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Our pick, ADT, topped our list with its range of Google Nest cameras featuring motion-activated recording and facial recognition.
Updated October 24, 2025
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With ADT’s Video Package, you get 24/7 monitoring for your outdoor, indoor, and doorbell security cameras. Camera features include night vision, 1080p HD video, remote live stream reviewing, and motion-activated recording.
With SimpliSafe, you can protect your entire home with both indoor and outdoor security cameras. They each support active monitoring features that allow SimpliSafe’s agents to use your cameras and deter crime before it happens.
Vivint’s high-tech indoor, outdoor, and doorbell cameras are supported by the top mobile app in the industry. The Vivint App stores video clips, gives you live video feed access, and sends you notifications when motion is detected so you’re always connected to your home.
Honestly, a solid camera setup can make or break your home security game. Sensors tell you something's up, but cameras? They show you exactly what's happening, whether it's a package delivery or something more serious.
In our experience, however, the very best cameras come attached to complete home security systems. Sensors let you know something’s happening; cameras let you pull up footage and see what it is. These days, there are even systems out there with cameras that provide video verification services, cut down on false alerts using AI, and even a few that have home automation capabilities.
Spoiler alert, ADT had the best mix of these features, and that mix helped elevate the company to the top of this list. No home security system or camera is right for everyone, though, so we recommend checking out the entire list before you decide where to invest your money.
The best way to make trustworthy and unbiased reviews is by hands-on testing home security systems ourselves. We buy the equipment, install the devices in our homes, and test them for weeks and sometimes months. It’s how we get a feel for what it’s like to live with the security system first-hand. We then use our real-life experience to give you honest recommendations.
Many factors come into play when testing home security systems, which means we have to find ways to even the playing field. One approach we use is installing all the equipment in the same environment – a two-story, 2,200-square-foot home owned by one of our experts. Testing security systems in a real house means we get accurate results and can make better recommendations.
We also buy the same equipment for each test unit and set them up in identical locations. You can see the spots we frequently choose to install home security devices below.
We considered different factors when choosing the best home security systems with cameras. Drawing from our extensive experience and expertise, these are the factors we deemed most important.
After reviewing each system with these criteria, here is how we rated the top five:
Rating the Best Home Security Systems with Cameras
We’ve all landed on review websites that cover everything from handbags to scented candles. But we’re different. Our team of experts exclusively focuses on safety and security equipment. It means we can scrutinize systems more thoroughly and make more in-depth recommendations. The experts who worked on this review were:
Our team has over 75 years of combined experience. That makes us the most accomplished home security team online. Since starting in 2016, SafeHome.org has been featured in several major outlets, including The Washington Post and The New York Times. Together, we have achieved:
All of our recommendations are based on first-hand product experience and a deep understanding of the security industry. Now, let’s find out more about our top picks.
ADT offers Google Nest cameras, which feature advanced features like facial recognition. You can choose from indoor, outdoor, and doorbell cameras. There’s even a floodlight cam for maximum protection. All that’s nice, but the way ADT leverages these features in their system makes them truly special.
Before using Google Nest’s facial recognition, the cameras need to learn faces. That involves you manually tagging visitors. Once it learns a face, you’ll get alerts telling you when a camera sees them. ADT’s Trusted Neighbor feature puts this to use by automatically letting in people that your cameras recognize.
As for image quality, all Google Nest cameras deliver crisp 1080p HD resolution – and honestly, that’s all most folks need. Sure, companies like Lorex push 4K, but after testing both, we think 1080p hits the sweet spot between clarity and reasonable file sizes. They won’t eat up bandwidth and video storage, but they offer clear enough video quality for detailed monitoring.
Expert Insight: We used ADT’s Trusted Neighbor feature to let our dog walker in every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. We also set a trigger to allow our neighbor in during an active smoke alarm so they can get our dog to safety if we’re not home.
>> Read More: Google Nest Cam Review 2025
Setting up our ADT Outdoor Camera to overlook the back porch
When you buy an ADT home security system, you’re not just getting cameras as part of a package. You also get their best-in-industry monitoring. Prices aren’t bad, either. The plan with video support cost us $49.99 per month. It includes ADT’s professional monitoring service, smart home integrations, and Nest Aware for cloud storage.
You can bring that price down to $39.99 per month if you DIY install your ADT system. Either way, it unlocks all of ADT’s camera features including facial recognition and Trusted Neighbor. DIYing your install also lets you avoid ADT’s contract. That way, if you’re pinching pennies one month, you can temporarily downgrade to the basic $24.99 per month monitoring plan.
Pro Tip: The premium monitoring plan from ADT also includes their SMART monitoring system. It sends alerts to you and your emergency contacts. This makes ADT a great security system for seniors, as you can add a caretaker to these alerts and quickly get extra help from them if needed.
Reviewing our activity on the ADT Control Panel
ADT has recently added the option to self-install security systems, but whether you go with that or the professional installation route, ADT’s cameras – or rather Google Nest’s cameras – are affordable when bought from ADT. There are no markups. Whatever they cost on the Google Store is also what they cost from ADT:
| Security Cameras | Price |
|---|---|
| Google Nest Cam (battery) | $179.99 |
| Google Nest Cam (wired) | $99.99 |
| Google Nest Doorbell (battery) | $179.99 |
FYI: If you choose a home security system that needs to be installed professionally, ADT charges start from $99.
| Equipment Cost | Packages starting at $349 |
|---|---|
| Monitoring Options | Professional or DIY |
| Monitoring Cost | Starting at $24.99 per month |
| Contract Length | Monthly |
| Installation Options | Professional or DIY |
| Smart Platform Integration | Alexa and Google Home |
Like ADT, SimpliSafe doesn’t offer a huge selection of cameras. Basically, you have a choice between an indoor camera, an outdoor camera, and a video doorbell. All of these devices include top-tier features, and when you sign up for a SimpliSafe monitoring plan, you can unlock some of the most proactive protection on the market.
SimpliSafe cameras include a long list of hardware features, including night vision, 10x digital zoom, privacy shutters, and fields-of-view up to 165 degrees. Basically, you can count on these devices to capture anything that moves.
That said, what really sets SimpliSafe apart is their active monitoring. It’s available with SimpliSafe’s top monitoring plans – the Core, Pro, and Pro Plus. They allow monitoring agents to talk through your cameras and scare potential intruders away. One night, someone was standing in our yard a little too long. As soon as an agent told them to leave, they scrambled.
A close-up of SimpliSafe’s wireless indoor camera
We recommend signing up for one of SimpliSafe’s best monitoring plans, but these plans come with pretty steep price tags of up to $79.99 per month. You don’t get the best monitoring in the business for cheap.
Of course, there are more affordable options. Basic monitoring of sensors only costs $21.99 per month. You can also self-monitor for free with real-time alerts and live footage. Or, add video recording for $9.99 per month so you’ll have evidence to turn over to the police if there’s a crime.
Pro Tip: Since SimpliSafe never requires a contract, you can freely switch between their monitoring plans every month. We switch our plans based on how much we’ll be home. When we go on vacation, we upgrade to a pro plan and then switch back to self-monitoring when working from home.
SimpliSafe’s cameras are all reasonably priced, if not exactly cheap. It helps that the company runs frequent sales. You’ll almost always find equipment at least 20 percent off, but on occasion, the discount can be as much as 70 percent. And that’s just for starters. It’s not unusual for SimpliSafe to offer free cameras as part of its packages. We’ve even seen the company throw in two free cameras. In that case, this pricing information may not matter, but here’s a complete list of what the company charges for its three camera models anyway.
| SimpliSafe Camera | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor Camera Pro |
|
$199.99 |
| Wireless Indoor Camera |
|
$149.99 |
Pro Tip: SimpliSafe is known for its sales; it’s almost always running one. Right now, systems are 50 percent off when you sign up for monitoring.
SimpliSafe’s DIY installation saves you money, and when the company says DIY, it means DIY. It took us around 35 minutes to get our system up and running.
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi |
|---|---|
| Power | Battery |
| Field of View | Up to 140° |
| Resolution | Up to 1536p |
| Storage | Cloud |
| Smart Platform Compatibility | Alexa and Google Home |
You pay premium prices for Vivint systems, but you get premium equipment. Vivint’s indoor, outdoor, and doorbell cameras are among the most high-tech on the market, with advanced detection capabilities and sophisticated smart home integrations designed to make your life safe and convenient. Best of all, Vivint’s security cameras come attached to complete security systems, featuring top-tier sensors, monitors, hubs, and keypads.
Vivint cameras are defined by their sophisticated technology. The Outdoor Camera, for instance, features advanced person detection that reduces false alerts and enables it to automatically identify threats. When it does, you can set it to automatically sound its siren and flash its LED light.
As with SimpliSafe, Vivint’s camera selection is limited. This is definitely a quality over quantity situation, though. All three models offer all the smart home integrations you could want and they can power automation features. We set our living room lights to turn on when our outdoor camera identified a potential threat, for instance, to make it seem like someone was home.
The Vivint Doorbell Camera fits in the palm of your hand
If you get a Vivint system with cameras, you’ll need the Smart Control plan. It starts at $44.99 per month, and the price increases with each camera you add. For that price, though, you get full 24/7 professional monitoring. Our own tests showed that Vivint responds to alerts in about 25 seconds. That’s just a touch better than the industry average of 30 seconds.
Unfortunately, Vivint’s monitoring plans don’t come with a lot of bonus features, but every plan includes most of Vivint’s most impressive features, like Z-Wave compatibility. That means you can connect your Vivint equipment to over 1,000 smart devices out there, from thermostats to refrigerators.
Pro Tip: We heard a noise outside while we were watching a scary movie. We quickly had Alexa live-stream footage on our Fire TV so we could see what was happening. It was just the wind, but it was good to know we could keep an eye on things in picture-in-picture.
Vivint systems pack serious tech, but that tech doesn’t come cheap. Plan on spending at least $1,000 for a basic setup, and potentially over $2,000 for comprehensive coverage with multiple cameras.
Vivint’s camera pricing should give you an idea of how expensive Vivint can be.
| Vivint Camera | Price | Per Month Cost (60 month Contract) |
|---|---|---|
| Vivint Indoor Camera Pro | $249 | $4.17 |
| Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro | $399 | $6.67 |
| Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro | $249 | $4.17 |
Want to know more about what you get for these prices? Check out our complete Vivint review. And our guide to Vivint’s prices offers detailed pricing information.
| Monitoring Options | Professional only |
|---|---|
| Installation | Professional |
| Smart Platform Integration | Alexa and Google Home |
| Equipment Cost | From $599.99 |
| Monthly Monitoring Cost | From $24.99 |
| Contract Length | 48 to 60 months |
Frontpoint is not a household name, but they offer one of the most reliable systems in the business. They back that reliability up with great customer service. In fact, they regularly rank as one of the top systems for customer service. Frontpoint regularly takes the top spot on our annual top systems for customer service list. That customer service also regularly earns Frontpoint a spot on our list of the best overall home security systems. And, hey, lack of recognition can work in your favor, since companies like Frontpoint often work harder than other companies in order to get noticed. You reap the benefits.
Frontpoint cameras allow you to check live footage any time, or you can record clips to review later. Any time a camera picks up movement, you get an alert. Everything works through the Frontpoint app, and you can even use this to turn your system on and off. All the company’s cameras are wireless – indoor, outdoor, and the video doorbell – and all feature 1080p HD resolution and night vision.
A close-up of the Frontpoint Indoor Camera
We were particularly impressed with the outdoor model. The company doesn’t provide an IP number, but the camera is weatherproof and rated to temperatures below freezing. It can also capture images up to 49 feet away, which means you can see absolutely everything in and around your property. Last winter, it even helped us find the neighbor’s dog during a snowstorm. Out walking, visibility was near zero, and even calling the dog’s name didn’t help. When he showed up on our porch later in the evening, though, our camera sent us an immediate alert. We let him in, and got him safely home once the storm had passed.
FYI: The Slimline doorbell camera that Frontpoint offers is made by SkyBell. It features 1080 HD resolution, night vision, and a detection range of up to 8 feet. Check out our Skybell review to learn more.
Frontpoint still requires every customer to invest in a monitoring plan, but it recently rolled out some more affordable options. You can still opt for the Ultimate Monitoring plan, which includes full video features and 24/7 professional monitoring, for $49.99 per month.
For five dollars less each month, you can purchase the new Interactive Monitoring plan. It includes all the same features as the Ultimate Monitoring plan, with one exception. You don’t get access to live video or video analytics.
Pro Tip: One of the tricks the customer service team told us about was location-based arming reminders in the app. We admit it. Sometimes we forget to set the alarm. But now Frontpoint sends us a reminder notification once we’ve left the area. Then we just jump in the app and arm the system. We highly recommend enabling these alerts.
You can find out more about all of Frontpoint’s monitoring options by checking out our full review of Frontpoint.
Frontpoint’s equipment costs are relatively low. Don’t let the published retail prices scare you – the company is always running a sale, so you’ll never pay full price.At the moment, for example, you can get packages for up to 83 percent off the regular prices. You can save some money on installation as well, since all installation is DIY. Luckily, Frontpoint has streamlined the process so you really don’t need professional installers anyway. We managed to get our entire system up in under thirty minutes. With peel-and-stick options, it was place a sensor here, place a sensor there, then call Frontpoint to activate everything. Simple.
Here’s a breakdown of Frontpoint’s camera costs.
| Frontpoint Camera | Regular Price | Sale Price |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor Camera | $239.99 | $144 |
| Indoor Camera | $109.99 | $66 |
| Premium Floodlight Camera | $319.99 | $192 |
| Wired Doorbell Camera | $219.99 | $132 |
| Wireless Doorbell Camera | $319.99 | $192 |
Frontpoint’s monitoring prices are a different story. They only offer two plans that cost $44.99 or $49.99 per month. There’s also a self-monitoring plan for $14.99 per month. All of them are on the pricier side of the industry. Remember, you’re paying for that exceptional customer service and reliability. Plus, there’s no haggling over pricing based on your property size.
| Equipment Cost | Packages starting at $386.93 |
|---|---|
| Monitoring Options | Professional or DIY |
| Monitoring Cost | Starting at $14.99 per month |
| Contract Lengths | Monthly or 36 months |
| Installation Options | DIY |
| Smart Platform Integrations | Google Home, Alexa, and Siri |
We can’t talk about Alder’s security cameras without talking about Alder security systems. While these are top-tier cameras with crystal-clear HD video and tons of features, they’re even more astonishing when you integrate them into an entire system of Alder devices and connect them to a professional monitoring service that delivers some of the fastest response times in the industry.
The specs of Alder’s security cameras are impressive. Both indoor and outdoor models deliver a 120-degree field of view, 2K video clarity (that’s double the sharpness of standard 1080p), and full-color night vision up to 33 feet. The outdoor camera is IP66-rated, which in plain English means it’ll handle dust storms and torrential rain without breaking a sweat.
Alder Indoor Camera
The tech on the inside of these cameras is just as impressive. Two-way talk means we can communicate with loved ones or let delivery persons know they can leave the food by the door. We even use it to remind our cat to stay off the furniture. The indoor camera knows our cat well enough not to send us alerts every time he zooms through the kitchen. And the outdoor camera is just as smart, which means we don’t get alerts every time a car happens by. Detection zones help us further fine-tune what our cameras see, and we control everything with our voice.
Pro Tip: We recommend activating the “Silent Exit” feature. It won’t announce when you arm or disarm the system, which is great if you don’t want to wake the kids or your partner if you told them you were going to be home before 2 a.m.
Alder doesn’t offer self-monitoring, though – how many times do we have to say it? – that’s to your benefit. The real strength of Alder monitoring is that systems are 100 percent cellular. There’s nothing more reliable – you can be sure your system will protect you even if the Wi-Fi should go down. Alder claims lightning-fast 3.4-second response times, but in our real-world testing, it was closer to 20 to 25 seconds. Still excellent by industry standards – most companies hover around 30 seconds or more.
FYI: If we have a complaint about Alder, it’s that responses don’t give us quite enough time to cancel alerts when we make a mistake. Ultimately, though, we’ll take times that are too fast over times that are too slow any day.
Alder likes to keep most of its pricing information close to the vest. There’s a good excuse for this: the company prefers to customize every system to the individual homeowner, and so your bottom line is ultimately going to depend on your very particular security situation. Still, that approach makes it hard to talk about what you should expect to pay for an Alder package. We can’t even tell you what individual equipment pieces cost, since Alder doesn’t let you buy just one piece of equipment. Plus, Alder doesn’t charge separate equipment and monitoring fees. Instead, everything is figured into one bottom-line monthly price.
Here’s what we can share from experience. Pricing starts at $55 monthly. Add more cameras or sensors, and you’ll pay more. This all-in-one pricing can be appealing if you want professional monitoring without a big upfront cost. However, you’re locked into a 36-month minimum contract – that’s three years of commitment.
| Equipment cost | Packages starting at $360 |
|---|---|
| Monitoring options | Professional |
| Monitoring cost | Starting at $40 per month |
| Contract length | 36 months |
| Installation options | Professional or DIY |
| Smart platform integration | Alexa and Google Home |
Cameras offer practical benefits for security and beyond. Here are advantages to consider.
The Alder cameras we tested made by the company Yi
The data backs up these benefits. We conducted our own research into the advantages of security cameras. Here’s what we found:
From Anthony Travaglia, Retired Police Officer, Home Security Expert:
Home security cameras are your eyes when you can't be home. They allow you to see why your alarm was triggered, so you can make an informed decision on how to proceed. False alarms can cost you money and waste first responders' time. Other than remote viewing, many home security cameras also allow you two-way communication with the person on the other side of the camera, so it's like you're home even when you're not.
ADT’s Outdoor Camera surveilling the perimeter
We get it. Not everyone has rock-solid internet, and some folks prefer keeping their security system off the grid. The good news is you have options. Look for hardwired or PoE (Power over Ethernet) systems.
If you’re looking for cameras like this, we suggest targeting your search to one keyword: Hardwired. Like the best hardwired security systems, cameras that can be hardwired into your home ensure a smooth, reliable connection without the need for Wi-Fi.
Keep in mind, though, that installation is more difficult in these, which is why we typically don’t recommend cameras like this for DIYers.
You'll need to run cables from your recorder to each camera location – through walls, attics, or crawl spaces. Companies like Swann and Lorex make solid hardwired systems with impressive 4K resolution. However, unless you're handy with a drill and comfortable fishing cables through walls, you'll want a pro installer.
So, you’ll clearly have more work to do to get a hardwired camera online. But if this is the setup you’re after, we’re glad to see a few solid options out there. Here’s our roundup of the best wired security cameras available.
Crime is often the number one reason people choose to add cameras. But do they really work as an effective deterrent against burglaries, trespassing, and other property crimes?
Based on our research and experience, absolutely. Studies suggest that visible security cameras deter criminals in the area.1 After all, criminals don’t want to get caught and they know if they’re being recorded, they’re more likely to get caught.
While we can’t say security cameras will prevent break-ins 100 percent of the time, we will say this: When it comes to deterring crime, cameras are a solid and necessary tool for peace of mind and visual protection.
From Anthony Travaglia, Retired Police Officer, Home Security Expert:
“Cameras not only protect your home, but your neighbors homes’ and community/public property as well. Large field-of-view cameras can pick up criminals tampering with mailboxes, parked cars they want to steal, and all other public or community property that can be stolen or vandalized. Security cameras with a large field-of-view can help catch these criminals in the act.”
After years of testing these systems, here's our bottom line. Cameras are essential, but they work best as part of a complete security setup. Sensors are your early warning system, cameras are your eyes on the scene, and professional monitoring ties it all together.
If you’re looking for the best combination of home security cameras and systems, we recommend ADT. Their packages include Nest cameras, the most high-tech cameras on the market. In addition to top-of-the-line cameras, though, you also get the reliability of the ADT name and access to the very best professional monitoring plans.
ADT isn't for everyone. Maybe SimpliSafe's active monitoring appeals to you more. For others, Vivint's smart home integration stands out. Maybe Frontpoint's stellar customer service is your priority. The good news? Every system on this list will keep your home secure. It's just about finding the right fit for your needs and budget.
ScienceDirect. (2026 Jan 26). Keeping an eye on the villain: Assessing the impact of surveillance cameras on crime.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304387825001087
