Best home security cameras 2024: Reviews and buying advice

Affordable, easy-to-use, and easy-to-install security cameras enable you to keep an eye on your home–inside and out–from wherever you have internet access. They record video in response to motion, so you can review anything you didn’t catch when it happened, and some can distinguish between people, pets, and even cars.

These close cousins of webcams require minimal installation and offer flexible setups and a range of security features, but deciding what to buy gets more daunting as this category grows ever more crowded. Whether you’re looking to check on your kids and pets, or need a full-service sentinel to monitor for intruders, we’ll help find the right product for your needs.

Updated March 7, 2024: We’ve added a link to our Eufy Solocam S340 review. This battery-powered outdoor security camera features dual lenses–telephoto and wide-angle–to capture two high-resolution views of the scene in front of it. It’s a pan/tilt model, which virtually eliminates blind spots. And it comes bundled with a solar panel that should keep its battery topped off at all times, given a reasonable amount of sunlight each month.

And if you’re tired of security cameras that give you no real option beyond buying a subscription to store their recordings in the cloud, you’ll be happy to know that this one has 8GB of onboard storage, which renders Eufy’s subscription truly optional. Need more storage than that? Add a Eufy HomeBase 3 to your home network, plug in up to 16GB of storage via a hard drive or SSD, and you should have all the space you could need without the recurring cost of a subscription. It’s our new top pick for best outdoor pan/tilt security camera.

Why you should trust us

TechHive’s editors and contributors have been testing home security cameras for many years, and we regularly evaluate the latest hardware, along with their accompanying mobile apps. We’ve checked out wired security cameras, battery-power cameras, outdoor cams, floodlight cams, pan-and-tilt cams, and more. You can trust us to guide you to the right home security camera for your needs.

Our top picks for home security cameras

Arlo Pro 5S 2K — Best home security camera overall

Pros

• 2K video resolution
• B&W and color night vision (using its spotlight)
• Automatic zoom and tracking
• Dual-band Wi-Fi

Cons

• Arlo Smart subscription required for cloud recording and to enable many of its best features
• Requires Arlo Pro Smart Hub to record video locally
• No Apple HomeKit support

Price When Reviewed:

£219.99

Why we like the Arlo Pro 5S 2K

The Arlo Pro 5S 2K keeps the Arlo Pro series near the top of the market with such high-end features as dual-band Wi-Fi support, a low-power mode (which extends battery life by 30 percent by taking snapshots of detected activity instead of full video clips), and Arlo SecureLink technology, which provides a more secure connection to protect your data while further optimizing battery life.

Who should buy the Arlo Pro 5S 2K

While the Arlo Pro works just fine with Alexa and Google Home, it does not support Apple HomeKit, so Apple users should look elsewhere. Also, be sure to factor in the cost of an Arlo Secure subscription to get the most utility from this camera.

Read our full

Arlo Pro 5S 2K (model number VMC4060P) review

Nest Cam (battery, 2021) — Best security camera for Google Nest smart homes

Pros

• Arguably the easiest setup in the industry
• Attractive industrial design
• Can be installed indoors or out
• Can operate on either AC or battery power (or AC power with battery backup)

Cons

• Anemic night vision
• Proprietary and too-short power cable
• Subscription required to get full value ($6/mo minimum)

Why we like the Nest Cam (battery, 2021)

Nest has long offered some of our favorite security cameras, and the new-for-2021 Nest Cam (battery) is a versatile offering packed with great features. The camera is supremely easy to set up, and it delivers fabulous performance under any lighting condition. Also, it can be deployed indoors or out. Finally, you’ll appreciate having three hours of event history stored on the device since you won’t have to pay for a subscription unless you want more history.

Who should buy the Nest Cam (battery, 2021)

Naturally, Google Home users will get the most out the battery-powered Nest Cam, while Alexa and Apple HomeKit users should steer clear. And while the Nest Cam (battery) does boast on-device person, pet, and vehicle detection, a Nest Aware subscription is required to review recorded video events beyond the last few hours.

Read our full

Nest Cam (Battery) review

Ring Stickup Cam Pro — Best indoor/outdoor home security camera for Ring/Alexa smart homes

Pros

• Excellent performance, indoors and out
• Radar-based motion detection
• Available in battery, solar, and plug-in configurations
• Fantastic night vision, with the option of color

Cons

• You can have Bird’s Eye View or Pre-Roll, but not both
• Not fully compatible with Google Home or Apple HomeKit
• 1080p resolution

Price When Reviewed:

£159.99

Why we like the Ring Stickup Cam Pro

Yes, the Ring Stick Up Cam Pro is limited to 1080p resolution, but enabling HDR delivers gorgeous color-saturated images. Also, this camera has very strong night vision, with a color night vision option you might find you don’t even need.

Who should buy the Ring Stickup Cam Pro

This indoor/outdoor camera is a no-brainer for any Ring customer looking to expand their home security coverage. If you need just a single camera and can get by without so many advanced features, you’ll find a bevy of less-expensive options. The also-excellent Ring Spotlight Cam Pro has a very similar set of features, but its onboard spotlight boosts its price a little higher.

Read our full

Ring Stick Up Cam Pro review

Wyze Cam Pan v2 — Best value in indoor pan/tilt security cameras

Pros

• Outstanding value
• Interface remains easy to master
• AI-powered object detection is effective and worth the subscription

Cons

• No major upgrades outside of color night vision
• Still no 5GHz Wi-Fi support

Why we like the Wyze Cam Pan v2

The Wyze Cam Pan v2 doesn’t rewrite the script, but its minor upgrades are worthwhile and it’s still the biggest bargain in motorized home security cameras. Other pluses include the intuitive Wyze app and the advanced motion detection, the latter of which is enabled by Wyze’s reasonably priced subscription plan. It’s just the ticket when you need to keep an eye on a large interior space.

Who should buy the Wyze Cam Pan v2

The Cam Pan v2 plays nice with other Wyze camera and security devices, and as with other products in the Wyze ecosystem, the price is right. All that said, recent Wyze security breaches have given us pause, so keep that in mind before you buy. There’s also no Apple HomeKit support, a factor that Apple users should consider.

Read our full

Wyze Cam Pan v2 review

Eufy SoloCam S340 — Best outdoor pan/tilt security camera

Pros

• Dual lenses deliver excellent image quality
• Subscription service is truly optional
• Included solar panel means its onboard battery should never need manual charging

Cons

• Eufy’s app can’t flip the camera’s feed, so it can’t be used on a table or countertop
• Battery must be charged while inside the camera
• Provided USB-C charging cable is only 10 feet long

Why we like the Eufy SoloCam S340

If you’re looking for an outdoor surveillance camera that can operate without depending AC power, the high-grade Eufy SoloCam S340 sports two high-resolution lenses: one is a 2K (2304 x 1296 pixels) telephoto, and the other is a 3K (2880 x 1620 pixels) wide-angle. And since it comes with a solar panel, you never need to worry about plugging it into a charger. A built-in motor enables the camera to pan a full 360 degrees and tilt over a 70-degree arc, and it will track the movement of anyone in its field of view. You can also program set up to four way points, so it will patrol a broad swath of your property.

Who should buy the Eufy SoloCam S340

Anyone who needs to surveil large areas of property should consider this camera. That goes double for folks who hate the ongoing cost of a subscription to store your video recordings. Eufy has one if you want it, but it’s truly optional. The camera has 8GB of onboard storage, or you can spend another $150–plus the cost of a hard drive or SSD–and pick up the Eufy HomeBase 3, a NAS-like network storage device that can accommodate up to 16GB of encrypted storage.

Read our full

Eufy Security SoloCam S340 review

Wyze Cam v3 Pro — Best budget-priced indoor security camera

Pros

• Very, very affordable
• Bright spotlight for color night vision
• Video resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels
• Affordable optional service plan

Cons

• Nearly useless without the ostensibly optional service plan
• No option to run on battery power

Why we like the Wyze Cam v3 Pro

Improved image quality is the big sell with the Wyze Cam v3 Pro, and imagery does indeed look outstanding day or night. The color night vision is compelling thanks to the surprisingly powerful spotlight, but black and white infrared looks great too. At the $50 price level, you simply won’t find a camera with better image quality than this on the market.

Who should buy the Wyze Cam v3 Pro

If you want a full-featured security cam that won’t cost an arm and a leg, the Wyze Cam v3 Pro is just the ticket. Granted, the camera’s best features require a Wyze subscription plan, but that service is equally affordable: $2 per month/$20 per year for one camera, or $10 per month/$100 per year for an unlimited number of Wyze cameras.

Read our full

Wyze Cam v3 Pro review

Blink Mini — Best budget-priced indoor security camera, runner-up

Pros

• Compact size
• Accurate, customizable motion detection

Cons

• Requires AC power (no battery option)
• Can be used indoors only
• No local storage (unless you purchase the Blink Sync Module 2)
• Blink Subscription Plan needed for storage ($3/mo for one Blink camera; $10/mo for unlimited Blink cameras)

Why we like the Blink Mini

Amazon’s Blink division gives Wyze Labs a run for its money with this low-priced security camera. Unlike the Wyze Cam v3, however, this camera can only be deployed indoors. Like its competitor, there is no battery-power option–the Blink Mini must be plugged into AC power to operate, and you’ll need to pay for a subscription plan for cloud storage. You can get local storage for multiple Blink cameras with the purchase of a Blink Sync Module 2.

Who should buy the Blink Mini

Bargain hunters in the market for an indoor security cam won’t do much better than the Blink Mini, and if you don’t want to pay for a subscription plan, you can always pony up for the Blink Sync Module 2. Keep in mind, though, that the Blink Mini works best in Alexa households.

Read our full

Blink Mini review

Wyze Battery Cam Pro — Best indoor/outdoor camera with color night vision

Pros

• Incredibly versatile: indoors, outdoors, and entirely wire free
• Great video quality, day or night
• Very affordable compared to the competition

Cons

• Some features were still in development at press time
• Enabling all its features will really eat away at battery life

Price When Reviewed:

Not available in the UK

Why we like the Wyze Battery Cam Pro

Who should buy the Wyze Battery Cam Pro

Need a security cam that can weather the elements without wires–and on a budget? The Wyze Battery Cam Pro makes the grade on each of those counts, although as usual, you’ll need a Wyze subscription plan to make the most of this camera’s features.

Read our full

Wyze Battery Cam Pro review

Wyze Cam Floodlight Pro — Best security cam/floodlight combo

Pros

• Outstanding resolution
• Powerful spotlights illuminate the whole yard
• Absolutely loaded with features

Cons

• 180-degree viewing angle comes with barrel distortion
• Not the prettiest device in its class

Why we like the Wyze Cam Floodlight Pro

Wyze’s latest take on the floodlight camera concept is a winner that checks all the boxes. Specs include a camera with resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and a 180-degree field of view, three independently articulated LED floodlight panels that produce 3,000 lumens of brightness, and local storage (provide your own microSD card) that makes a subscription for cloud storage a true option.

Who should buy the Wyze Cam Floodlight Pro

Those looking to keep an eye on outdoor areas while staying in the $150 range will do well with the feature-packed Wyze Cam Floodlight Pro, which integrates nicely with any budget-priced Wyze cams you have deployed. And if you do opt for cloud storage, Wyze’s subscriptions are among the least expensive in the industry.

Read our full

Wyze Cam Floodlight Pro review

Ring Floodlight Cam Pro — Best security cam/floodlight combo, runner-up

Pros

• Unbeatable playback interface
• Birds-eye view of motion detection is unparalleled
• Affordable subscription plan
• Ring has one of the most complete home-security ecosystems on the market

Cons

• No local storage; subscription required to get full use of the device ($3/mo for one camera; $10/mo for unlimited cameras)
• Must be electrically hardwired; there is no battery option
• Not as aesthetically pleasing as Netatmo’s Smart Security Camera

Why we like the Ring Floodlight Cam Pro

It doesn’t take much time using the Floodlight Cam Wired Pro to realize how incredibly powerful it is, starting with some of its impressive motion-detection features. The 3D Motion Detection with Bird’s Eye View feature is a game-changer. In addition to a great security camera, you also get dual floodlights that can illuminate your outdoor space with 2,000 lumens of brightness.

Who should buy the Ring Floodlight Cam Pro

It’s expensive at $250, but anyone deep into the Ring home security or Ring smart lighting ecosystems should give the Ring Floodlight Cam Pro serious consideration. Just be prepared to connect this cam to hardwired power, and a Ring Protect plan–while not strictly mandatory–is essential for reviewing recorded video events.

Read our full

Ring Floodlight Cam Pro review

Blink Wired Floodlight Camera — Best budget-priced security camera/floodlight combo

Pros

• Ultra-powerful spotlight
• Easy hardware installation
• Super affordable

Cons

• Subscription required to view a live feed for more than 5 minutes, record and store video, and enable person detection
• Limited flexibility when it comes to aiming its camera and floodlights
• Industrial design trails Nest and Ring

Why we like the Blink Wired Floodlight Camera

Blink’s floodlight cam offers run-of-the-mill video resolution, but extremely bright outdoor lighting and an amazingly affordable price tag. You’ll need a subscription to record video to get the most value from it, but those plans are affordable.

Who should buy the Blink Wired Floodlight Camera

Need to have eyes on the outdoors while sticking to a strict budget? The Blink Wired Floodlight Camera is among the most affordably priced floodlight cams on the market, and it’s both easy to install and casts impressively bright light for the price.

Read our full

Blink Wired Floodlight Cam review

Most home security cameras perform the same basic functions—they detect an event, record the event, and send you an alert—but they don’t all perform them the same way. And some cameras have special features that go beyond those basics. Here are some common features you’ll encounter while shopping and why they’re important.

Alerts 

Home security cameras push notifications to your smartphone when they detect events. Without watching the live feed all day, this is the only way to keep tabs on your home in relative real time. Depending on the camera, it may send text alerts when it detects motion, sound, a face (known or unrecognized), or all three. Some can send alerts to multiple people, usually anyone else in the household using that product’s app; others will send emails in addition to text messages as a failsafe in the event you can’t access your mobile device.

Battery backup

Power outages happen, and clever burglars cut electricity before breaking into your home. When that happens, your camera goes dark and, if there’s a crime taking place, you lose all forensic evidence. For this reason, some cameras can also run for a short time on battery power. It’s a feature worth looking for. There are also some models that run on battery power full time; you can either swap batteries as they’re depleted, or plug the camera into an AC outlet and recharge its battery that way.

Environmental monitoring

This is the feature that sets all-in-one home monitors apart from strictly security cameras. Though the home “vitals” that these units track vary by model—we’ve seen everything from motion to luminosity included in home health profiles—three tend to be ubiquitous:

• Temperature monitors for spikes and dips in indoor temperature and alerts when it falls outside a range you define.
• Humidity tracks relative humidity inside your home. Humidity outside optimal levels—usually defined as between 30 and 50 percent—can contribute to problems such as static electricity, sinus irritation, and mold growth.
• Air quality tracks pollutants ranging from cooking odors to carbon monoxide. However, most monitors don’t identify the pollutant in their alerts, merely warning that the air quality is “abnormal.” Because of that, this feature should not be considered a substitute for potentially life-saving devices like smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

HomeKit Secure Video support

This is a subset of Apple’s smart-home initiative, and while you don’t necessarily need to be an avowed Apple user to benefit from HomeKit Secure Video’s privacy-enhancing features, you will need to sign up for an Apple iCloud account and have a HomePod, a HomePod mini, or an Apple TV 4K.

Where other types of security cameras send video to the cloud (often unencrypted), security cameras that support HomeKit Secure Video send thier video streams to one of those devices on your local network first. That device will process the video, performing tasks such as facial recognition and what have you, and then encrypting it before uploading it to your iCloud account. You can read more about HomeKit Secure Video on our sister site, Macworld.

Integrated spotlight

Like all cameras, home security cameras need adequate ambient light to capture clear images. While that is easy to come by during daylight hours, it’s in shorter supply as the sun goes down, often making it necessary to supplement with artificial ambient light. This can easily be accomplished with light fixtures inside your home and floodlights outdoors, but many cameras include an integrated spotlight that offers a few advantages.

Because the spotlight is built into the camera, it directly lights the scene the camera is viewing, enabling the clearest possible image capture. And integrated spotlights can be configured to be triggered by motion detection, so they only switch on when a possible intruder is in view, eliminating the need to keep your home or yard lit up all night. As a bonus, being suddenly caught in the white hot glare of a spotlight is often enough to scare an intruder away.

Local storage

Some cameras include memory-card slots in lieu of, or in addition to, cloud storage, so you can store video right on the device. It’s an attractive feature as it can eliminate the cost of monthly storage fees. The downside (if there isn’t a cloud backup) is that if crooks steal your camera, they take your forensic evidence with it.

Motion detection

Assuming you’re monitoring your home when it’s empty, motion detection is one of the most desirable features in a security camera. Built-in sensors pick up movement within the camera’s field of view and trigger video recording.

You’ll find an in-depth explanation of how motion detection works in this article.

Because these sensors can be sensitive to any movement—even a shift in lighting or leaves blowing outside a window—it’s important the camera system also offer the ability to narrow the range of detection, adjust the sensor’s sensitivity, or otherwise customize this feature to cut down on false alerts.

More and more security cameras now offer AI-powered motion detection that can identify people, pets, packages, and vehicles, allowing you to filter out such innocuous motion events as tree branches swaying in the wind or insects crawling across the camera lens. Such “advanced” motion-sensing functionality is often tied to a paid subscription plan, however.

Night vision

Most break-ins occur after dark, so this feature is nearly as important as motion detection. Technically, most home security cameras support infrared LED illumination, versus true night vision based on image intensification or thermal vision. Be that as it may, most cameras will switch to night vision automatically in low-light conditions, while others allow you to customize when and how it should be activated.

Increasingly, cameras are equipped with full-color night vision, which enables video footage to capture important information that IR night vision can’t such as the color of an intruder’s clothing or vehicle. These cameras use hypersensitive light sensors, such as Starlight image sensors, which can reproduce color images in dimly lit environments, some as low as 0.0005 Lux (for reference, 0 Lux indicates no ambient lighting). To increase battery efficiency, some models include both black-and-white and color night vision, defaulting to black-and-white in low light and switching to color only when motion is detected.

Pan/Tilt/Swivel

Most security cameras can be manually tilted and swiveled to focus on a certain viewing area, but this is a purely set-it-and-forget it feature. A true pan/tilt camera is equipped with a motor so that you can move its lens—or even follow a moving object if you’re watching a live feed—using its app or browser-based app. Some cameras can even track a person moving within their field of view.

Resolution

No amount of security video will help you if it’s blurry, jittery, or otherwise distorted. Look for a camera that offers the highest possible resolution. There was a time when 720p (often referred to as “high definition” or HD) resolution was the standard, but most newer cameras now support 1080p (often referred to as “full HD”). Some models provide even higher resoution (2K or 4K), but keep in mind that higher-res cameras use more internet and Wi-Fi bandwidth as well as battery life (where applicable). Many cameras also offer a software zoom feature (which is not the same thing as having a physical zoom lens).

Scheduling

Scheduling features allow you to tell the camera to turn on and off, detect motion, and/or send alerts at specified times. This is useful when you, say, only want to be notified when your kids get home from school or just want to monitor your home when you’re away. It also reduces the amount of false alerts. Cameras that support geofencing can do this based on the location of your smartphone, activating themselves when you leave home and turning themselves off to enhance privacy while you’re home.

Smart device integration

If you have a home full of smart devices, consider looking for a security camera or an all-in-one home monitor that includes a Z-Wave, Zigbee, or—eventually a Thread—radio that can connect them. Support for an automation service like IFTTT is also useful. This allows the camera or monitor to react to various scenarios, such as taking a picture when your Nest Protect detects smoke, or telling your Philips Hue smart bulb to turn on when unexpected sounds are detected.

Two-way audio

While the idea of a security camera implies eyes-on monitoring, the ability to also hear what’s going on gives you a more complete picture of what’s happening on the home front when you’re away. It can also alert you to something occurring out of the camera’s field of vision. This feature can also allow you to speak through the camera, a great tool for remotely commanding an unruly pet or startling an intruder in the act. On some very low-end models, you might need to plug in a powered speaker for this feature to work.

Viewing angle

The camera’s field of view determines how much it can see. As you’re probably monitoring a single room, you want a wide viewing angle. Most current cameras fall in the 130-degree range. These wide angles can sometimes cause image distortion at the edges in the form of a fisheye effect, particularly when used in smaller rooms, but it’s not like you’re going to use a security to capture snapshots for your photo album.

Frequently asked questions about home security cameras

Other notable security cameras we’ve tested

We’ve evaluated many other home security cameras. If none of our top picks check all the boxes for you, take a look at these other products. We’ve also listed some security cameras that you should avoid.

• Arlo Essential: The second generation of the Arlo Essential Wireless Security Camera (model VMC2050-100NAS) is an impressive entry-level device with detection features competitive with pricier cameras, including those in Arlo’s Pro line.
• Arlo Essential Indoor: The revamped Essential Indoor has received a modest makeover, with a taller body and a shorter stand, while keeping the original’s 130-degree field of view, motion detection, black-and-white night vision, two-way audio, 12x digital zoom, a built-in siren, and an automated privacy shield. Best of all, though, is the greatly reduced $39.99 price tag.
• Deep Sentinel DS2: Priced at $499, the Deep Sentinel DS2 security camera system is a significant investment, but it offers proactive threat deterrence you can’t get from many other DIY security camera, including live agents who monitor the camera feed in real time.
• LaView L2 Light Bulb Camera: This unique security camera plugs into a light bulb socket. It’s a clever idea, but its erratic and haphazard recording prevents us from recommending it.
• Noorio T110: This pan-and-tilt camera provides a raft of security features and makes them easy to operate with a smartly designed app. It’s low price should only increase its appeal to new and seasoned security camera users.
• Ring Indoor Cam (2nd gen): Practically identical to its predecessor, the second-gen Ring Indoor Cam adds a physical privacy cover while carrying over the same looks and features as the affordably priced original. Just be ready to pay more for a subscription plan. 
• Wyze Cam Floodlight v2: Wyze has upgraded its entry-level floodlight camera with better resolution, stronger lights, and a lower price tag.