chile | Yes | No |
| Colombia | Yes | No |
8 of 52 countries where either is available.
Questions about each
Annke
How much does Annke cost to get started?+
Hardware starts at $19.99. That is below the £36.98 Aqara lists and a little above the $13.99 and $13.95 shown for JOOAN and The Home Security Superstore. Across the brands ranked here, Annke sits at position 8 of 70 on price, so the entry figure is competitive rather than the cheapest.
Are there monthly fees or a contract to renew?+
No plan sits behind the hardware. Recording runs on an SD card in the camera with no monthly fee, which is the free tier the brand describes. Across the site, monthly monitoring sits at €0 and the typical contract term is 0 months, so there is nothing to renew and the outlay stops at the point of purchase.
Lockin
Is there a monthly fee for Lockin smart locks and video doorbells?+
No. The cloud plan is $0 and monthly monitoring is $0, so the hardware price is the only outlay. Detection, video, remote access and app control are all included at no fee, which keeps the running cost at nil for as long as you own the device.
Does Lockin require a contract or subscription?+
The contract term is 0 months, so there is nothing to cancel and no minimum term to serve. That is part of why Lockin places 1 of 60 brands on contract length, the same top spot it takes on monitoring at $0.