Arlo Essential 3rd Gen vs Insta360 GO 3S
Side-by-side on the specs that matter, with category winners and an opinionated take to help you decide.
Insta360 GO 3S
This is the ultimate camera for the minimalist adventurer or vlogger who prioritizes invisible, effortless capture over ultimate image quality and battery life.
This is a choice between a discreet action camera for dynamic content and a security camera for property monitoring.
Pick Arlo Essential 3rd Gen if you are a security professional needing reliable, continuous monitoring of a fixed location.
Pick Insta360 GO 3S if you are a professional creator or adventurer who needs a hands-free, ultraportable camera for action footage.
- —The Insta360 is a wearable camera for capturing life, while the Arlo is a stationary device for watching a place.
- —The GO 3S offers 4K video but only 38 minutes of battery life per charge.
- —The Arlo provides persistent surveillance, sacrificing the portability and creative angles of the action camera.
Category winners
Some categories (non-numeric features) need an editor's take — the verdict section below covers those.
Full specs
Video
| Max Resolution | — | 4K |
| Max Frame Rate | — | 200fps |
| Max Bitrate | — | 120Mbps |
| Video Formats | — | MP4 |
Photo
| Photo Resolution | — | 4000x2250 (16:9) | 2880×2880 (1:1) | 3968x1472 (2.7:1) | 4000x3000 (4:3) |
| Photo Formats | — | JPG | DNG |
Optics
| Aperture | — | F2.8 |
| Focal Length | — | 16mm |
Power
| Battery Capacity | — | 310mAh |
| Full Charge Time | — | 35 mins |
| Fast Charge | — | 23 mins |
| Battery Life | — | 38 mins |
Physical
| Weight | — | 39.1g |
| Dimensions | — | 25.6x54.4x24.8 mm |
| Min Temp | — | -20℃ |
| Max Temp | — | 40℃ |
Connectivity
| Bluetooth | — | BLE 5.0 |
| Wi-Fi | — | 802.11a/n/ac |
| USB | — | Type-C |
| Storage | — | 64GB, 128GB |
Ask anything — we'll answer with Arlo Essential 3rd Gen and Insta360 GO 3S in mind for pro use.
Pindear may earn a commission when you buy through these links. Winners are determined by numeric spec comparisons only; non-numeric features (app quality, ecosystem, real-world feel) are covered in the verdict.