Keeping an eye on your home is easier now than ever. With the wide availability of home security cameras, you can monitor your home from your smartphone.
We’ve reviewed dozens of security cameras, looking into their features, ease of use, performance, image quality, and cloud storage. This list contains the best home security cameras, from simple and minimalistic devices to sophisticated home surveillance systems.
Top Home Security Camera Reviews
Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Plus reinvents outdoor security with a camera that incorporates motion-activated floodlights. It has two motion sensors; one on the camera and the other on the LED lights. The two motion sensors allow you to customize motion zones for specific areas.
With this camera, you’ll enjoy additional security thanks to an inbuilt siren you activate on the app. The inbuilt mic lets you speak to visitors remotely. You only need a Wi-Fi connection to secure and monitor your front or backyard.
You get a wide 270-degree field of view and real-time motion alerts straight to your smartphone. The LED lights are super-bright to eliminate blind spots. Not to mention it has night vision handy for night security motion identification.
Floodlight Cam Wired Plus connects to other Ring devices, including lights, locks, and alarms. It also works with Amazon Alexa. The camera can record videos which you can store on the cloud for 180 days with a subscription plan. This well-rounded home security camera is excellent for adding safety to your home, belongings, and loved ones.
The Ring Stick Up Cam is a versatile battery-powered home security camera. Being a portable cam, you can install it indoors or outside since it’s weatherproof. It comes with the installation hardware for mounting, but you can also place it on shelves with the soft but grippy base.
The Ring Stick Up Cam starts with the Ring app. Once connected, Ring Stick Up can sense, capture, and categorize motion. The cam offers 1080P HD video streaming, two-way talk, and night vision. With the time-lapse feature, you’ll be able to watch live videos or a time-lapse of past footage. In addition, there’s the option to download videos in high-quality 1080P resolution.
The ‘neighbors’ feature allows you to report crimes, find a lost pet, or spread warnings of break-ins near you. You can speak from the live view, which is ideal if you want to catch up with kids or talk to your furry friend at home. You’ll also like that it integrates with Alexa for voice control. A single battery charge can last a month, although you can use the power adapter to connect directly to a power source.
Overall, the Ring Stick Up Cam is a compact home surveillance system with valuable features that will help you feel safe.
2nd Runner Up
Wyze Cam v3 is another pocket-friendly cam with a ton of features. It’s an excellent pick if you want a camera that can physically rotate. It comes as a 2-inch cube, which mounts on the ceiling or wall. This camera features a 6ft. micro-USB cable to connect to a power source. It uses a swivel mechanism to move horizontally over 360 degrees and vertically over 180 degrees.
Wyze Cam v3 boasts 130 degrees field of view, more expansive than the v2’s 110 degrees. In addition, it delivers sharp and clear 1080p live video quality at fast frame rates. Moreover, it has a Starlight sensor for color night vision, a built-in 80dB siren, sound detection, and two-way audio. You can tag whatever is triggering the motion sensor and enable the siren. Moreover, Wyze Cam v3 allows viewing a timeline video or watching videos and photos stored locally or in the cloud.
When Wyze Cam v3 detects motion, it will record a 12-second clip which it stores in the cloud for 14 days. You can insert a 32GB SD card or subscribe to Wyze Cam Plus for continuous video recording for $1.25 per month.
Wyze Cam v3 works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for voice control. In addition, it supports IFTT applets for integration with third-party home devices. Wyze Cam v3 has unique features, so you don’t miss anything happening in or outside your home.
Are you running a Google-centric home? Then you’ll want to add the Google Nest Cam to your smart home. This camera is the easiest to install as it attaches to a magnetic base in any direction or angle. Although Nest Cam is battery-powered, it can connect to an indoor charging stand or a power cable. Furthermore, you can mount it outdoors since it’s weather-resistant.
Nest Cam offers intelligent alerts that tell you whether the motion detected is caused by people, vehicles, or animals. It will also send sound alerts of breaking glass or a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm. This camera delivers 1080P live and recorded video. The free plan gives you three hours of recorded motion and the option to download it.
Google Nest Cam has a 130-degree diagonal field of view, two-way audio, and 6x digital zoom. When you subscribe to Nest Aware for $6 per month, you will get familiar face features, 30 days of recorded video history, and the ability to call 911 from the app. The Nest Aware Plus provides 60 days of recorded history instead of 30 days.
The Nest Cam battery life lasts between 1.5 and seven months, depending on the settings. You’ll be able to adjust the three battery settings on the Google Home App. While on the app, you can configure sound and motion notifications, adjust video quality, manage familiar faces library, set up motion zones, and adjust night vision settings. Unfortunately, Google Nest Cam only works with Google Assistant; that’s why it’s the best choice if you already have Google devices.
Blink Mini is an indoor camera that’s small enough to stow in a hideaway location. Take out the base, and you have a nifty nanny cam for keeping a close eye on your little one. The best thing about Blink Mini is that although it’s small, it has every feature you need in an indoor cam.
First, it includes motion detection, 1080P real-time and recorded video, two-way audio, and black and white night vision. Second, it powers via a wall plug, so you never have to worry about recharging it. Blink Mini comes with mobile app support that configures various settings such as motion sensitivity, set schedules, and block areas you don’t need to pay attention to.
Blink Mini offers local and cloud storage with a cheap subscription plan of only $3. Also, it works with Amazon Alexa and IFTT, but it does not support Google Assistant. It’s a small but mighty indoor home camera when you want to keep an eye on loved ones and pets.
The Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight Camera is our top high-end outdoor home security camera, thanks to its advanced intelligent features. While it comes at a premium price, you will find its 2K video quality and smart home integration worth it.
Arlo Pro 4 has the most expansive field of view at 160 degrees in battery-powered security cameras. It allows you to watch a wide area, reducing the need to install many cameras. Moreover, you can customize motion zones, which cuts down on motion alerts by ignoring sidewalks and other busy areas near your home. Besides, the two-way audio and fast notifications are super helpful when you want to hear and speak to people at the front door.
Arlo Pro 4 2K video quality can easily identify people, animals, and objects such as a license. Besides, the color or infrared night vision means you can see activity with the spotlight’s help.
The Arlo app gives you options for adjusting the video recordings. In addition, you can tone down on the brightness to prevent washed-out videos in bright outdoor light. The battery on the Arlo Pro 4 can last up to six months. This camera works with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, IFTT, and Samsung Smart Things.
Blink Outdoor is perhaps the most convenient outdoor wireless camera. And it’s easy to see why. This device has beneficial features, from motion detection alerts to the capability to set motion zones on the app. The app allows you to speak and listen to visitors in real time.
This camera does not need recharging for up to two years since it uses two AA lithium batteries. In addition, it is weather-resistant and can withstand rain and varying temperatures without impacting its battery life. Blink Outdoor video quality is as expected at 1080P. You can store recorded videos and photos on the cloud at a fee or use Blink Sync Module 2 to store clips locally on the device.
Blink Outdoor is a set of two cameras and the Blink Sync Module 2. It allows for easy and affordable use throughout its life. Finally, you can switch to a hands-free view by connecting it to Amazon Echo devices, where you can arm and disarm it with Alexa. Go on, and choose the convenience of a set-and-forget-it outdoor security camera.
The eufy Solo IndoorCam C24 is a budget option with 2k video capture and intelligent motion detection. It uses built-in AI to notify you of excessive noise levels such as glass breaking, a baby crying, or a dog barking. You will get instant mobile alerts that you can record on the go.
This home security device comes with two-way audio, which means you can give pets commands or soothe a baby at your convenience. You will get a micro SD card for local video storage and optional cloud storage. We like that its AI identification can tell whether a pet or a person caused the motion.
Eufy Solo IndoorCam C24 works with Amazon Alexa, Google Home Assistant, and HomeKit so that you can watch on a smart display. Unfortunately, you cannot untether eufy security from the eufy app if you want to integrate with other systems such as Homekit. Another disadvantage is that it needs a good light source for night vision. Nonetheless, it’s a better option among indoor security cameras due to sharp and clear video and on-the-second motion alerts.
The Wyze Cam Pan v2 wins indoor monitoring for complex spaces since it can view from any angle. The device can rotate 360 degrees and tilt up and down 93 degrees to cover a wide area which very few cameras can do.
Wyze Cam Pan v2 is helpful as it can live stream 1080P video. You can set up motion and sound alerts and speak to people away from home. The camera opens many capabilities on the Wyze app since you can set it to scan a room periodically or automatically follow a movement. You don’t need a subscription for the 12-second video clips, motion, sound, and alarm alerts.
Still, you can opt for 24/7 recording with a 32GB SD card or pay a $2 fee for cloud storage. Looking at the night vision feature, this model uses a Starlight sensor to produce colored images in low light. Again, it is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Thus, it’s an excellent option for pairing with smart home devices from Amazon and Google.
Ring Video Doorbell 3 is the only doorbell you’ll need for live video and two-way visitor communication. The camera uses a rechargeable quick-release battery, but you can also hardwire it into an existing doorbell system. The remarkable benefit of the Doorbell 3 over the Doorbell 2 is that it operates over a 5GHz network, so you will receive instant notifications once the camera picks motion.
You can set adjustable motion zones in areas 5 – 15 ft. from your door. Nonetheless, it does not have artificial intelligence, so it can’t tell you whether a person or animal caused the motion. In addition, you can’t store any videos on the device, meaning you’ll have to subscribe to a Ring plan.
Ring Video Doorbell 3 works with the Ring app for controls or Amazon Alexa for voice commands. The Ring app is intuitive, such that you won’t be looking for settings deep in the menu. Every feature is in a single dashboard which makes checking in easy.
Best Home Security Camera Buying Guide
Purchasing a home security camera needn’t be a lot of work. Nonetheless, some features can make or break your home security setup. These features are essential when considering a home security device.
Types of Home Security Cameras
Wireless Security Cameras
A wireless security camera does not need a wired electrical source to work as it transmits wirelessly over an internet connection. All cameras on our list are wireless which means you can view or record video from any paired device.
Video Doorbells
A video doorbell has a built-in camera that either uses batteries or connects to an existing doorbell. Video doorbells are more convenient than traditional doorbells since you can live stream video and interact with visitors.
Floodlight Cameras
Floodlight cameras are devices that include an outdoor security camera and a floodlight in one fixture. They connect wirelessly to a home network, allowing you to control them with your smartphone or voice.
Smart Features
Smart features include how fast the camera sends notifications as soon as it detects motion. Some cameras take longer than others, and you can miss important activity. Other security devices integrate AI to identify the object that caused the motion. Thus, you’ll only receive notifications for important events instead of every motion detected. It’s best to look for a camera that provides multiple smart features for the best usefulness.
Smartphone App Features
You’ll control your home security camera via its app. An intuitive dashboard is ideal since it allows setting up the device to your specific needs. To this end, you’ll find devices where you can configure motion zones, video quality, brightness, and night vision. The more advanced cameras have lots of customizable features.
Power Source
Wired security cameras are ideal for outdoor use since they provide the convenience of never dismounting the device. Nevertheless, some outdoor models have battery-powered options by using base plates, so you only remove the camera for charging. These cameras are convenient if you configure them for the best features that conserve battery power. Indoor cameras can be wired or battery-powered. You can pick one depending on the features you prefer.
Cloud Storage Plans
Home security cameras require a subscription for cloud storage. The cheapest plans offer up to 30 days of recorded video, while premium plans can extend cloud storage to 180 days. Subscription plans include additional features such as familiar faces recognition or calling 911. If the other functions provided by a payment plan do not suit you, it’s best to go for a model that offers local storage using an SD card or flash drive.
Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Plus allows you to monitor your home with highly customizable motion zones.
No camera can compete with the Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Plus in terms of features and functionality at its price. From the two motion-activated sensors to bright automatic floodlights and a manual siren, it brings next-level protection to your home.
