Updated September 30, 2026 · SmartHomeCue Editorial Team
AOSU vs Lorex
What sets them apart
| Compare | AOSU ReviewVisitVisit |  Lorex |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $35.99 | $29.99Lower |
| Products | Camera, Video doorbell | Camera, Smart lock, Video doorbellCovers more |
| Cloud plan per month | $4.99Lower | $5.99 |
| Free features | Live view, motion alerts, event notifications, 2-way talk, detection zones, PTZ and siren control; kits record locally on the 32GB aosuBase with no plan, free Standard aosuProtect+ plan gives live mode only | local recording, live view, playback and alerts without plan |
| Recording retention | 120 daysHigher | 60 days |
| End-to-end encryption | No | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Monitoring per month ($0), Minimum contract (0 months), Professional monitoring (No), Local storage (Yes), Money-back period (30 days), Top resolution (4k), Installation required (No).
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Key differences
- Lorex scores higher overall: 9.2 vs 9.0.
- Price is lower at Lorex: $29.99 vs $35.99.
- Products: only Lorex offers Smart lock.
- Cloud plan per month is lower at AOSU: $4.99 vs $5.99.
- Recording retention is higher at AOSU: 120 days vs 60 days.
- Support channels: only AOSU offers Community.
- Support channels: only Lorex offers Chat.
- Founded is lower at Lorex: 1991 vs 2021.
- AOSU is available in 23 more countries.
- Power source: only Lorex offers Poe.
Our verdict on each
AOSU
AOSU suits homeowners who want cheap cameras, a video doorbell and no subscription at all. Kits sit at $35.99 with $0 monitoring and no contract. The catch is that end to end encryption is not offered and cloud video needs a paid plan.
Lorex
Lorex suits households that want cameras, video doorbells and smart locks from the same brand, with local recording, live view, playback and alerts working before any plan is bought. Entry hardware starts at $29.99, and the Lorex Connect cloud plan is $5.99 a month on top of that.
Score breakdown
| Area | AOSU | Lorex |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.1Kits start at $35.99 with $0 monitoring and 0 months contract, plus a free Standard aosuProtect+ plan. | 9.1No contract term at 0 months, a monitoring charge of $0, and cloud extras at $5.99. |
| Offer | 9.1Covers camera and video doorbell with 4k video, battery, solar and wired options and alexa, google and smartthings voice assistant support. | 9.2HigherThe range spans camera, smart lock and video doorbell, and the core camera features work before any cloud plan is bought. |
| Trust | 8.5Backed by email, phone and help centre and a 30 days return window, with 120 days of cloud retention. | 9.3HigherTrading since 1991 as Lorex Technology Inc., with a 30 days return window. |
How the counts compare
| Fact | AOSU | Lorex |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $35.99 | $29.99 |
| Money-back period | 30 days | 30 days |
| Cloud plan per month | $4.99 | $5.99 |
| Recording retention | 120 days | 60 days |
What we checked
AOSU
- aosulife.com: 20 facts, checked September 30, 2026
Lorex
- lorex.com: 19 facts, checked September 30, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | AOSU | Lorex |
|---|---|---|
| Home security cameras | 2 of 75 | 19 of 75 |
| Security cameras without a subscription | 2 of 53 | 12 of 53 |
| Video doorbells | 2 of 54 | 16 of 54 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | AOSU | Lorex |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Diy | Diy |
| Power source | Battery, Solar, Wired | Battery, Wired, Solar, PoeCovers more |
| Ecosystems | Alexa, Google, Smartthings | Alexa, Google, Homekit, Matter |
| Legal entity | HONG KONG GLAZERO INTERNATIONAL TRADE CO., LIMITED | Lorex Technology Inc. |
| Headquarters | Hong Kong | Canada |
| Founded | 2021 | 1991Lower |
| Support channels | Email, Phone, Help centre, Community | Email, Chat, Phone, Help centre |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | AOSU | Lorex | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $35.99below the median | $29.99below the median | $69.99 |
| Monitoring per month | $0at the median | $0at the median | $0 |
| Minimum contract | 0 monthsat the median | 0 monthsat the median | 0 months |
| Money-back period | 30 daysat the median | 30 daysat the median | 30 days |
| Cloud plan per month | $4.99above the median | $5.99highest quarter | $3 |
| Recording retention | 120 dayshighest quarter | 60 daysabove the median | 30 days |
Median across 65 listed brands.
Pros and cons
AOSU
Pros
- Kits record to the bundled aosuBase with no plan, so $0 monitoring works as a long term setup
- Cloud retention runs 120 days, with $35.99 hardware and a $4.99 cloud plan on top if you want remote records
- Local storage is supported, so footage can stay on the aosuBase instead of the cloud
Cons
- Professional monitoring is a no, so alerts are not escalated by anyone
- Cloud video needs a paid plan beyond the free Standard aosuProtect+ tier, which gives live mode only
- $0 monitoring still leaves the paid $4.99 plan for playback history
Lorex
Pros
- Local recording, live view, playback and alerts all work with no plan, and local storage is supported, so footage can stay on a drive the buyer owns.
- Cameras, video doorbells and smart locks come from the same brand, and installation is not required, so a homeowner can cover a front door and garden without hiring an installer.
- Cameras reach 4k and run on battery, wired and solar options, covering outdoor and off-grid spots.
Cons
- Professional monitoring is not offered, so an alarm travels no further than the owner's own devices and the DIY approach is the only route.
- Cloud video is kept for 60 days, so anything that must stay retrievable longer has to sit on local storage.
- Entry hardware at $29.99 is above The Home Security Superstore at $13.95 and Annke at $19.99, so the ticket at the till is the weak spot.
Who each suits
AOSU
Who it suits
- Homeowners who want cameras and a video doorbell on camera and video doorbell from one maker
- Renters and self installers, since installation is not required
- People who keep footage local and want to avoid a subscription
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone who needs end to end encryption on cloud footage
- Households that want professional monitoring rather than self managed alerts
- Buyers who want a premium sensor at the £36.98 level rather than $35.99 value hardware
Lorex
Who it suits
- Households that want footage kept on their own drive rather than rented cloud space.
- Renters and owners fitting cameras, a video doorbell and a smart lock without tradesmen.
- Buyers who read the running cost before the ticket, since Lorex carries no contract term.
Who should look elsewhere
- Households after a professionally monitored alarm, since Lorex does not offer professional monitoring and a monitored brand fits that need better.
- Shoppers on the smallest budget, because entry hardware at $29.99 sits above The Home Security Superstore at $13.95.
- Buyers who want cloud features folded into the hardware price, because the Lorex Connect plan is $5.99 a month on top.
Current offers
AOSU
Current offer
Free trial
aosuProtect+ cloud storage 30-day free trial: 30 days
Offered at the start of a paid aosuProtect+ subscription; requires a linked aosu device and payment details; charged after the trial
Source, checked September 30, 2026
Country by country
| Country | AOSU | Lorex |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium | Yes | No |
| Bulgaria | Yes | No |
| Croatia | Yes | No |
| Cyprus | Yes | No |
| Czechia | Yes | No |
| Finland | Yes | No |
| France | Yes | No |
| Germany | Yes | No |
8 of 29 countries where either is available.
Questions about each
AOSU
What does AOSU cost to start, and what is the monthly cost after that?+
Kits are priced at $35.99, and $0 is the monthly monitoring charge, so local recording runs without a subscription. Cloud playback is the only recurring line, at $4.99 a month. The free Standard aosuProtect+ plan gives live mode only, so cloud history is what you pay for.
Do I have to sign a contract with AOSU?+
The contract length is 0 months, so nothing ties you in beyond the hardware purchase. There is no minimum term and no early exit fee to think about. If you later want cloud playback, $4.99 a month is a rolling plan you can stop at any time.
Lorex
What does Lorex cost to get started?+
Entry hardware starts at $29.99 for a camera, and the range also covers video doorbells and smart locks, so the same brand can cover a whole front door. Nothing recurring is due at the point of sale, and the purchase carries no contract, so the hardware price is the whole commitment at checkout.
Is there a monthly subscription?+
The Lorex Connect cloud plan is $5.99 a month and is the only recurring charge. The monthly monitoring cost is $0, so hardware already paid for adds no monitoring bill, and the cloud plan stays optional rather than required for core use.