The Best Nest Cam Alternatives

What should you do if Nest Cams are out of your price range or don’t fit your needs? Thankfully, there are three excellent alternatives that are easy to install, don’t require subscriptions, and include AI features like person detection. In fact, some alternatives, like our top pick Arlo, have cameras with higher resolution video than Nest Cams.

Blink and Reolink are two other alternatives we recommend. They are budget-friendly, they feature local storage options, and they have color night vision. Let’s take a closer look at each option to see how they compare to Nest Cams and why they might be a better fit for your needs.

To get started, here are a few pros and cons of Nest Cams:

1. Best Video Quality Alternative: Arlo

The Arlo Essential Indoor camera offers better video resolution than the Nest Cam (wired).

Arlo might not be a household name like Google, we know it makes some of the best home security cameras on the market. From the budget-friendly Essential to the top-of-the-line Ultra, you should have no trouble finding a Nest Cam alternative you can set up on your own.

In our hands-on review of Arlo, we were charmed by these well-built cameras, especially with the integrated spotlight, color night vision, up to 180-degree field of view, and 4K resolution. Moreover, Arlo’s equipment prices are competitive. The mid-range Arlo cameras we tested from the Arlo Pro lineup ranged from $150 to $200, while the Arlo Wired Floodlight – a direct competition of the Nest Cam with Floodlight – costs only $149. That’s $130 cheaper than its Nest Cam counterpart.

Video resolution should not be the sole factor in the performance of your camera, but we have to hand it to Arlo here. The Arlo Pro 5S 2K we tested produces sharp 2K footage, with a 160-degree field of view and 12x zoom. In comparison, the Nest Cam (outdoor or indoor, battery) offers 1080p resolution, 130-degree field of view, and 6x zoom.

We were impressed with the quality of the video from our Arlo Pro 5S 2K compared to Nest Cams.

If 2K footage isn’t enough for you, the Arlo Ultra 2 will get you an even more spectacular picture with 4K HDR, combined with an ultra-wide 180-degree viewing angle. It also features color night vision. The Nest Cam with floodlight is capable of color night vision, but the Ultra 2 has a sleeker design with its integrated spotlight rather than separate floodlights.

>> Other Options: The Best 4K Home Security Cameras in 2025

With Nest, we expect to pay more in terms of individual equipment than other brands, with the top-of-the-line Google Nest Cam with floodlight retailing for $279.99. The cheapest Nest Cam starts at $99.99, while Arlo’s entry-level model begins at $49.99. However, we recommend comparing Arlo to Nest side by side to ensure equivalent features, including their subscription plans.

>> Read More: Nest Home Security System Cost and Pricing in 2025

We do have a word of caution should you choose Nest or Arlo cameras: You’re going to need a pretty strong Wi-Fi connection to keep all that data transmitting smoothly. If you’ve got that, you’re sure to be blown away by the image quality, as well as be impressed overall by your cameras’ performance, no matter what.

2. Best Budget-Friendly Alternative: Blink

It didn’t take us long to set up our wireless Blink Outdoor camera – we just had to pick the perfect spot.

Blink is one of our favorite entry-level options, and though it’s quite bare bones compared to the technology and features Nest Cams offer, we find that the brand offers great price-to-feature ratio given that most its cameras cost less than $100.

>> Check Out: The Best Video Doorbell Cameras of 2025

Blink’s cameras and packages are reasonably priced. You can walk away with a Blink Mini, Outdoor 4, and Video Doorbell for less than $300 to cover key areas throughout your home.

Subscriptions are optional, but we recommend signing up. Prices start at $3 a month, which is cheaper than Nest Aware’s basic plan at $8 per month. That said, Google’s subscriptions offer more advanced features like facial recognition and sound detection. Most Blink cameras don’t even support those features, although the Blink Outdoor 4 we tested recently has person detection. The catch? You need a cloud subscription to access it.

Our Blink Outdoor Camera with the Sync Module, which allows us to install our device up to 400 feet away.

Of course, the Nest Cam range is going to cost you more than Blink’s offering. The high-end Nest Cam with floodlight retails for $279.99. Blink’s Outdoor 4 Floodlight Camera starts at $129.98. So if you’re not interested in Nest’s advanced bells and whistles, Blink is a more affordable alternative.

One of Nest’s advanced features is Activity Zones, letting you ignore areas with constant movement.

3. Best Outdoor Camera Alternative: Reolink

An industry veteran, Reolink offers a much larger selection of equipment cameras than Nest Cams. In our Reolink review, we noted the ease of installing Reolink’s battery-powered range, the quality of the video resolution, and the extensive smart detection features available out of the box.

As the Reolink Argus 3 Pro is wireless, we can install it outside ourselves.

The first thing you’ll notice about Reolink is their extensive selection of cameras. It’s also clear that their cameras are budget-friendly while offering flexibility. For example, most devices come with advanced motion detection features without requiring a subscription. Even the cloud plans are affordable.

Additionally, many Reolink cameras deliver up to 4K resolution. Their Argus series, in newer releases, are equipped with PIR motion sensing technology, which allow the cameras we tested to distinguish humans from flying bugs or swaying branches in our front yard.

When it comes to total home security, Reolink and Nest cameras are up to the task. We’ve experienced it first hand with Nest when we tested the latest ADT security system, which incorporates Nest Cams. Reolink exclusively relies on security cameras to protect your home over other equipment like entry sensors.

>> Learn: How to Effectively Place Security Sensors in Your Home

We chose the wired Google Nest Cam for our garage, as it doesn’t take up a lot of space.

One of the hassles with outdoor cameras is changing or recharging the batteries. The Nest Cam (outdoor or indoor, battery) lasts up to seven months per charge. That’s on par with Reolink. The Reolink Altas PT Ultra is the standout with a battery that lasts over a year on a single charge.

Price-wise, a high-quality outdoor camera like the Reolink Argus 3 costs $70. Some of the high-end models cost over $300. With so many options available and optional subscriptions, you’re more likely to find something within your budget compared to Nest’s three-camera lineup. If you want cloud storage, plans range from $6 to $25 per month.

The Reolink Argus 3, Argus 2, and Argus Eco cameras we personally chose to compare with Nest Cams.

Final Thoughts on Nest Cam Alternatives

There aren’t too many cameras that can match the precision and technical prowess of a Nest Cam. These cameras bring a new level of intelligence to the entire concept of home security – and that is a very big deal.

But as you might have picked up on by now, these cameras are also pretty expensive. With a Nest camera topping out at almost $300, it’s a relief to know that there are viable alternatives out there, not only among the Arlo, Blink, and Reolink cameras we mentioned above, but across the entire industry as well.

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