Reolink vs eufy: privacy and local control compared
Facts last verified · Every claim is linked to its source · Methodology
Answer: Reolink comes out ahead on what we can verify: documented offline operation, no-account local mode, RTSP/ONVIF and official local Home Assistant support. eufy also records locally with no fee, but its offline behaviour is undocumented for the E340, Home Assistant support is community-only, and eufy settled with the New York AG in 2025 over its encryption claims.
| Criterion | Reolink Video Doorbell (PoE / WiFi) | eufy (Anker) Video Doorbell E340 |
|---|---|---|
| Works without internet (20) | Yes Yes12 20 pts | Unverified 0 pts |
| Local video storage (15) | Yes microSD (up to 256 GB), Reolink NVR/Home Hub, or FTP/NAS345 15 pts | Yes 8 GB on-device; HomeBase S280/S380 optional6 15 pts |
| Home Assistant, locally (15) | Local push Official · Local Push · Platinum1 15 pts | Community only No official integration (HA's 'eufy' covers lights/switches only); community add-ons exist7 6 pts |
| Open protocol (RTSP / ONVIF / Matter) (10) | Yes RTSP, ONVIF48910 10 pts | Unverified 0 pts |
| No cloud account required (10) | Not required No ("Local Device" mode)10 10 pts | Unverified 0 pts |
| No subscription for core recording (8) | Not needed No4 8 pts | Not needed No6 8 pts |
| End-to-end encryption (7) | Unverified 0 pts | Unverified 11 0 pts |
| Privacy policy: does not sell your data (brand) (5) | Qualified 12 2 pts | Unverified 0 pts |
| Police requests: warrant or no access (brand) (5) | Legal process 12 2 pts | Legal process 1314 2 pts |
| No incidents in our tracker, last 5 years (brand) (5) | Incident found 2 in our tracker since Oct 2021 0 pts | Incident found 4 in our tracker since Oct 2021 0 pts |
| Local-First Score | 82 | 31 |
Reolink RTSP/ONVIF setup note (added Oct 22, 2026): on many current Reolink models, RTSP and ONVIF (and on some, HTTP) ship switched off. Reolink says to enable them once in the Reolink App or desktop Client under Network > Advanced > Server Settings, or in the web interface where it is reachable915. For cameras attached to a Reolink NVR or Home Hub, enable the ports on the NVR/hub instead9. The App and Client can manage a camera as a "Local Device" using only its UID, username and password, so no Reolink account is needed for this step10. Home Assistant users report the same out-of-the-box behavior on recent firmware16.
Key sources: 1127. Brand records: Reolink · eufy.
All models from both brands
| Device | Score | Offline | Local storage | Subscription | Home Assistant | Police requests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reolink Video Doorbell (PoE / WiFi)Doorbell · Wired (PoE or 12–24 VAC) | 82 | Yes | Yes | Not needed | Local push | Legal process |
| Reolink E1 Outdoor ProCamera · Plug-in, Wi-Fi | 82 | Yes | Yes | Not needed | Local push | Legal process |
| Reolink RLC-811A (PoE)Camera · PoE | 82 | Yes | Yes | Not needed | Local push | Legal process |
| Reolink E1 ZoomCamera · Plug-in, Wi-Fi | 82 | Yes | Yes | Not needed | Local push | Legal process |
| Reolink Duo 3 PoECamera · PoE | 82 | Yes | Yes | Not needed | Local push | Legal process |
| Reolink Argus 4 ProCamera · Battery + solar, Wi-Fi | 72 | Yes | Yes | Not needed | Local push | Legal process |
| eufy (Anker) Video Doorbell E340Doorbell · Battery or wired | 31 | Unverified | Yes | Not needed | Community only | Legal process |
| eufy (Anker) SoloCam S340Camera · Battery + solar | 31 | Unverified | Yes | Not needed | Community only | Legal process |
Informational only, not legal advice. Found an error? Tell us.
Sources
- Home Assistant: Reolink integration · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Reolink: Can WiFi cameras work without internet · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Reolink Video Doorbell PoE spec sheet (PDF) · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Reolink: Video Doorbell PoE product page · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Reolink: Video Doorbell WiFi product page · checked Oct 22, 2026
- eufy: Video Doorbell E340 product page · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Home Assistant: EufyHome integration (lights/switches only) · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Reolink: Which products support CGI/RTSP/ONVIF · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Reolink: How to configure Reolink ports settings · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Reolink: Local Device vs Account Device · checked Oct 22, 2026
- NY Attorney General: $450,000 eufy settlement (Jan 2025) · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Reolink Privacy Policy · checked Oct 22, 2026
- The Verge: Which camera companies share video without a warrant (Jul 2022) · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Consumer Reports: Ring, Google, SimpliSafe could share footage with police · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Reolink: Reolink Home Assistant integration (prerequisites) · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Home Assistant Community (user report): Reolink cameras ship with open-protocol ports off · checked Oct 22, 2026