Updated September 30, 2026 · SmartHomeCue Editorial Team
AOSU vs Vivint
What sets them apart
| Compare | AOSU ReviewVisitVisit |  Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $35.99Lower | $199.99 |
| Monitoring per month | $0Lower | $24.99 to $44.99 |
| Minimum contract | 0 months | 0 to 60 months |
| Products | Camera, Video doorbell | Alarm, Camera, Smart lock, Video doorbell, Smoke alarmCovers more |
| Professional monitoring | No | YesHas it |
| Recording retention | 120 daysHigher | 10 days |
| Installation required | No | YesHas it |
| Cloud plan per month | $4.99 | Not confirmed |
| End-to-end encryption | No | Not confirmed |
| 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 | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Local storage (Yes), Money-back period (30 days), Top resolution (4k).
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Key differences
- AOSU scores higher overall: 9.0 vs 8.8.
- Price is lower at AOSU: $35.99 vs $199.99.
- Monitoring per month is lower at AOSU: $0 vs $24.99 to $44.99.
- Products: only Vivint offers Alarm, Smart lock, Smoke alarm.
- Professional monitoring: only Vivint.
- Recording retention is higher at AOSU: 120 days vs 10 days.
- Installation required: only Vivint.
- Support channels: only AOSU offers Email, Community.
- Pricing model: only AOSU offers Diy.
- Pricing model: only Vivint offers Monitored.
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.
Vivint
Vivint suits households that want a monitored system sold, installed and maintained as a single package rather than a box of self installed cameras. It scores 8.8 overall, and the trade to weigh is a higher entry price and a contract term against professional monitoring on every device.
Score breakdown
| Area | AOSU | Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.1HigherKits start at $35.99 with $0 monitoring and 0 months contract, plus a free Standard aosuProtect+ plan. | 8.2Entry price of $199.99 ranks 65 of 70, while monitoring at $24.99 to $44.99 ranks higher. |
| Offer | 9.1Covers camera and video doorbell with 4k video, battery, solar and wired options and alexa, google and smartthings voice assistant support. | 9.2HigherA single system covers alarm, camera and smart lock, and the app adds energy reporting on top. |
| Trust | 8.5Backed by email, phone and help centre and a 30 days return window, with 120 days of cloud retention. | 9.1HigherA monitored service with a 1 year warranty, 30 days money back and phone support. |
How the counts compare
| Fact | AOSU | Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $35.99 | $199.99 |
| Monitoring per month | $0 | $24.99 to $44.99 |
| Minimum contract | 0 months | 0 to 60 months |
| Money-back period | 30 days | 30 days |
| Recording retention | 120 days | 10 days |
What each covers
| Products | AOSU | Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Alarm | No | Yes |
| Camera | Yes | Yes |
| Smart lock | No | Yes |
| Video doorbell | Yes | Yes |
| Smoke alarm | No | Yes |
How they place
| Ranking | AOSU | Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Home security cameras | 2 of 83 | 19 of 83 |
| Security cameras without a subscription | 2 of 53 | 15 of 53 |
| Video doorbells | 2 of 54 | 19 of 54 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | AOSU | Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Diy | Monitored |
| Power source | Battery, Solar, Wired | Wired, Poe |
| Ecosystems | Alexa, Google, SmartthingsCovers more | |
| Legal entity | HONG KONG GLAZERO INTERNATIONAL TRADE CO., LIMITED | Vivint LLC |
| Headquarters | Hong Kong | United States |
| Founded | 2021 | Not confirmed |
| Support channels | Email, Phone, Help centre, CommunityCovers more | Phone, Help centre |
Smart home devices
| Fact | AOSU | Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Device types | Not confirmed | Hub, Sensor, Thermostat, Lighting, Plug |
| Price from | Not confirmed | $199.99 |
| Protocols | Not confirmed | Wi fi |
| Hub required | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Local control | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Energy reporting | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Subscription per month | Not confirmed | $24.99 to $44.99 |
| Warranty | Not confirmed | 1 year |
| Markets | Not confirmed | US |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | AOSU | Vivint | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $35.99below the median | $199.99highest quarter | $69.99 |
| Monitoring per month | $0at the median | $24.99 to $44.99highest quarter | $0 |
| Minimum contract | 0 monthsat the median | 0 to 60 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 | Not confirmed | $3 |
| Recording retention | 120 dayshighest quarter | 10 dayslowest quarter | 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
Vivint
Pros
- Professional monitoring is included rather than sold as an add on, and the plan also supports local storage with video kept for 10 days.
- A single plan spans alarm, camera and smart lock, so cameras, a video doorbell, a smart lock, an alarm and a smoke alarm run on the same account.
- The recurring fee of $24.99 to $44.99 places Vivint at 46 of 51 on monthly cost, which reads well for a monitored service.
Cons
- The entry figure of $199.99 ranks 65 of 70, far above the $19.99 Annke charges and the $13.95 The Home Security Superstore charges for a single device.
- Contract terms run 0 to 60 months, so the $24.99 to $44.99 monitoring fee keeps going well past the point where a cheaper kit would have paid for itself.
- The service sells in the US only, which closes it off for buyers in other countries.
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
Vivint
Who it suits
- Households that want professional monitoring and installation handled rather than self installed.
- People fitting out a whole home at once, since one account covers alarm, camera and smart lock.
- Owners who already run Google in the home, as the range works with google.
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers outside the US, where the service is not offered.
- Shoppers on a tight entry budget, since Annke at $19.99 and Aqara at £36.98 both start lower than $199.99.
- Renters who may move during the term, because contract terms run 0 to 60 months.
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 | Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Yes | No |
| Belgium | Yes | No |
| Bulgaria | Yes | No |
| Canada | Yes | No |
| Croatia | Yes | No |
| Cyprus | Yes | No |
| Czechia | Yes | No |
| Finland | Yes | No |
8 of 28 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.
Vivint
What does a Vivint system cost to begin with?+
The introductory figure for the Vivint security plan is $199.99. After that, the recurring monitoring charge is $24.99 to $44.99 a month, and installation is required, so the real outlay is the entry figure plus the monthly fee for as long as the system stays in the house. Contract terms run 0 to 60 months, which sets how long that addition continues.
Is there a contract, and how long does it run?+
Contract terms run 0 to 60 months, spanning a short arrangement at one end and a multi year tie in at the other. That length decides how much of the $24.99 to $44.99 monitoring fee you pay in total, so the term matters more than the entry figure of $199.99 for anyone planning to move within a few years.