Best Home Security Cameras of 2024

You can install Google’s battery cam nearly anywhere, inside or outside, and unless conditions drop well below freezing, you don’t have to worry about the local weather. That versatility isn’t easy to find in smart security cameras, and Google’s AI detection makes an excellent companion feature, able to identify people, animals, vehicles and (with a subscription) familiar faces so you get useful alerts.

This 1080p Nest cam includes important security features like two-way audio and night vision with HDR. We found the design useful when you can pop the cam off the magnetic base for a quick recharge if the battery is running low. Although this is a Google Home cam through and through, it still works with Alexa if you prefer Amazon’s voice assistant.

One of the biggest reasons we’re giving this Nest cam the nod is its valuable video storage package. Unlike other cameras, Google Nest provides three hours of video storage for free, so you don’t need a subscription to get those cloud video benefits. You will need to take action within three hours or lose the footage without a subscription.

Mobile wireless cameras offer one big advantage: You can move them anywhere on a whim, from a sunroom or playroom to the kitchen or living room, all depending on your plans. This Ring Stick Up Cam model boosts that benefit even more by allowing you to take the cam outside to a deck or patio if you want (without worrying about leaving it out in the rain).

In addition to its mobility, Ring’s Stick Up camera offers motion detection with alerts, two-way audio and the ability to customize motion or privacy zones to focus the camera on important areas. A home/away feature lets you quickly switch between modes to help save on battery life when you’re home, and if you ever find the perfect spot, the cam also comes with a wall mount.

For even more upgraded features (but, oof, a significantly higher price), you may also want to check out the Ring Stick Up Cam Pro. Either way, this is another cam where we’d rate the subscription, Ring Protect, as mandatory. Without that subscription, you can’t save videos, use person recognition or enable those home/away modes we mentioned, so you may want to include it in the overall cost.

Home security cams get recruited for all kinds of tasks, and you may have a spot in mind that’s well away from Wi-Fi. Even the exterior of larger homes can be beyond Wi-Fi’s reach, not to mention outdoor garages and granny pods, weekend camping sites or construction sites. A PoE (power over Ethernet) cam is one solution but not without a connecting cable. This cellular security cam from Eufy is a far more versatile option, powered by a SIM card that you can buy pre-loaded with minutes for simple operation.

The S230 cam comes with an extra-high IP67 rating to stay active even in extreme weather, 2K resolution and a starlight sensor to keep details high at night. The battery is rated for about three months, but if you include a compatible Eufy solar panel, you may not have to worry about battery charging for a long time. Eufy’s AI detection also helps limit alerts to those involving people (plus customizable detection zones), and if the cam is close enough, you can activate the two-way audio for communication.

Finally, this go-anywhere cam doesn’t have cloud storage or a subscription. Instead, it has 8GB of onboard storage to save captured video. No fees are involved, but you will have to clear out the storage when it fills. If you don’t mind paying more for a higher-end version, we also really liked the Arlo Go 2 in our head-to-head.

Is cloud video storage a sore spot for you? Many people are uncomfortable trusting companies with their home video footage, especially when data breaches keep cropping up. The brands on our list do fairly well at security, but if you’re looking for an alternative, Lorex is made for you. Their cameras, like this model, come with a 32GB (potentially upgradeable) microSD card to save videos locally instead of on the cloud.

This indoor/outdoor 4K camera shines a customizable LED spotlight wherever you need extra illumination, letting you change the color to match different camera modes or purposes. It also comes with color night vision and built-in object detection for people, vehicles, animals and packages at no additional cost.

Whether you’re searching for a high-definition 4K camera or want to stick with local storage only to avoid being part of the cloud, we recommend a Lorex cam like this as the answer. Local storage does take slightly more effort to manage, especially when the hard drives get crowded with old video footage. Lorex wired cams like these are set by default to continuously record, so that storage can fill up very fast without some settings changes, like switching to scheduled or motion-activated recordings.

Our tests found multiple high-performing video doorbells like the Arlo 2K 2nd-gen Doorbell, but we’re recommending this Google Nest model for a specific reason. Video doorbells tend to capture more footage than most security cams: Even with AI detection, they still record everyone who comes and goes from your home and often people jogging or walking dogs along the street. That can fill up cloud storage or local storage quickly, which is why Nest’s free 3 hours of cloud storage are so useful. You can quickly view recordings and decide whether to download or let the three-hour countdown expire, saving only what you need alert by alert.

We also found the Google Nest Cam to be easy to install and use, simple to recharge, and excellent at detecting packages as well as alerting you when those packages have been removed with great accuracy. There’s a wired version of the camera available, but you get more options for placement with the battery model, which is useful for conforming to any awkwardly shaped entryway. The doorbell also comes with a wedge to slant it in a specific direction if your space is tight.

Google includes important security camera standbys like two-way audio and night vision for its doorbell. The resolution is pretty low for a modern security cam, not even reaching full 1080p/HD. Since doorbells tend to focus on close-at-hand action, this isn't as important as it would be for other cameras.

Most of our feature-packed picks are over $100, and some are well over that mark. If that’s a dealbreaker for you and your wallet, this HD Tapo camera has a much lower offer. For under $30, TP-Link offers a remarkably complete indoor security camera with pan and tilt capabilities so it can capture an entire room via app controls.

Even at this low price, the C210 camera manages to include important extras like two-way audio, a built-in siren and 30-foot night vision. It also uses both motion and audio detection so you can get alerts when there’s unexpected movement or noise around the house. That makes it a great budget pick for an open floor plan, keeping watch in a playroom or baby’s room, and all sorts of other tasks. It also comes with the ability to split live viewing between two different devices at the same time, so both people can look through the camera at once.

While the Tapo C210 isn’t the best pan/tilt model we’ve reviewed -- the Eufy S350 tops that list -- it’s certainly the most affordable and has a fantastic number of security features for the price. When it comes to video storage, you can either buy a microSD card for local storage or tap into the Tapo Care plan, which starts at a low $3.50 per month.