Arlo vs Arlo Pro vs Arlo Pro 2 vs Arlo Pro 3 vs Arlo Ultra: Which security camera should you buy?
Arlo has a growing range of security cameras, each offering something slightly different.
You get free cloud storage of HD video for up to five cameras for 7 days and Arlo works with Google Assistant and Alexa making it ideal for a smart home.
The Arlo Ultra, Pro 3, Pro 2, Pro and Arlo camera all need a hub to connect to and all run through the same Arlo app, meaning you can mix and match your system, alongside Arlo's standalone cameras.
With Black Friday approaching, we're expecting a range of deals on Arlo cameras, so read on to find out how they differ.
Arlo Ultra
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- Camera: 4K, HDR, 180 degrees, colour night vision
- Battery: Rechargeable
Arlo Ultra is the top of the range. It offers 4K capture, with HDR, features a microphone and speaker, as well as a light built-in, which can illuminate and act as a security or convenience light. To get some features, you'll need an Arlo Smart subscription.
The camera has a wide 180 degree field of view and offers the highest quality for video capture from the range. It really does make other cameras look poor in terms of the quality it captures.
However you need the SmartHub to get it connected, so if you want any Ultra cameras in your system, you need to get that hub too - or buy an Ultra kit to get you started and then add other cameras. To store 4K content in the cloud you'll also need a Premium Recording subscription ($1.99/£1.49 a month), but otherwise you can store 4K locally on microSD card in the SmartHub.
Arlo Pro 3
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- Camera: 1440p, HDR, 160 degrees, night vision
- Battery: Rechargeable
The Arlo Pro 3 is the newest camera in the family and shifts the Pro design over that that first appeared on the Arlo Ultra. That means a unibody design with internal battery that you can charge through a magnetic connector, rather than having to plug in a cable - which is a lot more versatile.
The Pro 3 also steps up the quality over the Pro 2, offering HDR and 2K video capture (2560 x 1440 pixels), it offers motion and audio detection, a speaker and LED light too - so it's very much the Ultra in a more affordable state. It has a 160-degree wide-angle lens which is slightly narrower than the Ultra, but a step forward from the Pro 2.
It offers all the smart functions that the Arlo Smart subscription offers, but you will need a SmartHub to take advantage of all the features.
Arlo Pro 2
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- Camera: 1080p, 130 degrees, night vision
- Battery: Rechargeable
Arlo Pro 2 offers 1080p video capture, a step up from the Arlo Pro. It offers two-way audio, but the field of view isn't quite as wide as the Arlo Ultra and night vision is in black and white. It will give you motion or audio detection.
The Arlo Pro can also be used to record video 24/7 as well as use trigger zones when used indoor with a permanent power connection. Otherwise it uses rechargeable batteries.
Arlo Pro 2 basically offers the same features as Arlo Pro, the big differences being quality and the option for detection zones. If you do want detection zones, you'll also need an Arlo Smart plan, which provides AI features, with a monthly cost.
There's a siren in the hub for the Arlo Pro 2 - the same hub as the Arlo Pro uses. It also offers local storage of video files.
Arlo Pro
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- Camera: 720p, 110 degrees, night vision
- Battery: Rechargeable
The Arlo Pro is a step down from the Pro 2, returning to 720p video capture, the same as the standard Arlo camera below. It does offer motion and audio detection, as well as having night vision.
The Arlo Pro uses rechargeable batteries, which is a big advantage over the standard Arlo cameras that use disposable batteries which add to the ongoing costs. The Arlo Pro can also be connected to the power.
Again, it uses the same hub as the Arlo Pro 2, offering a siren and local video storage.
Arlo
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- Camera: 720p, night vision
- Battery: 4x CR123
The standard Arlo camera loses a lot of features of those higher up the range. It offers 720p HD video with motion detection and night vision, but it doesn't have any audio - so no sound detection and no option to record audio and no built-in speaker.
The camera is battery powered, using CR123 batteries rather than a rechargeable battery pack (although you could buy rechargeable CR123), but it's an ongoing cost to consider. There's no option to have a connection to mains power.
The standard Arlo hub that comes with the Arlo cameras (if you buy a kit) doesn’t have a siren and won't offer local storage - so if you're building a new system it's better to opt for a higher spec Arlo hub.
Arlo Q
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- Camera: 1080p, 130 degrees, night vision
- Battery: No, mains powered
Arlo Q is a standalone indoor camera, you don't need any other Arlo devices for this indoor camera as it will connect directly to your Wi-Fi or Ethernet (there are two versions Q and Q Plus) network, so there's no need for a hub. It's mains powered.
It offers 1080p video with a wide-angle 130 degree lens and offers audio and motion detection, with a speaker so you can talk through it too.
Even though it's a standalone device, it works on the same app as the rest of the Arlo devices, so it's easy to integrate into a wider Arlo camera system.
Arlo Go
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- Camera: 720p, 110 degrees, night vision
- Battery: Rechargeable
Arlo Go is also a standalone device, battery powered with its own LTE connection, so it can be remotely placed and connect to the mobile phone network.
It offers two-way audio so you'll get both motion and audio notifications from it. You can storage recordings locally on microSD, as well as the normal 7-day cloud storage.
However, it works within the same Arlo app as the other devices, just with that option to have to completely out of range, so it could make it ideal for gate or garden security.
Other things to consider
As we've said a couple of times, one of the great things about using Arlo as a system is that you can build it as you go, buying the cameras you need for each area. There's 7 days of cloud storage, so you can access video from your phone, and refer back to it if you need to - including downloading for permanent storage.
If you want to go beyond five cameras, or you want longer storage, you'll have to look at Arlo's subscription plans. This is where the cost starts to add up and you start to lose some of the cost advantages you have over a system like Nest. Arlo Smart starts at $2.99/£1.99 a month for a single camera, giving you 30-days storage and access to AI features like person detection and custom detection zones.
If you want to store 4K video from the Arlo Ultra online, you'll need a separate storage subscription for that camera.
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