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Google Nest
SecureScore™: 8.5/10
Google Nest has streamlined their offerings in recent years. Their Nest Aware subscription service is one of the best in the business, offering 24/7 live video, video recording history, and smart features like package detection and facial recognition.
Ring offers some of the most innovative and diverse security products in the industry today, and If you’re looking for an affordable cloud storage option, Ring Protect is a great choice. With three tiers of service, you’re certain to find an option that works for you.
Arlo offers a wide range of indoor and outdoor security cameras that are great for DIYers looking to protect their property. Despite their approachability, their cameras offer a high degree of sophistication that you'd find with professionally installed and monitored counterparts. Arlo Secure — their cloud storage plan — overs great services and customizability where you need it.
Google Nest has streamlined their offerings in recent years. Their Nest Aware subscription service is one of the best in the business, offering 24/7 live video, video recording history, and smart features like package detection and facial recognition.
Ring offers some of the most innovative and diverse security products in the industry today, and If you’re looking for an affordable cloud storage option, Ring Protect is a great choice. With three tiers of service, you’re certain to find an option that works for you.
Arlo offers a wide range of indoor and outdoor security cameras that are great for DIYers looking to protect their property. Despite their approachability, their cameras offer a high degree of sophistication that you'd find with professionally installed and monitored counterparts. Arlo Secure — their cloud storage plan — overs great services and customizability where you need it.
If you’re looking for comprehensive home security, security cameras need to be included in the conversation. Sticking a few up on your eaves and calling it a day, though, isn’t really going to cut it.
Your cameras would do more good if you threw them at a thief if you can't access, monitor, control, and store the images they capture. Since most folks don’t have a server closet in their basement to handle the massive amounts of data passing through those high-res cameras every day, you’re going to need to look into cloud-based video storage options.
Here we've compiled a list of the top five best cloud security cameras of 2024.
1
Google Nest - Best Cloud Security Camera Overall
The Nest line of products from Google is everything you’d expect from one of the biggest names in the tech industry. This lineup is extremely well designed, built to last, feature packed, and their new-and-improved Nest Cam is one of our absolute favorites for indoor and outdoor applications. Couple their equipment with a Nest Aware subscription, and you’re going to supercharge your security.
Pros & Cons:
Pros:
Plenty of features
Simple set up and installation
Great UI in app
Exceptional design
Long battery life
Cons:
Somewhat pricey
No color night vision
Resolution just average
Our Experience:
Nest Cams are one of our favorites for numerous reasons. You can learn more about all of their equipment in our comprehensive Nest Camera review, but the Cliffs Notes version is this: They’re well-designed, they’re versatile, and they have all the features most folks are looking for when it comes to modern security cameras. Here’s a breakdown of their suite of products and their prices:
Nest Camera price Breakdown
Nest Camera
Price
Nest Cam (Battery)
$179.99
Nest Cam with Floodlight (Wired)
$279.99
Nest Cam Indoor (Wired)
$99.99
Nest Doorbell
$179.99
And if you’re talking about storage, they’re head and shoulders above the competition. There are two tiers of subscription service — Aware and Aware Plus. Both offer subscribers event history, intelligent alerts, and support for a much larger network of Google products if you’re looking into home automation. The standard subscription is $6 per month or $60 per year, while Nest Aware Plus will run you $12 per month or $120 per year, which, we’ve got to say, is pretty reasonable when you consider all that you’re getting.
Ring offers a diverse lineup of affordable security products for nearly every application, and they’re constantly pushing the boundaries of what security means. For example, the company is about to release a dashboard cam as well as a flying indoor drone to keep an eye on things while you’re away. Their subscription plan, like most, adds features and additional storage to all of these products, but where the plan really stands out is its affordability.
Pros & Cons:
Pros:
Easy DIY Installation
Wireless models available
1080p HD Video
Designed for Indoors or Outdoors
Highly Customizable Settings
User-Friendly Mobile App
Live Video Streaming
Two-Way Talk
Motion-Activated Notifications
Infrared Night Vision
Works Well With Alexa
Cons:
Occasional Missed Motion
No Advanced Video Resolutions (2K or 4K)
Equipment Costs Can Add Up
Professional Monitoring Only Available in U.S. and Canada
History of Privacy Issues/Hacking
Our Experience:
Ring has been a staple in the home security industry for years. Since the advent of their widely popular video doorbell until today, they’ve enabled millions of homes to reap the benefits of video surveillance with a wide array of equipment, which you can read all about in our hands-on analysis of Ring’s security cameras.
To bolster those cameras, Ring offers a triple-tiered cloud subscription plan called Ring Protect. Customers can choose from Basic, Plus, and Pro levels, which cost $3.99, $10, and $20 per month, respectively. Each one will provide you with 180 days of video history as well as AI-driven alerts, rich notifications, and snapshot capture. Plus will add extended warranties on your equipment, and Pro throws 24/7 professional monitoring and back up storage options into the mix.
Arlo cameras are simple to install and easy to use on a day to day basis. That said, they also offer some extremely advanced security features that most DIY solutions lack including 2K and 4K resolution cameras, color night vision, and professional monitoring. When you subscribe to Arlo secure, you’ll have access to their most advanced functions as well as immediate emergency response.
Pros & Cons:
Pros:
Detailed 2K resolution
AI-friven detections
Wi-Fi connectivity
Long battery life
Great app experience
Cons:
Expensive
Requires a subscription to access all features
Mounting hardware a little flimsy
Our Experience:
Arlo has some of the best basic, but powerful home security cameras on the market. And, Arlo has just added some new A.I. technology to their lineup as well and it’s called the Arlo Smart. This A.I. and computer vision technology filter will immediately send you an alert when it detects a person while ignoring motion from other objects such as swaying tree branches, etc. This new option also has a package detection and vehicle detect feature as well. The Arlo cameras come with 7-days of rolling video with cloud storage. However, they also have additional plans if you would like more advanced features and longer cloud storage options. Here’s what they look like, and what they cost:
Arlo Subscription Pricing Breakdown
Arlo Plan
What You’ll Get
What it Costs
Secure
Up to 4K Recording
One Tap Interactive Notifications
Priority Care and Support
$4.99 Per Month for Single Camera
$12.99 Per Month for Unlimited Cameras
Secure Plus
All Arlo Secure Features
24/7 Emergency Response
$17.99 Per Month
Safe & Secure Pro
All Arlo Secure Plus Features
24/7 Professional Monitoring
Access to Arlo Safe
$24.99 Per Month
Check out our review of Arlo cameras to learn all about what it’s like protecting your home with Arlo.
Zmodo has some great offerings. With Zmodo, you not only get great cameras, but you also get advanced features (for a fee) and basic cloud storage for free. Zmodo’s camera systems also come with night vision that has a range of up to 98 feet in the dark (on selected cameras only), which is amazing compared to other brand cameras. And, Zmodo has smart home integration options available as well. Here is our Zmodo summary along with a few of the Zmodo pros and cons.
Pros & Cons:
Pros:
Low-Cost Cameras
Simple, Discreet Design
No Paid Subscription Required
Clear 1080p Video Quality
Numerous Indoor Camera Options
Works with Alexa and Google Assistant
30-day Money-Back Guarantee
1-year Warranty
Cons:
Limited Features
Some Delay on Wake Time in App
Bulky design
Our Experience:
There are so many great things about the Zmodo cameras such as their ability to work well with voice assistants. They also have night vision, pan and tilt cameras, smart motion alerts with set detection fields, time-lapse videos, edit and share features, two-way audio, multiple-user support, a mobile app, and more.
There are two subscription tiers for Zmodo cloud cameras. Both will give you access to advanced features like smart motion detection and activity zones. If you want to save clips for seven days, it’ll be $4.99 per month. If you want to save them for 30 days, it’s $9.99 per month. But keep in mind, that’s the price per camera. If you’re outfitting your property with multiple pieces of equipment, the costs can add up quickly. Read our Zmodo testing and review for more information.
Finally, a home security company offering advanced high-quality cameras at unbelievably low prices, then adding free cloud storage to boot! Here is our Wyze summary along with a few of the Wyze pros and cons.
Pros & Cons:
Pros:
Low-Price and Feature-Rich Smart Home Cameras
Easy Online Shopping with Clear Product Selection
14-Day Free Cloud Storage
Unique Motion Tagging Accelerates Video History
Motion Detection Zones Reduce False Alerts
Advanced Sound Recognition
Smart Home Accessories Available
Compatible with Alexa, Google Home, and IFTTT
Cons:
Face recognition requires monitoring plan
Corded Cameras Require Power Outlets
No Backup Batteries
Limited Video Storage without Upgrade
Our Experience:
Wyze cloud storage, called Cam Plus, has three tiers and a pretty interesting pricing model. Their basic plan is free and offers — you guessed it, pretty basic services. Cam plus light adds smart person detection and will record up to 12 seconds of events. This is a name-your-price option, and you can even go with nothing. Cam Plus offers all of Wyze’s features including unlimited event length, smart detections, and zero delays between events. For this, you’ll pay $1.67 per month per camera, billed annually.
To dive deeper into Wyze pricing and plans, see our Wyze camera cost guide. And to learn about our full experience testing these security cameras hands-on, we recommend reading our in-depth Wyze camera review.
Product Specs:
Connectivity
Wi-fi
Power
Wired
Field of View
Up to 110°
Resolution
Up to 1080p
Storage
Cloud, local
Smart Platform Compatibility
Alexa and Google Home
Do You Need a Hard Drive for Security Cameras?
Wireless technology has completely transformed the home security industry from its hardwired, analog beginnings decades ago. In addition to a much easier installation experience, we’re also getting more choices than ever in how we want to store our video history. Now, you’re no longer limited to just a hard drive.
But in many cases, saving and storing video to a hard drive works quite well as a camera setup. We’ve found IP camera systems with network or digital video recorder boxes to be a solid solution for storage.
FYI: Lorex makes a nice 4K Ultra HD NVR system, a great outdoor package for folks who want to record and store footage around the clock.
But we mostly test Wi-Fi systems that don’t sync up to hard drive recorders. Instead, we have access to a micro SD port built into the camera.
Those cameras, in our experience, end up working more like smart home devices than traditional security equipment. We simply pop in our micro SD card during installation and let the camera do (most of) the work, or, if that option is not available, we sign on to the cloud and pick a monthly subscription through the camera’s mobile app. In fact, we often prefer cloud storage over local video storage for security cameras.
We’re big fans of cloud storage plans. A cloud subscription will typically only set you back about $3 or $5 per month for 60-90 days of video history, image capture and video sharing, and other great features.
So the answer is no, you don’t need a hard drive for security cameras.
Pro Tip: Not really sure where to start and want to learn all the features and tech to look for in a security camera? If so, you’ll want to read our comprehensive home security camera purchasing guide.
How to Tell if a Security Camera is Recording
At random times throughout our home security journey, we run into scenarios where we need to figure out whether one of our cameras is recording. In some of our tests, the camera gives us a small red light to indicate that it’s online and recording; other times, the light is blue or green.
We found that some brands handle this differently than others, but generally all in the form of light indicators. Still, it’s helpful to know what our camera is going to look like when it’s all up and running. Why? For one, we don’t want to go through all the trouble of installing, pairing, and setting up all this equipment around our home, just to end up with cameras that don’t record when we need them to.
As an example, SimpliSafe’s super DIY setup process includes a great troubleshooting menu, pictured below, that explains what all those light indicators mean, so we knew as soon as we were finished with installation whether our cameras were working or not.
SimpliCam Light Indicators
In other cases, you might want to know if a camera is recording before you walk into, say, a summer property you’re renting. Depending on the laws in your state, recording rental property guests might be illegal. (Airbnb doesn’t ban property owners from installing cameras, just FYI.)
On the flip side, however, having security cameras in your property can certainly be beneficial to the tenant, as it can help protect their belongings. These are all simple yet beneficial tips to remember as you navigate the world of security cameras.
Of course, cloud storage isn’t the only feature to look for in a camera. Check out our roundup of the best security cameras to find the perfect match in features and pricing.
Features of Cloud Security Cameras
Wireless
A wireless cloud security camera is one that is battery-powered and doesn't require any hardwiring or an external power source to function. A wireless security system is generally very easy to set up because there are no wires or electrical issues to deal with.
Night Vision
The night vision feature gives your camera the ability to see in low-light conditions. This feature works by using infrared light or thermal imaging to observe objects at night or other low-light conditions.
Motion Detection
Motion detection sensors use multiple technologies to detect movement. Once movement is detected, it will trigger an alarm and send you an alert so you can respond accordingly.
App Control
App control refers to a brand's mobile app. Brand mobile apps give you the ability to access, monitor, and control your home's security and automation systems, as well as receive alerts in real-time from a single dashboard.
High Resolution
High resolution is the feature on a security camera that displays your video recordings. The higher the resolution is on any given camera, the more clear the images on your video streams will be. If you have a low-resolution video, your images will be grainy and/or blurry to the point you might not be able to distinguish people and objects.
Video Recording
Most, but not all, security cameras come with a video recording feature. A video camera will record using an intermittent or continuous recording option. The intermittent option only records when activity is detected. A continuous video recording is one that records continuously 24/7 without any lapses. Video recordings are then stored locally on the camera or sent to a cloud storage service.
Cloud Storage
Security camera videos are either stored locally (on the camera and/or SD card) or on the cloud. Cloud storage is a service that stores your cameras' videos on a remote server where you can access them using the internet.
Live View
A live view is when you are able to view your video camera feeds in real-time rather than going back and looking at stored recordings from a previous time. The live view is an important feature in helping to prevent crime because, without it, you won't be able to proactively respond to a potential intrusion/crime.
Smart Home Integration
The smart home integration feature is what allows you to control all your smart home's internet-connected functions and devices. Smart home integration allows you to control many of your home's features remotely, such as your security system, lights, door locks, thermostat, and more. Smart home integration requires the use of a base station or hub, such as Alexa, and devices that are all compatible with that hub and each other.
Jaime Fraze has 16 years of writing and editing experience, with seven years spent writing about emerging technologies. As our home security camera expert, she has hand-tested and reviewed every major security camera brand and has written more than 300 articles on the topic. Previously, Jaime has contributed to award-winning media outlets such as the Rocky Mount Telegram and the Daytona Beach News-Journal. As a homeowner and mother of two, Jaime is constantly looking for ways to keep her home and family safe. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English/Journalism from the University of Delaware.
Updated May 10, 2023
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