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Head-to-head · Editor's pick
Aqara Camera Hub G3 vs Logitech Circle View
We prefer the Aqara Camera Hub G3. It pans, it is 2K, and it has a shutter. The Logitech Circle View is a fixed 1080p HomeKit camera worth keeping if you own it, not worth hunting at a premium.
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Between the Aqara Camera Hub G3 and the Logitech Circle View, our preference is the G3. You get pan and tilt, a 2K sensor, a physical shutter, and HomeKit Secure Video, plus a Zigbee hub you can ignore. The Circle View is a fixed 1080p HomeKit camera from an earlier wave. It is worth using if it is already in the house. It is not worth a premium in 2026.
Both store HomeKit video in iCloud, which is the reason to be on this page at all. Budget for a HomePod or Apple TV as the hub, and for the iCloud plan that allows the number of cameras you mean to add. Then the G3 is the one we would put in the cart.
If you do not have that hub and you do not want it, stop the comparison. Buy a camera that records to a card and let the Home app do something else.
A doorway that never changes its mind can keep a Circle View forever. The day you want the crib and the door in one nursery, the fixed 1080p frame becomes the limitation you cannot fix with a preset. That is the moment to move to the G3 rather than to buy a second Circle View. Two fixed HomeKit cameras cost more attention than one camera that can turn, and they still share the same iCloud rules. Spend the upgrade on the motor and the shutter.
Two HomeKit cameras
| Spec | Aqara G3 | Circle View |
|---|---|---|
| Picture | 2K | 1080p |
| Movement | Pan and tilt | Fixed |
| Shutter | Yes | Privacy by unplugging or aiming |
| Extra | Zigbee hub | None |
| Video storage | iCloud via HomeKit Secure Video | iCloud via HomeKit Secure Video |
You still need an Apple home hub and a suitable iCloud plan for either camera.
Buy the G3
The G3 is the HomeKit indoor camera we would buy new. Pan and tilt cover a nursery or a living room. 2K is the sharper frame. The shutter is the feature a Circle View does not give you. The Zigbee hub is a bonus if you have Aqara sensors and irrelevant if you do not, so do not pay extra only for Zigbee you will never pair. The G3 review has the setup caveats, including 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi.
Keep a Circle View you already mounted on a doorway. 1080p of a door you framed well is still a clear picture. Do not pay a scarcity price to replace it with another fixed 1080p camera. If you are replacing it, replace it with the G3 or leave HomeKit.
Shared limit
Neither camera is a HomeKit camera without the hub and the iCloud tier. If that is annoying, both lose to a Tapo C225 that never mentions Apple. HomeKit's privacy design is worth it when you wanted iCloud. It is not a tax to pay by accident.
Where to check the current price
Street prices move with sales. These links search a major retailer for the model named in this review. Confirm the exact model number on the listing before you pay.
Questions people ask before they buy
Can the Circle View pan?
No. It looks where you screwed it. That is a virtue on a door and a limit in a playroom.
Does the G3 require Aqara sensors?
No. The hub can sit empty. The camera works as a camera.
Which is easier for a parent to set up?
The Circle View is the smaller idea. The G3 is more steps and the better device. If the setup day matters more than the picture, and you already own the Logitech, stay.
Comments
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