Updated September 30, 2026 · SmartHomeCue Editorial Team
Aqara vs Reolink
Where Aqara and Reolink differ
| Compare |  Aqara | Reolink ReviewVisitVisit |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £36.98 | $69.99 |
| Monitoring per month | £0 | $0 |
| Products | Camera, Smart lock, Smoke alarm, Video doorbellCovers more | Camera, Video doorbell |
| Money-back period | 14 days | 30 daysHigher |
| Minimum contract | 0 months | Not confirmed |
| Free features | 7-day free cloud clips plus local microSD recording | Not confirmed |
| Top resolution | 2k | Not confirmed |
| Recording retention | 7 days | Not confirmed |
| Installation required | No | Not confirmed |
| Security update period | 2 years | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Professional monitoring (No), Local storage (Yes).
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Key differences
- Aqara scores higher overall: 9.4 vs 9.1.
- Products: only Aqara offers Smart lock, Smoke alarm.
- Support channels: only Aqara offers Community.
- Support channels: only Reolink offers Email.
- Money-back period is higher at Reolink: 30 days vs 14 days.
- Founded is lower at Reolink: 2009 vs 2016.
- Reolink is available in 31 more countries.
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.
Reolink
Reolink suits homeowners and renters who want to install their own cameras and pay no monitoring subscription, since monitoring runs at $0 a month and a turret camera costs $69.99. The catch is that nobody watches the property for you, so no response team is called if a break-in happens while you are away.
Score breakdown
| Area | Aqara | Reolink |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 10.0Higher£3.49 entry hardware, £36.98 camera pricing, £0 monitoring and a 0 months contract term. | 9.2Monitoring at $0 a month plus a DIY entry hardware price of $69.99 keeps running ownership cost low. |
| Offer | 9.2HigherMatter certified kit, 7-day free cloud clips plus local microSD recording on cameras and 2 years of hardware warranty. | 9.0Local storage alongside a camera and video doorbell range gives a usable kit at $69.99 with no subscription attached. |
| Trust | 8.7Lumi United Technology Co., Ltd. backs the range, with 2 years of security support and phone, help centre and community for help. | 9.1HigherA 30 day money back window and email, help centre and phone support back a hardware-only purchase. |
Choosing between them
Pick Aqara if cost and products matter most.
Pick Reolink if trust and money-back period matter most.
How they place
| Ranking | Aqara | Reolink |
|---|---|---|
| Home security cameras | 13 of 75 | 4 of 75 |
| Security cameras without a subscription | 8 of 53 | 4 of 53 |
| Video doorbells | 11 of 54 | 4 of 54 |
What we checked
Aqara
- aqara.com: 14 facts, checked September 30, 2026
- aqara-shop.co.uk: 5 facts, checked September 30, 2026
Reolink
- reolink.com: 5 facts, checked September 28, 2026
- store.reolink.com: 5 facts, checked September 28, 2026
- support.reolink.com: 1 fact, checked September 28, 2026
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Aqara | Reolink |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Diy | Diy |
| Power source | Battery, Wired | Not confirmed |
| Ecosystems | Alexa, Google, Homekit, Matter, Smartthings | Not confirmed |
| Legal entity | Lumi United Technology Co., Ltd. | Reolink Innovation Limited |
| Headquarters | China | Hong Kong |
| Founded | 2016 | 2009Lower |
| Support channels | Phone, Help centre, Community | Email, Help centre, Phone |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Aqara | Reolink | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum contract | 0 monthsat the median | Not confirmed | 0 months |
| Money-back period | 14 dayslowest quarter | 30 daysat the median | 30 days |
| Recording retention | 7 dayslowest quarter | Not confirmed | 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.
Reolink
Pros
- Monitoring costs $0 a month and local storage is offered, so recordings can stay on hardware in the house rather than on a paid cloud plan.
- The range covers camera and video doorbell, so a camera for the garden and a doorbell for the front can come from the same maker.
- Support runs on email, help centre and phone, giving buyers a phone line, email and a written help centre for self-install problems.
Cons
- Professional monitoring is not offered, so nothing is watching the property or calling anyone on your behalf while you are away.
- The DIY plan turret camera at $69.99 costs more than $13.95 and $19.99, and Reolink sits at position 35 of 70 on price.
- Product types come down to camera and video doorbell, so a combined alarm panel or a smart lock means looking at another maker.
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.
Reolink
Who it suits
- Renters and homeowners who install their own kit and want recordings kept on storage in the house.
- People who want a camera and a video doorbell from the same maker without adding a monitoring subscription.
- Buyers who want a 30 day window to send back hardware that will not set up.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone who wants a monitoring centre to call out on their behalf, since Reolink offers no professional monitoring and the response side stays with you.
- Buyers on the smallest hardware budget, where $13.95 and $19.99 buy a cheaper entry camera.
- UK shoppers who want the lowest price in sterling, since Aqara lists £36.98.
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 | Reolink |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | No | Yes |
| Austria | No | Yes |
| Belgium | No | Yes |
| Bulgaria | No | Yes |
| Canada | No | Yes |
| Croatia | No | Yes |
| Czechia | No | Yes |
| Denmark | No | Yes |
8 of 32 countries where either is available.
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.
Reolink
Is there a monthly monitoring fee with Reolink?+
Monitoring on the DIY plan runs at $0 a month, so the running cost of the cameras is not what drives the bill. Local storage is offered as well, which means clips can be kept on storage in the house rather than on a paid cloud tier. Reolink also holds position 1 of 51 brands on that measure.
What does a Reolink camera cost to buy?+
The DIY plan is sold as hardware, and entry pricing starts at $69.99 for a turret camera. Because no subscription is attached, that entry figure is the whole purchase cost rather than the opening instalment of something longer. There is no renewal price to budget for, which is the main practical difference from a monitored alarm package.