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If you’re looking for a well-known brand producing high-grade surveillance equipment, Reolink and Ubiquiti are well worth considering.
Both companies are well-respected and have been in this industry for more than a decade. Their impressive catalog of security devices includes PoE cameras, PTZ cameras, fisheye cameras, video doorbells, and NVRs.
So let’s start comparing both brands and see how their devices hold up against each other.
Reolink vs Ubiquiti at a Glance
Budget PoE Camera Head to Head
Mid-Range PoE Camera Head to Head
High-End PTZ Head to Head
Mid-Range Indoor Head to Head
Reolink vs Ubiquiti Overview
Reolink is a Chinese company that rebrands products built by Shenzhen Baichuan Security Technology OEM. The company was founded in 2009 and started as a business specializing in security products.
Their products and services are well-balanced and designed to work with consumer and business-related customers.
Ubiquiti is a US-based company that began specializing in network devices (such as routers and switches) in 2003. After gathering a large following they decided to include security cameras to further diversify their ecosystem.
The security products offered by Ubiquiti are not as diverse as Reolink, and they tend to be more expensive. However, Ubiquiti is an NDAA complaint company, unlike the Chinese-owned Reolink.
Ubiquiti does not offer a dedicated cloud service, and they emphasize local storage in conjunction with their NVRs and UniFi ecosystem.
Reolink, on the other hand, offers a dedicated cloud service with several payment plans. (Cloud storage for the first camera is free of charge)
Unfortunately, both the Reolink & UniFi Protect apps on iOS and Android have received mixed reviews. Both companies ratings average at 3.1/5, and with customers complaining that the apps have multiple bugs and connectivity issues.
Budget PoE Camera Head to Head
Key Differences
In our first head-to-head, we will be comparing the Reolink RLC-510A bullet-type camera and the Ubiquiti G3 Flex turret-style camera.
Both cameras support PoE, but the Reolink camera has additional support for DC power. It can also work as a standalone device thanks to the back-up MicroSD slot and compatibility with FTP and NVR. The Ubiquiti camera only supports the UniFi NVR.
However, despite being the more expensive out of the two, the Ubiquiti device uses a 2MP camera that records footage in an HD resolution of 1920x1080. The Reolink counterpart uses a 5MP camera with a 2K maximum resolution of 2560x1920.
It can also detect people and vehicles, whereas the Ubiquiti camera does not facilitate any object detection capabilities.
The Ubiquiti camera’s interoperability features are limited to the PoE connection of its compatible NVR, while the Reolink camera is more accessible as it supports Synology, RTSP, and P2P.
The Reolink camera has an IP66 rating over Ubuquiti’s IPX4, and it works with Google Assistant, Chromecast, and Google Nest. (Ubiquiti camera doesn’t have any Smart integrations)
Key Features in Common
The Reolink and Ubiquiti cameras are IP-based and need a wired connection for power and data transfer.
Neither of these devices includes an in-built siren, and they cannot act as two-way communication devices. However, they happen to have an in-built microphone that can record audio.
Both cameras can record low-light footage using infrared, and neither of them includes an in-built spotlight.
The lens is a fixed focus type and cannot perform any PTZ functions. Along with that, they have a 1/2.7" image sensor.
Mid-Range PoE Camera Head to Head
Key Differences
Next up, we have the Reolink RLC-820A turret-style camera versus the pricier Ubiquiti G4 DOME Dome-type security camera.
Like all wired IP cameras, these two support PoE as their main data/power channel with the Reolink camera having an optional DC power receptacle.
Both cameras will work with their corresponding NVRs but the Reolink device supports additional storage options such as FTP and MicroSD. On top of that, the Reolink camera is compatible with Synology, RTSP, and P2P.
The Reolink camera can record footage at 25 frames per second (fps) on an 8MP camera with a maximum 4K resolution of 3840x2160 while the Ubiquiti dome camera records 24fps footage on a 4MP camera with only a 2K-ish resolution of 2688x1512.
The Reolink camera has a weather-resistant IP66 rating over Ubiquiti’s IPX4. Along with that, the Reolink camera supports Google Assistant, Nest Hub, and Chromecast.
Key Features in Common
In terms of similarities, both are IP-based cameras that prioritize PoE for power and data.
Both of them can record audio thanks to in-built microphones. However, they do not have any speakers powerful enough for acting as sirens. (Only the Ubiquiti camera supports two-way communication.)
Neither of these cameras includes an in-built spotlight but they can record low-light footage in infrared.
They both have fixed-focus lenses and cannot perform any PTZ functions. However, these cameras can detect people and vehicles without any issue.
High-End PTZ Head to Head
Key Differences
Our third comparison is the Reolink RLC-823A PTZ vs the more premium-priced Ubiquiti G4 PTZ camera.
Both cameras are very impressive-looking, and they both rely on PoE for power and data transfer, but the Reolink camera (as per usual) has the additional DC power option.
The G4 has a bigger image sensor at 1/1.8” compared to the smallish 1/2.8" so you will definitely get better picture quality from Ubiquiti.
In addition, the Ubiquiti camera has 22x optical zoom which is almost four times more than the 5x optical zoom in the Reolink PTZ.
In terms of storage, the Ubiquiti camera is limited to the UniFi NVR, while the Reolink counterpart supports backup MicroSD and FTP.
For sounding the sirens, two-way communication, and recording audio, the Reolink camera is the better option. It includes all the necessary hardware for these applications (microphones and speakers,) while the Ubiquiti camera doesn’t have any such audio-based features.
On top of that, the Reolink camera has an in-built spotlight to deter intruders and to help it with full-color night vision. (These are another couple of features found lacking in the Ubiquiti camera)
Key Features in Common
Despite varying differences, they happen to share the same camera specs. These include an 8MP camera with a maximum resolution of 3840x2160.
Both devices use motorized lenses and can seamlessly perform motorized panning and tilting. (along with the optical zoom function)
They are both proficient at detecting humans and vehicles. Also, they have a weather-resistant IP66 rating, making them ideal for both indoor and outdoor environments.
Mid-Range Indoor Head to Head
Key Differences
For our final comparison, we have the Reolink E1 Pro PT indoor camera VS the Ubiquiti (UniFi) G3 Instant bullet-type camera.
The Reolink camera has better Smart integration with Google Assistant, Nest Hub, and Chromecast, while Ubiquiti is closed off for other smart devices.
However, both cameras support RTSP, while Reolink supports P2P as an optional feature.
Both devices work best with a compatible NVR. However, the Reolink counterpart has more “standalone” features that include a local MicroSD card slot and support for optional cloud storage.
The Reolink PT camera supports DC power and includes an integrated alarm with motorized panning and tilting.
On the other hand, the Ubiquiti camera uses AC power and does not include an integrated alarm. It is a bullet-type camera, so PT functions are off the table.
On a final note: the Reolink device has the better camera as it records 1440p footage with a maximum resolution of 2560x1440, while the Ubiquiti 2MP camera only records 1080p footage. (Maximum resolution of 1920x1080.)
Key Features in Common
Both of these cameras fully support dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz and 5GHz) but they need a wired DC/AC connection for power.
They both record audio using integrated microphones and they can also perform two-way communication.
Neither of these devices has in-built spotlights but they can record low-light footage using infrared technology.
Both cameras use fixed-focus lenses and they have the option to either record footage continuously or only when motion is triggered.
The Reolink vs Ubiquiti Verdict
So, this has been the Reolink vs Ubiquiti comparison. A common trend that we can notice is that the Reolink cameras are more affordable and include a plethora of features over Ubiquiti.
Maybe it’s because Reolink is more consumer-focused and encourages DIY while Ubiquiti is more focused on large-scale businesses and organizations that encourage using their UniFi ecosystem.
Out of these two, which do you think is the best for your home or business? Let us know in the comments below.
