Updated September 30, 2026 · SmartHomeCue Editorial Team
Aqara vs Lockly
Where Aqara and Lockly differ
| Compare |  Aqara |  Lockly |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | £3.49 | $169.99 |
| Hub required | YesHas it | No |
| Energy reporting | YesHas it | No |
| Warranty | 2 years | 1 to 5 yearsHigher |
| Markets | GB | US |
| Matter certified | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Heat pump compatible | Not confirmed | No |
| Subscription per month | Not confirmed | $0 |
| Security update period | 2 years | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Local control (Yes).
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Key differences
- Aqara scores higher overall: 9.4 vs 9.1.
- Hub required: only Aqara.
- Energy reporting: only Aqara.
- Warranty is higher at Lockly: 1 to 5 years vs 2 years.
- Support channels: only Lockly offers Email.
- Founded is lower at Lockly: 2014 vs 2016.
- Device types: only Aqara offers Sensor, Lighting, Plug.
- Protocols: only Aqara offers Thread, Zigbee.
- Markets: only Aqara offers GB.
- Markets: only Lockly offers US.
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.
Lockly
Lockly suits homeowners and renters who want locks, cameras and video doorbells from one maker and prefer no monthly fee, with monitoring costing $0. The trade-off is upfront hardware, which sits above the entry gear at Annke and Aqara, and there is no contract to serve.
Score breakdown
| Area | Aqara | Lockly |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 10.0Higher£3.49 entry hardware, £36.98 camera pricing, £0 monitoring and a 0 months contract term. | 9.1Entry hardware is not cheap: locks start at $169.99, and price ranks 60 of 70 brands. |
| Offer | 9.2Matter certified kit, 7-day free cloud clips plus local microSD recording on cameras and 2 years of hardware warranty. | 9.2Cameras, locks and video doorbells sit in camera, smart lock and video doorbell, the Lockly Home tier costs $0, and the offer score is 9.2. |
| Trust | 8.7Lumi United Technology Co., Ltd. backs the range, with 2 years of security support and phone, help centre and community for help. | 8.8HigherA 30 days return window and 1 to 5 years of warranty sit behind community, email and help centre support. |
Positions in our rankings
| Ranking | Aqara | Lockly |
|---|---|---|
| Home security cameras | 13 of 75 | 31 of 75 |
| Security cameras without a subscription | 8 of 53 | 21 of 53 |
| Video doorbells | 11 of 54 | 22 of 54 |
| Smart locks | 8 of 42 | 16 of 42 |
| Matter smart home devices | 4 of 33 | 14 of 33 |
Where each is licensed and available
| Country | Aqara | Lockly |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | China | United States |
Additional countries for Aqara: 1. Additional countries for Lockly: 1.
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Aqara | Lockly |
|---|---|---|
| Device types | Hub, Sensor, Lighting, Plug, Blinds, ThermostatCovers more | Hub |
| Protocols | Matter, Thread, Zigbee, Wi fiCovers more | Matter, Wi fi |
| Ecosystems | Alexa, Google, Homekit, Matter, Smartthings | Alexa, Google, Homekit, Matter, Smartthings |
| Legal entity | Lumi United Technology Co., Ltd. | Pin Genie Inc., doing business as Lockly |
| Headquarters | China | United States |
| Founded | 2016 | 2014Lower |
| Support channels | Phone, Help centre, Community | Community, Email, Help centre, PhoneCovers more |
Home security
| Fact | Aqara | Lockly |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £36.98 | $189.99 |
| Monitoring per month | £0 | $0 |
| Minimum contract | 0 months | 0 months |
| Products | Camera, Smart lock, Smoke alarm, Video doorbellCovers more | Camera, Smart lock, Video doorbell |
| Professional monitoring | No | No |
| Local storage | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Diy | Diy |
| Money-back period | 14 days | 30 daysHigher |
| Cloud plan per month | Not confirmed | $0 |
| Free features | 7-day free cloud clips plus local microSD recording | Free Lockly Home app with 90-day access logs, 3 eBadges and 3 OAC per month |
| Top resolution | 2k | 2k |
| Power source | Battery, Wired | Battery, Solar |
| Recording retention | 7 days | 90 daysHigher |
| Installation required | No | No |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Aqara | Lockly | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subscription per month | Not confirmed | $0at the median | $0 |
| Security update period | 2 yearsbelow the median | Not confirmed | 2.5 years |
| Warranty | 2 yearsat the median | 1 to 5 yearshighest quarter | 2 years |
Median across 34 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.
Lockly
Pros
- Nothing recurs: monitoring costs $0, the cloud plan month is $0 and the Lockly Home subscription is $0.
- Contract months are 0 months, so there is no term to serve and hardware is the only outlay.
- Recordings stay on the device, since local storage is supported and history runs to 90 days.
Cons
- Professional monitoring is not offered, so anyone wanting an alarm response service has to look at a monitored alarm brand.
- Price ranks 60 of 70 brands here, and the lock range starts at $169.99.
- Shipping is listed for US, so buyers elsewhere pay return postage or source from a reseller.
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.
Lockly
Who it suits
- Renters and homeowners who want a lock, a camera and a video doorbell without a monthly bill.
- People in the US who want recordings held on local storage with local control in the app.
- Households already running alexa, google and homekit, since Lockly reaches all of those platforms over Matter and Wi-Fi.
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers on a small budget, since Annke at $19.99 and Aqara at £36.98 both start well below the Lockly lock range at $169.99.
- Anyone who wants an alarm response service, because professional monitoring is not offered and a monitored alarm specialist is the better route than a camera maker.
- Shoppers outside US, where Lockly does not ship direct and a local reseller sets the final price.
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 | Lockly |
|---|---|---|
| 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.
Lockly
What does a Lockly system cost to run each month?+
Lockly does not charge for the running side. Professional monitoring costs $0, the cloud plan month is $0 and the Lockly Home subscription is $0. The free app tier still carries access logs, guest badges and one-time access codes, so nothing in the basic setup is held back behind a plan.
What do Lockly locks and cameras cost to buy?+
Smart locks start at $169.99, and a listed model sits at $189.99. Hardware is the main outlay here because there is no monthly plan to offset it. The warranty runs 1 to 5 years, and the return window is 30 days, which takes some of the risk out of a first order.