Security cameras are a great investment, but their cost can add up quickly if they require a subscription fee in order to operate long term. Do Lorex security cameras have any fees or subscriptions attached that you should know about beforehand?
Lorex does not have any subscription or monthly fees in order to operate their product. Lorex prides themselves on their “No Monthly Fees”, to the point where that phrase is part of a permanent banner on their website.
Now that you know you won’t have to worry about a monthly fee with your Lorex Security Camera purchase, lets go over what Lorex offers so you can find the best product for your needs.
Lorex Cameras
When it comes to Lorex recording devices, you have your options split up into two categories. You’ve got your typical security cameras, and you have a more subtle option that has become more popular over the years.
A doorbell camera!
While a doorbell camera obviously won’t offer you the same kind of coverage or angles that a camera will, many people like them because they’re inconspicuous, and they really only want something to monitor their front door as opposed to a full security system.
Types of Lorex Doorbell Cameras
Often called “Smart Doorbells”, they can generally be categorized into two different types, wired and battery operated.
Wired doorbells get their power by getting wired into your house, while battery operated options will need to have their batteries changed every so often in order to remain functional.
As of 2023, the Lorex website has one battery operated smart doorbell, and three wired options.
While each smart doorbell option you will get a 32 gigabyte SD card which comes pre installed into the doorbell, although it is upgradeable if you happen to end up needing more storage.
Each camera has two way audio and noise cancelation, so you can talk to the people outside your door and they can talk to you. They also each have a IP65 weatherproof rating of -10°C to 50°C.
Battery Operated
Aside from those key features, the features you get with each product may vary. The most notable of these differing selling points are camera quality. The battery operated option comes with 2K video resolution, and is compatible with the Lorex app.
It also comes with everything you’ll need to get it set up and attached to the outside of your house, which means you won’t have to make any trips to the hardware store to get your camera setup completed.
This specific model of doorbell does come with a disclaimer, however. Due to the nature of battery limitations, Lorex does mention specifically on it’s site that battery operated doorbells and security cameras do not record on a continuous 24/7 loop.
If constant, 24/7 surveillance is important to you, you’re going to want one of their wired in options, which we’ll cover next.
However, if you are having issues with your Lorex camera, you should check our guide on What to do when Lorex camera is not working?
Wired Doorbells
This option, more akin to a classic doorbell, is wired into your house. There are quite a few perks to this, like never having to spend money on batteries, and not having to deal with gaps in your camera’s history when the batteries die or you have to remove the camera to put the new batteries in.
The wired doorbell has three different options listed on the Lorex website (as of 2023).
First you have the 1080p camera quality, which, interestingly enough, doesn’t list any other perks about the camera where all the others do. This may be because it’s the oldest and cheapest model, but it does still have a 5 out of 5 stars when it comes to customer reviews, so don’t let that scare you away. This could also purely be an oversight by the company.
It does come with the hardware you need to install it, but since this doorbell is meant to be wired into your home, you may need a bit of technical knowledge to pull this installation off by yourself.
The next camera in line (as far as video quality goes) is the 2K Video Resolution Wired Doorbell. Like all their doorbells, this product also comes with 32 gigabyte SD card that can be upgraded later if you so choose.
This camera is listed to feature two way audio (a standard for their smart doorbells), night vision, infrared lights, and of course, no needed subscriptions. It also works with an app installable on your phone, sending you notifications when movement is detected at your door.
Last, but most certainly not least, we have the 4K Wired Doorbell, which has quite a number of fancy features listed as part of its purchase. As always, it comes with the hardware you need for a proper setup and install, as well as a 32 gigabyte SD card. It also comes in the colors black and white.
This specific model comes with quite a few fancy bells and whistles that the other models don’t have listed. With a motion activated night light, you’ll have full coverage at night, as well as a potential deterrent against late night prowlers. It also comes with a recognition software that has animal, person, vehicle and package detection to help you keep better track of what comes and goes across your porch.
This AI is so specific that it can even alert you if a package that has been delivered gets taken away. When it comes to doorbells that actually do something for your security, as well as the security of your belongings, you can’t do much better than this.
It also boasts a specifically head to toe view of the people who comes to your door, meaning you won’t have to leave any details to guesswork if something does happen, and you need a clear view of the people at your door.
To use this, and any of their other wired-in doorbells, you’re going to need an existing doorbell to replace, wifi, and a power requirement of 16-24 VAC. As always though, with any of these options, you will not need any kind of subscription or monthly fee to operate a Lorex product.