Best Home Security Cameras Without a Subscription for 2024 - CNET

Lorex is a popular choice for buyers who want to stay off the cloud and away from subscriptions.

What's the best subscription-free home security camera?

Our experts have spent over 150 hours testing multiple kinds of indoor and outdoor security cams, including dozens of cameras that don't require those annoyingly common subscription fees: Our top pick for a no-fee camera that still does everything is the Eufy Indoor Cam S350. From close-in zooming to human and pet detection, this home security cam has an excellent assortment of features with a focus on local storage and zero subscriptions.

Eufy's cam is an indoor-only model, but don't worry if you've got grounds to keep watch over. We've also picked top options for outdoor and floodlight cams, as well as budget models to save even more money -- all offering key features like video storage without the need for a cam subscription, which usually starts at $5 to $10 per month. If you've got saving money on your mind, take a minute to stop by our guide to the best cheap home security systems and budget video doorbells too. 

The best home security cameras without subscriptions

Best home security cameras without subscriptions compared

Best Home Security Cameras Without Subscriptions Compared

Other home security cams without subscriptions that we've tested

Lorex's pan/tilt camera makes for an excellent nanny cam in the right position.

TP-Link Tapo C210: This is one of our favorite affordable cameras at the moment, but we prefer Eufy's better specs that also come with local storage.

Blink Mini 2: The Blink Mini 2 has a surprising amount of features for its small size and affordable price (plus outdoor compatibility), but it's a little too short range and the required Sync Module 2 for local storage greatly increases the price.

Google Nest Indoor/Outdoor cam: Nest doesn't have any local storage options, and the 3 hours of video storage means you need to act quickly, so it's a complicated compromise for those who want to avoid subscriptions altogether. We went with simpler, local storage approaches for this list.

TP-Link Tapo C310: The C310 makes a fine outdoor camera ready for a microSD card, but we found Tapo's indoor/outdoor camera a little more useful for the average person.

Google Nest Doorbell: The Nest Doorbell is an excellent device that benefits greatly from Google AI and Nest's high-quality construction, but it also doesn't have any local storage, so you'll have to that three-hour limit.

Lorex 2K Indoor Pan/Tilt Camera: This Lorex cam is an excellent local storage alternative, but ultimately we chose the floodlight model for its great outdoor usability. 

Factors to consider when buying a home security camera

Blink's person detection works well enough, but it's a subscription-only feature.

Resolution and view

We always pay attention to resolution and field of view for home security cameras. Checking detail, up close and at a distance, is very important for live views and the quality of recorded video. It's important to pay attention not only to resolution numbers and how wide the field of view is but if a brand locks higher resolutions behind a subscription (some do).

Video storage

Video storage refers to how easily video can be recorded and shared, typically either in the cloud or locally through an attached hub/hard drive. Cloud storage is almost always locked behind a subscription except in rare exceptions like Google Nest and some others. Local storage is generally a better way to avoid subscriptions and still get this important quality of life.

Smart home integration

Smart home support for voice assistants (Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant) or platforms like Google Home or Apple Home aren't often locked behind subscriptions: What you see in the specs is what you get. That can be limited to a single platform (Amazon likes to keep its devices focused on Alexa for now) or spread out between several platforms. If you already use a voice assistant or a full smart home security system, look for a cam that's compatible with it.

Object detection

Object detection, like recognizing packages or human-shaped beings approaching, is another feature often locked behind a subscription. Some cameras offer free object detection. Eufy uses human detection for many of its cams, TP-Link Tapo cams offer some free detection and several Lorex cams provide package and people detection.

App usability

High-quality secure cams come with apps that are intuitive with settings that are easy to manage. It's also a big bonus if they don't have constant pop-ups telling you to sign up for a subscription.

Night vision

We always take a close look at night vision and its distance to make sure that it's working properly and offers plenty of utility for capturing images on the other side of your yard or room.

Two-way audio

Two-way audio features help scare away intruders, talk to strangers or tell the kids to get inside for dinner. They're always free, but we take a close look at their quality and range, too. 

How we test security cameras

Our experts follow a complete testing process that examines how all the features on a home security camera function. Today’s cams have motion detection, audio communication, resolution, night vision, object recognition and much more to test.

We walk through these features with a number of visual and audio experiments to see how cams match their claims -- and the capability of comparative models. There’s a lot that goes into this process, and you can catch plenty more details over at our guide on how we test.

The best home security cam placement and installation

Eufy's solar panel makes a great pairing with this open-range security cam.

Placing a home security camera is one of the hardest decisions today's DIY cameras require. Every home is different, so you'll need to customize the location to get the best angle to capture a room or yard. Sometimes central locations are best for pan/tilt cameras or a high shelf for an overview. For installation, we like the stability of a screw-in mount or the versatility of a horizontal surface. For more, take a look at our guide on the best spots to install home security cameras.