Let me put it straight, if two-way audio is important to you, get the Arlo Pro, because the Blink XT doesn’t have it. Other than that, when comparing the Arlo Pro vs. Blink XT side by side, each camera exceeds in different fields.
Unlike the Arlo Pro, the Blink XT offers better video quality. Whereas the Arlo Pro, on the other hand, has support for local storage and a built-in siren for extra security.
So, there’s no ultimate right chose, it all depends on what features you’re looking for your smart cameras to have. Both are fantastic brands and have cameras that can be used outdoors, making them leaders in smart home security. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the differences so you can really get a sense of which system is right for you and your home.
You might like our take on Blink XT vs. Arlo Pro 2 and Blink vs. Blink XT.
Arlo Pro vs. Blink XT — Differences
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Difference #1: Video Quality – This is perhaps the biggest difference when comparing the Blink XT vs. Arlo Pro. The Arlo Pro features a 720p video resolution, whereas the Blink XT offers 1080p.
With any video surveillance system, it’s important that you can actually see what’s going on. These cameras don’t require huge HD resolutions, but it’s important that there’s enough definition to be able to know what’s happening. And the Blink XT system’s got you covered.
The Blink XT offers three video quality options to choose from: Saver (360p), Best (720p), and Enhanced (1080p). But watch out, the higher the video quality you choose, the more battery life it requires. Hence, with the Saver mode on, you can get up to 2.7 years from your Blink XT with standard use, whereas with the Enhanced mode “on”, the camera’s battery lifespan is reduced to 1 year with same standard use.
So, overall, when it comes to video quality, the Blink XT is the absolute winner.
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Difference #2: Remote viewing – Being able to view your house while you’re away is great for peace of mind. Checking in on your property at any given moment can give you the confidence that your home is protected and safe from intruders.
Both the Arlo Pro and the Blink XT offer remote viewing. The Arlo Pro, however, offers both a mobile app and web access to your device, while the Blink XT only features a mobile connection.
Considering how attached everyone is to their phones these days, it’s likely that this distinction will be a non-issue. But it’s nice to know that if something happens to your phone, or you’d just like to keep the video in the background while on your computer, the Arlo Pro has you covered.
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Difference #3: Length of Video Recordings – Every time motion is detected, Arlo Pro and Blink XT will start the recording. But an important question to ask is how long will they record the motion for? Especially if you don’t want to miss a single second of the recordings.
The Blink XT camera records 5-second video clips by default. With short usage comes energy efficiency. However, you can adjust the timing for each camera to record for up to 60 seconds. This is a great adjustment, but still not the most ideal setting because you never know how long the action will take place. The best solution would be setting up your camera to record until motion stops.
And this is exactly what the Arlo Pro does. You can set up the Arlo Pro to record videos until motion stops with 300-second limit. And if the motion hasn’t stopped when the recording reaches the time limit you’ve set, the camera will start a new recording.
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Difference #4: Local Storage – What if the internet goes down? Where will the videos be stored? Well, if you have Arlo Pro, you don’t need to worry about missing a single video frame. With Arlo Pro you can store all your videos locally on a USB drive.
All you need to do is connect a USB device to the Arlo Pro base station. Make sure to choose the USB device as a second location from the Arlo app. Once it’s all set, all your Arlo video recording will be stored to both the cloud and the USB device.
Unfortunately, choosing local storage as a primary method is not an option. But, as we mentioned above, in case the Internet goes down, the Arlo camera will continue to record to the USB device as long as there’s free space available.
Blink XT only offers cloud storage at the moment. Yet, it is capable of supporting a flash drive. So hopefully in the nearest future things will change, but for now, add it to the list of Blink XT features that are supported — but not yet available.
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Difference #5: Pan & Zoom – The Arlo Pro offers Pan and Zoom feature, it lets you select an area, digitally pan it, and zoom up to 8x into that area — it’s perfect for getting details on intruders approaching or fleeing the scene! However, “pan” is a bit disingenuous; it’s more like “select any section of the camera’s vision” and pinch and zoom.
The Blink XT lacks panning, Arlo’s “digital panning,” and digital zoom, which is a small drawback to this model. It’s not like digital zooming enhances video quality anyway.
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Difference #6: Design – While perhaps not the most imperative distinction to make, there are some differences in the way these products look. It’s important that your smarthome makes your life more convenient and looks good while doing it, so a surveillance system that doesn’t mess with the look you’re going for can be a nice plus.
The Arlo Pro is probably one of the best-looking cameras on the market. It’s a glossy white and, for better or for worse, it’s eye-catching and beautiful. The downfall is that it might be a bit easy to spot. However, if you’re going for more discreet monitoring, Arlo does offer skins for the cameras, including camouflage.
The Blink XT on the other hand, while still classy, sports a much smaller profile and comes in black, which should blend in pretty well no matter where you place it (unless it’s on a white wall). But, like Arlo, Blink also offers covers for the cameras.
So, design-wise, they’re both relatively small cameras with two different shapes. Both devices will get the job done but, out of the box, the Blink XT seems much less apparent at a glance.
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Difference #7: Temperature Sensor – Although not necessarily a security feature, it’s always nice when a surveillance system adds other perks and conveniences to your home. In true comprehensive “home monitoring” fashion, the Blink XT features a temperature sensor with alerts you can set based on different temperature thresholds.
Instantly find out when your home is too warm or too cold and take action to fix the situation immediately rather than being surprised after the trip back from vacation. The Arlo Pro lacks temperature sensors, so the Blink XT wins this difference.
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Difference #8: Two-Way Audio – Like any good security system, both the Arlo Pro and the Blink XT record sound. What sets the Arlo Pro apart, however, is its push-to-talk functionality. The Arlo Pro has both mic and speaker, so whether to scare off would-be robbers or let the pizza man know you’re on your way to the door, there’s no denying it’s a great combination of security and convenience.
Unfortunately, the Blink XT lacks any type of speaker. And that’s super unfortunate, at least we think so. How will you scare off porch pirates? The two-way audio is especially handy in those situations. Oh, well.
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Difference #9: Cameras supported (per base station/sync) – Both the Arlo Pro and the Blink XT require a central hub: the Arlo Pro’s is known simply as a base station, while the Blink XT calls it a “Sync”.
Both hubs offer support for multiple cameras: 15 cameras per base station for the Arlo, 10 devices per Sync for the Blink. At first glance, it may seem like the Arlo Pro has the advantage with support for up to 15 cameras, but this support depends on your subscription. There are varying tiers you can pay for that range from 5 (free) to 15 cameras. So while 15 is greater than the Blink XT’s 10 devices, you’ll be paying a premium for that convenience.
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Difference #10: Power – Powering your device is of course a concern. After all, what use is a security system if it’s not actually recording? Ensuring your camera has enough juice to alert you when things go bad is crucial to a comprehensive home protection plan.
Both the Arlo Pro and the Blink XT run on lithium-ion batteries, but the Arlo’s are rechargeable. Plus, Arlo also sells a solar panel charger, saving you the hassle of running outside, grabbing the battery from the camera, recharging it, and then putting it back into the camera.
The Blink XT’s batteries, on the other hand, are not rechargeable. You’ll have to be on top of regular battery changes, no matter how infrequent they may be.
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Difference #11: Siren – A siren is a plus when it comes to security systems. Being able to scare off intruders and alert yourself and your neighbors to a break in is useful, but with how many “false positives” seem to come off of alarms in general, it’s possible it won’t serve its full purpose.
Still, for many people it adds the confidence that they’ll be alerted immediately and avoid being caught off guard by an intruder.
The Arlo Pro Base Station features a 100+ decibel siren which is sure to alert everyone around to an intrusion. The Blink Siren is “upcoming”, but unfortunately hasn’t been released yet. So, for now, the Arlo Pro has the edge in this difference.
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Difference #12: System expansion – Like many smart technologies, the utility of the Arlo extends beyond basic security cameras.
The Arlo Pro offers several system expansion options, generally offering more fully-featured cameras in the form of the Arlo Go, Arlo Q, Arlo Q Plus, and Arlo Baby.
The Arlo Go is “the world’s first and only 100% wire-free, weatherproof, LTE mobile HD security camera,” while the Arlo Q is an easy add-on with a focus on night vision, video quality (1080p), and customizable motion zones.
You can easily build your smart home system around the Arlo Pro cameras. Check out our take on Smart Home Starter Kits.
The Blink XT, on the other hand, doesn’t really have anything to offer for expansion, except the Blink Indoor Camera.
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Difference #13: Smart Home Integration – When discussing smart home integration with these two models, it’s important to distinguish between the idea of a “hub” and a “voice controller”. A hub allows your devices to connect with each other for a more integrated home, while a voice controller — as the name suggests — allows you to control your products with your voice.
This is an important distinction, as the Arlo Pro features support for the SmartThings hub, IFTTT, and Amazon Echo Show, while the Blink XT features voice control via Amazon Echo and Echo Dot. Plus, you can check video clips and get a live view from Blink cameras on Echo Show or Echo Spot devices.
Though this may seem like an even trade-off at first glance, the fact that Blink XT doesn’t support a hub is much more egregious. While being able to control your cameras via voice is a nice perk (“Alexa, ask Blink to arm my home system.”), the fact that the camera can’t easily integrate with the rest of your smart home might be a major drawback.
Without hub integration, you’ll be missing out on the ability to customize and tweak interconnectivity between devices and their schedules to your liking. Plus, without a hub connection, you kinda miss out on one of the benefits of having a smart home — controlling everything from one app. While that may not be an issue if you’re only using them on default settings straight out of the box, the Blink XT falls short of the Arlo Pro if you’re truly looking for an interconnected home.
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Difference #14: Plans/subscriptions – Each system offers varying plans at different prices with different features.
The Arlo Pro, just like other Arlo cameras, uses the Arlo Smart subscription plans. Arlo offers rolling 7-day video history cloud storage for up to 5 cameras for free. However, if you want to increase the cloud storage or add more than 5 cameras, you’ll need to get the subscription.
With $9.99 / month you can have up to 10 cameras with a rolling 30-day cloud video history, and for $14.99 / month you can extend up to 20 cameras and enjoy 60-day video history. Besides longer video history storage, the Arlo Smart subscription gets you Advanced A.I. Detection, Custom Activity Zones, Lock Screen Notifications, and e911 Emergency Call Service. However, even without the Arlo Smart subscription, the Arlo Pro cameras are pretty solid with their free rolling 7-day video history support.
The Blink XT, on the other hand, allows up to 10 devices with no additional charges. And when it comes to cloud storage, you get up to 7,200 total seconds of video (or 1,440 five-second events) for free. And in case you reach your storage limit, just like Arlo’s, your oldest video recordings will be overwritten by the newest.
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Difference #15: Price – The Blink XT cameras used to be a way more budget-friendly option than the Arlo Pro cameras. However, right now the price difference is not that big. So, TL;DR, get the Arlo Pro.
Arlo Pro vs. Blink XT — Comparison Table
| Arlo Pro | Blink XT | |
|---|---|---|
| Video quality | 720p | Up to 1080p |
| Base Station? | Yes, Arlo Base Station | Yes, Blink Sync Module |
| Number of cameras supported (per base station) | 15 | 10 |
| Requirements | 1 Mbps internet upstream speed (recommended); available port on router |
2.4 Ghz Wi-Fi network; minimum 2 Mbit/sec upload speed |
| Local Storage | USB Backup (not included) | No |
| Cloud storage | Yes, 7 days of secure cloud DVR | Yes, free cloud storage for up to two hours of clips |
| Records in color | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty | 1-year | 1-year |
| Alerts/notifications | App, email | App |
| Continuous Recording | No | No |
| Scheduled Recording | Yes | Yes |
| Motion Detection Recording | Yes | Yes |
| Remote viewing | App and web | App only |
| System app | Arlo app | Blink app |
| Supports iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Supports Android | Yes | Yes |
| Live View | Yes | Yes |
| Instant Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Camera Size | 3.1 x 1.9 x 2.8 in | 2.8″ x 2.8″ x 1.3″ |
| Outdoor | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless | Wired or Wireless | Wired or Wireless |
| Field-of-view | 110° | 110° |
| Color | White, skins available | Black, skins available |
| Frames-per-second | 30fps | 7.5 – 30 (low light – good lighting) |
| Motion detection | Yes | Yes |
| Temperature Sensors | No | Yes |
| Power supply | Battery, rechargeable lithium ion or MicroUSB + Power Adapter | 2 AA Lithium Batteries or MicroUSB + Power Adapter |
| Two-way Audio | Yes | No |
| Siren | 100+ decibel siren on Arlo Pro base station | Blink Siren (hasn’t been released yet) |
| Nighttime surveillance | Yes | Yes |
| Night vision distance | Up to 25ft | N/A |
| Weatherproof cameras | Yes | Yes |
| Operating temperature | -4° to 113° F | -4° to 113° F |
| Two-way audio | Yes | No |
| Zoom length | Digital pan 8x digital zoom |
No |
| Wink Hub 2 | Yes, but it’s buggy | No |
| Wink Hub | Yes, but it’s buggy | No |
| SmartThings | Yes | No |
| Lutron Pro | Via IFTTT | No |
| IFTTT | Yes | Yes |
| HomeKit | No | No |
| Amazon Alexa | Only Echo Show | Only Echo and Echo Dot |
| Google Home | Yes | No |
Arlo Pro vs. Blink XT — Our Thoughts
There’s no denying that the ever-evolving world of smart technology can quickly get confusing. Hopefully this no-nonsense comparison has helped you understand the differences between the Arlo Pro vs. Blink XT. Whether you go for the Arlo Pro with premium features, or the Blink XT, you’ll end up with more peace of mind and a much safer home.
So, to sum it all up, when choosing between Blink XT vs. Arlo Pro, you’ll get better video quality with the Blink XT, however, you’ll sacrifice two-way audio, local storage, and siren support if you decide to skip on the Arlo Pro.
[toggle title=”Related Articles”]
- Blink vs. Blink XT | JCA
- Blink XT vs. Arlo Pro 2 | JCA
- All Arlo Camera Comparison Chart & Overview | JCA
- Arlo Pro vs. Arlo Pro 2 | JCA
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Last update on 2024-04-23 at 09:19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
I purchased a Blink XT (1camera System and after a couple of months decided to add two more XT cameras and that was my mistake. The first camera is a little over 35 feet away and and responds well to my smart phone functions like live view or arm and disarm. The two new ones at most are about 20 feet from the sync Module or router and one of them keeps going offline or not responding. I call customer service and after rebooting, taken out the batteries and reinstalling then and 45 mins wasted it still does not work properly. First I was told signal is week and I pointed out that the camera with the weekest signal was working fine and I was told that the sync Module might get jammed up because too many signals going in and I pointed out that I only have a 3 camera signal and it’s supposedly design for more cameras. The bottom line is they had no explanations for the failure and their remedy was nonsense due to the fact that I explained the distance and how well the first camera worked. They never told me that maybe it was defective and to send it in. The only thing at the end was maybe an electrical devise was interfering with it and I said there is nothing by the camera. I will be returning back if I can’t get it working and will be going with Arlo pro.
Customer service representative was good, I cannot blame her and she did return my email, rather quickly.
David,
Sorry to hear that your Blink XT had issues. And hopefully they give you that refund.
Thanks so much for writing about your experience, as it’ll really help others in deciding which brand of smart camera to go with.
Joseph
I’m having the similar issues with Blink XT. I bought two Blink (Not XT) cameras, that work perfectly, for inside use. I was impressed so I got three XT set from The TV merchant on special. I was told I could add both syncsw and so I set the three new ones as a different net for the outside. Well two work fine but one acts just like described by David. I have not called support yet as I have only had them for a few days and have been doing my own troubleshooting. After reading this review I won’t bother with Support. I will send them back. I can get three Arlo Pro on sale today so I will take advantage of that. Thanks for the review, it reinforces my experience!
I bought Arlo a month ago and they’ve all stopped recording. I’ve spent hours on the phone with customer service and on my own trouble shooting and yet they won’t record. CS had me delete one of my three cameras and it won’t sync again. Got a 4th camera as a test and it won’t sync either. This is is way too much trouble. They are going back.
Hi Gabri!
Thank you for sharing your experience! I understand how frustrating it is. It seems like it might be the Arlo Base Station that is causing the problem.
Just give Arlo a second chance. Return this one and get a new set. From my personal experience, they are actually worth it. 🙂