Wireless security camera system with remote viewing and recording

The best home security cameras help you provide peace of mind by monitoring your home day and night, inside and out, and sending you an alert when they detect an intruder. These smart security cameras automatically send video to your smartphone, so you can see what's happening in real time, wherever you are. Home security cameras have night vision and automatic motion-activated recording, and some even have built-in speakers, so you can talk with whoever you see, or sound an alarm. 

There are a lot of wireless home security cameras on the market, ranging in price from $20 to $500, so choosing the best model can be tricky. We've done the work for you, testing dozens of cameras and evaluating them for such things as ease of use, features, image quality, and the cost of cloud storage for recorded videos. 

What are the best home security cameras?

After testing dozens of models, we think the best home security camera for most people is the Nest Cam (battery). It works both indoors and outdoors, has great image and audio quality, and provides a number of smart features without a subscription, including person, animal, and vehicle detection. You also get for free three hours of rolling video storage, and because video is saved on the camera, you don't have to worry if your internet connection goes down.

For those on a budget, the Wyze Cam v3 is the best option. It costs around $30, yet has color night vision, is weather-resistant, and offers free — though limited — cloud storage, and the ability to store videos locally. 

If you want the absolute best in video quality, the Arlo Ultra 2 is the best home security camera. Not only can it record in 4K, but it can also digitally pan and zoom, so that it can track people and objects as they move across your yard. However, it's one of the most expensive cameras on this list. 

If you have a more limited budget, the Blink Outdoor is the way to go. It costs $99, yet captures good-quality video, and gives you a lot of control over what gets recorded. And, you can also store video locally, or pay for a cloud subscription, which starts at $30/year.

Both Ring and Blink announced a few new cameras at the Amazon event on Sept. 28: These include the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro ($229), the Ring Spotlight Cam Plus ($199), and the Blink Wired Floodlight Camera ($99).In addition, Blink is launching a $29 accessory for the Blink Mini, which will allow you to remotely pan and tilt the camera from the Blink app. All will be available later this fall.

If you're looking for something that can withstand the elements, be sure to check out the best outdoor security cameras. And, you'll also want to refer to our guides for the best video doorbells, best smart locks, and best DIY home security systems to fully guard your house.

Read on for all of our best home security camera picks.

Best home security cameras you can buy today

The best security camera overall

Specifications

Video resolution: 1080p

Field of view: 130 degrees

Night vision: Yes

Audio: full-duplex

Local Storage: Yes

Battery Powered: Yes

Weather Resistant: Yes

Smart Home Compatibility: Google Assistant

Cloud Storage: Starting at $6/month

Reasons to buy

+

Great design

Reasons to avoid

-

Few accessories

The well-designed Nest Cam (battery) has a simple shape and is one of the easiest home security cameras to install, thanks to its magnetic base. Its 1080p camera captures sharp images day and night, and its microphone and speaker made conversations a breeze.

The Nest Cam (battery) also offers three hours of rolling video storage for free, as well as person, vehicle, and animal detection. If you sign up for a Nest Aware subscription (starting at $6/month), you also get familiar face detection as well as the ability to store up to a month's worth of video.

Read our full Nest Cam (battery) review.

Best home security camera for those on a budget

Specifications

Video resolution: 1080p

Field of view: 110 degrees

Night vision: Yes

Audio: full-duplex

Local Storage: Yes

Battery Powered: No

Weather Resistant: Yes

Smart Home Compatibility: Alexa, Google Assistant

Cloud Storage: Free cloud storage for 14 days (rolling, in perpetuity)

Reasons to buy

+

Inexpensive

Reasons to avoid

-

Limited field of view

Don't let the low price fool you; the Wyze Cam v3 is the best home security camera for those on a budget. As its name suggests, it can record video at a resolution of 1080p, and while the quality isn't up to the same par as the 4K Arlo Ultra, it's still sharp enough to see who's there. Its color night vision is especially impressive.

The Wyze Cam v3 comes with two weeks of free cloud storage — though clips are limited to 12 seconds — but it also has a microSD card slot which you can use to enable continuous recording and create time-lapse videos. You can get unlimited-length videos and no cool-down periods if you subscribe to Wyze Cam Plus ($1.25/month per camera). That's cheap but good. 

Read our full Wyze Cam v3 review. 

Best home security camera with 4K video

Specifications

Video resolution: 4K

Field of view: 180 degrees

Night vision: 25 feet

Audio: full-duplex

Local Storage: Yes (in base station)

Battery Powered: Optional

Weather Resistant: Yes

Smart Home Compatibility: Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT

Cloud Storage: 30-day rolling-cloud service (1080p) for up to 10 cameras free for one year;$9.99/month afterwards. Upgrade to 4K recording for $1.99/month per camera.

Reasons to buy

+

Excellent 4K video

Reasons to avoid

-

Can log in from only one device at a time

Not only do the Arlo Ultra’s cameras deliver the best home security camera video, but it also uses that extra resolution to enable digital track and zoom, which makes it easier to follow and ID a person as they move across the frame. A built-in spotlight also enables color recording at night, and it has dual microphones for better audio. 

All of this will cost you, though: A single camera (with the hub) is $399, and extra cameras are $299 each. The Arlo Ultra doesn't come with a free tier of cloud storage, so you have to spend at least $3 per month if you want to save any videos. And if you want to save 4K videos, it’s an extra $1.99 per camera per month, on top of the monthly plan, the latter of which is waived for the first year. But if you want the absolute best when it comes to video quality, the Arlo Ultra has it.

Arlo has released the Arlo Ultra 2, which has a spotlight built into the camera. As a result, the original Arlo Ultra is being discontinued.

Read our full Arlo Ultra Review.

Best outdoor home security camera for those on a budget

Specifications

Video resolution: 1080p

Field of view: 110 degrees

Night vision: 25 feet

Audio: half-duplex

Local Storage: Yes

Battery Powered: two AA

Weather Resistant: Yes

Smart Home Compatibility: Alexa

Cloud Storage: starts at $30/year

Reasons to buy

+

Inexpensive

Reasons to avoid

-

Doesn't work natively with Google Home

The Blink Outdoor is the best home security camera for those looking for a truly wireless option for less than $100. The camera runs off two AA batteries (which should last up to two years), and communicates wirelessly with a small base station that's connected to your Wi-Fi network. 

The Blink Outdoor's case is weatherproof, so you can stick it either indoors or outside, and comes with a convenient mounting bracket. While not tops, the 1080p video is records is good for the price. While it lacks free cloud storage like the older Blink XT2, you can save videos locally to a USB drive. Cloud storage starts at $3/month or $30/year. 

Because Blink (and Ring) are owned by Amazon, the Blink app also has a connection to Ring's Neighbors app, where you can see a feed of other incidents in your neighborhood, and post videos from your Blink camera. Blink's app is fairly robust, and while it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of Arlo's cameras, this sub-$100 has plenty of features for the price.

Read our full Blink Outdoor review.

Best wired home security camera with floodlight

Specifications

Video resolution: 1080p

Field of view: 140 degrees

Night vision: Yes

Audio: half-duplex

Local Storage: No

Battery Powered: No

Weather Resistant: Yes

Smart Home Compatibility: Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT

Cloud Storage: $3/month ($30/year) for 60 days of video

Reasons to buy

+

Wide field of view

Reasons to avoid

-

Saving videos requires a subscription

The Ring Floodlight Cam combines two essential devices in one: A home security camera and a motion-activated floodlight. When the Floodlight camera detects movement, it turns on its two powerful LED beams as well as its sharp 1080p camera, and starts recording. The Floodlight Cam also has a loud speaker, so you can talk to whoever's in front of the camera, and hear their responses. 

Ring's app offers a variety of settings, such as custom motion zones, scheduling and more. Add to that Ring's neighborhood-watch feature, which lets you see what's happening in your area from other Ring users, as well as from your local police and fire departments. (You can also post your own videos to the Neighbors app). Unfortunately, to record and share video, you'll need to subscribe to Ring's cloud storage plans, which start at $3 per month.

Read our full Ring Floodlight Camera review. 

Best battery-powered home security camera with floodlight

Specifications

Video resolution: 2K

Field of view: 160 degrees

Night vision: Yes

Audio: full duplex

Local Storage: No

Battery Powered: Yes

Weather Resistant: Yes

Smart Home Compatibility: Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT

Cloud Storage: $3/month ($30/year) for 60 days of video

Reasons to buy

+

Good video

Reasons to avoid

-

Requires subscription for many features

If you're looking for an easier way to install an outdoor floodlight, the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera is the model to get. Unlike Ring's Floodlight Camera, the Arlo runs on battery power, so you can install it virtually anywhere. Just know that you'll have to recharge its batteries, or spring for the optional solar panel, which can keep the camera going for greater lengths of time.

The Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera delivered good quality video, and its digital pan-and-zoom was effective at helping identify subjects as they moved across our yard. Its 2000-lumen LEDs were also impressively bright. We just wish its batteries lasted longer.

Read our full Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera review

Arlo's midrange outdoor security camera

Specifications

Video resolution: 2K

Field of view: 160 degrees

Night vision: 25 feet

Audio: full-duplex

Local Storage: Yes (in base station)

Battery Powered: Optional

Weather Resistant: Yes

Smart Home Compatibility: Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT

Cloud Storage: 30-day rolling-cloud service (2K) for up to 10 cameras free for one year;$9.99/month afterwards.

Reasons to buy

+

Quality daylight video

Reasons to avoid

-

Subscriber-exclusive features

The Arlo Pro 3 boasts 2K video resolution, a built-in LED spotlight, and color night vision, making it a very capable home security camera. It can run off rechargeable batteries (which should last up to six months) or can be plugged in. Like most of Arlo's other outdoor cameras, the Pro 3 connects to a base station, which can support up to 20 cameras, and can also be used for local storage.

We were disappointed that the Arlo Pro 3 was the first of the company's cameras to do away with its generous free 7-day rolling cloud storage. You'll have to subscribe to a plan (starting at $3/month per camera) if you want to save video in the cloud; however, this also gets you features such as person, vehicle, and package detection, as well as customizable motion zones. Arlo no longer sells the Arlo Pro 3 directly, but you can still find it for sale at online retailers.

Read our full Arlo Pro 3 review.

Best home security camera for Google Home

Specifications

Video resolution: 1080p

Field of view: 135 degrees

Night vision: Up to 15 ft, two 850 nm infrared LEDs

Audio: full-duplex

Local Storage: No

Battery Powered: No

Weather Resistant: No

Smart Home Compatibility: Google Assistant

Cloud Storage: Starts at $6/month for 60 days' footage

Reasons to buy

+

3-hour video event history

Reasons to avoid

-

No battery backup

The redesigned Nest Cam (Indoor, wired) is the latest generation of the celebrated Dropcam—one of the first, and one of the best home security cameras—and brings a number of improvements, including a lot of intelligence, such as on-device facial recognition and three hours of video storage.

Video quality from its 1080p sensor was excellent in both day and night settings. We were also impressed with audio; its microphone picked up sounds very well. To really make use of the camera's features, you'll have to shell out for the Nest Aware subscription, which starts at $6 per month, but even without a subscription, you'll get three hours of video storage, person detection and customizable activity zones.

Read our full Nest Cam (indoor, wired) review.

While pricey, this security camera uses AI and professional monitors to detect and deter intruders.

Specifications

Video resolution: 480p

Field of view: 130 degrees

Night vision: 25 feet

Audio: full-duplex

Local Storage: No

Battery Powered: Yes

Weather Resistant: Yes

Smart Home Compatibility: None

Cloud Storage: $50/month

Reasons to buy

+

Live guards on duty 24/7

Reasons to avoid

-

Only a guard can sound the siren

The Deep Sentinel is unlike every other home security camera. That's because when the camera spot an intruder, it sends a live feed to a monitoring station, where a professional can sound an alarm on the camera, shout a warning, and if necessary, contact the police. 

All of this comes at a price: In addition to the cost of the cameras ($499 for three cameras), you also have to pay a monthly fee of $50. And, the resolution of the video tops out at 480p, as it prioritizes the smoothness of the video stream over its definition.

You could spend a similar amount for the best home security system, but they don't monitor your cameras as proactively as Deep Sentinel. But, they're the best home security cameras if you're looking for active monitoring. 

Read our full Deep Sentinel review.

Great if you own other Ring products

Specifications

Video resolution: 1080p

Field of view: 130° Diagonal, 110° Horizontal, 57° Vertical

Night vision: Yes

Audio: 2-way audio

Local Storage: No

Battery Powered: Yes

Weather Resistant: Yes, IPX5

Smart Home Compatibility: Alexa

Cloud Storage: $3/month for 60 days of video

Reasons to buy

+

Slick app

Reasons to avoid

-

No local storage

Ring's Stick Up Cam Battery functions as an outdoor or indoor security camera. It features a minimalist design which can be mounted via its base or back, giving you versatility. Although, if you want to mount it from your ceiling, you will need to buy a separate $20 ceiling mount kit (opens in new tab). As it's battery powered, there's no wires and one charge will last for months according to Ring. 

It has good coverage on the whole, with the view being wider than it is tall, and features a speaker which allows you to chat to any visitors, or raise the alarm if necessary. It's waterproof to an IPX5 rating and can withstand temperatures of -5°F to 113°F (-20° to 45° Celsius), so it can handle the elements. 

Our only qualms are that you need a subscription to store footage as there's no local storage. It's also only compatible with Alexa at the moment in terms of smart home integration, so not best if you have Google Home or Apple HomeKit.   

Read our full Ring Stick Up Cam Battery review.

How to choose the best home security camera

Privacy and law enforcement

Generally, security camera companies will not share video with law enforcement unless compelled to do so by court order. However, some companies — most notably Ring and Nest — have policies where they will share video without an owner's consent and without their knowledge, if the company deems the incident to be time-sensitive. 

If you do not want your video shared without your consent, you have several options. Arlo and Wyze do not provide user data without a warrant or court order. Cameras that use Apple's iCloud to store video and Eufy's cameras store user footage through end-to-end encryption, so they cannot even provide user footage to law enforcement even if they wanted to. Additionally, you can set up end-to-end encryption on some Ring devices, though by enabling this feature, you will disable a number of other Ring camera features.

Indoor or outdoor?

When shopping for a home security camera, the first thing you'll need to consider is if you're planning to mount the camera indoors our outside. Only those cameras that are designed to withstand the elements should be placed on the outside of your house. 

Wired or battery-powered?

With both indoor and outdoor cameras, you also have to decide if you want a battery-operated model or one that has to be plugged in. The former are easier to install, but you'll have to recharge or change their batteries every few months. (Some companies also make solar panels, which can extend the life even further.) The latter might require you to install an outlet or drill holes through your wall, but then you won't have to worry about it afterwards.

Video resolution

Don't buy a security camera that has a resolution less than 1080p. Some cameras can now even record in 4K, which not only means much sharper quality, but also means you can zoom in and still see features clearly.  

Local vs. cloud video storage

You also want to think about what each home security camera offers in terms of video storage. Most will let you store videos in the cloud, but many require you to pay a subscription to do so. A few cameras have memory card slots, so you can save video locally; however, if someone steals the camera, you lose your recordings with it. Be sure to check out our comparison of which home security camera has the best storage plan.

Person, animal, and vehicle detection

A camera that can distinguish between people, animals, and vehicles means that you can get smarter notifications about what's happening; this way, you don't have to open your camera's app every time it senses something. 

Spot- or floodlight options

Some outdoor security cameras have spotlights or floodlights built in; not only does this make it easier for the camera to see things, but it's also handy for you to see in the dark outside your home.

Smart home compatibility

The majority of security cameras will work to some degree with Alexa or Google Assistant. (Fewer work with HomeKit). This means you can connect them with other smart home devices, so that the camera will turn off automatically when you're home, or start recording if a motion detector senses something.

Some cameras will even connect to a smart display, such as an Echo Show 8, so you can view a live feed from the camera. While not a critical feature, it's one that's nice to have, as it'll keep you from having to use your phone to see what's on the camera. 

How we test home security cameras

To find out which is the best home security camera, we set up each of the models inside or outside a home, noting the difficulty or ease of installation. We then use the camera over a period of several days. The first thing we look at is the quality of the video it records, both day and night. As a person walks through the frame, were their faces clear and well-defined, or was it a blurry mess?

We also look at the features that are available through the camera's app. Does it have such things as customizable motion zones? If you live on a busy street, you don't want the camera recording video and alerting you every time a car drives by. A good home security camera should also have a scheduling feature, so that you can turn it off while you're home, and on when you leave. 

Last, we also consider how much it costs to view, save and share recorded video. While some cameras still let you view a few days of recorded video, the trend has been to only let you watch live video from your camera unless you sign up for a subscription. That means you can't look back a few hours or days to see who was walking through your yard. And, most subscription plans also include extra features, such as custom motion zones.

• Best video doorbells
• Best smart home hubs
• Here are 12 essential DIY tips to prevent break-ins

Michael A. Prospero is the U.S. Editor-in-Chief for Tom’s Guide. He oversees all evergreen content and oversees the Homes, Smart Home, and Fitness/Wearables categories for the site. In his spare time, he also tests out the latest drones, electric scooters, and smart home gadgets, such as video doorbells. Before his tenure at Tom's Guide, he was the Reviews Editor for Laptop Magazine, a reporter at Fast Company, the Times of Trenton, and, many eons back, an intern at George magazine. He received his undergraduate degree from Boston College, where he worked on the campus newspaper The Heights, and then attended the Columbia University school of Journalism. When he’s not testing out the latest running watch, electric scooter, or skiing or training for a marathon, he’s probably using the latest sous vide machine, smoker, or pizza oven, to the delight — or chagrin — of his family.