Coaches and athletes are turning to sports cameras to record games, analyze moves, and create cool highlight reels. These cameras give you not just clear footage, they also help you train smarter and level up faster.
The Trace camera is simple to set up. The coolest feature is the AI, which automatically identifies and creates personalized highlights for each athlete. It can even zoom in on their specific actions and save you lots of time.
Trace’s PlayerID feature also lets each athlete create a profile to save their game footage, which can be shared with family, friends, and recruiters. These features make the Trace camera a good choice for capturing footage and providing analysis for coaches and players.
Trace has a lot of cool features, but it may not suit every need. The camera’s 1080p video resolution is less sharp than 4K alternatives, and you must upload it to watch.
The team features can only be unlocked with a Pro subscription. The Trace camera, like many sports cameras, can offer you some analysis, but it is best used for tracking individual athletes. It may not provide you with the type of insights found in other cameras.
This article compares their cost, ease of use, video quality, AI features, and portability to help you choose the best camera. So, here are our 5 Trace alternatives.
The XbotGo Chameleon Cameraman has several great features, including:
Imagine you’re a soccer parent at a weekend tournament. You set up the XbotGo Chameleon on a tripod, clamp your iPhone, and select “soccer” in the app. That’s how the XbotGo Chameleon makes capturing sports action easy.
For coaches, the Follow Me mode records a player’s solo drills, like basketball shooting practice, letting you capture the action without any distraction. There are also options like the Bluetooth remote and Apple Watch for controlling from a distance.
The XbotGo gives you 4K footage and smart AI tracking without a huge price tag or monthly fees. It also lets you save entire games on the cloud. Plus, its quick setup and long battery life mean you can focus on the game.
XbotGo’s one-time cost of $369 saves a lot compared to Trace’s yearly fee, which needs subscriptions and returning the camera. You own the XbotGo, and there are no fees for AI tracking or cloud storage.
The clear 4K video rivals Trace’s 1080p, and the app’s live streaming and editing beat Trace’s highlight-only focus. It’s perfect for parents, athletes, or small sports programs wanting pro-level footage without Trace’s subscriptions.
The XbotGo is a convenient, high-quality sports camera that you can get without breaking the bank.
Capture every moment with AI-powered tracking. Perfect for parents, coaches, athletes, and creators who want seamless footage without manual filming.
The Insta360 GO 3S comes with these key features:
Let’s say you’re a tennis player practicing swerves. How do you capture every swing from your POV? That’s where the GO 3S excels. Clip the camera, hit record, and let it capture all the action in 4K.
Let’s say it’s another sport like football or lacrosse. The Insta360 can be mounted on your chest or goalpost, and stabilization keeps the shots steady despite wind and movement. The waterproof feature also makes it great for water sports.
The Action Pod also transforms the tiny camera into a more traditional cam setup when needed. It provides extended battery and even a live preview screen. The FreeFrame Video mode allows you to change video sizes to upload your footage on social media platforms like TikTok or YouTube.
The Insta360 GO 3S is a great alternative to Trace for athletes who want unique angles. Its tiny size and magnetic mounts make it suitable for just about any kind of sports environment. It also offers creative POV shots Trace can’t.
The one-time cost is cheaper than Trace’s yearly fees, and 4K video edges out Trace’s 1080p. However, it doesn’t have Trace’s AI player and ball tracking, so you’ll need to edit manually.
The small size and affordability make it great for solo athletes.
The Veo Cam 3 has the following features:
Veo's real power comes with its 5G connectivity, which allows you to live-stream high-quality footage. The Instant Playback feature also allows you to relive the game’s pivotal moments right from the sideline.
Say you’re a basketball coach at a high school game. You set the Veo Cam 3 on a tall tripod in the bleachers, and its 4K lenses capture the entire court. You can log into the cloud platform during a break and review your team’s positioning, all without handling the camera.
Veo's wind noise reduction gives you clear audio capture in windy environments. It's also water-resistant. These features make the Veo Cam 3 perfect for various weather conditions, making it reliable for outdoor sports.
The Veo Cam 3 is also designed for other sports like lacrosse, ice hockey, handball, and others.
Veo Cam 3 is great if you want 4K quality and video analysis. At $1,998 plus subscriptions, it’s definitely pricier than Trace’s Pro subscription, but you own the camera. Live streaming connects with fans, and 5G models improve connection.
It’s definitely a top pick for coaches and bigger sports programs.
Here are the key features of the Pixellot Air NXT:
The Pixellot Air NXT has features that make it well suited for filming and analyzing back-to-back games with pro broadcast style. Imagine being a hockey coach at a youth rink. You place the Pixellot Air NXT at center ice, and the AI tracks the puck.
You can also stream the game live for parents stuck at work, and later, tag key plays in the app to review with players. Its lightweight design and swappable battery mean you can easily carry it to away fields and sports tournaments.
The Pixellot camera offers a tactical view of all players on the field, which is great for coaches.The analysis platform (VidSwap) helps break down games and provide statistics.
Pixellot Air NXT’s high cost and subscriptions make it pricier than Trace’s leasing model. But it gives you crisp 4K footage, and it’s way lighter than Trace’s 15-lb kit.
Its portability and swappable batteries will definitely keep it running through many games in a tournament.
It’s great for bigger or semi-pro sports programs wanting broadcast-style clips and analysis.
The Hudl Focus Flex has several great features, including:
The Hudl Focus Flex is more expensive than Trace’s basic subscription, but it works well with the Hudl platform for player profiles and highlights. This is perfect for coaches who already use the Hudl platform.
Once you set up the Hudl camera on the sidelines, it captures the entire game and auto-uploads it on the Hudl cloud platform for analysis. You can also generate clips on the Hudl app and create a playlist for a particular athlete or the whole team.
The Hudl Focus Flex works perfectly with the Hudl ecosystem, which allows you to do a lot of cool analysis. So, if you're not already a Hudl user or don't plan to use their analysis tools, some of the key benefits might be lost.
Hudl Focus Flex automatically uploads footage to Hudl as soon as it connects to Wi-Fi. This means video is available for review quickly after the game, without manual transfer. The team analysis makes it a better fit for tactical views compared to Trace.
We reviewed 5 Trace alternatives, each with unique strengths. Picking the right camera depends on your needs and budget. XbotGo Chameleon offers 4K and AI tracking without extra fees. Insta360 GO 3S is very compact and provides cool angles to film your moves.
Veo Cam 3 and Pixellot Air NXT suit programs that need team analysis. Hudl Focus Flex is best for Hudl users who want to use the cool features on the platform. With these options, you’re ready to choose the best camera for your sports needs and budget. Grab the right camera and make every game count!
Capture every moment with AI-powered tracking. Perfect for parents, coaches, athletes, and creators who want seamless footage without manual filming.
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