Updated September 30, 2026 · SmartHomeCue Editorial Team
Lorex vs Vivint
Where Lorex and Vivint differ
| Compare |  Lorex |  Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $29.99Lower | $199.99 |
| Monitoring per month | $0Lower | $24.99 to $44.99 |
| Minimum contract | 0 months | 0 to 60 months |
| Products | Camera, Smart lock, Video doorbell | Alarm, Camera, Smart lock, Video doorbell, Smoke alarmCovers more |
| Professional monitoring | No | YesHas it |
| Recording retention | 60 daysHigher | 10 days |
| Installation required | No | YesHas it |
| Cloud plan per month | $5.99 | Not confirmed |
| Free features | local recording, live view, playback and alerts without plan | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Local storage (Yes), Money-back period (30 days), Top resolution (4k).
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Key differences
- Lorex scores higher overall: 9.2 vs 8.8.
- Price is lower at Lorex: $29.99 vs $199.99.
- Monitoring per month is lower at Lorex: $0 vs $24.99 to $44.99.
- Products: only Vivint offers Alarm, Smoke alarm.
- Professional monitoring: only Vivint.
- Recording retention is higher at Lorex: 60 days vs 10 days.
- Installation required: only Vivint.
- Support channels: only Lorex offers Email, Chat.
- Pricing model: only Lorex offers Diy.
- Pricing model: only Vivint offers Monitored.
Our verdict on each
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.
Vivint
Vivint suits households that want a monitored system sold, installed and maintained as a single package rather than a box of self installed cameras. It scores 8.8 overall, and the trade to weigh is a higher entry price and a contract term against professional monitoring on every device.
Score breakdown
| Area | Lorex | Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.1HigherNo contract term at 0 months, a monitoring charge of $0, and cloud extras at $5.99. | 8.2Entry price of $199.99 ranks 65 of 70, while monitoring at $24.99 to $44.99 ranks higher. |
| Offer | 9.2The range spans camera, smart lock and video doorbell, and the core camera features work before any cloud plan is bought. | 9.2A single system covers alarm, camera and smart lock, and the app adds energy reporting on top. |
| Trust | 9.3HigherTrading since 1991 as Lorex Technology Inc., with a 30 days return window. | 9.1A monitored service with a 1 year warranty, 30 days money back and phone support. |
Licences and countries
| Country | Lorex | Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Canada | United States |
The numbers side by side
| Fact | Lorex | Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $29.99 | $199.99 |
| Monitoring per month | $0 | $24.99 to $44.99 |
| Minimum contract | 0 months | 0 to 60 months |
| Money-back period | 30 days | 30 days |
| Recording retention | 60 days | 10 days |
Where these facts come from
Lorex
- lorex.com: 19 facts, checked September 30, 2026
Vivint
- vivint.com: 16 facts, checked September 30, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | Lorex | Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Home security cameras | 9 of 83 | 19 of 83 |
| Security cameras without a subscription | 9 of 53 | 15 of 53 |
| Video doorbells | 9 of 54 | 19 of 54 |
| Smart locks | 7 of 43 | 18 of 43 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Lorex | Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Diy | Monitored |
| Power source | Battery, Wired, Solar, PoeCovers more | Wired, Poe |
| Ecosystems | Alexa, Google, Homekit, MatterCovers more | |
| Legal entity | Lorex Technology Inc. | Vivint LLC |
| Headquarters | Canada | United States |
| Founded | 1991 | Not confirmed |
| Support channels | Email, Chat, Phone, Help centreCovers more | Phone, Help centre |
Smart home devices
| Fact | Lorex | Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Device types | Not confirmed | Hub, Sensor, Thermostat, Lighting, Plug |
| Price from | Not confirmed | $199.99 |
| Protocols | Not confirmed | Wi fi |
| Hub required | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Local control | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Energy reporting | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Subscription per month | Not confirmed | $24.99 to $44.99 |
| Warranty | Not confirmed | 1 year |
| Markets | Not confirmed | US |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Lorex | Vivint | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $29.99below the median | $199.99highest quarter | $69.99 |
| Monitoring per month | $0at the median | $24.99 to $44.99highest quarter | $0 |
| Minimum contract | 0 monthsat the median | 0 to 60 monthsat the median | 0 months |
| Money-back period | 30 daysat the median | 30 daysat the median | 30 days |
| Cloud plan per month | $5.99highest quarter | Not confirmed | $3 |
| Recording retention | 60 daysabove the median | 10 dayslowest quarter | 30 days |
Median across 65 listed brands.
Pros and cons
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.
Vivint
Pros
- Professional monitoring is included rather than sold as an add on, and the plan also supports local storage with video kept for 10 days.
- A single plan spans alarm, camera and smart lock, so cameras, a video doorbell, a smart lock, an alarm and a smoke alarm run on the same account.
- The recurring fee of $24.99 to $44.99 places Vivint at 46 of 51 on monthly cost, which reads well for a monitored service.
Cons
- The entry figure of $199.99 ranks 65 of 70, far above the $19.99 Annke charges and the $13.95 The Home Security Superstore charges for a single device.
- Contract terms run 0 to 60 months, so the $24.99 to $44.99 monitoring fee keeps going well past the point where a cheaper kit would have paid for itself.
- The service sells in the US only, which closes it off for buyers in other countries.
Who each suits
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.
Vivint
Who it suits
- Households that want professional monitoring and installation handled rather than self installed.
- People fitting out a whole home at once, since one account covers alarm, camera and smart lock.
- Owners who already run Google in the home, as the range works with google.
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers outside the US, where the service is not offered.
- Shoppers on a tight entry budget, since Annke at $19.99 and Aqara at £36.98 both start lower than $199.99.
- Renters who may move during the term, because contract terms run 0 to 60 months.
Country by country
| Country | Lorex | Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Yes | No |
| Canada | Yes | No |
| Mexico | Yes | No |
| United Kingdom | Yes | No |
| United States | Yes | No |
Questions about each
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.
Vivint
What does a Vivint system cost to begin with?+
The introductory figure for the Vivint security plan is $199.99. After that, the recurring monitoring charge is $24.99 to $44.99 a month, and installation is required, so the real outlay is the entry figure plus the monthly fee for as long as the system stays in the house. Contract terms run 0 to 60 months, which sets how long that addition continues.
Is there a contract, and how long does it run?+
Contract terms run 0 to 60 months, spanning a short arrangement at one end and a multi year tie in at the other. That length decides how much of the $24.99 to $44.99 monitoring fee you pay in total, so the term matters more than the entry figure of $199.99 for anyone planning to move within a few years.