The Best Home Security Cameras of 2024 | Security.org

With its simple installation, modern design, and smart features, SimpliCam is our top pick for home security cameras.

Editor’s Note: You can score great deals throughout the year from SimpliSafe, our #1 pick. They run special offers that range from 20-percent to 60-percent off. Find out more in our SimpliSafe Cost guide.

Can you really build a well-rounded security system without security cameras? We don’t think so. They are vital because they detect, protect against, and deter criminals. But to do that, you need to select the right security cameras for your home.

That’s where we come in. While we haven’t tested every camera on the planet, we’ve personally used and installed more than a hundred different cameras. Combined with our security expertise, we used that experience to pick out the best security camera brands. SimpliSafe is our number one pick with its simple yet reliable cameras. It’s far from the only great option though, so keep reading to find out what our other top picks are, including security cameras that come from the best security system brands.

Ready to find out which security cameras are the best for you? Keep reading.

What Are Security Cameras? Security cameras are surveillance devices used to visually monitor an area. There are indoor and outdoor security cameras. They also come with a variety of features, from live streaming to a mobile phone to facial recognition. Recording is also a vital feature of security cameras; some cameras record locally, but most use cloud storage. Given the variety of options, it’s important to compare security cameras before deciding on one.

An easy-to-use home security camera that works seamlessly with SimpliSafe security systems

The SimpliCam comes from SimpliSafe, and it’s our best overall pick for indoor security. It’s one of SimpliSafe’s three security cameras. It’s the least flashy of the three, but it’s simple and reliable. We set it up in less than three minutes, and it kept watch over our living room alongside our SimpliSafe security system.

Admittedly, it’s best used with a SimpliSafe system. That’s true for all three SimpliSafe cameras, especially the outdoor one that doesn’t function at all without the SimpliSafe base station. What we like about the SimpliCam is that it works fine as a standalone camera. It has a 1080p HD resolution, infrared night vision, two-way talk, and motion detection – all for $99. That’s all the features you’ll need to protect the inside of your home.

Connecting the SimpliCam to SimpliSafe and signing up for the $29.99 Fast Protect plan gave us some extra features, like video verification. That feature helps maximize the SimpliCam’s potential as it lets SimpliSafe’s monitoring center temporarily access live video to verify alarms in case of a suspected intrusion. Verified alarms are typically prioritized by police.

The SimpliCam is far from perfect. It lacks local video storage, so you need a cloud subscription. But that’s why we recommend using it with a SimpliSafe system. If you have the system and the top-tier monitoring plan ($31.99 per month), you can store footage from up to 10 cameras. That’s better than paying $9.99 for only recording, especially copmared to cheaper cloud plans from the likes of Ring ($10 for unlimited cameras).

We also recommend getting the top-tier monitoring plan because of video verification. In case your SimpliSafe system detects a breach, responding agents will view live camera feeds to verify the alarm. In turn, that speeds up police response.

But it gets better. With recording for up to 10 cameras, you can add the other SimpliSafe indoor camera called Smart Alarm for live video monitoring. In addition to seeing live feeds, agents will be able to use two-way talk to scare away the intruder or check on you. It creeped us out a little when the live video monitoring feature kicked in during testing; imagine how a real burglar would feel.

The SimpliSafe outdoor camera supports the same feature in conjunction with facial recognition. So anytime a stranger approaches your house, SimpliSafe will proactively protect it. So yeah, the SimpliCam is our top pick, but its siblings are also awesome.

High-end Wi-Fi and IP cameras with 4K color and night vision

Lorex is another brand that offers simple, easy-to-use security cameras. But instead of only three options like SimpliSafe, Lorex offers multitudes of security cameras. We saw over a hundred different models last time we purchased from Lorex’s website.

What we like about Lorex is that most of its cameras are well-built. Many Lorex cameras are vandal-proof. The Lorex camera we tested (pictured below) has a heavy-duty metal casing. And if you look closely, you’ll notice that it has a thick, protected power cable that is not easy to cut with a pair of scissors. It’s also waterproof and has a high heat resistance.

Don’t be fooled by their solid construction though. Lorex cameras are some of the easiest to use. We spent almost half a day setting them up – that’s one of the downsides – but once they’re set up, they pretty much just stay there keeping watch.

We say that because, unlike SimpliSafe which requires a cloud subscription, Lorex cameras store videos locally to a DVR or NVR. These have plenty of storage space, usually 1 TB or more, which can save continuous videos for weeks and even months.

It’s also thanks to those DVRs and NVRs, which are essentially computer boxes, that some Lorex cameras are capable of advanced features. Ours had facial recognition and person detection similar to more modern options like the Nest Cam. They were also capable of recording in up to 4K resolution.

One bestselling home-use Lorex camera is the 1080p HD Outdoor Wireless Security Camera. It’s an affordable but dependable camera, retailing for as low as $149. We think this camera really represents Lorex well.

The hardware is impressive. It has a 115-foot night vision range, meaning, it can see as far as 115 feet out in near-total darkness. It can record audio and video, it has a 1080p HD resolution, and the construction itself was solid and rugged. It wasn’t perfect – we would have liked to see a wider field of vision than its 118-degree lens and it doesn’t work in temperatures below zero. However, it’s a perfectly reliable and budget-friendly option, which is true for most Lorex cameras.

Speaking of which, Lorex offers a wide variety of options. That’s one of the best things about this brand. In most cases, you’re free to mix and match different camera models depending on your needs. If you need more indoor cameras, for example, Lorex offers packages with up to eight indoor cameras. That makes personalizing your security camera system a lot easier with Lorex.

Video doorbells and weatherproof cameras powered by batteries, mains electricity, or the Sun

We were impressed by the versatility of Ring’s cameras. Three out of the four types of cameras it offers can work both indoors and outdoors. And you’re not just limited with plug-in cameras. Although there are only four types available, three of those offer battery-powered, plugged-in, hardwired, and even solar options. It’s clear now why Ring has the best selection.

The four types of cameras available from Ring are:

We also love how Ring cameras use advanced technology, yet they are simple to use. For example, the newest Spotlight Cam and Floodlight Cam models use radar to more accurately detect and report movement. It improved Ring’s accuracy, but didn’t make the user-experience any more complicated. It worked just like regular motion detection.

And then there’s the affordability of Ring cameras, especially the cloud plans. If you’re looking to buy multiple cameras, the $10-per-month Ring Protect Plus plan gives you 180 days of cloud storage for unlimited cameras. That happens to be the best-value cloud subscription in the market. For the same price, SimpliSafe offers only 30 days of storage for five cameras. And with Blink (#8 on this list), $10 per month gets you storage for unlimited cameras, but only for 30 days.

That affordable cloud subscription from Ring is a double-edged sword though. It’s so affordable that Ring just assumes everyone will be willing to pay for it. So without a cloud subscription, Ring cameras won’t be able to record at all, unlike our #5 pick Wyze Cam that offers free cloud storage.

Ring has an expansive product catalog, but let’s take a look at one example: For most climates, the Ring Spotlight Cam is one of the best weatherproof cameras for scaring off prowlers as it can withstand temperatures five degrees below zero. This $200 camera comes equipped with bright spotlights that you can program to turn on when it detects motion. It also has a 110-decibel siren, plenty loud even for an outdoor camera.

A quick side note on that siren: Unlike the spotlights that are motion-activated, the built-in siren on any Ring camera doesn’t sound automatically. You’d have to trigger it manually using the app, probably to not cause any disturbance in case of a false alarm. It would have been better though if there were an option to make the siren sound automatically.

The spotlight and the siren were the Spotlight Cam’s primary crime-deterrents. It has more advanced features to help with monitoring. For example, it has 3D motion detection that uses radar to accurately track an intruder’s movement. It can also enable Bird’s Eye View – a simulated top-view of your property that plots the steps of anyone who sets foot on your property.

Not all Ring cameras are super-advanced, though. There are also ones that are more low-tech but very reliable and affordable. One example is the Ring Indoor Cam, Ring’s most affordable security camera to date. The Ring Indoor Cam is comparable to our top-pick, the SimpliCam. It plugs into an outlet, streams and records videos, and detects motion. And at just over $50, it’s an affordable option for those who prefer Ring’s catalog of Wi-Fi cameras.

What’s New: Another new creation by Ring is the $250 Car Cam, a dual-camera hardware designed to protect your car whether it’s running or parked in your garage. It detects motion, is LTE-ready, and has a built-in Alexa so you can start a recording with your voice while driving.

As you probably know, ADT offers more than just security cameras. In fact, you can only buy ADT security cameras as a part of the ADT home security system. That makes a lot of sense, though. Its alarm monitoring is easily one of ADT’s best traits. By pairing its cameras with a monitored security system, you get a cohesive system that detects, alerts you of, and deters crime.

One of ADT’s premium monitoring features that we tested to work well with its cameras is called video verification. While the monitoring center doesn’t monitor cameras, monitoring agents can verify alerts from ADT sensors using live camera footage. Verified alerts are often prioritized by police and emergency responders. That’s one example of how ADT cameras work with ADT systems, and why we recommend ADT if you’re looking for a well-rounded security system.

For a home security system, ADT is teeming with security camera options. We like the ruggedness of the ADT-branded cameras, especially the outdoor camera (pictured above) with an IP 65 rating. It’s water- and dust-proof, and it’s built to work in cold and warm climates. That said, we weren’t thrilled by its lack of advanced detection features. The video quality was also nothing to write home about and the viewing angle was narrower than we expected.

We much prefer ADT’s newer security camera offering. The cameras are from Google Nest; you’ll meet them later on because they also made this list. The difference if you buy them from ADT though is that you’ll get professional installation, which is required for all ADT security systems (except for the ADT Self Setup system).

Whether you go with ADT cameras or Nest Cams, ADT’s greatest selling point is that it’s not just a security camera system. It’s a complete home security system, and a monitored one at that. ADT’s sensors can help detect other dangers that security cameras might not be able to.

On top of that, ADT’s monitoring service is top-notch. It’s one of the reasons we gave ADT a high overall rating. And because video monitoring automatically activates if you connect cameras to your ADT, you’ll be able to integrate video security seamlessly with your home security system.

Budget-priced indoor security cameras with free cloud storage for motion-triggered video

Wyze is our budget pick, and it’s easy to see why. The cheapest camera from Wyze costs $30, and that’s an indoor/outdoor camera. If you add in functionality like pan-and-tilt, the cost rises to about $40. Those prices outpace the most affordable indoor cameras, let alone outdoor cameras.

Wyze is more impressive if we consider the fact that it’s loaded with advanced features, like motion detection zones, Alexa and Google Home compatibility, and the ability to detect specific audio frequencies. The last one makes the cameras capable of alerting you when it hears the sound of smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.

Wyze started venturing into the home security system industry with its Wyze Home Monitoring System. So it’s not just a security camera brand now. If you need sensors like motion sensors and entry sensors, Wyze can provide those too.

Despite being a budget security camera brand, Wyze has been making a lot of high-tech cameras. They now have indoor and outdoor cameras, cameras that can pan and tilt mechanically, and even cameras equipped with a spotlight or floodlight for scaring intruders. And the best part? They are all more affordable than what we normally see in the industry.

One example is the Wyze Cam Floodlight, which as the name implies, comes with built-in floodlights. It’s nothing to sneeze at; the floodlights are 2,600 lumens bright but dimmable, it comes with a 105 dB siren, it has a 270-degree motion detection range, and it has all the smart features of the Wyze Cam v3 like person and pet detection. In terms of price, though, it costs half of most floodlight cameras. The Ring Floodlight Cam costs $200 and up, while the Wyze Cam Floodlight costs only $93.99.

Cutting-edge indoor and outdoor cameras with up to 4K resolution

The standard for high-definition security video is 1080p resolution. Arlo pushed the envelope with 4K ultra-high-definition on the weatherproof Ultra security camera, which costs $299. During our evaluations, the Arlo doorbell cameras, indoor cameras, and outdoor cameras automatically lowered their resolution if they detected low bandwidth.

Arlo loaded each camera with special features such as two-way voice, a siren with remote control, and compatibility with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

Multiple setup options made Arlo cameras famous, too; cameras plugged in or operated wire-free, and magnetic mounts made setup hassle-free. The video was saved locally on a USB or to the cloud, free for seven days. Arlo cameras work best when grouped together to create an integrated network of security cameras.

While the Arlo Ultra offers the most impressive video resolution in Arlo’s lineup, there are more affordable options. Those options offer lower video resolutions – 1080p and 2K – which is perfect since not all homes are well-equipped to support 4K. With Arlo, you can mix and match cameras with different video resolutions depending on your needs.

One of our favorites is the Arlo Pro 4, which is an indoor and outdoor camera that runs wire-free on batteries. It’s a slight improvement over the Arlo Pro 3 we reviewed.

The Arlo Pro 4 features a 2K HD resolution; slightly lower than the Ultra, but still above industry average. While it costs less than half the latest Arlo Ultra, it provides similar features such as an integrated spotlight and color night vision. It’s also quite rugged for a security camera as sleek-looking; it’s resistant to rain and sun (it has UV protection, too), and it can operate in temperatures as low as minus four degrees Fahrenheit.

Heads up: The latest from Arlo is the Arlo Pro 5S, a 2K spotlight camera with an extra-wide 160-degree viewing angle, dual-band Wi-Fi, and extended battery life. This latest camera works exceptionally well with the Arlo Home Security System.

Smart doorbells & indoor/outdoor security cams with facial recognition and continuous recording

While our Ring paired naturally with Amazon Alexa, Nest was best with Google Assistant and other Google Home products. Nest cams work intuitively with Google Home speakers. For example, we could say, “Hey Google, play the backyard camera on the kitchen Chromecast,” and it would perform the task.

The Nest Cam options include the plugged-in indoor model, the battery-powered weatherproof model, and the floodlight-equipped model. There are also wired and wireless video doorbell options. All these cameras share the same core features, including motion detection, person detection, and activity zones. Each can also be added to a Nest Aware subscription, which enables cloud recording plus up to 10 days of continuous recording at the highest tier. But even without Nest Aware, we still enjoyed mobile notifications from the cameras and three hours of event history with snapshots. That being said, we chose to keep our Nest Aware subscription because of facial recognition.

The smartest feature of all Nest Cam models is facial recognition, or as Nest calls it, Familiar Face Alerts. It’s one of those features you can only get with a Nest Aware subscription, but if you shell out the monthly fee, Familiar Face Alerts can improve your home security tremendously.

The Nest Cam starts by cataloging all the faces it sees, and then, it relies on you to put a name to those faces using the accompanying app. Nest’s AI is powered by Google, so you know that recognizing faces is no hard task for the camera.

Now, once it has a database of Familiar Faces (don’t worry, your camera’s Familiar Faces stays on your account and won’t be used in facial recognition of other Nest users), you’ll be able to really configure your notifications. For instance, you can tell Nest to notify you if this particular person is seen, let’s say your kid, so you know they got home safe from school. It’s that kind of personalization that makes Nest an incredible partner in home security.

New Feature: You can now view live footage from the latest Nest Cams on Alexa-enabled smart displays and smart TVs. In addition, Alexa can now announce motion detection and doorbell ring alerts, as well as deliver two-way audio.

Video doorbells and indoor/outdoor cameras with easy installation and long-lasting batteries

Blink sells easy-to-use wireless cameras for indoor and outdoor use. These are low-priced at $35 and up, yet excellent quality. Special features on Blink cameras include one-way or two-way audio, a motion sensor, customizable motion zones, a temperature sensor, and the option to use Amazon Alexa for arming and disarming by voice.

The Blink Indoor and Blink Outdoor, which are both battery-powered cameras, feature a PIR motion sensor. Although it doesn’t sound as impressive as person detection or facial recognition, the PIR sensor is the perfect sensor for these cameras.

PIR motion sensors read heat signatures and are only triggered when the moving object produces body heat. That’s another way of saying that it’s only triggered by living things. It reduces false alarms, not to mention, saves a ton of battery power compared to motion detection facilitated by the camera’s computer vision itself.

Blink provides affordable cloud storage with pricing similar to that of Ring ($3 per month for one camera and $10 for all cameras). You can also access local recording without monthly fees with a Sync Module 2 hub and a USB flash drive.

FYI: Amazon, the company that owns Blink and Ring, announced that it’s shutting down support for its Amazon Cloud Cam cameras by December 2022. Cloud Cam owners, however, will receive a free Blink Mini Indoor as replacement, plus a one-year free subscription to Blink’s cloud plan.

Smart doorbells and indoor/outdoor cameras with long-range and local storage

Swann sells high-quality indoor/outdoor cameras and video doorbells for do-it-yourself monitoring only. Swann cameras feature impressive color night vision, heat sensing, two-way talk, floodlights, competitive pricing, long-range even at night, and compatibility with Alexa and Google Assistant.

Local storage and cloud storage is available for Swann security cams. With free local memory, owners can save each clip for seven days. Camera ownership also includes two days of free cloud storage per clip.

The Floodlight Security Camera, costing $179, shows off lots of Swann technology. The 1080p camera has a 125-degree lens, color night vision, a heat sensor, two-way talk, a siren, and a motion-triggered floodlight with dimmer. It clearly records nighttime action up to 100 feet away, and with its max floodlight brightness of 2500 lumens, criminals will have trouble finding cover!

A budget camera that doesn’t sacrifice quality with all of our necessary features for home security cameras.

Although we use Siri for everything on our iPhones, a security camera rarely works with Apple’s voice assistant…that is, until the eufy 2K indoor camera. It works with Siri, so we were able to view the live feed on our phones by asking our trusted voice assistant, in addition to Alexa and Google Assistant. Siri also provides end-to-end encryption for footage along with a whopping ten days of extra cloud storage through HomeKit Secure Video. As iPhone or iPad users, we loved using Siri with the eufy 2K camera.

The eufy 2K is a very affordable indoor camera, at only $40. Typically, we shell out over $100 for similar devices. We set it up in our living room, and because we had pet detection turned off, we didn’t get notified every time our kitten played with its ball of yarn. Instead, we only got notifications about people. All our footage was recorded directly to our 128 GB micro-SD card in 2K resolution.

With the Eufy Security app, we easily checked in at home from anywhere with Internet access, arming and disarming our camera remotely (or creating an automated schedule). We could count on getting notifications when any people came near our home, which thankfully didn’t include any intruders.

A wide range of affordable smart doorbells, indoor cameras, and outdoor cameras

Zmodo sells a wide selection of smart doorbell cameras, indoor-only cameras, and weatherproof surveillance cameras for DIY monitoring. We chose these cameras to serve as crime deterrents, but we had friends who used the Zmodo video cams for keeping an eye on their dependents. Some Zmodo cameras are hardwired, and others are wire-free.

A four-pack of Zmodo Mini Cams costs just $99.99. These indoor cameras have night vision, two-way audio, Alexa compatibility, and optional continuous recording in 720p HD. With free service, we were able to review alert clips from the previous 36 hours. Longer-term cloud storage required a $9.99 per month payment.

Another cheap but effective option is the $39.99 Zmodo 1080p Indoor/Outdoor Security Camera. Along with HD color vision in daylight, it creates crisp low-light recordings with up to 65-feet depth of field. The option to set motion detection zones helps limit false alerts.

Zmodo security equipment carries an impressive three-year warranty and a 60-day money-back guarantee.

A simple security camera perfect for families.

A lot of cameras have person detection, which differentiates between different types of movement from people, animals, cars, and inanimate objects. However, the ecobee SmartCamera takes things a step further. Not only does it detect people, but with a panning function, it’ll actually follow them around, keeping them in the center of the frame. This feature, Smart Focus, isn’t something we’ve seen from any other security camera, so with its 180-degree field of view, you’re sure not to miss anything that goes on at your home.

When it came to pricing, the average cost of a security camera was $168. We also had cameras that reached as low as $30 and as high as $200 or more. For example, Nest had one of the highest prices we’d seen for a home security camera. Netatmo and Arlo Pro 4 were also priced relatively high. Still, we figured this was mostly due to Netatmo’s exceptional artificial intelligence capabilities and Arlo Pro 4’s excellence crushed in every category. Even though those cameras seemed a bit pricey, we agreed their value made up for it. To put two cameras head to head, read our comparison of the Nest Cam Indoor vs. the Arlo Pro 2.

Through rigorous research and testing, we identified the best security cameras out there. We used a few ways to make sure the security cameras we chose were up to par. First, we judged each product based on our Necessary Features Test, which evaluated cameras based on their video, audio, night vision, storage, artificial intelligence, smart platform integrations, convenience, and overall value. We didn’t expect cameras to earn full marks in every category for us to consider them worth buying. Our test simply laid out the ideal characteristics we looked for in security cameras.

One of our Necessary Features was video with a clear and detailed picture. We knew it would come in handy if we needed evidence for the police or wanted to save some footage of a special event, like a birthday party. If we wanted more clear video, we had to invest in a 2K or 4K, a significantly more expensive technology. We also needed to keep in mind that most smartphones couldn’t stream in 4K, so 4K cameras likely weren’t worth it, especially since the Arlo 4K was discontinued so soon after its release (but later put back on shelves).

Next, we wanted to find a camera that zoomed-in optically. We discovered many camera companies claimed their cameras zoomed in, but the truth was they only did so digitally. We could only zoom in on our phone, not in real life. Zoom was essential to us because it allowed our camera to capture details it otherwise couldn’t. We preferred cameras that could zoom in optically at least three times. We saw the best optical zoom capability from the Nest Cam IQ Indoor, which could zoom in a whopping 12 times.

Next, we wanted to be sure we got a camera that could zoom in optically— optically being the keyword. Zoom is important because it allows the camera to capture details that it otherwise couldn’t. We prefer cameras that can zoom in optically at least three times. The most we’ve seen is from the Nest Cam IQ Indoor, which can zoom in a whopping 12 times.

Again, many cameras that come with security systems, like Frontpoint’s indoor camera, cannot zoom, which is disappointing.

Additionally, we determined the field of view should be no less than 120 degrees. The widest field of view is180 degrees. A great example of a camera with a 180-degree field of view is Logitech Circle 2. We did not even consider cameras with a field of view under 110 degrees because the more narrow the field of view, the more cameras we would have needed to buy to reach every corner of our home.

We wanted a camera that had both a microphone and a speaker. This was potentially very useful for a few reasons. First, it could help us communicate with people in our home, whether we were watching TV in the next room or on vacation in the Bahamas. Additionally, two-way audio has been known to help stop intruders in their tracks.

Since infrared night vision from LED sensors is invisible to the naked eye, it allowed us to record anyone in our cameras’ view at night without them realizing they were being filmed. In contrast, the bright white light with color night vision made it obvious when we were recording. Most cameras had infrared night vision, but we took points off for color night vision. Although it sounded better in theory, we wanted our security cameras and what they recorded kept secret.

It was important to us that the cameras we selected had both cloud and local storage. Storage was important for a couple of reasons. First, we figured we might be interested in the video our cameras recorded, like a party or event. Second, the photos and videos that the camera captured would have been helpful evidence if we had an intrusion.

A micro-SD card, like the Honeywell Lyric C2, allowed us to get local storage or download the files. While some companies made us pay for storage, some gave it to us for free. Some companies provided free 32 or 64-gig micro-SD cards, which was awesome. If we had to pick between cloud or local storage, we’d choose local, as we could download the footage then backed it up to a cloud service like Dropbox.

During our evaluations, A.I. was a large part of home security. A.I. most often referred to person detection, meaning the camera differentiated between people and other moving objects like cars, pets, or shadows. This led to more specific and necessary notifications. Of course, we didn’t want a home security camera, so it could notify us whenever our pet bird flapped its wings! We even tested out the best pet cameras.

Aside from person detection, more advanced cameras like the Netatmo Welcome Indoor Camera employed facial recognition. With this technology, we were notified when specific people were in our home or an unfamiliar face was detected. Other detections included pet detection, baby crying detection, smoke, and C.O alarm detection, and package detection. Of course, we only considered person detection to be a Necessary Feature, but those are some nice extras.

Smart home quickly became a norm for us, so we also considered having integrations with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant a Necessary Feature. If we were already in a Google or Amazon ecosystem, we’d want to make sure our camera could easily integrate within our smart home.

One of the primary things we enjoyed about cameras with smart integrations was commanding them with our voices. We could also link our camera up with other smart home devices to create home automation. For example, we could set our smart light bulbs to go off whenever our camera was armed and turn on when our camera was disarmed. Extra points went to integrations with multiple smart ecosystems.

We looked for cameras with an installation that integrated with an app for step-by-step instructions or had an easy setup. Some cameras came with hubs, which we didn’t prefer, as they took up more space. While wireless cameras may have meant easier setup and less clutter, we had to change their batteries periodically. That was why wired systems were more convenient, including power over Ethernet cameras.

When it came to home security, we didn’t want to skimp on quality. We also didn’t want to break the bank. Security cameras came in a huge range of prices. The least expensive camera we reviewed was the Wyze Cam, which was priced at only $20. The average range was usually somewhere between $100 to $200 while the most expensive camera we reviewed was the Arlo Ultra 4K for $400 (we compared the Arlo Ultra to the eufyCam E here). In our opinion, there was no reason to spend $300 on a security camera when high-quality cameras existed for much less. Here are some more security camera prices so you know what to expect.

To learn more, read our Canary cameras review, our page on Canary camera pricing, our page on eufy camera pricing, and our page on Reolink camera pricing. You can save on security cameras by waiting for Prime Day. In the past, we’ve seen Arlo Prime Day deals, Blink Prime Day deals, and Ring camera Prime Day deals, to name a few.

Not sure which camera is right for you? Read the following comparisons:

There’s just no excuse these days not to have the right cameras monitoring your home. Whether you’re looking for affordability, cutting edge technology, or some combination of the two, you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for somewhere on this list.

The type of security camera best for home security is one with good video and audio quality, a wide enough field of view, night vision, local and cloud recording, and smart features like person detection or even facial recognition.

We’ve seen a number of security cameras that meet those criteria during our tests. SimpliSafe’s indoor camera and outdoor camera combo, for example, is an excellent pair for indoor and outdoor home security. Lorex, Ring, ADT, and Nest also offer multiple security cameras that meet those standards. We suggest looking into those brands as well as the other brands in our top 12 list of the best security cameras.

The SimpliSafe Outdoor Cam is a simplistic outdoor camera paired with a reliable home security system. Also, Lorex sells a number of outdoor cameras with extremely high video resolution and night vision range. Ring offers outdoor cameras with built-in smart lights for improved security. Nest has outdoor cameras with potential to improve home security through smart features such as person detection. All those brands offer great outdoor security cameras. What’s left for you to do is choose the right one for you. In other words, the best camera for outdoor security depends on what you’re looking for in an outdoor camera.

Wired and wireless security cameras have pros and cons, but from our personal experience, wired cameras perform better. Because they are wired, you won’t have to worry about recharging their batteries or signal interference. That being said, wireless cameras are much easier to install, move around, and replace. Wireless cameras are also getting more reliable, with bigger batteries and better Wi-Fi chips. Choosing between wired and wireless is a matter of preference.

The best outdoor security cameras without a subscription are those from Lorex. Lorex makes security camera systems centered on DVRs or NVRs that work as local video storage for security camera footage. Because videos are stored locally, you don’t need a cloud subscription.

There are a lot of security camera brands without monthly fees. However, you’ll typically lose some functionality (like video recording, for instance) if you don’t pay a monthly fee.

In our experience, Lorex has the best security cameras with no monthly fees. Even without a cloud subscription, the majority of Lorex’s cameras can still record, albeit locally onto a DVR or NVR.