Best Indoor Security Cameras for 2024

Those PTZ features are particularly helpful when paired with AI tracking, which automatically follows pets and people around the room when it detects movement. We also found the S350’s night vision was excellent with two infrared LEDs. And for those concerned with privacy or ongoing fees, Eufy falls firmly on the local storage side with a microSD card slot (not included). We also appreciate that Eufy took steps in 2024 to add end-to-end encryption to its web portal and other changes following a security vulnerability issue, although we are keeping an eye on their security performance.

Keep in mind this camera is wired, so you can’t put it just anywhere, but thanks to all that panning, tilting and zooming, your placement concerns will be a distant memory after installation.

The Tapo cam supports notifications for sound alerts as well as person detection, so you can use it for tasks like baby monitoring -- and for more security-focused jobs, it has a built-in siren for intruders. Alexa and Google Home support round the cam off nicely as a jack-of-all-trades that’s still a steal.

You even have options when it comes to video storage: The C210 has an on-board microSD card and an option for Tapo Care at $3.50 per month that includes 30 day-long cloud storage and rich notifications.  

The Ring Stick Up Cam also comes with a bevy of important features including night vision, two-way audio and a siren. The motion detection includes customizable privacy zones, although there’s no sound detection on this model. Since it’s a Ring product, full Alexa support is included, like the ability to watch through an Echo Show. However, Ring also has its foibles, notably the need for a Ring Protect plan to enable video recording, so plan for subscription costs for this model.

The 1080p resolution is plenty to keep a watch on a room, and this cam includes handy features from larger models like motion detection and app alerts to show when someone enters your room. Setup couldn’t be easier, especially if you use Alexa voice commands. That also means you can make sure anyone knows you’re shutting the cam down for privacy with a command like, “Alexa turn off the Blink cam.” And if you want to ask what someone’s doing in your room, the two-way audio will let you do it in real time. The sore point is the lack of video storage without an extra hub or subscription, but you may be willing to accept this low-cost solution without that capability.

Please note: Tell your roommates you're getting a security cam if you buy one, and if you want to set it up in a more public spot, make sure everyone agrees on when, where and why. Even your roommates are protected by the law, which gives an expectation of privacy, especially when they’re in their own bedrooms, the bathroom or other private areas.

We like the 2K resolution for adding extra detail to this cam and are glad to see motion detection with person recognition at no additional cost. The cam has essentials like night vision (infrared) and two-way audio, plus compatibility with both Alexa and Google Assistant voice assistants. There’s not a lot of extra bells and whistles otherwise, but as a no-nonsense cam with a higher resolution and everything you need right on the device, it’s an excellent choice.

We chose the subscription version, which costs $7 per month but adds very important features for pet lovers, including cloud video storage, history and even a “vomit alert.” Technically, there’s both a dog and cat version of the pet cam, but the biggest difference is that the cat version has an added toy on a wire: Other features should be largely the same.

Fair warning: Pets can react in many different ways to pet cams. Some are terrified, some love them, and some will frequently attack the talking camera, so mileage may vary -- a lot. If it’s your first time with a pet cam, we suggest trying a test like putting your smartphone or smart speaker beside your pet and using FaceTime or a similar capability to call and talk to them. Watch how they interact for an idea of how they’ll do with a pet cam.