Reolink vs Swann: Which CCTV Brand Delivers Best Security?

CCTVs are installed to protect homes, businesses and people. They are used to deter suspicious people and activities. They also give us continuous monitoring of our locations and people, 24 * 7. CCTVs give us location awareness and mental peace.

There are many CCTV Brands available in the world market. The two most prominent CCTV brands which we will discuss here are Reolink and Swann.

Both these brands offer a wide range of products. They have consumer-grade cameras to premium enterprise-grade cameras. However, these brands have some prominent differences as well.

The Reolink vs Swann comprehensive comparison will elucidate deeply about these brands. The brand analysis guides users about these brands, their capabilities, and shortcomings. Users will be easily able to decide on a more suitable brand depending on locations, prices, and features.

Reolink vs Swann- Best CCTV Brand Comparison

1- Brand Overview- Reolink vs Swann

2- Similarities & Differences- Reolink Brand & Swann Brand

3- Pros & Cons- Reolink vs Swann CCTV Brands

4- CCTV Product Range

5- Image Quality & Night Vision

6- Smart & AI Features

7- Market Penetration & Price

8- Storage Capabilities

9- Mobile App & UI

10- Installation & Configuration

Now, we go ahead and make a profound analysis of these brands.

1. Brand Overview- Reolink vs Swann

Reolink Brand

Reolink Brand is a popular CCTV brand based in China. It was established in 2009. The brand focuses on CCTV products for homes and small business units.

The Reolink brand has affordable cameras with advanced features and functions. Its products are innovative and DIY type. It manufactures smart home cameras which are budget-friendly with easy-to-install features.

The brand has wireless and wired CCTV devices. It has battery-powered, solar, PoE, and wireless cameras. It has complete security camera systems with NVRs. It has doorbells, Home Hub Systems and accessories.

We will discuss its features in later sections.

Swann Brand

The Swann Brand is a highly renowned CCTV entity. It is an Australian company with its “headquarters” in Melbourne, Australia. The brand was created in 1987 for premium-grade security surveillance systems.

The company is spread across over 40 countries. It has reliable DVRs, NVRs, PoE cameras, wireless cameras and wired systems. It is good for smart homes, small businesses and malls. It has premium cameras with easy-to-install features.

The brand has devices with high resolutions. They capture images in 1080p to 4k resolutions. These are advanced devices with AI features. They can store data internally and externally.

Let’s delve deeper into it.

2. Similarities & Differences- Reolink Brand & Swann Brand

Similarities- Reolink Brand & Swann Brand

• Both brands offer wired and wireless cameras.
• Both brands have high-resolution cameras between 1080p and 4k UHD.
• Both brands have infrared and colour night vision cameras.
• Both brands support internal storage and cloud storage options.
• Both brands support smart integration features like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
• Both brands support motion detection, object classification and object tracking. They push alert notifications.
• Both brands have motion-triggered recording features.
• Both brands support remote access to devices to monitor locations from anywhere.

Differences- Reolink Brand & Swann Brand

• Reolink is more focused on its DIY systems. On the other hand, the Swann is more prominent in its traditional wired DVR/NVR systems.
• Reolink relies more on its solar, battery and PoE options. Swann is known for its wired CCTV systems, though it has wireless battery options as well.
• Reolink cameras are affordable and good for middle-class users. Swann cameras are premium and good for elite customers.  
• The Reolink brand doesn’t require a subscription plan for advanced features. Swann depends on Swann Secure+ cloud plans for smart features like alerts and recordings.
• The Reolink brand has advanced AI features. Reolink has advanced features in higher-end products and basic features in entry-level products.
• In Reolink, a DIY setup is required. In Swann, a professional-grade system setup is required.
• Reolink is affordable, and Swann is expensive.

3. Pros & Cons- Reolink vs Swann CCTV Brands

Reolink Brand- Pros

• The Reolink has a wide variety of cameras. It has wireless, solar, battery, LTE and wired cameras. Its cameras are DIY type.
• All its devices are affordable and effective.
• It has cameras with resolutions of 1080p, 2k and 4k.
• The brand has consumer-grade cameras for smart homes and small businesses.
• Its devices support smart and AI features. They can detect motion and differentiate between people, pets, packages and vehicles.
• The Reolink App is innovative and smooth.

Reolink Brand- Cons

• Not all models are ONVIF compliant.
• Its cameras are not highly durable in tough weather conditions.
• No support for Apple HomeKit

Swann Brand- Pros

• The Swann brand is good for professional-grade CCTV systems for homes and businesses.
• Its cameras and NVRs are premium grade. They are designed for higher-class and middle-class users.
• It has robust NVRs, DVRs, PoE and battery cameras. Its wired systems are in more demand than wireless cameras.
• The brand is good for permanent installations.
• It has 1080p to 4k resolution cameras. Its night vision is excellent.
• The device has smart and AI features. Its cameras are intelligent and give motion detection, object tracking, alert notification and object classifications.

Swann Brand- Cons

• The Swann brand is more dependent on its wired systems.
• Its entry-level middle-range products are not very smart.
• The brand has expensive products compared to the Reolink brand.

4. Reolink vs Swann- CCTV Product Range

Reolink Brand

• Wireless Cameras- It has Argus 3 Pro, Argus PT 2K, Argus Eco wireless and wifi products.
• PoE Cameras- Their PoE camera models are RLC-810A, RLC-811A, RLC-520A, etc.
• NVR Kits- They have all the basic features. The RLK8-800B4 and RLK16-800D8 NVRs are used successfully in small-scale projects.
• Battery/Solar-powered- Go PT and Go Plus series cameras with 4G LTE support.
• PTZ Cameras- PTZ cameras are successful. The RLC-823A model camera has decent PTZ features.
• Wi-Fi Cameras- The wire-free E1 Pro and E1 Outdoor cameras are advanced.

Swann Brand

• Wired DVR Systems- Its DVR models are DVR-4580, DVR-5580, etc.
• NVR Systems- NVR-8580, NVR-8580 Ultra HD, etc.
• Wi-Fi Cameras- Their wifi cameras are good for smart homes. Swann Buddy and Alert Indoor Cam are popular.
• Wireless Systems– Wi-Fi Series 100/200/300 cameras.
• Floodlight & Spotlight Cams- Spotlight Outdoor Camera, Floodlight Security Camera. They give colour night vision.
• 4K PTZ Cameras- Advanced security series with 4k resolution.

5. Reolink vs Swann- Image Quality & Night Vision

Reolink Brand

• The Reolink cameras have high resolutions between 1080p and 4k.
• Its cameras support Wide Dynamic Range (WDR). It gives bright images in low light and dark backgrounds.
• All models have IR LEDs. Its higher-end cameras are spotlight/floodlight-studded. They give colour night vision.
• Advanced models offer visibility up to 100ft in total darkness.

Swann Brand

• Swann brand cameras have 1080p, 2k and 4k cameras.
• Its higher-end models support True Detect 4K resolution.
• Its devices are designed to cover wider angles.
• Owners can view up to 130 ft in the darkness.
• Its higher-end cameras give colour night vision.
• Its many models are equipped with spotlights and floodlights.
• Swann has better long-range IR night vision cameras than Reolink.

6. Reolink vs Swann- Smart & AI Features

Reolink Brand

• Reolink brand battery or wireless cameras are very smart and intelligent.
• It can detect faces and recognise people.
• Its many models support human, pet, package and vehicle differentiation.
• Its devices can auto-track with pan and tilt features.
• Users can voice control via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

Swann Brand

• Its devices can truly detect motion and audio.
• Its premium models have heat + motion sensors for enhanced surveillance.
• Its devices can track suspicious activities and send alert notifications.
• They can differentiate people, pets and vehicles.
• Its entry range lacks advanced AI features.
• The brand’s devices are compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa.

7. Reolink vs Swann- Market Penetration & Price

Reolink Brand

• The Reolink brand is affordable. It has budget-friendly products for small businesses and smart homes.
• Its products are available in nearly 70 countries.
• Its cameras range from $60 to $250.
• Its NVR kits range from $250 to $800.
• There is no requirement for any subscription plan.

Swann Brand

• The Swann brand is designed for the middle class and elite sections.
• It has wired cameras which are professional grade. These devices are more expensive than Reolink devices.
• Its cameras range between $70 and $300.
• Its DVR/NVR kits come between $300 and $1200+.
• The Swann brand supports cloud plans. Owners have to subscribe to a Secure+ cloud subscription in some models for advanced features.

8. Reolink vs Swann- Storage Capabilities

Reolink Brand

• Reolink devices can record data internally and externally.
• Its devices record on micro SD cards. SD Cards are supported up to 256 GB.
• It records on NVRs, HDDs and SD cards. DVRs and NVRs support up to 12 TB HDDs.
• Users can also keep data on the server by subscribing to a Cloud Plan.

Swann Brand

• The Swann brand primarily focuses on hard drive storage via DVR/NVR with a 1TB to 2TB standard.
• It’s some standalone cameras that support micro SD card recording.
• Offers Swann Secure+ Cloud plans to record internally and externally.

9. Reolink vs Swann- Mobile App & UI

Reolink Brand

• The Reolink App adds Reolink devices easily for device management and remote surveillance.
• The Reolink app is available for Android and iOS platforms.
• The app is simple and intuitive.
• The app supports motion detection and 2-way audio.  
• The app is updated frequently.

Swann Brand

• The Swann Security App adds Swann devices.
• This application is available on the Google Play Store and App Store for Android and iOS versions.
• It gives live streaming in real time. It can play back from remote places.
• The app for PCs is available.
• It detects motion and always has two-way talk.

10. Reolink vs Swann- Installation & Configuration

Reolink Brand

• The Reolink brand devices are DIY type.
• Its wired cameras are also designed to be installed easily.
• No complex installation process. Its battery and wireless cameras can be installed easily.

Swann Brand

• Its cameras are PoE type and professional-grade.
• The installation process is complex.
• Its devices require drilling, running cables, and setting up for remote surveillance.
• The installation process requires technical assistance.

Conclusion- Which Brand to Choose? Reolink vs Swann

Reolink Brand

• If you want affordable and smart cameras.
• If you want Smart and AI features without any subscription.
• If you want wireless, battery-operated cameras
• If you want easy-to-install cameras
• The brand is a great option for renters, homeowners and travellers.

Swann Brand

• If you want enterprise-grade, hardwired security systems.
• If you want large-scale camera systems with scalability.
• If you want to store data on HDDs for the long term.
• If you want traditional DVR/NVR systems with local hard drive storage

This way we define and describe the two brands. It will help users to select a more suitable brand based on budget, locations and features.

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Thank You.