Lorex vs Night Owl

After researching testing Lorex vs. Night Owl, Lorex wins with a wide variety of security cameras and features.
Winner
Lorex
Lorex
4 out of 5 stars
4
  • pro
    Better compatibility
  • pro
    Pricier cameras, but higher quality
  • con
    No cloud storage
Runner-up
Night Owl Logo
NightOwl
3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9
  • pro
    Better price
  • pro
    More affordable cameras
  • con
    Limited features
pro

Why you can trust SafeWise  

250+ products considered
10k+ research hours  25+ in-home tests
176+ years of combined expert experience
10M homes and people protected

For over 11 years, SafeWise experts have conducted independent research and testing to create unbiased, human reviews. Learn how we test and review.

Lorex wins when it comes to Lorex vs. Night Owl. While both offer a wide range of security camera systems that feature local storage, Lorex had the advantage:

  • Better compatibility
  • Better doorbell camera
  • More battery-powered options
  • Proprietary smart home hub

Night Owl security options were solid enough and more affordable than Lorex, but Lorex still took the cake.

Bell
Not your traditional security systems

Lorex and Night Owl security systems both focus on camera-based security and have multi-camera systems to keep an eye on everything you hold dear. But they don’t offer security keypads, smoke/CO detectors, sensors, and the like that you’ll find with systems like SimpliSafe, Vivint, and FrontPoint. If you’re looking for a more traditional security system, take a look at our top picks.



Lorex pros and cons

pro
Pros
pro No monthly fees
pro Multi-camera systems
pro Multi-feature doorbell camera
pro Home center for viewing camera footage
con
Cons
con No cloud storage
con Higher price tags

Lorex is best for everyone

Lorex is best for, well, just about everyone. We love its variety of camera options, fantastic doorbell camera, and its home center for viewing camera footage.

Learn more in our Lorex cameras review.

Night Owl Pros and Cons

pro
Pros
pro No monthly fees
pro Multi-camera systems
pro Affordable doorbell camera
pro Cheaper equipment
con
Cons
con No cloud storage
con Poor-quality apps
con Only two battery-powered options
con Limited smart home integration

Night Owl is best if you’re on a budget

Night Owl is best for those on a budget—especially if you want a video doorbell. Night Owl’s doorbell is almost $100 cheaper than Lorex’s. But if you’re looking for a multi-camera package, Night Owl beats Lorex only by a small margin.

Learn more in our Night Owl camera review.

How Lorex and Night Owl compare

Mobile app
Compatibility
Video hub
Learn more
Lorex

Lorex

Icon Yes  LightYes
Alexa, Google
Icon Yes  LightYes

Night Owl

Icon Yes  LightYes
Google
Icon No  LightNo

Info current as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Lorex vs. Night Owl similarities

Lorex and Night Owl offer just about every type of camera video surveillance setup you can think of. Here’s what their offerings have in common:

As for negative shared traits, both brands lack cloud storage and have shoddy apps.

Lorex vs. Night Owl differences

Lorex wins in almost every category. Though both brands have glitchy apps, Lorex’s one decent app cinches its win in that category. The only thing Night Owl wins at is price, and only by a tiny margin.

  • Night Owl is slightly less expensive.
  • Lorex has more battery-powered camera options.
  • Lorex has the best doorbell camera.
  • Lorex lets you see video footage and interact with cameras through a smart home hub.

Price

In this category, Night Owl takes the win. Its cameras and systems are consistently cheaper than Lorex, but not by much. For example, we compared a Lorex four-camera 4K DVR system with a similar system by Night Owl and found that Night Owl was slightly more affordable. The difference was only $30. If you’re watching your wallet, that could be a big factor, though.

Cloud storage and apps

Since Lorex has one app that works well, we’re calling this category in favor of Lorex. Its app Lorex Home lets you view footage and interact with cameras. It’s easy to navigate and garners good customer ratings.

While Lorex doesn’t support cloud storage, it does have another app—one where you can connect to your system through the cloud to view footage and interact with the cameras remotely. 

Some of Lorex's cameras come with a MicroSD included too. 

The Lorex Cloud app has terrible reviews and a very low rating in both the Google Play Store and the Apple Store. It seems to glitch out a lot. When we gave it a try we found that it wasn’t very user-friendly either. The icons were cluttered and confusing.

Currently, Night Owl doesn’t have cloud storage because it’s under maintenance as of the writing of this article. There are several Night Owl apps for viewing camera footage and interacting with the cameras, including Night Owl Connect. They all have one- and two-star ratings for crashing, connection issues, and overall glitchiness.

Light Bulb
App overload

Why so many apps for these brands? What app you use depends on what camera you purchase.

Power sources

Both Lorex and Night Owl security systems have wired, AC-powered, and battery-powered cameras. If you want to choose from a variety of wireless cameras, Lorex is the clear choice.

Lorex has single indoor and outdoor cameras that run on battery power. This gives you the choice of building out your system in a way that best suits the size and needs of your home.

Night Owl has only two battery-powered options and they are multi-camera systems with three to four cameras. Not a great pick for renters or small houses.

Doorbell cameras

The doorbell camera has become a popular way to watch the front walkway and defend packages from would-be thieves, so we’re comparing Lorex and Night Owl’s doorbell camera options for you. We think both are pretty great, but the Lorex video doorbell wins it. Even though it’s pricey, it has more features, comes with storage, and has better quality video.

For an apples-to-apples comparison, let’s take a look at their best doorbell cameras side-by-side.

Doorbell comparison

Price
Video quality
Field of view
Storage
Compatibility
Learn more
2K 164°32 GBGoogle, Alexa
1080p140°Up to 128 GBGoogle

Info current as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

The Lorex 2K GHD Doorbell Camera is more expensive than the Night Owl Doorbell Camera, but it’s worth it. Lorex comes with a MicroSD card, unlike with the Night Owl doorbell, and it packs some useful features.

We love that with the Lorex you can use pre-recorded messages to greet visitors or alarm and warning lights to scare off package thieves. These are features rarely found on doorbell cameras.

Night Owl’s one strength is its false-alert prevention. The doorbell won’t send a push notification to your phone unless it senses movement and heat.

Bonus devices

One of the biggest differences between Lorex and Night Owl is that Lorex uses a smart home device called the Lorex Home Center. The Home Center looks a lot like an Amazon Echo Show, but it’s designed exclusively for your Lorex cameras.

Through the device, you can see live and recorded footage, talk using your camera’s two-way audio feature, get notifications, and more. It also responds to voice commands.

You can buy the Lorex Home Center alone or as a bundle with a variety of different cameras. We particularly like the bundle with two cameras, floodlight, doorbell camera, and Home Center. It’s a great starter pack to get your home’s security up and running.

Video: Exploring the Lorex Smart Home Center

Play Video

Subscribe to our YouTube channel and learn how to protect your home, loved ones, and belongings.


Compare Lorex vs. Night Owl four-camera packages

Package
Price
Smart home integration
Night vision coverage
Learn more
Alexa, Google120 ft.
None100 ft.

Info current as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

We compared two indoor/outdoor four-camera 4K Ultra HD DVR systems by both brands, and Lorex is the winner. Though the Night Owl system is slightly cheaper, it doesn’t have smart home integration. That means you can’t arm or disarm the cameras with Alexa or Google Assistant voice control.

Night Owl also can’t “see” as far as the Lorex camera security system at night. Just 20 feet can mean a lot when it comes to identifying an intruder.

Winner: Lorex beats Night Owl

Night Owl didn’t swoop in and snatch the win like we thought it would with its edge on prices. Lorex has better features and compatibility that make it worth the price. We also love its nifty Lorex Home Center to watch your video footage in a central location.

Lorex:

  • More battery-powered security camera options
  • Better smart home compatibility
  • Large camera selection
  • Better app
  • Home Center

Night Owl:

  • More affordable
  • Large security camera selection

Still undecided? Read our picks for best wireless security cameras and best home security cameras.

How we decided: Lorex vs. Night Owl

Our choice for the top pick in the Lorex vs. Night Owl debate came from a perfect storm of more than two decades of security/safety training and research combined with reading online reviews, hands-on testing, studying product specs, and many years of tech know-how.

To learn more about how we review products and services, take a look at our Safewise methodology page.

Related articles on SafeWise


Disclaimer

*Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Safewise.com utilizes paid Amazon links.

Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided “as is” and is subject to change or removal at any time.

Alina Bradford
Written by
Alina is a safety and security expert that has contributed her insights to CNET, CBS, Digital Trends, MTV, Top Ten Reviews, and many others. Her goal is to make safety and security gadgets less mystifying one article at a time. In the early 2000s, Alina worked as a volunteer firefighter, earning her first responder certification and paving the way to her current career. Her activities aren’t nearly as dangerous today. Her hobbies include fixing up her 100-year-old house, doing artsy stuff, and going to the lake with her family.

Recent Articles

""
The Best Home Security Systems in Canada 2024
Learn about 2024's best home security systems for Canada with research from SafeWise experts. From...
SW_Article_Medical Alerts with the Best Battery_Featured image with logo
Best Medical Alert Systems 2024
We researched the best medical alert systems to find reliable options that can empower you...
diy-security-system-on-ipad
Best DIY Home Security Systems of 2024
SimpliSafe is the best DIY home security system because it's cost-efficient, effective, and easy to...
Neighbourhood homes in the United Kingdom
The Best Home Alarm Systems in the UK in 2024
After testing 25+ of the best home alarm systems in the UK and evaluating over...