Updated September 30, 2026 · SmartHomeCue Editorial Team
Botslab vs Lorex
What sets them apart
| Compare | Botslab ReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |  Lorex |
|---|---|---|
| Price | €33.99 | $29.99 |
| Monitoring per month | €0 | $0 |
| Products | Camera, Video doorbell | Camera, Smart lock, Video doorbellCovers more |
| Cloud plan per month | €0 | $5.99 |
| Free features | No monthly fee with local storage | local recording, live view, playback and alerts without plan |
| Recording retention | Not confirmed | 60 days |
Same on both: Minimum contract (0 months), Professional monitoring (No), Local storage (Yes), Money-back period (30 days), Top resolution (4k), Installation required (No).
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Key differences
- Products: only Lorex offers Smart lock.
- Support channels: only Botslab offers Community.
- Support channels: only Lorex offers Chat.
- Lorex is available in 3 more countries.
- Power source: only Lorex offers Wired, Poe.
- Ecosystems: only Lorex offers Homekit, Matter.
Our verdict on each
Botslab
Botslab suits households that want cameras and a video doorbell recording to local storage, with monthly monitoring listed at €0 and an entry price of €33.99. The trade-off is that professional monitoring is not part of the package, so anyone wanting an alarm watched by a call centre should look elsewhere.
Lorex
Lorex suits households that want cameras, video doorbells and smart locks from the same brand, with local recording, live view, playback and alerts working before any plan is bought. Entry hardware starts at $29.99, and the Lorex Connect cloud plan is $5.99 a month on top of that.
Score breakdown
| Area | Botslab | Lorex |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.4HigherMonitoring is €0 and the contract term is 0 months, with entry hardware at €33.99. | 9.1No contract term at 0 months, a monitoring charge of $0, and cloud extras at $5.99. |
| Offer | 9.1No subscription attaches to local recording, and camera and video doorbell sit in one range at a 4k recording level. | 9.2HigherThe range spans camera, smart lock and video doorbell, and the core camera features work before any cloud plan is bought. |
| Trust | 9.1Run by Smart Network Co. Limited, with support through email, phone and help centre and a 30 days returns window. | 9.3HigherTrading since 1991 as Lorex Technology Inc., with a 30 days return window. |
Licences and countries
| Country | Botslab | Lorex |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Not confirmed | Canada |
Available in 2 countries for both. Additional countries for Lorex: 3.
What each covers
| Products | Botslab | Lorex |
|---|---|---|
| Camera | Yes | Yes |
| Smart lock | No | Yes |
| Video doorbell | Yes | Yes |
Pick Botslab if, pick Lorex if
Pick Botslab if cost matter most.
Pick Lorex if products matter most.
Positions in our rankings
| Ranking | Botslab | Lorex |
|---|---|---|
| Home security cameras | 18 of 75 | 19 of 75 |
| Security cameras without a subscription | 11 of 53 | 12 of 53 |
| Video doorbells | 15 of 54 | 16 of 54 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Botslab | Lorex |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Diy | Diy |
| Power source | Battery, Solar | Battery, Wired, Solar, PoeCovers more |
| Ecosystems | Alexa, Google | Alexa, Google, Homekit, MatterCovers more |
| Legal entity | Smart Network Co. Limited | Lorex Technology Inc. |
| Headquarters | Not confirmed | Canada |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 1991 |
| Support channels | Email, Phone, Help centre, Community | Email, Chat, Phone, Help centre |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Botslab | Lorex | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum contract | 0 monthsat the median | 0 monthsat the median | 0 months |
| Money-back period | 30 daysat the median | 30 daysat the median | 30 days |
| Recording retention | Not confirmed | 60 daysabove the median | 30 days |
Median across 65 listed brands.
Pros and cons
Botslab
Pros
- Local storage is included and described as carrying no monthly fee, with monitoring listed at €0.
- The contract term is 0 months, so there is no fixed period to cancel and nothing to renew.
- Power options include battery and solar, so outdoor units are not tied to a mains socket.
Cons
- Professional monitoring is not offered, so alerts are watched by you rather than by a monitoring centre.
- The voice assistant pairing runs to alexa and google, a narrower list than a brand wired into a wider set of ecosystems.
- The range is limited to camera and video doorbell, so anything beyond cameras and a video doorbell has to come from another maker.
Lorex
Pros
- Local recording, live view, playback and alerts all work with no plan, and local storage is supported, so footage can stay on a drive the buyer owns.
- Cameras, video doorbells and smart locks come from the same brand, and installation is not required, so a homeowner can cover a front door and garden without hiring an installer.
- Cameras reach 4k and run on battery, wired and solar options, covering outdoor and off-grid spots.
Cons
- Professional monitoring is not offered, so an alarm travels no further than the owner's own devices and the DIY approach is the only route.
- Cloud video is kept for 60 days, so anything that must stay retrievable longer has to sit on local storage.
- Entry hardware at $29.99 is above The Home Security Superstore at $13.95 and Annke at $19.99, so the ticket at the till is the weak spot.
Who each suits
Botslab
Who it suits
- People who want recordings kept on hardware in the home rather than on a paid cloud feed, since monitoring is listed at €0.
- Renters and homeowners who cannot run cabling: installation is not required and power options include battery and solar.
- Households that use alexa and google for voice control and want cameras and a video doorbell in one range.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone shopping purely on entry cost: The Home Security Superstore is listed at $13.95 against the €33.99 Botslab indoor camera.
- Buyers who want to spend more per camera: Aqara is listed at £36.98, above the Botslab entry figure.
- People who want a monitoring centre watching alarms, since Botslab does not offer professional monitoring. Annke is the other brand in this comparison to weigh for that need.
Lorex
Who it suits
- Households that want footage kept on their own drive rather than rented cloud space.
- Renters and owners fitting cameras, a video doorbell and a smart lock without tradesmen.
- Buyers who read the running cost before the ticket, since Lorex carries no contract term.
Who should look elsewhere
- Households after a professionally monitored alarm, since Lorex does not offer professional monitoring and a monitored brand fits that need better.
- Shoppers on the smallest budget, because entry hardware at $29.99 sits above The Home Security Superstore at $13.95.
- Buyers who want cloud features folded into the hardware price, because the Lorex Connect plan is $5.99 a month on top.
Country by country
| Country | Botslab | Lorex |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | No | Yes |
| Mexico | No | Yes |
| United Kingdom | No | Yes |
| Canada | Yes | Yes |
| United States | Yes | Yes |
Questions about each
Botslab
How much is a Botslab camera to start with?+
An indoor camera lists at €33.99, and that is the only outlay up front. Monthly monitoring is €0 and the cloud plan month is €0, so nothing is added later. The figure is quoted in euros for the European store.
Is there a monthly cloud fee to pay?+
No charge is attached to local recording: the free tier is described as carrying no monthly fee for local storage, and the cloud plan month is €0. Monitoring is also listed at €0, so a local setup runs without a subscription.
Lorex
What does Lorex cost to get started?+
Entry hardware starts at $29.99 for a camera, and the range also covers video doorbells and smart locks, so the same brand can cover a whole front door. Nothing recurring is due at the point of sale, and the purchase carries no contract, so the hardware price is the whole commitment at checkout.
Is there a monthly subscription?+
The Lorex Connect cloud plan is $5.99 a month and is the only recurring charge. The monthly monitoring cost is $0, so hardware already paid for adds no monitoring bill, and the cloud plan stays optional rather than required for core use.