GoPro Hero 12 Black vs Insta360 Ace Pro: battle of the top-tier action cameras

What is the difference between Insta360’s latest action camera, the Insta360 Ace Pro, and the GoPro Hero 12 Black market leader? The launch of the Insta360 Ace Pro saw a company that until now had almost entirely focused on 360° cameras, like the  Insta360 X3, move into traditional action cameras to challenge the market leader, the Go Pro Hero 12 Black. The battle for the title of best action camera is on. 

After bridge products like the Insta360 ONE RS 1-Inch and Insta360 GO 3, the Insta360 Ace Pro was perhaps inevitable, but it looks like a solid challenge to the Go Pro Hero 12 Black. For example, it offers 8K video, a wider field of view and a flip-screen, three features lacking on the Go Pro Hero 12 Black. However, as well as topping the best GoPros, there are other areas where the market leader retains a lead over its new rival. 

Here’s what you need to know about the differences between the Insta360 Ace Pro and the GoPro Hero 12 Black – and which one you should buy.

GoPro Hero 12 Black vs Insta360 Ace Pro

GoPro Hero 12 Black vs Insta360 Ace Pro: price and availability

If you think Insta360 is a cut-price challenger to GoPro, think again. Launched in November 2023 and sold directly from Insta360 for a recommended retail price of $450/ £430/AU$729. If you don’t mind sacrificing some pixels and low-light skills, the 6K-capable Insta360 Ace sells for $380/ £360/AU$609.

The GoPro Hero 12 Black sells for $400/£400/AU$650 at GoPro. Though there is no budget version of the GoPro Hero 12 Black, 2022’s screen-less GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini is still available for $300/£300/AUS$500. 

It might seem like the GoPro Hero 12 Black is priced lower, but that’s not the case if you go for the accessories bundle, which costs $450/ £450/ AU$ 730 and includes the camera, two Endure batteries, the Handler and Head Strap 2.0 accessories, and a carry case. The Max Lens Mod 2.0 is also available for $100/ £100/AU$170. 

WINNER: GoPro Hero 12 Black, which is more affordable than the Insta360 Ace Pro, though the various bundles and post-launch deals and discounts narrow the gap.

GoPro Hero 12 Black vs Insta360 Ace Pro: design and build quality

Regarding design, there are some significant differences between these two action cameras. The GoPro Hero 12 Black has a 1.4-inch colour display on its front – a so-called selfie screen beloved by bloggers – and a 2.27-inch touchscreen on its rear. However, the Insta360 Ace Pro has a tiny mono display on its front (to usefully show the current settings, not live images) and a 2.4-inch flip-up colour touchscreen on its rear.

Vloggers may initially feel that a colour display on the front is more beneficial. However, the Insta360 Ace Pro’s flip-screen moves 180° and swivels to face forwards, doubling as a much larger colour front display. The Insta360 Ace Pro doesn’t need its mono front display. 

A headline feature on the Insta360 Ace Pro is its fixed Leica SUMMARIT lens. Not to be outdone, the GoPro Hero 12 Black’s built-in lens can be augmented by the Max Lens Mod 2.0 lens accessory, which extends the field of view. 

Physically, the two action cameras have very similar footprints, though the Insta360 Ace Pro weighs 180g to the GoPro Hero 12 Black’s 154g. Both are waterproof without cases down to 10m (33ft), and dive cases are available for both to take them safely down to 60m (196 feet).

How these two products connect to accessories differs slightly. While the GoPro Hero 12 Black retains its trademark built-in mounting fingers, the Insta360 Ace Pro uses a magnetic clip that attaches to its undercarriage and has GoPro-style mounting fingers. 

There’s little to choose between them on battery either, with the Insta360 Ace Pro’s 1,650mAh and the GoPro Hero 12 Black’s 1,720mAh batteries offering between 90 and 150 minutes depending on the resolutions you choose to shoot in. 

WINNER: Although they’re physically almost identical, the usefulness of the Insta360 Ace Pro’s flip-screen and its Leica lens wins the day. 

GoPro Hero 12 Black vs Insta360 Ace Pro: video and sound quality

The most significant difference between the two action cameras is their image sensors. While the GOPRO has a 1/1.9-inch CMOS sensor, the Insta360 Ace Pro uses a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor. That means better low-light video from the Insta360 Ace Pro, whose larger sensor equals that of the DJI Osmo Action 4.

The Insta360 Ace Pro also wins out on pixels, with 48-megapixel photos and a maximum video resolution of 8K. However, it only captures 8K in 24 frames per second (fps), and the next option down the food chain is 4K at 60fps. The GoPro Hero 12 Black offers 27-megapixel photos, and its video maxes out at 5.3K, but it captures at 60fps and also offers 4K at 120fps (4x slo-mo) and 2.7K at 240fps (8x slo-mo).

GoPro and Insta360 list so many advanced features that it’s difficult to judge which is best, but each has some exclusives.

The GoPro Hero 12 Pro boasts 10-bit video that is peerless in daylight, HDR video and photos, HyperSmooth 6.0 video stabilization with 360° horizon lock, and a native vertical capture mode that allows you to shoot videos in a 9:16 ratio. The latter will appeal to vloggers. Filmmakers will adore a new Timecode Sync that wirelessly synchronizes multiple GoPro Hero 12 Pro units. 

Meanwhile, the Insta360 Ace Pro’s larger image sensor powers a low-light video mode called PureShot that impresses despite maxing out at 30 fps. It also offers its silky smooth FlowState image stabilisation in three strengths: HDR video, 360º horizon-lock in FreeFrame video mode.

One feature to note is Clarity Zoom, which uses the 8K sensor to allow 2x zoom on 4K without any loss of detail. Another is the instant deletion of a recording in progress just by holding the shutter button. Its app also offers AI-powered templates and an AI Highlights Assistant for auto-generating highlights. 

The GoPro Hero 12 Black and Insta360 Ace Pro capture audio in stereo, but they also have Bluetooth to be used with the best wireless earbuds, such as the Apple AirPods Pro 2, or a microphone via adaptors. 

WINNER: With so many great features, choosing between them is hard. If you want to make movies, the GoPro Hero 12 Black is for you in daylight, but for shooting in low-light night, the Insta360 Ace Pro rules – and its Clarity Zoom is hard to resist.

GoPro Hero 12 Black vs Insta360 Ace Pro: which should you buy

It’s tough to choose between these two hugely likeable action cameras. As a first attempt at challenging the market leader, the Insta360 Ace Pro is impressive. Its large sensor, 8K resolution option, radical flip-screen display, and superb build quality make it a premium product.

However, the GoPro Hero 12 Black has a lot for going for it. For content creators, the Insta360’s flip-screen and the GoPro's 9:16 aspect ratio video will both appeal.

Overall, the Insta360 Ace Pro is the top choice for versatile vlogging, and the GoPro Hero 12 Black’s 10-bit video and Timecode Sync make it an excellent option for action shots and filmmaking.