Buying Guides for Security Cameras

Finding the right security camera for your specific needs is no easy task. Is 4K resolution worth the premium price? What other factors impact the image quality besides resolution? And do you need any extra features besides just a live video feed?

We get it: figuring it all out can be a monumental task. We’ve tested over 100 different models, so you don’t have to, but that still means you have to wade through lots and lots of buying guides if you want to digest it all. That’s why we created this meta-guide that teaches how to pick the right camera for you. By the end you’ll have all the information you need to simplify your search.

What to Know About Pricing

We all care about the bottom line. Even when it comes to protecting our family, we have to take our personal budget into account. Price matters.

Figuring out the bottom line is more difficult than it should be with security cameras. Of course, there’s the price of the camera itself. But, most providers also require a subscription to store your footage and unlock advanced features.

Upfront Costs vs. Monthly Costs

Our Reolink Argus 3 offerd a convenient MicroSD card slot behind a cover to keep its water resistance.

There are a dozen different ways to structure your security camera purchase. Do you want to pay one price upfront for the equipment, or break it down into a monthly subscription for storage and usage? Do you want to pay a lot now and a little later, half now and half later, or nothing now and everything later?

In fact, it sometimes seems like every brand has its own model for pricing. And while choice can be a good thing, it makes comparing options more difficult.

For instance, we like cameras with local storage options. That way we can still store footage if we run out of money in our monthly budget for cloud storage fees. As a result, we’re fans of Lorex, a company that offers cameras with local and cloud storage options.

Local storage for cameras comes with a few extra upfront costs like SD cards or NVR/DVR systems. The biggest drawback, though, is that most companies only offering local storage don’t offer professional monitoring, which we always recommend.

Wyze SD Cards

Alternatively, you can opt for cameras with cloud storage subscriptions. That allows you to access your stored footage from anywhere. The downside is that virtually every company that offers cloud storage charges a monthly fee of about $10 per month on average.

You’ll also find that several companies bundle services and charge a single rate. SimpliSafe, for example, offers a subscription that includes 24/7 professional monitoring, access to all of their cameras’ advanced features, and cloud storage. You can also finance your equipment with SimpliSafe to roll your equipment costs into your monthly fee.

Canary Packaging

Of course, the number of cameras you need also impacts your bottom line. More cameras means more money. Some companies help you offset this by offering bundle discounts for their cameras. For example, Lorex offers almost 50 percent off per camera for their largest packages with up to 32 cameras.

Here’s the thing. Purchasing equipment is one component in a larger process. You’ve also got to consider what monitoring adds to your bill. Let’s turn to that next.

Do You Need Professional Monitoring?

Our answer to this question is always a resounding yes. Without professional monitoring, you need to be ready to respond to alerts 24/7 whether you’re out on a movie date or sound asleep on Sunday night. And let’s face it, even if you’re fully committed to the security of your home, you probably don’t want that level of commitment.

We also understand that all of us operate under some budget constraints. If you can’t afford professional monitoring, self-monitored security cameras are still better than no security at all. In those cases, we recommend opting for a provider that offers no-contract monitoring so you can subscribe when you need it like during vacations and then cancel when you get back.

In the end, both professional and self-monitoring can be effective. As with so much else, it really depends on your specific situation. But, you need to carefully think through all the options before you make your final decisions.

Police Officer checking up on us thanks to Cove Monitoring

For more on that interesting experience, head over to our hands-on Cove security system review. But in the meantime, we’ll say this: Cove happens to have one of the least expensive monthly monitoring fees in this biz. So if you are interested in professional monitoring, a Cove kit might be the way to go. Clearly, it does work! Other great options for whole home security include Ring Alarm, SimpliSafe, and Frontpoint.

Our Final Thoughts

Before mounting our Blink Outdoor 4 above our garage, we had to pair it to the Blink Sync Module 2

Our goal with this guide is to get you thinking about your home security. Sure, you can go into a Best Buy and buy a home security camera right off the shelf. Take it home, hook it up, and call yourself safe. And you will be safe, sort of. If you want the best security, though, at the best value, you have to put a little thought into the process. You have to know your own home security needs. You have to know what every camera offers. You have to do the math and decide which one offers what you need.

That’s a lot, but you can do it. Home security is a crucial element to any home these days. Cameras provide safety. Cameras provide convenience.

And hey, you’re not doing this alone. We’re on your side and ready to do what we can to make the buying process a little easier. We’re always adding new pages on new devices that show up on the market. We’re constantly revising our existing pages to provide you with all the latest details on all the equipment out there. And we’re always posting new guides like these to help elevate your home security IQ. Only you know what’s best for you, but you can count on us to keep doing all we can to help you figure out just what that is.