Updated September 30, 2026 · SmartHomeCue Editorial Team
Aqara vs Cove
Where Aqara and Cove differ
| Compare |  Aqara |  Cove |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £36.98 | $0 |
| Monitoring per month | £0 | $20.10 to $39.90 |
| Products | Camera, Smart lock, Smoke alarm, Video doorbell | Alarm, Camera, Smoke alarm, Video doorbell |
| Professional monitoring | No | YesHas it |
| Money-back period | 14 days | 60 daysHigher |
| Recording retention | 7 days | 30 daysHigher |
| Cloud plan per month | Not confirmed | $30 |
| Free features | 7-day free cloud clips plus local microSD recording | 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
- Aqara scores higher overall: 9.4 vs 9.1.
- Products: only Aqara offers Smart lock.
- Products: only Cove offers Alarm.
- Professional monitoring: only Cove.
- Recording retention is higher at Cove: 30 days vs 7 days.
- Support channels: only Aqara offers Community.
- Support channels: only Cove offers Chat, Email.
- Money-back period is higher at Cove: 60 days vs 14 days.
- Founded is lower at Aqara: 2016 vs 2018.
- Pricing model: only Cove offers Monitored.
Our verdict on each
Aqara
Aqara suits renters and homeowners who want sensors, locks and cameras to run through one hub without a subscription. Entry hardware starts at £3.49, monitoring stays free, and local control keeps automations on the hub, so the real commitment is buying the hub first and adding devices as the house grows.
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 | 10.0Higher£3.49 entry hardware, £36.98 camera pricing, £0 monitoring and a 0 months contract term. | 8.9Hardware is listed at $0, monitoring fees run $20.10 to $39.90 a month and contract months are 0 months. |
| Offer | 9.2Matter certified kit, 7-day free cloud clips plus local microSD recording on cameras and 2 years of hardware warranty. | 9.3HigherProduct types span alarm, camera and smoke alarm, so alarms, cameras, a video doorbell and smoke alarms come from one maker. |
| Trust | 8.7Lumi United Technology Co., Ltd. backs the range, with 2 years of security support and phone, help centre and community for help. | 9.0HigherFounded in 2018, run by Cove Smart, LLC in US, with a 60 day money back window. |
The numbers side by side
| Fact | Aqara | Cove |
|---|---|---|
| Money-back period | 14 days | 60 days |
| Recording retention | 7 days | 30 days |
Side by side, item by item
| Products | Aqara | Cove |
|---|---|---|
| Alarm | No | Yes |
| Camera | Yes | Yes |
| Smart lock | Yes | No |
| Video doorbell | Yes | Yes |
| Smoke alarm | Yes | Yes |
Where each is licensed and available
| Country | Aqara | Cove |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | China | United States |
Additional countries for Aqara: 1. Additional countries for Cove: 1.
A third option
Schlage has money-back period at 90 days, against 14 days for Aqara and 60 days for Cove.
Schlage reviewWhere these facts come from
Aqara
- aqara.com: 14 facts, checked September 30, 2026
- aqara-shop.co.uk: 5 facts, checked September 30, 2026
Cove
- covesmart.com: 18 facts, checked September 30, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | Aqara | Cove |
|---|---|---|
| Home security cameras | 7 of 83 | 13 of 83 |
| Security cameras without a subscription | 7 of 53 | 12 of 53 |
| Video doorbells | 7 of 54 | 13 of 54 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Aqara | Cove |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Diy | Diy, MonitoredCovers more |
| Power source | Battery, Wired | Battery, Solar, WiredCovers more |
| Ecosystems | Alexa, Google, Homekit, Matter, Smartthings | Not confirmed |
| Legal entity | Lumi United Technology Co., Ltd. | Cove Smart, LLC |
| Headquarters | China | United States |
| Founded | 2016Lower | 2018 |
| Support channels | Phone, Help centre, Community | Chat, Email, Help centre, Phone |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Aqara | Cove | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum contract | 0 monthsat the median | 0 monthsat the median | 0 months |
| Money-back period | 14 dayslowest quarter | 60 dayshighest quarter | 30 days |
| Cloud plan per month | Not confirmed | $30highest quarter | $3 |
| Recording retention | 7 dayslowest quarter | 30 daysat the median | 30 days |
| Security update period | 2 yearsbelow the median | Not confirmed | 3 years |
Median across 65 listed brands.
Pros and cons
Aqara
Pros
- Monitoring is £0 and the contract term is 0 months, so there is no renewal price to plan for.
- Hardware opens at £3.49 and cameras start at £36.98, against a site entry median of €127.49.
- Local control and local storage are both supported, so automations and recordings can stay on the hub rather than in the cloud.
Cons
- A hub is required before any sensor, lock or blind does anything, which is an upfront cost on top of the devices.
- Professional monitoring is not offered, so alerts depend on the household rather than on a watching service.
- Support runs on phone, help centre and community only, with no live chat listed alongside them.
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
- People who want sensors, locks and cameras under one hub with local control and nothing to pay monthly, since monitoring is £0.
- Households already running Zigbee or Thread kit, since the hub bridges matter, thread and zigbee and can reuse what is already installed.
- Owners who want a do it yourself system, since the model is diy and installation is not required for the camera range.
Who should look elsewhere
- Lutron buyers who only need lighting, blinds and thermostats, since lighting, blinds and thermostat carries no sensor, lock or camera line.
- SONOFF shoppers after radiator valves, since thermostat, trv and lighting includes radiator valves and hub, sensor and lighting does not.
- GHome Smart buyers who want a compact setup, since plug, lighting and thermostat leaves out blinds and a hub that hub, sensor and lighting includes.
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
Aqara
Current offer
Discount code
5% off your first order via Aqara UK newsletter: 5% off first order
Sign up to the Aqara UK newsletter; code sent by email
Source, checked September 30, 2026
Country by country
| Country | Aqara | Cove |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Yes | No |
| United States | No | Yes |
Questions about each
Aqara
What does Aqara cost to run after the hardware is bought?+
Monthly monitoring is £0 and the contract term is 0 months, so there is no subscription to renew and no renewal price to plan around. Cameras include 7-day free cloud clips plus local microSD recording as standard, hardware opens at £3.49 and cameras start at £36.98. Nothing steps up when a year passes.
Is Aqara certified for safety and security?+
Aqara's hub is Matter certified, and the security certifications cover camera, smart lock and smoke alarm as a group. Security support runs for 2 years, which is shorter than the 2 years warranty, so buyers planning a long ownership should think about the stretch after the warranty period ends.
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.