Guardzilla vs Canary – Which Security Camera System is Better?

If you are really serious about home security, you are expected to get a home security camera to help you monitor the things happening at home, even from far away.

The good news is that there are a lot of security cameras to choose from, including Guardzilla All-in-One HD Video Security System and Canary Smart Home Security Device.

Guardzilla All-in-One HD Video Security System

Guardzilla All-in-One HD Video Security System gives you a chance to secure your home and to check on it using your smartphone for a very low cost.

Each security camera comes in black or white (check here for latest).  At this price, you already get features you would find on more expensive cameras.  These features include:

• High-definition videos that you can stream on your smartphone.  The Guardzilla All-in-One HD Video Security System gives you a video resolution of 720 pixels.
• Motion detection system that senses movement and then alerts you via your phone.  It will also sound a 100-decibel siren that should be enough to scare off any potential intruders.  The alarm also lets you or your neighbors know of any possible threat.
• Auto arm.  It is very easy to arm or disarm the Guardzilla All-in-One HD Video Security System.  Arming the camera would activate the motion detector.  What’s more you can automatically arm your Guardzilla, it will use your smartphone’s GPS and determine that you have left the house before arming the alarm.
• Two-way audio communication.  If you see someone lurking outside your door, you can initiate a chat with that person without having to open the door.  Or you might want to talk to a family member while you are out of the house.  The Guardzilla All-in-One HD Video Security System has a built-in microphone and speaker that allows you to talk to people.
• Night vision.  The Guardzilla All-in-One HD Video Security System makes use of infrared night vision LEDs that allows it to pick up images even in low light conditions or at night when the lights are off.
• Storage options.  You can store your recorded videos on an SD card, or use the cloud storage service that the brand is offering.
• Video recording.  You can set your Guardzilla All-in-One HD Video Security System to continuously record everything that it sees.  But you can also set it to start recording only when it senses motion and alerts are sent to your phone.
• Easy to set up.  Guardzilla All-in-One HD Video Security System does not need a hub to work.  You can just plug it in, download the app, and connect it to your Wi-Fi network.  You can start protecting your home and then customizing the settings according to your preferences on the smartphone.
• Support for multiple cameras and users.  You can use a single smartphone app to manage more than one Guardzilla camera.  Even if you have one camera monitoring each of your rooms in the house, you only need one smartphone to view them all.  Similarly, you can also pair one camera with more than one smartphone.

Guardzilla Mobile app

The Guardzilla app allows you to see live stream and video recordings from the camera.

It features a nifty menu screen from which you can choose one out of six choices that will help you arm or disarm the Guardzilla, manually sound the alarm, manage the settings of each camera connected to the app, and see a log of activities, events, and images captured during these events.

This is also where you could tweak the settings for your camera, including notification settings and the duration of the panic siren.

Pros of the Guardzilla System

• Easy to Install: Guardzilla is very easy to install and place.  You just need to find a flat surface for it, and then connect it to your Wi-Fi and start monitoring your home.
• Good Value for the Money: The features added into the security camera help make it a good buy.  In addition to its very affordable price, you have the auto arm feature, two-way audio, and motion detector.

Room for improvement

• Could Use More IntegrationsIt is too bad that Guardzilla does not offer integration with other connected devices.  It is pretty much a standalone product.
• Won’t Call Police: And while it has a loud siren to scare off potential intruders, it does not call the police.
• Limited Settings Customizations: On top of the lack of integrations, there is no way to automatically adjust settings depending on a certain profile.  For instance, you could automatically lower the volume of the siren if you want to leave it armed while you are asleep.

Final Take on Guardzilla

For its low price and for a range of features that more expensive cameras sometimes lack, the Guardzilla is a pretty good buy. You can check out the latest pricing here.

Canary Smart Home Security Device

The Canary is a smart home device that promises to deliver an all-in-one solution to your home monitoring needs.  As a security camera, it gives you high-definition resolution videos even at night.  The videos have a resolution of 1080 pixels with wide angles.  Video recording starts when it detects motion.

However, what make it stand out are its sensors, which help you monitor your air quality, humidity, and temperature.

The Canary also connects to your Wi-Fi network and does not rely on hubs.   You can also use an Ethernet cable to connect to the Internet.  It also features Bluetooth connectivity.

It is easy to see if your Canary is armed or not, depending on the color of the lights at its base.  The LED ring lights up in green when it is armed and yellow when it isn’t.  You can also set it to automatically arm or disarm itself when you go out of a specific area.

Canary Mobile App

The Canary app is very well-designed and easy to use.  The home screen shows you the live stream from your home.  A simple swipe up will show you a timeline of recordings.  The home screen also has temperature and humidity readings.  You tap this area and you will see the graphs that detail the humidity, air quality, and temperature in your home over time.

Pros of the Canary System

• Smart Curb Appeal: The Canary is a sight to behold, even for a security camera.  It is cylindrical yet it looks very sleek, minimalistic and modern.
• Privacy Mode: The Canary comes with a privacy mode, which you can activate so that it turns off all recordings when you are at home.
• Easy Setup: Set up is also very easy.  Just plug in your Canary, connect it to your phone via the headphone jack, and enter your Wi-Fi details.
• Smart Learning: The Canary claims that it can learn over time as well.  You can tag any clip in your timeline to help the system understand what’s going on.  Eventually, the camera will know if a certain event is cause for alarm or not, and this means it will give you less false alarms over time.
• High Quality Video: The Canary’s biggest plus point, however, is the video quality.  It delivers crisp and sharp images even with the lights turned off.  The images are very detailed, which is very useful quality when there is a break-in at home as you can provide the police with really clear images of the intruder or culprit.

Things That Could be Improved

• Integrations: The Canary is being marketed as a smart device, but it does not have integrations with smart home automation systems. It does not work with IFTTT recipes, Z-Wave, Zigbee, HomeKit, or SmartThings.

Bottom Line on Canary

The Canary offers you a security camera that also monitors ambient factors in your house, giving you a more holistic view of what’s happening at home.  However, it does not allow you to do anything about these.  For instance, if you find out that the temperature at your house is unusually high, you cannot use the Canary app to turn down the heat or to turn on the air conditioner.

The camera alone, however, is exceptional.  It gives you very detailed and crisp images even in the dark.  The motion sensor is also very sensitive, but the panic siren is not.  This may be advantageous, though, as it saves you from having to deal with false alarms.

For the latest pricing and deals, you can check this specific Amazon listing.

So Which do you Buy? Guardzilla vs Canary

Both the Guardzilla All-in-One HD Video Security System and the Canary Smart Home Security Device do not require hubs to work and can stand on their own.  You do not need to mount these security cameras, making it easy for you to protect and monitor your home.  If you move a lot or if you are renting an apartment where the contract prohibits you from installing anything on the walls, then any of these cameras is perfect for you.

However, while both cameras have built-in microphones, the Canary does not support two-way communication.

Other features that are present in both cameras are motion sensors, cloud storage, auto arm, and panic siren.

Both cameras are also stationary.  You cannot tilt or pan these cameras and you cannot zoom in if you want to.  This is why you would appreciate the Canary for having a wider viewing angle at 147 degrees, compared to Guardzilla’s only 89 degrees.  The Canary can therefore cover more of your room.  If you have a large room, the Canary would be a better choice since there would be fewer blind spots.

The Canary also stands out because of the additional sensors that allow it to monitor other aspects of your home.  It also has a smaller base, which makes it a good fit for those who lack space.  More importantly, it gives you full high-definition videos and images.

At 1080 pixels, it gives you crisper and better detailed videos and photos than the Guardzilla.

However, it is difficult to ignore the difference in prices.  The Canary might have more features, but it is more expensive than the Guardzilla and it does not support two-way communication.

Side-by-side comparison

	Guardzilla	Canary
Price	Check latest price here	Check latest price here
Weight	1.50 lbs	0.87 lbs
Dimensions	4.5 x 5.5 x 2.5  in	3.0 x 3.0 x 6.0 in
Video resolution	720p	1080p
Camera viewing angle	89°	147°
Built-in speaker	Yes	No
Built-in microphone	Yes	Yes
Night vision	Yes	Yes
Motion sensor	Yes	Yes
Temperature sensor	No	Yes
Air quality sensor	No	Yes
Humidity sensor	No	Yes
Cloud storage	Yes	Yes
Auto arm	Yes	Yes
Siren	100 db	90 db
Video recording	Yes	Yes
Hub required?	No	No

As a security camera, both the Guardzilla All-in-One HD Video Security System and the Canary Smart Home Security Device are good products to consider.  Which one should you choose?  It depends really on what you need.

The Budget Choice: If you want to save, Guardzilla would not be a disappointment.  It costs less (check this listing) yet it delivers all the features you need in a good security camera.

The Better Choice: However, if you want the additional features and sensors that only the Canary can offer, you will have to pay more. Go with the Canary here, if you can afford it.

Other Options for Connected Homes: Meanwhile, if you are looking for a security camera that would work with other connected devices in a smart home, you may want to consider other brands. You can check out Piper NV, which works with Z-Wave devices, or iSmartAlarm, which has IFTTT support (read my Piper vs Canary comp here).