GoPro vs Insta360: Which One Is Actually Worth Your Money

When GoPro announced the Max (2025) and Insta360 released the X5, I was eager to compare GoPro vs Insta360 and see how these two new flagships perform side by side. I’ve spent years using GoPros on outdoor adventures and Insta360s for stunning travel and sports clips, so I knew this was the showdown I had been waiting for.

I decided to test GoPro vs Insta360 during mountain biking, skating, hiking, and travel filming to understand their features, image quality, and performance.

Being a seasoned FixThePhoto video expert, I know what functionalities matter the most. In this article, I’ll shed light on the strong and weak points of each camera and provide you with valuable tips on how to get the most out of every model.

Besides, it is sturdier thanks to its metal frame and swappable lens covers. Such elements add extra protection. I also liked the handy magnetic quick-release mount. You can change gears very fast.

In terms of portability, the GoPro Max wins. At just 154g, it’s lighter than the Insta360 X5 (200g) and slips into a pocket with ease. GoPro also boasts high-end design - tough build, protective lens guards, and a universal tripod thread for easy setup. The switch to the “Enduro” battery makes it more reliable in the cold, too.

Both models have a rubberized grip and quick-access doors. Personally, I enjoyed the Max’s smaller size when chest-mounted. Though the X5’s extra weight is the compromise you need to accept for sharper visuals.

Let’s take a closer look at the main functionality of both cameras:

The Max is limited to 3K60, which only gives you half the slowdown of the X5. In real-world tests, this meant the X5 turned fast action, e.g., jumps, flips, or spins into epic cinematic moments, while the Max’s results were less dramatic.

• On my skateboard runs, the Insta360 X5’s 2.7K at 120fps impressed me. Tricks stayed clear even in slow motion.

However, smooth 120fps only works in 1080p. Still, it’s perfect if you want crisp slow-mo at full HD.

GoPro’s Max relies on HyperSmooth 6.0 with Horizon Lock, while the Insta360 X5 uses FlowState with 360° Horizon Lock.

• Frankly speaking, you can barely notice the difference. On rough trails or while bouncing around on my skateboard, I received detailed and sharp footage with both cameras.

In 360° mode, the Insta360 X5 has an advantage because its 8K resolution allows stronger stabilization. The trade-off is that you may see a bit of edge warping. The GoPro Max also delivers excellent results, though it doesn’t have the same pixel power to lean on.

If I had to pick, it would be a difficult choice. Still, if you value AI-driven stabilization in 360, the X5 nudges ahead.

I noticed the difference right away. While recording videos at sunset or in a dim room, the X5 stayed clean, while the Max showed more grain and lost detail in bright spots.

• During an evening campfire test, the Insta360 X5 produced much cleaner ISO400 footage than the GoPro Max. That fits the pattern. Smaller GoPro sensors show more grain in the dark, but Insta360’s advanced AI processing and PureVideo keep noise under control.

If you love shooting panoramas and need to pick a GoPro or Insta360, the X5 is hard to beat. Its 72MP 360 delivers detail, even when you get closer to the subject.

360 stills (Panoramas). If you love wide landscapes, the Insta360 X5 is a beast with 72MP 360 stills. You can zoom in without losing detail, and it even has HDR mode for tricky lighting. The GoPro Max tops out at 16.6MP, which looks okay but doesn’t hold up under close inspection.

Regular (Hero) photos. Switching to a single lens, the X5 gives you 18MP wide shots. The Max only manages 5.5MP, which feels pretty underwhelming for a modern action cam.

Burst/Interval/Starlapse. The X5 adds more creative tools - interval shooting, starlapse for night skies, and multi-exposure bursts. The Max keeps it simple with a basic burst and 360 timelapse. In my star tests, the X5 actually delivered usable sky shots. The Max can’t replicate it.

Mods (lenses). Both the Max and X5 use fixed 360 lenses, but Insta360 gives the X5 a big advantage, as the lenses are user-replaceable. So, if you scratch one, you can easily swap it. Plus, the X5 now includes a wind guard for cleaner audio. The GoPro Max sticks with sealed lenses, though you can attach a 16mm filter if you want extra flexibility.

Unlike the X5, the GoPro Max doesn’t have a direct feature like InstaFrame. If you want a standard shot, you’ll either need to capture a separate Hero photo or wait until later to crop it out of your 360 footage.

Both cameras support plenty of add-ons, but the accessory approach is different. Insta360 focuses mainly on tools for immersive and creative filming.

Insta360 X5 accessories. When comparing Insta360 vs GoPro, I tested the X5 with an Invisible Selfie Stick (the pole disappears in footage), a Bullet Time 2.0 cord for dramatic spinning shots, and the Mic Air wireless mic for better audio.

I like the invisible stick a lot. It makes chest- or head-mounted clips look natural, without a distracting pole in sight. Besides, it offers a rugged frame, quick-release mounts, and a chest harness, meaning you have a full adventure kit.

The Insta360 X5 lets you swap out tempered glass lens protectors if they get scratched. You can even attach a dive case to go deeper than its native 15 m waterproof limit.

GoPro Max accessories. This camera model supports lots of accessories. When using the new Max (2025) version, I can attach most mounts and clips that fit older Hero cameras.

It is possible to connect official mods, such as the Media Mod for microphones or lights, and the Light Mod for constant illumination. I also tested it on a regular GoPro tripod and extension pole, and everything fitted without issues.

When using a GoPro, you can find mounts and protectors for almost anything. I used a third-party action camera protector with lenses on the Max without any problems. Insta360 isn’t that flexible. Due to its shape, you can purchase only original cases.

GoPro Max isn’t far behind in the Insta360 vs GoPro Max stand-off, but it doesn’t last as long. The 1600mAh Enduro battery gives about an hour of 5.6K 360 video or around 90 minutes at 1080p. On the field, I saw it last about 80 minutes when switching between modes.

• When it comes to lengthy shooting, the X5 really outshines the Max. In side-by-side use at 5.7K 30fps, the GoPro Max tapped out in about 1-1.5 hours, while the X5 kept rolling for a solid 2–2.5 hours. My field results matched Insta360’s official numbers pretty closely.

Both the GoPro Max and Insta360 X5 charge fast with USB-C PD. To get extra recording time, bring spare batteries. Fortunately, these models accept third party camera batteries.

I’ve successfully used generic 2400mAh batteries with other 360 cameras, as long as the specs match. Just keep in mind that higher resolutions or frame rates will naturally eat through your battery faster.

Insta360 App & Studio. The mobile app has lots of AI features. I tested Shot Lab effects, namely, SmartTrack, SkySwap, and AI Warp. They are great for making quick edits on the go. It also offers cloud backup via Insta360+. Thus, you can save and sync your videos automatically.

On a desktop, Insta360 Studio is easy to use for editing 360° videos. You can adjust the framing after shooting, which is very convenient if you didn’t do it properly in the process of filming.

You can also take advantage of AI-based video editing on a desktop. There are special tools for auto tracking and horizon leveling. For meticulous color-grading, it is better to upload your file to Adobe Premiere Pro and apply built-in VR effects.

GoPro Quik & Software. The application is very straightforward. It is possible to upload 360° clips, stabilize them automatically, and use Max Reframe mode for basic reframing. Generally, you can rely on the app for fast edits and adding music, but it doesn’t have as many AI tools for 360° footage as Insta360.

There is GoPro’s ReelSteady software for desktop users. It lets you stabilize wide-angle shots, but when it comes to editing Max 360 videos, you typically have to switch to Quik or external 360° editors.

When it comes to timelapses, you can use both apps to set speed ramps and intervals. GoPro’s Quik lets you tweak standard GoPro timelapse settings, while Insta360 offers TimeShift for creative control.

• I like that Insta360 offers many handy AI features, including auto-tracking 360° subjects and the “Instaframe” selfie mode. GoPro is mainly focused on ease of use, with Max supporting 1080p live streaming through Quik.

Make your video color grading faster and easier with these free LUTs. They are created specifically for GoPro and 360° footage and fit right into popular video editing software.

Apply them in Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or any editor that accepts 3D LUTs. Your videos will look vibrant, professional, and consistent without time-consuming manual editing.

To make this Insta360 vs GoPro review useful for everyday shooters, I devoted much time to testing these cameras myself. Besides, I collected insights from our FixThePhoto team, and advice from GoPro and 360-video fans online.

I took both cameras out for long sessions, capturing skateboarding tricks, city walks, and concerts. We filmed during the day and at night to check low-light performance, tested them for fast-moving scenes to see how smooth the footage was, and played with such creative features as timelapses, bullet time, and loop recording.

To ensure the evaluation was fair, we tested both cameras with identical high-speed microSD cards and the newest firmware. I walked, jumped, and filmed with a small gimbal to see how sharp the footage remained, checked picture quality by comparing raw and edited footage in Premiere Pro, and tested battery life with nonstop 360° recording.

In addition, we tested the editing apps, using Insta360 Studio and Shot Lab against GoPro Quik Desktop. We repeated each experiment twice to guarantee reliable results.

We did our best to test them in everyday situations, including recording vlogs, sports, travel filming, and casual recording. Such tests are important for shedding light on the real capabilities of these cameras.