Best Home Security Cameras Without a Subscription
You can avoid monthly fees—and boost privacy—with cameras that store video locally
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Wireless security cameras have never been more affordable, with many highly rated models from our tests costing $100 or less. But that doesn’t factor in the recurring cost of cloud storage for the video captured by the cameras, which can easily cost as much as the camera itself for every year you subscribe.
When you consider rising inflation, fatigue from the sheer number of subscription services offered to consumers, and concerns about how camera makers can share your video footage without your consent, it makes sense that you might prefer a security camera that doesn’t require a subscription. Instead of storing footage in the cloud, these cameras store video locally, usually on either a microSD card or their internal memory. This frees you from paying a monthly fee and gives you more control over your recordings. But many of these cameras still offer an optional subscription if you feel inclined to store your footage in the cloud for extra protection.
The main downside to cameras that forgo a subscription is that many of them may lack intelligent object recognition of people, animals, vehicles, packages, and faces. That’s because the object recognition often happens on the company’s servers rather than the camera itself. Many security camera manufacturers have been using these AI-driven features to entice consumers into paying for a subscription. But there are still plenty of security cameras without a subscription that will offer at least one of these intelligent features (usually person detection) for no extra charge.
Below, you’ll find the best security cameras from CR’s ratings that don’t require a subscription, broken out by type (indoor, outdoor, and floodlight). The models in each section are in alphabetical (not rank) order, and they’re made by Aqara, Blink, Eufy, Lorex, TP-Link, and Wyze. It highlights which smart alerts each of these cameras provide, as well as whether they offer an optional subscription should you decide to store your video remotely. We also reveal how each camera fared in our tests for data privacy (how manufacturers collect, use, and share your data, including how transparent they are about this) and data security (whether the camera employs security measures, such as encryption, to protect your data from outsiders).
For more options, check out our complete wireless home security camera ratings for more than 100 models. And consult our comprehensive home security camera buying guide before you go shopping.
Best Indoor Security Cameras Without a Subscription
Smart alerts: People only
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The Aqara Camera E1 is a strong performer in our tests, receiving excellent scores for video quality and response time of alerts, as well as strong scores for data security and its many smart features. It also receives a midlevel score for data privacy, which is better than many competing security cameras. This Aqara camera can store footage on a microSD card (up to 512 gigabytes; sold separately) and features person detection, monitoring zones to focus alerts on certain areas, motorized pan-and-tilt so that you can remotely change the camera’s view, voice and app control with smart home systems (Amazon Alexa, Apple Home/Siri, and Google Home/Assistant), a privacy mode that will point the camera at a wall or ceiling, and support for faster WiFi 6 wireless routers.
Smart alerts: People, pets, crying babies
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The unusual Eufy Indoor Cam S350 is a dual-camera model, meaning it has a 4K wide-angle camera and a 2K telephoto camera. The two cameras work together to give you detailed zoom abilities, with what Eufy claims is "8x hybrid zoom." In our tests, this Eufy camera offers speedy response times and receives strong score for video quality, data security, and smart features. Its only weak spot is its lackluster data privacy; that’s par for the course with security cameras.
The Eufy Indoor Cam S350 can store recordings locally on up to a 128-gigabyte microSD card (sold separately). In addition to its dual cameras, this Eufy features motorized pan-and-tilt, person and pet detection, crying detection (if you choose to use it as a baby monitor), voice and app control for Amazon Alexa and Google Home/Assistant, a privacy mode to point the camera away at a wall or ceiling, and support for WiFi 6 wireless routers.
Smart alerts: People only
Optional storage subscription: No
The Lorex 2K Pan-Tilt WiFi W462AQC-E is a great deal, thanks to its winning combination of solid performance and a relatively low price. It scores well on just about every test, with an exemplary rating for video quality. Its only weak spot is its middling data privacy, but that’s common among most of the top-rated security cameras in our ratings. This Lorex camera comes with a 16-gigabyte microSD card for local video storage and features motorized pan-and-tilt so that you can remotely move the camera to change its view (handy for large rooms or open floor plans), person detection, monitoring zones, and voice and app control via Amazon Alexa and Google Home/Assistant.
Smart alerts: People, pets, vehicles, sounds
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The TP-Link Tapo C225 offers a lot of value given its low, $50 price tag. It’s a motorized pan-and-tilt camera with local video storage on a microSD card (up to 512 gigabytes; sold separately) and a laundry list of features: person detection, pet detection, sound detection (for crying babies, glass breaking, dogs barking, cats meowing), color night vision, monitoring zones, motion tracking where the camera moves to follow the subject it’s recording, a privacy mode that covers the camera, a built-in siren, and voice and app control via Amazon Alexa and Google Home/Assistant.
Are you still with me? In our tests, this TP-Link camera receives top scores for video quality and response time, as well as strong scores for data security and smart features. Its only drawback is its lackluster data privacy, but that’s quite common with security cameras.
Best Outdoor Security Cameras Without a Subscription
Smart alerts: People and vehicles
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The Eufy SoloCam S340 is one of Eufy’s unusual dual-camera models. It has a 3K wide-angle camera and a 2K telephoto camera that are used together to give you up to 8x zoom. This camera performs exceptionally well in our tests, receiving top scores for video quality and response time, plus very good scores for data security and smart features. Its only weak spot is data privacy, but that’s very common with security cameras.
In addition to being a top performer, this Eufy camera offers just about every feature you might need, including local storage on its 8-gigabyte internal memory, an adjustable solar panel to keep its battery charged, motorized pan-and-tilt to check the camera’s surroundings, motion tracking to follow subjects it’s recording, person and vehicle detection, monitoring zones, a built-in spotlight for color night vision, a built-in siren, and voice and app control via Amazon Alexa and Google Home/Assistant.
For another Eufy outdoor security camera that performs similarly, check out CR’s test results for the Eufy Solo Cam S230.
Smart alerts: People, pets, vehicles
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The TP-Link Tapo MagCam C425 is a compact, battery-powered security camera that performs well in our tests. It receives a top score for response time and very good scores for video quality and data security. It also receives a midlevel score for its array of smart features and an unfavorable rating for its data privacy. This TP-Link "bullet-style" camera offers local storage with up to a 512-gigabyte microSD card (sold separately) and features person detection, pet detection, vehicle detection, monitoring zones, color night vision (even when its built-in spotlights are off), a built-in siren, and voice and app control via Amazon Alexa and Google Home/Assistant. TP-Link also sells a $40 solar panel that can be connected to the camera to keep its battery charged.
For other TP-Link outdoor security cameras that perform similarly, check out CR’s test results for the TP-Link Tapo C310 and TP-Link Tapo C420S2.
Smart alerts: People only
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The Wyze Cam v3 Pro is one of the best and most affordable security cameras in our ratings, outperforming models that cost more than twice as much. It receives strong scores across the board in our tests, with its only weak spot being data privacy. This camera is weatherproof for outdoor use and features a built-in spotlight, a siren, color night vision, free on-device person detection, monitoring zones, voice/app control via Amazon Alexa and Google Home/Assistant, and local 24/7 video recording on up to a 128-gigabyte microSD card (sold separately).
Best Floodlight Cameras Without a Subscription
Smart alerts: None
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The Blink Wired Floodlight Cam is one of the newer entrants to the floodlight cam market. It is able to store recordings locally without a subscription, but you have to buy a Blink Sync Module 2, $35, and plug in a USB flash drive (up to 256 gigabytes; sold separately). In our tests, this floodlight camera receives superb scores for video quality and response time, as well as a very good score for data security. It falls in the middle of the pack in terms of its smart features, but its data privacy is subpar (a common issue across brands in this space). Its features include a siren, monitoring zones, voice/app control via Amazon Alexa, and up to 5 minutes of continuous live streaming at one time.
Smart alerts: People, pets, vehicles
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The Eufy Floodlight Cam E340 is another one of Eufy’s dual-camera models. It has a 3K wide-angle camera and a 2K telephoto camera that are used together to give you up to 8x zoom. It’s also one of the few motorized pan-and-tilt floodlight cameras on the market, allowing you to easily check the camera’s surroundings. In our tests, this Eufy floodlight camera receives top scores for video quality and response time, as well as very good scores for data security and its array of smart features. But like most of the competition, it receives an unfavorable score for data privacy.
Like Eufy’s other dual-camera models, this floodlight camera packs a ton of features. The list includes local video storage with up to a 128-gigabyte microSD card (sold separately), monitoring zones, person detection, pet detection, vehicle detection, motion tracking to follow subjects as they move around your home, color night vision using the built-in 2,000-lumen floodlights, 24/7 video recording (not just recording when motion is detected), a built-in siren, voice and app control via Amazon Alexa and Google Home/Assistant, and support for WiFi 6 wireless routers.
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