Amcrest vs Reolink: Which IP Camera Brand Is Better in 2025?

Reolink and Amcrest are two of the most popular choices for DIY IP camera setups. Both brands offer PoE (Power over Ethernet) cameras, NVR support, RTSP streams, and NAS compatibility — the building blocks of a serious home security system. But which one actually wins?

We put the Reolink RLC-810A and Amcrest IP8M-2496EW head-to-head across every category that matters to a smart home enthusiast.

Brand Overview

Reolink

Founded in 2009, Reolink has become one of the fastest-growing security camera brands by focusing on excellent hardware at competitive prices. Their cameras typically offer strong image quality, reliable PoE operation, and decent RTSP/ONVIF support. Their app is clean and functional. The main criticism has historically been that advanced features sometimes require cloud connectivity.

Amcrest

Amcrest is a US-based brand that sources hardware from established manufacturers and adds its own firmware and support layer. Amcrest cameras tend to be more NVR-friendly out of the box, often include more granular settings, and their RTSP/ONVIF implementation is generally considered more robust. They're a favourite in the Frigate NVR and Home Assistant communities specifically for this reason.

Head-to-Head: Reolink RLC-810A vs Amcrest IP8M-2496EW

Feature	Reolink RLC-810A	Amcrest IP8M-2496EW
Resolution	4K (8MP)	4K (8MP)
PoE Support	Yes (802.3af)	Yes (802.3af)
RTSP Stream	Yes	Yes
ONVIF	Partial	Full
Smart Detection	Person, vehicle, animal	Person, vehicle
Night Vision	Color night vision	IR only
Local NVR Compatibility	Good	Excellent
Home Assistant	Via RTSP	Via RTSP + ONVIF
Frigate NVR	Works (some config)	Works well OOTB
Cloud Required	Optional but pushed	Fully local capable
Price (approx.)	~$45	~$60

Image Quality

Both cameras shoot 4K (3840×2160) at up to 25fps, and both deliver impressive detail in good lighting. In side-by-side testing, the Reolink RLC-810A has a slight edge in colour accuracy and low-light performance thanks to its colour night vision technology — even at night, you get full-colour images rather than grainy black-and-white.

The Amcrest IP8M-2496EW uses traditional IR night vision, which is reliable but produces monochrome footage after dark. The advantage is that IR performance is consistent and doesn't create the slight colour wash that some colour night vision cameras produce in mixed lighting.

For daytime video, both are essentially equal. For night time, edge to Reolink if colour matters; Amcrest if you prefer clean IR images.

Software & Apps

Reolink's app (iOS and Android) is widely praised for being clean and easy to use. Setup takes minutes, and features like motion zones, smart detection alerts, and playback are all intuitive. The web interface is functional though not the prettiest.

Amcrest's app (Amcrest Smart Home) is more feature-rich but also noticeably more complex. Advanced users will appreciate the depth of configuration options; beginners may find it overwhelming. The Amcrest web interface is more powerful, offering detailed stream configuration options that are useful for NVR integration.

Home Assistant Integration

Both cameras work with Home Assistant through RTSP streams and the generic camera platform. However, Amcrest has the advantage of full ONVIF compliance, which means it works seamlessly with Home Assistant's ONVIF integration — enabling automatic discovery, PTZ control, and more reliable motion detection events.

Reolink now has a dedicated Home Assistant integration (via HACS and increasingly via the official integration store) that provides entity-based access to motion detection, smart detection zones, and stream data. It works well, though it required more initial configuration than Amcrest's plug-and-play ONVIF approach.

For Frigate NVR users specifically, Amcrest cameras are frequently cited as the easiest to configure, with clean RTSP substream support that Frigate needs for efficient detection processing.

Privacy & Local Recording

This is where Amcrest has a meaningful advantage. While Reolink cameras can operate entirely locally (RTSP + NVR), the app experience heavily nudges you toward cloud features. Amcrest's firmware has more granular controls and the brand explicitly markets local-first operation.

Both cameras support recording to a local NVR via ONVIF (Amcrest better) or RTSP (both), recording to microSD cards, and recording to NAS drives via FTP or SMB. For a privacy-conscious setup, either works, but Amcrest requires less configuration to keep things fully local.

Value for Money

Reolink wins on price — the RLC-810A is typically available for around $45, making it one of the best-value 4K PoE cameras on the market. At that price, the image quality and feature set are exceptional.

Amcrest costs slightly more (~$60) but justifies it with better ONVIF compliance and NVR compatibility. If you're building a serious system with Frigate or a dedicated NVR, the extra spend is worth it. For a simple setup or a budget-focused build, Reolink is hard to beat.

Which Should You Buy?

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