GoPro Max 2 vs Insta360 X5: Which 360 camera should you buy?

The two best 360 degree cameras at the moment are GoPro Max 2 and Insta360 X5. Key specs and features are similar, but extensive hands-on testing reveals cameras that are good at different things and ideal for different people. Don’t get me wrong, they are both great cameras and there is no “wrong” choice between them.

I’ve been reviewing 360 degree cameras since they first came on the market. I’ve also used it in My photography as long as. These versatile cameras let you capture everything around you at the same time, letting you focus on the moment and edit the video or photo later to highlight the most interesting parts. Here’s what you should buy in 2025.

Image resolution

Winner: Insta360 X5

The Insta360 is capable of taking 72MP (11,904 x 5,952) photos. These don’t have the dynamic range (i.e. the key aspect of overall image quality) of the 18MP (5888 x 2944) camera setup, but if detail is paramount in what you capture, this mode is useful. For what it’s worth, I rarely use the 72MP setting when I’m using the X5, not least because the Insta360 app can’t turn photos into mini videos like it can with 18MP photos.

GoPro has one setting: 29MP (7680 x 3840 pixels). This shows Max 2 vs. X5. There’s a lot you can do with the latter, but if you don’t want to mess with settings or features, the Max 2 is simpler and therefore easier. There’s also more to image quality than just resolution, which I’ll get to in a moment.

Video resolution

tie (kind of)

Both cameras are capable of shooting 8K video at 30 frames per second. They can also offer lower resolutions at higher frame rates, such as 5.7K60. The details are a little more fine-grained. All consumer 360 cameras use two lenses with two image sensors mounted in series. Each registers just over a 180 degree view. The resulting footage is “merged” together to create a single image or video collage.

GoPro says the Max 2 uses high-resolution image sensors so the resulting footage is “true 8K.” She also says that Insta360 and other 360 camera companies “only” use 4K sensors per side, so they have less final 8K footage because some pixels are duplicated by each lens and “thrown away” in the stitching process.

At best, GoPro says the Max 2 has a 21% increase in accuracy. That’s not much, and in my testing, there wasn’t much difference between the detail of the two cameras. There were other, more important differences that I’ll discuss in the image quality section.

Image quality (photos and videos)

Winner (Daytime): GoPro Max 2 (with caveats)

Winner (overnight): Insta360 X5

Out of camera, without any additional adjustments, the Max 2 looks a little better. Photos and videos are contrasting and colorful and look fun when posted on social media. GoPro footage has a specific, recognizable aesthetic, and the Max 2 is no exception. Also, the X5 tends to overexpose, making the shadows brighter and more pronounced, resulting in a more artificial and often washed-out image.

However, if you’re willing to play around with the settings and spend a few extra moments while editing, you can make the X5’s content look as good, if not better than the Max 2. This is especially true for videos at night or other low-light situations. The X5’s camera at night still isn’t amazing, but the shots are usable. The Max 2’s low-light performance is very poor. It’s debatable if you can use it at night at all. The Max 2’s maximum video bitrate is also lower, 120 to 180 for the X5, but there are too many variables to make that not as big a factor as the numbers suggest.

Both can capture DNG and raw images register Color profile for videos, which should provide better dynamic range and greater flexibility when editing.

measuring

Association

It may not seem like it, but these cameras are almost identical in size. The X5 is 1% larger in overall size than the Max 2 (46×124.5×38.2mm vs. 64×69.7×48.7mm). It also weighs essentially the same: 200g for the X5 and 195g for the Max 2.

There are pros and cons to each design, though. The X5’s candybar design makes it easy to slip into pockets or a bag, but the Max 2’s square shape, similar to a traditional action camera, makes it easier to handle. They also have a lower profile when mounted on a helmet. Overall, I’d call this a wash. Personally, I prefer the X5, but part of that is because the shutter button at the bottom of the back panel is easier to reach when the camera is mounted on the selfie stick. The Max 2’s shutter button is located at its top.

Applications

tie (kind of)

There’s more you can do in the Insta360 app, including combining multiple 360-degree videos, extensive AI editing features, and more. GoPro’s Quik app is less detailed, but that makes it easier for beginners to use. So again, if you He wants To do more, Insta360 is the best choice. If you want something easier to use, or are a beginner, use a GoPro.

This includes desktop applications as well. Insta360 is easier if you have a lot of footage to edit and there’s more you can do with it. The GoPro is simpler, but it gets the job done.

Supplements

Association

Insta360 has been dominating the 360 ​​camera market for years and has a full range of accessories to offer. On the other hand, GoPro is GoPro. The number of GoPro accessories, both from third-party companies, is basically endless.

However, neither camera is proprietary when it comes to accessories. Both have a standard tripod mount to fit any selfie stick, and while the GoPro has retractable fingers to fit traditional GoPro gear, adapters to add this functionality to the X5 are cheap. They both have magnetic mounts, making it quick and easy to remove cameras from one mount and place them on another.

In other words, you can use almost all accessories together.

price

Winner: GoPro Max 2

The X5’s list price is $50, or 10%, more than the Max 2. That sounds about right. The $50 gives you more flexibility in what you record, when, and where. If you expect to use the camera at night or indoors, the X5 is the better choice, although it costs more. It’s also worth noting that the X5 goes on sale regularly, and as of this writing, it’s the same price as the Max 2.

there More budget optionsif you’re just looking to use 360 ​​degree cameras and don’t want to spend a lot, not the least Insta360X4 and Original (but updated in 2025).

Overall winner

For most people: Insta360 X5

For beginners or anyone who wants a simpler experience: GoPro Max 2

Having used 360 degree cameras for over a decade, I would be satisfied with either of these cameras. It’s not about which ones are “best” as much as what niche they fill (within the small space of a 360 camera). There’s more you can do with the X5 overall, not least because of the larger sensors, potentially higher image resolution and better app.

However, as someone who tries to reduce the amount of editing I do at the end of a day’s adventure, I was drawn to the GoPro’s better off-camera shots. There is less time required to get something I can post on social media. However, if you tend to put together more detailed videos, especially if you’re a content creator, the X5’s greater versatility is still a better choice.

So I chose the X5 overall because of that flexibility, as well as its superior low-light performance. For beginners and those who don’t think they’ll be doing any kind of elaborate editing, choose Max 2.

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In addition to covering cameras and display technology, Jeff does photo essays About wonderful museums and other things, incl Nuclear submarines, Aircraft carriers, A 10,000 mile road trip.

Also, check out Budget travel for dummiesAnd his travel book and his book Best-selling science fiction novel About submarines the size of a city. You can follow it Instagram and YouTube.