Rachel Cericola is a writer covering smart home. In addition to testing hundreds of smart devices, she has also tested dozens of ice cream sandwiches.
Wi-Fi security cameras let you keep tabs on packages outside your home, pets on the couch, and even prowlers raiding your refrigerator. We’ve done hundreds of hours of research and testing on outdoor, indoor, hardwired, cordless, and doorbell Wi-Fi cameras, searching for the best models to fit a variety of homes, budgets, and security needs. If you want to know what’s going on when you’re away, one of our camera recommendations will do the job.
Best cordless outdoor security camera
Top pick
This cord-free camera offers excellent battery life, the option to store recordings locally or in the cloud, and the best array of customizations for the money.
- Subscription: optional (local storage is free)
- Power: cordless, rechargeable battery
- Compatibility: Amazon Alexa, Google Home
Who this is for
People who don’t have an outdoor outlet or who want maximum flexibility when installing an outdoor camera.
Why we like it
The TP-Link Tapo Wire-Free Magnetic Security Camera is relatively inexpensive compared to our other picks yet captures clear 2K video and includes a long-life internal battery so you can install it anywhere within reach of your Wi-Fi signal. You have the option to store video for free, using local video storage via a microSD card, or using a paid cloud subscription which enables 30 days of storage for $3.50 per month (or $35 per year for one camera). With or without a subscription AI detection is enabled—not all cameras include that—so it can distinguish between various motion triggers including, people, vehicles, and pets. To limit the volume of nuisance recordings you can create Activity Zones that tell the camera what it should and shouldn’t record—for example, you might have one zone triggered by vehicles and animals, and another zone that records only people.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
Although this model has color night vision, I found it to be grainier than other models we tested—and turning it on drained the battery faster. I recommend relying on the camera’s standard black-and-white night vision, which delivers a better picture.
At $3.50 per month per camera, the cloud service is competitively priced. However, the price continues to increase when you add cameras, $7 for two cameras, $10.50 for three, and $12 for up to 10.
Learn more in our full review of the best outdoor security camera.
Best indoor security camera
Top pick
This camera delivers high-resolution images and can distinguish between people, pets, and motion, a feature usually available on high-priced models.
Buying Options
- Subscription: optional (local storage is free)
- Power: corded
- Compatibility: Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home
Who this is for
People who want to keep tabs on what’s going on inside, whether they’re checking in on kids and pets or watching for unidentified houseguests.
Why we like it
The Eufy IndoorCam C120 captures 2K images day and night, a massive upgrade from 1080p resolution, which has long been considered the gold standard. It can detect motion, tell the difference between people and pets, and even hear crying. You can store clips in one of four ways, including locally on a microSD card or NAS (network-attached storage, which you can set to capture just motion-triggered events or to record everything 24/7) and in the cloud via a paid subscription to Eufy Cloud or Apple HomeKit Secure Video. The C24 is also the least expensive, best-performing camera we’ve reviewed that supports Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, and Google Home.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
Although the Eufy Solo IndoorCam C24 delivers vivid 2K images for live viewing or recording to a microSD card, it downgrades clips stored on NAS devices and in the cloud to 1080p resolution. In our tests we always found its images to be sharp regardless of the storage method, but if 2K resolution is important to you, opt to use a microSD card.
Learn more in our full review of the best indoor security camera.
Best doorbell camera
Top pick
This doorbell captures clear audio and video, sends fast alerts, and offers free and paid cloud storage—including an option for 24/7 recording.
- Subscription: optional (free cloud storage)
- Power: hardwired
- Compatibility: Amazon Alexa, Google Home
Who this is for
People who want a permanently installed way to screen visitors at the door, whether they’re on the other side of the door or the other side of the world.
Why we like it
The Google Nest Doorbell was the most accurate when it came to identifying types of motion (person, animal, vehicle, or package), and reacted quickly when sending smartphone alerts and displaying live views. The image resolution is only 960×1280, which is lower than our other picks, but the picture is clear, and the low-res actually ends up being easier on your Wi-Fi network to allow for smoother streaming. Audio was always clear on either end, with adjustable volume and the ability to switch off the microphone when necessary. While it offers free cloud storage, you’ll only be able to access footage from the past 3 hours . If you want to keep it longer, the Nest Aware plan (starting at $8 per month or $80 per year) can store video up to 30 days, and adds in Familiar Face Detection. In addition, if you want 24/7 recording to the cloud, you’ll have to shell out $15 a month or $150 annually for the Nest Aware Plus plan.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
The Familiar Face Detection feature (a feature that “recognizes” and names frequent visitors) included with the Nest Aware subscription can be faulty. It needs a good look at your visitors to work properly–and even then it still gets some wrong, but you can correct it.
Also, the Nest doorbell isn’t compatible with the old Nest app since newer Google products have switched to using Google Home. However, useful Nest app features like the ability to “favorite” the doorbell so you can view the live feed upon opening Google Home have made the transition easier.
Learn more in our full review of the best smart doorbell camera.
Best outdoor floodlight camera
Top pick
This hardwired floodlight has two pan-and-tilt HD cameras, and it stores video internally for free or in the cloud with a subscription. Its bulb is light but dimmable.
- Subscription: optional (local storage is free)
- Power: hardwired
- Compatibility: Amazon Alexa, Google Home (light only)
Who this is for
People who want the sense of security that comes with motion-activated lighting, along with the additional assurance of recorded or live video. The built-in LED also makes video images brighter.
Why we like it
The Eufy Floodlight Camera E340 combines a bright outdoor LED light with two surveillance cameras: one with a 2K telephoto lens and the other a 3K resolution wide-angle camera. The E40 can survey a far greater area than other models because both cameras can pan and tilt 360 degrees horizontally and 120 degrees vertically. Both cameras can track and follow motion well, capturing clear images day and night—both with and without color night vision. Video can be stored internally on a removable microSD card (up to 128 GB), to the HomeBase S380 hub (sold separately), or in the cloud (if you opt for a subscription; they start at $3 per month). Two integrated LED panels capable of blasting 2,000 lumens of brightness can be turned on and off or tweaked via the Eufy app or voice control.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
The E340 supports both Amazon Alexa and Google Home, but currently Google Home only supports voice control of the light and doesn’t allow manually tweaking it using the app.
Similar to all Eufy cameras, this model downgrades 2K footage to 1080p and 3K footage to 2K when it is uploaded to the cloud. Still, we always recommend cloud video storage for security reasons—if someone steals or damages your camera, you don’t lose your recordings—and in real-world use, we noticed a drop in image quality only when we deliberately compared videos side by side (and it’s still of good quality).
Learn more in our full review of the best outdoor security camera.
This article was edited by Jon Chase and Grant Clauser.
Meet your guide
Rachel Cericola is a senior staff writer at Wirecutter who has been covering smart-home technology since the days of X10. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Wired, Men’s Health, USA Today, and others. She hopes her neighbors read this bio because it would explain why she always has four video doorbells running simultaneously outside her home.
Further reading
The Best Home Security System
A good home security system should make it easy to find peace of mind. It can alert you to an open door or window, frighten away prowlers, and call for help.
Why We Don’t Trust Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video—and You Shouldn’t Either
Apple’s cloud service for security cameras has many great features, including the price—but we don’t recommend it for most people.
The Best Smart Doorbell Camera
A smart doorbell camera allows you to see who’s on the other side of your front door so you can screen visitors and package deliveries—even if you aren’t home.
How to Clean Your Home Security Cameras
You should occasionally clean your Wi-Fi cameras to keep them free from dead bugs, water stains, and other debris that might alter their function.
