There was a time when the GoPro brand was as synonymous with action cameras as Hoover once was for vacuum cleaners. However, a recent article from the Japanese market research firm BCN Retail shows that GoPro’s market share has fallen way behind DJI and Insta 360. This is despite the fact that the action camera market is continuing to grow.
The decline of GoPro
BCN Retail published an article by Ichiro Michikoshi about action cameras on its website at the end of December 2025. The article stated that GoPro’s domination of the action camera market peaked at 75.5% back in May 2023. At the start of 2025 the company still had the biggest market share at 39.6%. However, since then things have sadly gone downhill. Only 11 months later, in November 2025, GoPro’s market share had plummeted to only 9.6%.
The rise of DJI and Insta360
GoPro’s decline has been matched by the rise of DJI and Insta360. When GoPro was ruling the action camera world back in 2023, DJI and Insta360 each had less than 10% of the market. Since then, their market shares have grown year on year. It’s been an interesting battle with DJI and Insta360 largely keeping pace with each other. However, they have been taking it in turns to be the top dog. In November 2025, DJI was ahead with 45.2% of the market, while Insta360 trailed slightly on 43.3%.
Why has GoPro fallen behind?
BCN Retail suggests that GoPro’s decline is a self-inflicted wound. The article points to GoPro’s unsuccessful venture into the drone market in 2016 which ended in ignominious failure only two years later. BCN Retail says that this impacted on GoPro’s research and development investment. As a result, the evolution and development of GoPro’s HERO action cameras slowed. However, the ongoing competition between DJI and Insta360 has boosted their innovation, leading to more exciting cameras with better specifications.
What we think
BCN Retail says that the demand for action cameras is continuing to grow. In November 2022, action cameras were around 24% of video camera sales. However, action cameras now account for nearly half of the market, at around 48%. As a result, there’s hope for GoPro yet. But the company has a long way to go if it wants to get back its dominance in the action camera world. DJI and Insta360 have newer, better, and cheaper products. If it wants to succeed, GoPro will have to launch some killer new products in 2026.
