Reolink and Lorex are the two brands people usually compare when they want a wired security camera system that records at home without a monthly fee. The Reolink vs Lorex choice comes down to price, features and trust. Reolink gives you 4K video for less, a longer warranty and more types of cameras. Lorex adds lights, a siren and two-way talk to its wired cameras, but it’s also facing several lawsuits about its past ties to the Chinese camera maker Dahua.
This guide compares how each brand records, what its systems include, how its apps and smart home support work, what the Lorex lawsuits and the FCC rules mean for you, and which products are worth buying from each brand.
Reolink vs Lorex: The Short Answer
Quick answer: choose Reolink if you want the most 4K cameras for your money, a kit with the hard drive and cables included, battery or solar cameras, a two-year warranty, or a system that works with Home Assistant. Choose Lorex if you want wired cameras with a spotlight, siren and two-way talk built in, and buy only from its newer Lorex Connect line. Neither brand needs a subscription.
These are the four products worth looking at:
- Reolink RLK8-800D4 — Best Reolink wired system, with four 4K cameras, a 2 TB drive and cables in the box.
- Lorex Connect V-Series 4K NVR System — Best Lorex wired system, with five 4K cameras that have lights, a siren and two-way talk.
- Reolink Altas — Best Reolink wireless camera, with a large battery and solar charging.
- Lorex Connect 2K Floodlight Wi-Fi Camera — Best Lorex Wi-Fi camera, with a 1,500-lumen floodlight and auto-tracking.
What Reolink Does Best
Reolink’s main advantage is value. Its four-camera 4K kit (the RLK8-800D4) costs about $750 with an 8-channel NVR, a 2 TB hard drive and four 60 ft network cables, so you have everything you need to install it on day one.
Reolink also sells almost every type of camera: wired PoE cameras, plug-in Wi-Fi cameras, battery and solar cameras, 4G LTE cameras and video doorbells. Our guide to the best Reolink cameras compares nine of them. Its battery cameras can save clips to a microSD card or to a Reolink Home Hub, so you can build a system without running any cables. Person, vehicle and animal detection is free on the device.
If you like to control your own setup, Reolink is the better choice. It’s an official Home Assistant partner, its cameras can run fully locally, and the Reolink Client app runs on Windows and Mac as well as on your phone. New Reolink products come with a two-year warranty (plus six months if you register them).
However, there are some downsides. Reolink doesn’t work with Apple Home without a bridge (our guide to using Reolink with HomeKit explains the options). The cameras in its 4K kit have a microphone but no speaker, so you can’t talk through them, and they use infrared night vision instead of a spotlight. Reolink’s product page for the kit also says the NVR can’t work with Google Assistant (only newer versions of its NVRs support Alexa and Google Home).
What Lorex Does Best
Lorex’s main advantage is what each wired camera can do. The cameras in its Lorex Connect V-Series kits record in 4K, have a white spotlight that gives you color video at night, a siren you can trigger from your phone and a speaker for two-way talk. If someone walks up your driveway at night, you can light them up, sound the siren and speak to them from the same camera.
The V-Series NVR records to a 1 TB drive that you can expand to 10 TB, and its Smart Search lets you filter recordings by type of motion, color and more. Lorex systems are also easy to find in stores like Costco and Best Buy, which helps if you’d rather buy in person.
Lorex sells an optional cloud plan called Connect Cloud+. It costs $5.99 a month for one camera or $16.99 a month for up to 10 cameras at one address, and keeps 60 days of clips.
However, there are some downsides. Lorex’s standard warranty is one year, half as long as Reolink’s. Lorex also has two app generations that don’t work together: the newer Lorex Connect app for its current products and Lorex Classic (formerly the Lorex App) for its older Fusion systems, so new Lorex Connect cameras can’t join an older Lorex recorder. The V-Series kit doesn’t include network cables either, which adds to the cost.
Reolink vs Lorex Side by Side
Here’s how the two brands compare on the points that matter most:
| Factor | Reolink | Lorex |
|---|---|---|
| 4K wired kit price | About $750 for 4 cameras, 2 TB and cables | About $1,000 for 5 cameras and 1 TB, cables not included |
| Recording without a subscription | Yes, NVR, microSD, Home Hub or network storage | Yes, NVR or microSD |
| Free AI detection | Person, vehicle and animal | Person and vehicle |
| Lights, siren and two-way talk on wired cameras | On some models | On V-Series cameras |
| Wireless options | Wi-Fi, battery, solar and 4G LTE | Wi-Fi, battery and floodlight cameras |
| Cloud backup | Optional, on some models | Optional, from $5.99 a month |
| Computer app | Windows and Mac | Lorex Connect is Android and iOS only |
| Apple Home | No | No |
| Warranty | 2 years | 1 year |
Recording and storage
Both brands save video at your home, which is the main reason people choose them over Ring or Arlo. A wired system from either brand records 24/7 to the hard drive in its NVR, so you can scroll back through the whole day, not just the moments that triggered an alert. Reolink’s own example: a 2 TB drive holds about six days of 24/7 video from four 4K cameras. Our guide to NVR vs DVR recorders explains how these recorders work.
Wireless cameras are different. Battery cameras from either brand only record clips when they detect motion, and they save them to a microSD card. Reolink also lets you collect clips from several battery cameras on a Home Hub, while the Lorex Connect Wi-Fi cameras in this guide record to their own card.
Apps and cloud plans
Reolink uses one app for nearly everything, and you can also view and download recordings on a computer. Reolink Cloud is optional and only available on some models, mainly its 4G cameras and doorbells.
Lorex’s current products use the Lorex Connect app, which runs on Android and iOS. Before you buy a Lorex product, check which app it uses: the Amazon listings for its current products start with “Lorex Connect”, and products that need the Lorex Classic app won’t work with a Lorex Connect recorder.
Smart home compatibility
Neither brand works with Apple Home or Matter. Reolink says most of its standalone cameras work with Alexa and Google Home (depending on the model), and its battery cameras like the Altas list both. Lorex lists Alexa and Google support for products in its older Lorex App, but not for the Lorex Connect products in this guide.
For Home Assistant, Reolink is the clear choice, because its cameras connect over your home network and don’t need a cloud account.
Wired systems compared
The two 4K kits in this guide cost about the same per camera: about $190 for Reolink and $200 for Lorex. The difference is in what you get. Reolink includes a bigger 2 TB drive and the network cables. Lorex gives you a fifth camera, and every camera has a spotlight, a siren and two-way talk.
If you want those features from Reolink, its 12MP RLK8-1200D4-A kit adds a spotlight and two-way audio for about $860. Our guide to the best PoE security camera systems compares more kits in detail.
Lorex, Dahua and the FCC: What You Should Know
This is the part of any Lorex vs Reolink comparison you can’t skip. Dahua, a Chinese camera maker, owned Lorex until November 2022, when it sold the company to Skywatch, a company based in Taiwan. Dahua has been on the FCC’s Covered List (the government’s list of equipment considered a national security risk) since 2021, and in November 2022 the FCC stopped approving new Dahua devices for sale in the US.
Since then, the attorneys general of Nebraska, Texas, Missouri and Iowa have sued Lorex, and a federal class action was filed in January 2026. All of them allege that Lorex kept using Dahua components, firmware or servers and didn’t tell buyers. Lorex says it will contest the claims, and as of late October 2026 no court has ruled on them. Nebraska’s attorney general has also said he has no evidence that anyone was hacked through a Lorex camera.
Lorex’s own FCC notice (updated July 15, 2026) confirms that some Lorex-branded products are made by a company on the FCC’s Covered List. Under an FCC rule that took effect on July 16, 2026, Lorex can’t sell those products for public safety, government buildings or critical infrastructure. You can still buy them for your home and keep using any you already own.
The list of affected products that Lorex published covers 176 products from its older lines (Fusion, Classic, Nocturnal, Elite, and older Wi-Fi cameras, doorbells and floodlights). It doesn’t include any Lorex Connect product, such as the V-Series, U-Series and X-Series systems or the new Wi-Fi cameras. So if you choose Lorex, buy from the Lorex Connect line.
Reolink isn’t named in these lawsuits or on the FCC’s Covered List. Like any connected camera brand, it has had security flaws that were fixed with firmware updates, so keep the firmware on either brand up to date and turn on two-factor sign-in in the app.
Which Should You Choose?
When people ask whether to buy Lorex or Reolink, the answer usually depends on these situations:
- You want the most 4K cameras for your budget: Reolink.
- You want to talk to visitors and light up the yard from every wired camera: Lorex, with a V-Series system.
- You want battery, solar or 4G cameras: Reolink, which has many more of them.
- You want a longer warranty: Reolink (two years vs one).
- You use Home Assistant or want to view footage on a computer: Reolink.
- The Dahua lawsuits worry you: Reolink, or wait to see how the Lorex cases end.
- You want to buy in a store and pay for cloud backup: Lorex, which sells widely in stores and has a simple Cloud+ plan.
If you’re also considering eufy, our eufy vs Reolink comparison explains how those two brands differ.
Which Reolink or Lorex Products to Buy
Reolink RLK8-800D4 — Best Reolink Wired System
Four 4K PoE turret cameras with an 8-channel NVR that has a 2 TB drive and room for up to 12 cameras (8 wired). The cameras have infrared night vision up to 100 ft, an IP67 rating and person and vehicle detection, and four 60 ft network cables are in the box. They have a microphone but no speaker. If you plan to run the cables yourself, our guide on how to install a security camera covers the basics.
Best for: anyone who wants a complete 4K system for the lowest price, with 24/7 recording at home.
Price: ~$750 (for a 4-camera system)
Lorex Connect V-Series 4K NVR System — Best Lorex Wired System
Five 4K V3 dome cameras with an 8-channel NVR and a 1 TB drive that expands to 10 TB. Each camera has a 126° diagonal view, color night vision with a built-in spotlight, a siren and two-way talk, plus person and vehicle detection. It uses the Lorex Connect app, and network cables are sold separately.
Best for: homes where you want to light up, warn and talk to anyone on your property from every camera.
Price: ~$1,000 (for a 5-camera system)
Reolink Altas — Best Reolink Wireless Camera
A 2K battery camera with a 20,000 mAh battery, color night vision and up to 10 seconds of pre-recording, so clips start before the motion that triggered them. It uses dual-band Wi-Fi 6, records to a microSD card (up to 512 GB, sold separately) or a Reolink Home Hub, and works with Alexa and Google Assistant. It charges from Reolink’s 6W solar panel, which some bundles include. Our guide to the best solar security cameras compares it with other solar models.
Best for: places where you can’t run a cable, like a fence or a shed.
Price: ~$150
Lorex Connect 2K Floodlight Wi-Fi Camera — Best Lorex Wi-Fi Camera
A plug-in 2K floodlight camera with a 120° view, adjustable LED lights up to 1,500 lumens and a camera you can pan from the app, with auto-tracking that follows people in live view. It has two-way talk, an IP66 rating and person detection, and it works on its own over Wi-Fi (it can’t join a Lorex NVR). Our guide to the best floodlight cameras compares it with other models.
Best for: a driveway or back door with an outdoor outlet, where a bright light matters as much as the camera.
Price: ~$110
The Bottom Line
The Reolink vs Lorex decision isn’t about subscriptions, because neither brand needs one. Reolink gives you more for your money: complete 4K kits, more types of cameras, a two-year warranty and a system you can keep completely local. Lorex’s newer wired cameras do more on their own, with lights, a siren and two-way talk, but you should know about the Dahua lawsuits and stick to its Lorex Connect products.
If you’d like to compare more brands that record at home, see our guide to the best security cameras without a subscription.
Is Reolink better than Lorex?
It depends on what you need. Reolink costs less for 4K, includes the hard drive and cables in its kits, sells more battery and solar cameras and has a two-year warranty. Lorex’s V-Series wired cameras add a spotlight, a siren and two-way talk to every camera.
Do Reolink and Lorex need a subscription?
No. Both record to an NVR or a microSD card at home and detect people for free. Lorex’s optional Connect Cloud+ plan costs $5.99 a month for one camera or $16.99 a month for up to 10, and Reolink Cloud is optional on some models.
Is Lorex owned by Dahua?
Not anymore. Dahua sold Lorex to Taiwan-based Skywatch in November 2022. Several state attorneys general and a class action allege that Lorex kept using Dahua components or software, which Lorex says it will contest, and no court had ruled as of late October 2026.
Which Lorex products are affected by the FCC rule?
Lorex says some products from its older lines (Fusion, Classic, Nocturnal and older Wi-Fi models) are made by a company on the FCC’s Covered List. They can’t be sold for public safety or government use, but homeowners can still buy and use them. Lorex Connect products aren’t on Lorex’s list.
Do Reolink and Lorex work with Alexa, Google Home or Apple Home?
Neither works with Apple Home. Most Reolink standalone cameras work with Alexa and Google Home, depending on the model. Lorex lists Alexa and Google support for products in its older Lorex App, not for its Lorex Connect line.
Which has the better warranty, Reolink or Lorex?
Reolink. New Reolink products have a two-year warranty, plus six months if you register them, while Lorex’s standard warranty is one year.
Written by Evan Mercer
Founder & Lead Researcher, Smart Home Matrix
Evan digs through spec sheets, firmware changelogs, and thousands of owner reviews so you don’t have to. Every guide starts with a compatibility check and ends with picks he would install in his own home. Read more about Evan and this site, or see exactly how we choose products.