7 Best GoPro Action Camera Alternatives

Action camera is a good thing to have if you travel a lot. GoPro is the first brand comes in mind if you think about action cameras. It is because GoPro is the company that made action cameras mainstream. However, GoPro action cameras are not affordable for all. GoPro action cameras are not cheap and few people also complain about its bulk and problems with its mount accessories. So, you may look for alternatives.

Note. GoPro Hero5 with all accessories cost $459. If you can afford, you can go with it. Otherwise, keep reading.

A number of other popular brands have started releasing action cameras. Now, you can even get the affordable action cameras in the market. Here is the list of 7 best GoPro alternatives you can buy.

Best GoPro Action Camera Alternatives

1. Drift Stealth 2

Drift Innovation is another known company that also have few nice action camera models in the market. It has two action cameras. Ghost and Stealth 2. I recommend Stealth 2 because it can be mounted almost anywhere. It is more affordable.

It comes with 12 megapixels camera with 7-element lens. It can record 1080p videos and 720p slo-mo videos. It also features a 1.3-inch mono graphic LCD display to check camera status and mode. There is also a Drift app to control the camera remotely from a smartphone.

It is packed with 1500 mAh battery that allows up to 3 hours of video recording.

The only issue with this camera is that its body is not waterproof. So, you will have to buy a separate casing for that.

Buy Here for $88.96

2. Contour ROAM3

The Contour ROAM3 is another nice action camera with cool features. It comes with a rugged aluminum body that makes it water resistant up to 30 ft. without any additional case. It also includes 270-degree rotating lens with laser alignment. It has a 5-megapixel camera that includes. It can record 1080p video at 30 fps and 720p at 60 fps.

Its non-removable battery allows video shooting up to 3.5 hours. The primary issue with this device is the lack of display and WiFi/Bluetooth connectivity. So, you cannot preview photos or videos. But the features of the camera makes it worth to try.

Buy Here for $129.99

3. Yi Action Camera

Xiaoyi Yi Action Camera is another premium but affordable action camera that offers great value for money. It comes with 16 megapixels Sony camera sensor with 155-degree wide-angle lens. It can record 1080p videos at up to 120fps. It supports -degree wide-angle lens, which supports 1080p video recording at up to 120 fps. The camera supports different modes like Time-lapse mode, Timed photo, timed video and more.

This camera lacks display and water resistance both. So, you will have to separate waterproof casing to capture underwater photos and videos.

It supports WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 and microSD. With WiFi, you can share pictures and videos from the camera to your computer.

This camera offers good quality and build. It is also easy to use. The only issue is the lack of water resistance. It also does not come with mounts. However, you can buy various mounts and accessories like the waterproof casing, chest casing and more.

Buy Here for $99.9.

4. Sony AS50

Sony AS50 is another nice action camera for capturing everything around you. It comes with 11.1 MP Exmor R sensor with Zeiss 170-degree lens. It also has SteadyShot image stabilization. It can shoots videos in 1080p up to 120 fps and it also supports 4K time-lapse videos.

It has monochrome display and buttons to control. It comes with microUSB, microHDMI port, mic, WiFi Sharing and Bluetooth. It also has watch-style remote control dubbed Live View. It allows you to monitor & control the camera from your wrist.

Its battery allows you to record up to 150 minutes. It is waterproof for up to 60 meters, dustproof and shockproof with supplied case.

The base model of this action camera does not come with LiveView wrist remote, but it includes camera, tripod mount, waterproof case and manuals. Base model costs $199 but the other model with Live View wrist remote costs $348.

Buy Here

5. SJCAM SJ5000

SJCAM SJ5000 is a feature rich but affordable action camera. It comes with 2-inch display, 14 megapixels CMOS camera with 170-degree wide-angle lens and 4X zoom. It can also record videos at 1080p resolution. It supports multiple camera modes including time-lapse, burst and more.

It offers Wi-Fi, HDMI HD & USB-AV output. You can also control the camera by using an App that is available for iOS and Android both. It claims to offer 70 minutes of video recording with its fully charged battery.

The camera comes with more than 10 accessories and mounts out.

Buy Here for $124

6. HTC Re

HTC Re is a good portable action camera but looks weird in design. It packs 16 megapixels Sony CMOS sensor with 146-degree ultra-wide angle lens. It can record up to 1080p videos at 30fps. It also supports 4x slow-mo videos and time-lapse videos.

It is IP57 rated to offer up to 1m of submersion and IPx8 certified for dust resistance. It has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, 5-pin microUSB and microSD slot. It can be controlled via the Android and iOS smartphone app.

It claims to offer 100 minutes of continuous video recording and 1200 photos. It also lacks mounts or accessories, so you will have to buy it separately. It also lacks camera modes.

Buy Here for $59.9.

7. Mobius

Mobius is not just affordable, but most portable camera due to small in size. It looks like a spy camera. It is also easy to use with drones and aerial devices. It can record 1080p videos at 30 fps and 720p videos at 60 fps along with audios at 512 Kbps. It has 3.5 megapixels camera resolution. It can also record Time-lapse videos.

It lacks any display but offers LED notification lights to notify you about the camera modes and charging. It claims to offer 90 minutes of recording.

It lacks water resistance but you can buy a separate case to make it waterproof. It also lacks connectivity options like WiFi or Bluetooth. So, you will have to rely on conventional ways to transfer videos and photos.

Buy Here for $69.95

Final Words

GoPro is still the best action camera you can buy but I understand the cases when spending too much money is not the option. So, this article will surely give you some good alternatives to GoPro action cameras. You can use this list to see what other affordable action cameras you can buy. I have also included the links to buy from Amazon.

If you think I missed something good action camera that should be in the list, you can comment below.