Updated September 30, 2026 · SmartHomeCue Editorial Team
Cove vs Lorex
What sets them apart
| Compare |  Cove |  Lorex |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0Lower | $29.99 |
| Monitoring per month | $20.10 to $39.90 | $0Lower |
| Products | Alarm, Camera, Smoke alarm, Video doorbell | Camera, Smart lock, Video doorbell |
| Professional monitoring | YesHas it | No |
| Money-back period | 60 daysHigher | 30 days |
| Cloud plan per month | $30 | $5.99Lower |
| Top resolution | 2k | 4k |
| Recording retention | 30 days | 60 daysHigher |
| Free features | Not confirmed | local recording, live view, playback and alerts without plan |
| Monitoring countries | United States | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Minimum contract (0 months), Local storage (Yes), Installation required (No).
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Key differences
- Lorex scores higher overall: 9.2 vs 9.1.
- Price is lower at Cove: $0 vs $29.99.
- Monitoring per month is lower at Lorex: $0 vs $20.10 to $39.90.
- Products: only Cove offers Alarm, Smoke alarm.
- Products: only Lorex offers Smart lock.
- Professional monitoring: only Cove.
- Cloud plan per month is lower at Lorex: $5.99 vs $30.
- Recording retention is higher at Lorex: 60 days vs 30 days.
- Money-back period is higher at Cove: 60 days vs 30 days.
- Founded is lower at Lorex: 1991 vs 2018.
Our verdict on each
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.
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 | Cove | Lorex |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.9Hardware is listed at $0, monitoring fees run $20.10 to $39.90 a month and contract months are 0 months. | 9.1HigherNo contract term at 0 months, a monitoring charge of $0, and cloud extras at $5.99. |
| Offer | 9.3HigherProduct types span alarm, camera and smoke alarm, so alarms, cameras, a video doorbell and smoke alarms come from one maker. | 9.2The range spans camera, smart lock and video doorbell, and the core camera features work before any cloud plan is bought. |
| Trust | 9.0Founded in 2018, run by Cove Smart, LLC in US, with a 60 day money back window. | 9.3HigherTrading since 1991 as Lorex Technology Inc., with a 30 days return window. |
What each covers
| Products | Cove | Lorex |
|---|---|---|
| Alarm | Yes | No |
| Camera | Yes | Yes |
| Smart lock | No | Yes |
| Video doorbell | Yes | Yes |
| Smoke alarm | Yes | No |
By the numbers
| Fact | Cove | Lorex |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | $29.99 |
| Monitoring per month | $20.10 to $39.90 | $0 |
| Money-back period | 60 days | 30 days |
| Cloud plan per month | $30 | $5.99 |
| Recording retention | 30 days | 60 days |
Pick Cove if, pick Lorex if
Pick Cove if price, professional monitoring, and money-back period matter most.
Pick Lorex if trust, monitoring per month, cloud plan per month, and recording retention matter most.
How they place
| Ranking | Cove | Lorex |
|---|---|---|
| Home security cameras | 13 of 83 | 9 of 83 |
| Security cameras without a subscription | 12 of 53 | 9 of 53 |
| Video doorbells | 13 of 54 | 9 of 54 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Cove | Lorex |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Diy, MonitoredCovers more | Diy |
| Power source | Battery, Solar, Wired | Battery, Wired, Solar, PoeCovers more |
| Ecosystems | Not confirmed | Alexa, Google, Homekit, Matter |
| Legal entity | Cove Smart, LLC | Lorex Technology Inc. |
| Headquarters | United States | Canada |
| Founded | 2018 | 1991Lower |
| Support channels | Chat, Email, Help centre, Phone | Email, Chat, Phone, Help centre |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Cove | Lorex | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $0lowest quarter | $29.99below the median | $69.99 |
| Monitoring per month | $20.10 to $39.90highest quarter | $0at the median | $0 |
| Minimum contract | 0 monthsat the median | 0 monthsat the median | 0 months |
| Money-back period | 60 dayshighest quarter | 30 daysat the median | 30 days |
| Cloud plan per month | $30highest quarter | $5.99highest quarter | $3 |
| Recording retention | 30 daysat the median | 60 daysabove the median | 30 days |
Median across 65 listed brands.
Pros and cons
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.
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
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.
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.
Current offers
Country by country
| Country | Cove | Lorex |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | No | Yes |
| Canada | No | Yes |
| Mexico | No | Yes |
| United Kingdom | No | Yes |
| United States | Yes | Yes |
Questions about each
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.
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.