Best Cheap Home Security Cameras for 2024 - CNET

Article updated on November 6, 2024 at 4:00 PM PST

Protect your home for less with these budget-friendly security cameras.

CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.

What to consider

Privacy

Does the security camera give you options to avoid cloud storage? Does the company practice strong encryption and work to avoid data breaches? Does the company provide police with videos on demand?

Indoor versus outdoor

Do you need a camera that can weather the elements or are you interested in watching a room or open space inside?

Local versus cloud storage

Do you want local storage from a hub or microSD card that you manage without relying on a company's cloud services? Or do you prefer easier access and downloads from cloud storage, which typically requires a subscription fee?

Field of view

Is the field of view wide enough for your needs? Is it complemented by a high resolution to take in important details?

Smart home compatibility

Does the camera work with your preferred smart home tools, including security systems or voice assistants that you use?

Battery versus wired

Do you prefer the easy installation and placement of a battery camera, even though you may have to recharge it every few months? Or would you prefer a wired cam that needs an outlet or outdoor wiring, but tends to cost even less?

CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.

What to consider

Privacy

Does the security camera give you options to avoid cloud storage? Does the company practice strong encryption and work to avoid data breaches? Does the company provide police with videos on demand?

Indoor versus outdoor

Do you need a camera that can weather the elements or are you interested in watching a room or open space inside?

Local versus cloud storage

Do you want local storage from a hub or microSD card that you manage without relying on a company's cloud services? Or do you prefer easier access and downloads from cloud storage, which typically requires a subscription fee?

Field of view

Is the field of view wide enough for your needs? Is it complemented by a high resolution to take in important details?

Smart home compatibility

Does the camera work with your preferred smart home tools, including security systems or voice assistants that you use?

Battery versus wired

Do you prefer the easy installation and placement of a battery camera, even though you may have to recharge it every few months? Or would you prefer a wired cam that needs an outlet or outdoor wiring, but tends to cost even less?

Protecting your home doesn’t have to be expensive. If you’ve been looking for home security options that’ll fit your budget, we’ve got several worth considering. Home security systems offer peace of mind, whether alerting you to intruders or helping you keep an eye on your pets while you're away. We spent more than 120 hours testing the best cheap home security cameras, landing on the TP-Link Tapo C210 as our top pick. It's a pan-and-tilt camera under $30 with motion detection alerts, two-way audio and quick app controls.

Read more: Best Smart Home Gifts for the Holidays 2024

If you want a security camera without pan-tilt movement or one for monitoring outdoors, our list includes other budget-worthy picks, too. Most of our picks are priced under $100, without sacrificing quality or features. These cheap DIY cameras offer some of the latest features from security brands like Amazon's Blink, Lorex, Arlo, Reolink and more. Plus, in this roundup, we've made sure to include key specs like Google Assistant and Alexa compatibility, HD and higher resolutions and whether a camera has free self-monitoring or requires a subscription.

If you've got a wider price range or want to explore other options, check out our picks for the best indoor and outdoor home security cameras overall. Whether you’re building a budget-friendly home security plan, sharing a space with roommates or gifting a camera to a new homeowner this holiday shopping season, our full list and top tips will help you get the most out of any camera.

We like a security camera that can do a little of everything. This indoor HD Tapo camera from TP-Link uses a pan/tilt design to view any part of a room, along with important features including motion detection with person tracking, two-way audio (plus a siren) and night vision, all managed via the app. The resolution is also better-than-average at 2K for extra detail. We like to see all those specs in modern security cameras, but what took us off guard was the price: TP-Link is selling this camera for $30, and with frequent discounts, you can often find it for even lower.

The Tapo C210 isn't done yet. It offers video storage with two choices: Either the Tapo Care plan at $3.50 per month with cloud storage or a local storage microSD card slot. A microSD card isn’t included, but you can find very affordable options if you want to avoid fees while storing video (and we highly recommend storage capabilities). If you have a current smart home set up, note the cam works with Google Home and Alexa as well.

You do give up a couple of things for this price. There's no zoom option, which is too bad on a pan/tilt cam, and it's a wired cam so you will need to find a spot near an outlet. Those are minor issues compared to the bevy of features and incredible pricing on this indoor cam.

We've liked Blink's outdoor cams as a budget-friendly outdoor option for a few years now. Outdoor cameras can be expensive due to durability and battery requirements, but this Blink series keeps prices low. The latest model, the Outdoor 4 cam, is the most impressive yet with a powerful battery rated for up to two years. Battery life is determined largely by how often motion detection is triggered, a two-year battery is nearly unheard of for outdoor security cameras and a great pick for those who don’t want to worry about recharging all the time.

The HD Blink Outdoor 4 brings expected features like night vision and two-way audio, plus Alexa compatibility (Amazon stops short of supporting Google Home or Assistant). Cloud video storage is only included with a subscription plan -- which also adds person recognition -- but this cam is bundled with a Sync Module 2, which allows you to connect a USB drive for local storage without the fees.

Lorex may not be as recognizable as brands like TP-Link, Ring or Arlo, but it's carved out a space for reliable local storage cameras. These cams are perfect for people who want to stay away from cloud video storage due to privacy concerns or prefer to stay off the internet completely. They come with a microSD card for local video storage, which takes a little more effort to manage as the card fills with auto-captured video, but there's no subscription to worry about and no additional fees.

Lorex also stays on top of some very important security camera features like two-way audio, night vision and free object detection of people and animals. The 2K resolution is also particularly high for this price, ideal for capturing more detail. Smart platform aficionados should note the cam works with both Google Assistant and Alexa. The camera doesn’t have any panning features, but you can "bend" it to adjust the angle and get the perspective you want when placing it on a shelf or table.

Basic night vision is fine for monitoring an indoor room, but if you have a larger yard, driveway, or other property space to watch over you'll want superior night vision. This Amcrest HD cam stays affordable offering nearly 100-foot night vision capabilities with its infrared LEDs. It's also equipped with antennas to more easily pick up your Wi-Fi network when keeping watch outdoors.

With an IP67 rating, you won't need to worry about this camera in nearly any weather or temperature. There’s no two-way audio (only a one-way listening option), but you do get motion detection with alerts and a couple of options for video storage including cloud storage and a microSD card slot (card not included). It's outdoor-friendly, but this camera is wired so you'll need to arrange a cable connection when installing. Sometimes that can require additional electrical work by a professional, so include that possibility when planning.

Adding a spotlight to an outdoor security camera tends to bump the price up, often well beyond $100 or even $200. This Arlo Essential HD cam is just $100 (you may find it on a discount for even less) and still provides a small but bright spotlight to shine in the dark corners of your yard or porch. This battery-powered camera is easy to place anywhere, indoors or outdoors and includes two-way audio, color night vision and motion alerts.

The battery life, rated at four months, is limited compared with Blink's Outdoor camera, but we find this is perfectly fine if the camera is within easy reach to bring it down for periodic recharging. There are also a couple of interesting extras hiding in the camera, including a built-in siren and a 12x digital zoom. If you want video storage, you'll need to pay for an Arlo plan, which starts at $8 per month.

The TP-Link Tapo 2K HD Outdoor Security Camera ($50 and often found discounted) comes with powerful deterrents against intruders, including a highly focused siren. When armed and triggered, the camera activates two lights and a sound alarm to scare off potential intruders. The lights aren't super bright, but they will definitely put any trespassers on notice. As for the sound, it's loud and intimidating, but not so loud as to excessively disturb the next-door neighbors, if at all.

As with other Tapo cameras, you have a choice between buying a microSD card for local storage or using a Tapo subscription plan. Either way, you'll get motion alerts and the ability to communicate with two-way audio. Like our Amcrest pick, this is another camera with excellent night vision range, making it suitable for all kinds of driveways and yards.

You can turn the alarm on or off, of course, and program-specific times, activity zones or line-crossing detection to trigger it. Additional features include color night vision up to nearly 100 feet away, two-way audio and local storage of 128GB (SD card not included). Cloud storage is available with a Tapo Care subscription starting at around $3 per month.

Adding a solar panel to a battery security camera gives you a range of placement options while keeping the battery charged regularly in sunny conditions, cutting out a big chunk of your maintenance. One problem is that solar-included security cameras tend to be expensive. Reolink breaks the trend with a bundle that, while pricier than other options on our list, is still very affordable for solar power.

In addition to the solar panel, this camera includes a 2K resolution plus 10x zoom, objection recognition for people and vehicles and night vision powered by six infrared LEDs. Video storage is available via a microSD card slot (card not included), and the cam works with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Also, the field of view may look a little low, but it's horizontal while most are provided as diagonal, so the angle is a bit better than it seems.

There are hundreds of home security cameras on the market, ranging drastically in price, functionality and quality. With all the options, it can be hard to not become overwhelmed fast, especially when you're considering something as important as your home's safety. After CNET's years of testing home security cameras, we have some tips if you're on the hunt for a new, budget camera that still meets your quality expectations. Here's what to consider.

This is a big one. You don't want anyone peeping on your property or hacking into your camera. Wireless home security cameras can be more susceptible to hacking due to their connectivity to Wi-Fi networks. It's not an enormous concern, especially if you have a strong Wi-Fi password, but it's good to be aware of a potential risk.

A bigger privacy issue comes from the cloud storage and management of video. Trying to keep track of data breaches and security vulnerabilities is exhausting, which is why we're taking care of that side for you. We keep track of companies that have had security troubles and improved like Ring, and companies that have changed their policies on sharing video with the police, like Ring again. We track companies that are struggling to show any improvement in their security, like the ongoing troubles of Wyze.

One of the first things you'll need to consider is where you want to place your home security cameras. If you want your camera to be located outside, recording your porch or yard, you'll likely want an outdoor camera that's also weather-resistant or features night vision.

Many cameras can be used interchangeably for indoor or outdoor purposes, but some cameras are solely made for indoor usage, like the Lorex 2K indoor cam, so make sure you're buying cameras that can handle the outdoor elements with an IP rating that shows weather resistance.

Not all video storage is equal. You have two main options and picking one is up to your personal preference. There's cloud storage, which sends your video footage to a remote server to be saved, and local storage, which relies on a separate accessory or piece of hardware, usually a microSD card, to hold any footage you'd like to save. Usually, cloud storage requires a monthly fee.

Field of view refers to how wide the angle the camera lens can capture, in degrees. The very top cameras can reach 160 degrees or above, but this is rare. For a budget camera, between 110 and 130 degrees is common and will suffice for most security purposes when angled correctly. Or you could choose a pan/tilt camera, which can move to capture any angle within view.

Likewise, resolution is typically around 1080p for budget cams like these. If you can find 2K resolution on an affordable camera, it can be a sizable feature upgrade.

What smart home systems do security cameras work with? If you already like using Google Home and Google Assistant or Alexa's platform, then you'll want a camera that's compatible, and most will work with these voice assistants. Apple Home and Siri compatibility is much harder to find. If you have a brand-based whole-home system from a company like Vivint, Abode or Frontpoint, you'll want to check and see if a specific security camera can integrate with your system.

Once the Matter standard comes to security cameras, it will be the best way to guarantee compatibility, but that protocol hasn't adopted cameras quite yet.

Battery-based cameras are very DIY and apartment-friendly, and you can install them anywhere you want. You will have to recharge them every few months on average, or use a solar panel to help out (they'll let you know via app when batteries are low).

Wired cameras are more limited and often more difficult to install, but you never have to worry about recharging a battery. If you choose a Power over Ethernet camera, you don't have to rely on Wi-Fi, either.

Hands-on testing is core to our evaluations of any home security products. When it comes to home security cameras, we pay special attention to resolution, night vision and latency, extra features, general performance and overall value. We evaluate each attribute in a home environment over a week to get a sense of how the camera and accompanying app respond to real-life activity and sounds during the day and night.

Check out our article on how we test home security cameras and video doorbells to learn more about our testing practices.

The Blink Mini remains a great budget camera with a compact design.

Each of the cameras listed above is available for under $100, but we've also tried out several other low-cost, high-quality cameras, some of which came close to making our list but not quite close enough. Here are a few examples.

Wyze Indoor Cam v3: We appreciate Wyze's low price, the useful service offerings, and the helpful features of its indoor cam supported by an intuitive app. We just can't get beyond the repeated security vulnerabilities that Wyze has encountered and appears unable to solve, the latest being a 2023 flaw that enabled people to see through strangers' cameras. That's definitely something you don't want your security camera doing.

Amazon Blink Indoor Security Camera: The Blink indoor camera has many of the same features we liked so much in the Outdoor 4 cam that made it on our list. Ultimately, the indoor version was a little too expensive for what you got in return.

Amazon Blink Mini: The Blink Mini remains a great budget camera with a compact design that hardly takes up any space. That compact design also means you have to pay a subscription for video storage, and it doesn't come with a hub alternative like the Blink Outdoor 4, or extra features to make up for it like the Arlo Essential cam.

Eufy Indoor Cam 2K: Eufy's cam is an excellent budget pick for Apple users, one of the few security cams that supports HomeKit. Ultimately we gave the list pick to Lorex for its local storage approach to home security, but Apple fans should certainly consider this Eufy model as well.

You can find many cheap security cameras online for under $50, but our best deals including Tapo's pan/tilt cam, are under $30. With the right discount, you can find a full-featured camera like this for $25 or less. Always keep an eye on the details, like if the camera needs a separate hub, subscription plan or extra SD card to work properly. In our list, "cheap" doesn't mean these cameras are lower quality or more likely to break, it just means you can find these budget cameras for especially low prices considering the capabilities they offer.

Nearly all home security cameras are operable with no ongoing monthly fee. Upon purchasing the camera and downloading the app, you should have free access to many features such as live video viewing, push notifications, night vision and possibly two-way audio. Paying a little extra -- often between $2 and $6 for a single camera -- can unlock extra perks like more cloud storage, facial recognition, emergency calling and more.

If you just want to place a security camera on a shelf or counter, then indoor cameras like the Blink Mini, Wyze Cam v3 and Cam Pan 2, Arlo Essential Indoor Cam, GE CYNC Cam and others are generally the easiest to install. Just set the camera where you want it and plug it in. On the other hand, if you want to mount a camera to a wall or the ceiling, most will come with a detachable base and mounting hardware (a few screws and maybe some drywall anchors). This makes the installation fairly quick and easy, but keep in mind that the majority of cameras are wired, so you may have an unsightly power cord trailing down the wall when mounting your camera. If you'd rather not have to deal with the power cord, consider a wireless camera like the Blink Outdoor Security Camera.

Before installing a home security camera, especially if you plan to mount it with hardware, plug the camera in and place it in different locations to determine the best spot to give you a full, unobstructed view of the area you want to monitor. Placing the camera in a corner is often ideal for providing a full view of the room, although a more central location may be better for a camera with 360-degree pan capabilities. For outdoor cameras, consider the night vision and motion detection range and avoid placing the camera too far away to be able to detect and record activity.

Sometimes, but it will depend on who you buy them from. Most return policies will apply to security cameras the same way they apply to other electronics. Search for the return policy for a specific product if you really want to know before you buy.

Yes, they frequently get discounts. One of the best ways to save even more money is to wait for a holiday season or weekend (anyone from Amazon Prime Day to Christmas deals) or wait until a newer model has been released. We often mention great deals on CNET, so stay current with us to watch for any big discounts.