Updated September 30, 2026 · SmartHomeCue Editorial Team
Aqara vs Cove
Where Aqara and Cove differ
| Compare |  Aqara |  Cove |
|---|---|---|
| Monitoring per month | $0Lower | $20.10 to $39.90 |
| Products | Camera, Video doorbell, Smart lock, Smoke alarm | Alarm, Camera, Smoke alarm, Video doorbell |
| Professional monitoring | No | YesHas it |
| Money-back period | 30 days | 60 daysHigher |
| Cloud plan per month | $0Lower | $30 |
| Recording retention | 7 days | 30 daysHigher |
| Price | Not confirmed | $0 |
| End-to-end encryption | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Free features | 7 days free cloud event clips | Not confirmed |
| Security update period | 2 years | Not confirmed |
| Monitoring countries | Not confirmed | United States |
Same on both: Minimum contract (0 months), Local storage (Yes), Top resolution (2k), Installation required (No).
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Key differences
- Monitoring per month is lower at Aqara: $0 vs $20.10 to $39.90.
- Products: only Aqara offers Smart lock.
- Products: only Cove offers Alarm.
- Professional monitoring: only Cove.
- Cloud plan per month is lower at Aqara: $0 vs $30.
- Recording retention is higher at Cove: 30 days vs 7 days.
- Support channels: only Aqara offers Community.
- Support channels: only Cove offers Chat, Email, Phone.
- Money-back period is higher at Cove: 60 days vs 30 days.
- Founded is lower at Aqara: 2009 vs 2018.
Our verdict on each
Aqara
Aqara suits households that want cameras, doorbells, locks and home sensors in the same system without a recurring bill. Monitoring costs $0, local storage keeps footage on your own hardware, and nothing is locked into a minimum term, which makes it a strong pick for self installers put off by subscriptions.
Cove
Cove suits US homeowners who want a single system covering cameras, a video doorbell and smoke alarms without a fixed contract term. Hardware is listed at $0, while adding professional monitoring runs the monthly fee to $20.10 to $39.90, so the outlay depends on whether you want an alarm answered day or night.
Score breakdown
| Area | Aqara | Cove |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.4Higher$0 on automation subscriptions and 0 months on contract length keep the recurring cost at nothing. | 8.9Hardware is listed at $0, monitoring fees run $20.10 to $39.90 a month and contract months are 0 months. |
| Offer | 8.97 days free cloud event clips come with entry hardware at $17.99, so a small kit starts cheap. | 9.3HigherProduct types span alarm, camera and smoke alarm, so alarms, cameras, a video doorbell and smoke alarms come from one maker. |
| Trust | 8.8End to end encryption is in place, with security support running 2 years and warranty cover of 1 year. | 9.0HigherFounded in 2018, run by Cove Smart, LLC in US, with a 60 day money back window. |
What we checked
Aqara
- aqara.com: 16 facts, checked September 30, 2026
- us.aqara.com: 3 facts, checked September 30, 2026
Cove
- covesmart.com: 18 facts, checked September 30, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | Aqara | Cove |
|---|---|---|
| Home security cameras | 12 of 83 | 13 of 83 |
| Security cameras without a subscription | 11 of 53 | 12 of 53 |
| Video doorbells | 12 of 54 | 13 of 54 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Aqara | Cove |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Diy | Diy, MonitoredCovers more |
| Power source | Battery, Wired, Poe | Battery, Solar, Wired |
| Ecosystems | Alexa, Google, Homekit, Matter, Smartthings | Not confirmed |
| Legal entity | Lumi United Technology Co., Ltd. | Cove Smart, LLC |
| Headquarters | Not confirmed | United States |
| Founded | 2009Lower | 2018 |
| Support channels | Help centre, Community | Chat, Email, Help centre, Phone |
Smart home devices
| Fact | Aqara | Cove |
|---|---|---|
| Device types | Thermostat, Trv, Lighting, Plug, Hub, Sensor, Blinds | Not confirmed |
| Price from | $17.99 | Not confirmed |
| Protocols | Matter, Thread, Zigbee, Wi fi | Not confirmed |
| Matter certified | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Hub required | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Local control | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Energy reporting | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Subscription per month | $0 | Not confirmed |
| Warranty | 1 year | Not confirmed |
| Markets | AE, IL, TR, EU, GB, MY, LK, JP, IN, NP, ID, PH, SG, KH, BN, MV, MM, VN, US, CA, UY, AR, CL, BR, GT, DO, MX, CR, TT | Not confirmed |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Aqara | Cove | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Not confirmed | $0lowest quarter | $69.99 |
| Monitoring per month | $0at the median | $20.10 to $39.90highest quarter | $0 |
| Minimum contract | 0 monthsat the median | 0 monthsat the median | 0 months |
| Money-back period | 30 daysat the median | 60 dayshighest quarter | 30 days |
| Cloud plan per month | $0below the median | $30highest quarter | $3 |
| Recording retention | 7 dayslowest quarter | 30 daysat the median | 30 days |
Median across 65 listed brands.
Pros and cons
Aqara
Pros
- Nothing recurs: monitoring is $0 and the cloud plan is $0, so the kit costs what it costs on the shelf.
- Footage can stay at home, since local storage is supported, with the cloud holding event clips for 7 days as a backstop.
- The range spans camera, video doorbell and smart lock, which reaches further than Annke's camera and video doorbell for anyone building out a whole home.
Cons
- Professional monitoring is not offered, so alerts land on the household rather than a response desk.
- Support runs on help centre and community only, with no staffed channel listed for a hub that will not pair.
- A hub is required, so the entry outlay is more than the sticker price of the cheapest device in the range.
Cove
Pros
- Hardware is listed at $0 on the Cove DIY plan, well under the $19.99 entry price at Annke.
- The monitored plan carries contract months of 0 months, so no minimum term stands in the way of moving provider.
- Local storage is supported and clip retention runs 30 days, so footage does not depend on a subscription alone.
Cons
- Monitoring is not free once you want an alarm answered: fees run $20.10 to $39.90 a month.
- Monitoring covers US, so the professional tier does not stretch beyond a single market.
- Cameras top out at 2k, below the sharpest kits in the category, so higher resolution buyers look elsewhere.
Who each suits
Aqara
Who it suits
- Households covering cameras, doorbells, locks and alarms without a monthly monitoring fee, since monitoring is $0.
- Self installers, because installation is not required and the model is diy.
- Automation builders working across matter, thread and zigbee who want local control and a hub they own.
Who should look elsewhere
- Not for shoppers who want an alarm panel or personal alarm in the same basket: The Home Security Superstore lists alarm, camera and smart lock.
- Not for buyers whose list is only cameras and doorbells, since Annke's camera and video doorbell is a shorter, more focused range to browse.
Cove
Who it suits
- US buyers who want cameras, a video doorbell, an alarm panel and smoke alarms from one maker across alarm, camera and smoke alarm.
- Renters and flat owners who want local storage and 30 days of clips without a fixed term.
- Households that plan ahead, since the money back window is 60 days from the point of purchase.
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers outside the US, since Cove's monitoring covers US while Aqara lists cameras at £36.98 in pounds for UK shoppers.
- Shoppers after a single piece rather than a system: The Home Security Superstore lists items from $13.95.
- Camera-only buyers, since Annke lists cameras at $19.99 and Cove adds a cloud plan at $30 a month on top.
Current offers
Country by country
| Country | Aqara | Cove |
|---|---|---|
| United States | No | Yes |
Questions about each
Aqara
How much does Aqara charge for monitoring each month?+
Nothing. Monitoring is $0 and the cloud plan is $0, so the only cost is the hardware itself. 7 days free cloud event clips are included at no charge, which is enough to check recent activity on a doorbell or camera. Renewal is not a concern either, because contracts run 0 months.
Is there a contract or minimum term to sign up for?+
No. Contracts run 0 months, so there is no minimum term and nothing that renews on its own. Aqara ranks 1 on contract length among 60 brands, which puts it at the front of the field for anyone who wants to walk away without notice.
Cove
How much does a Cove security system cost to start?+
The Cove DIY plan is listed at $0, so the hardware is free to buy. The costs arrive after that: professional monitoring is $20.10 to $39.90 a month, and cloud storage is $30 a month. Buyers should treat the entry price as the cheap part and budget for those recurring lines.
Is there a contract or minimum term on the Cove monitored plan?+
Contract months are 0 months on the monitored plan, so there is no minimum term to serve. Cove ranks 1 of 60 brands on that measure. Where most monitored alarms lock a household into a term, Cove asks for none here, which keeps switching costs low.