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The Best Indoor Security Cameras for Keeping Your Home Safe and Sound
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Most people can agree that installing a home security system is a wise investment, but it can often be difficult to figure out where to start. There’s a ton of different gear out there, and the idea of setting up a large, multi-component setup full of cameras, alarms, and sensors can be daunting. If you want to start small, my recommendation is to get a really good smart indoor security camera, and build a larger system from there.
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At A Glance: The Best Indoor Security Cameras
Editor’s Pick: eufy Security Indoor Cam E220
Best Value: WYZE 1080p HD Cam v3
Best Arlo Option: Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight Camera
Best Ring Camera: Ring Indoor Cam
Best Battery Life: Blink Indoor
For Google Home Users: Google Nest Cam
Smart indoor security cameras are a good choice because they don’t have a lengthy, complicated setup process, or take up too much space. Set one up to face your front or back door, and you’ll be able to keep an eye on one of the most vulnerable parts of your house.
In This Article
What Are the Best Indoor Security Cameras?
Indoor Security Camera Buying Guide
What Are the Best Indoor Security Cameras?
We’ve made sure that the cameras we’re recommending can also be integrated into a larger security system, so you can get additional cameras, or other smart security equipment as your needs change. Additionally, we’ve created a guide for a complete home security system in case you want to go all-in at once.
EDITOR'S PICK
eufy Security Indoor Cam E220
The Indoor Cam Pan is Eufy’s latest indoor security camera, and it can capture videos that none of these other cameras can.
It sits on a rotating base, and can follow a moving object (everything from pets to burglars) around your room. By keeping a would-be thief in frame you’ll know exactly where they went, and have more footage to share with the police.
This is also the only camera to capture video in 2K (better than HD) resolution, so the video it records will look ultra sharp. Eufy says the camera’s infrared night mode can clearly show objects up to 32.8 feet away, too.
Eufy’s Indoor Cam Pan works with Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s HomeKit platforms. We’ve tested it using HomeKit, and it’s been easy to set up and manage. Rather than charging you for cloud storage, eufy provides two ways for you to store video clips from this camera.
The first is to pop in a MicroSD card, a one-time expense that will cost less than $20. If you’re an iCloud (Apple cloud storage) subscriber who pays for a 200GB storage plan, you can keep the Eufy Indoor Cam Pan’s video clips in the cloud for free.
Eugy’s Indoor Cam Pan is an excellent security camera whose ultra high resolution video recording, wide smart home integration, and very reasonable cloud storage options help set it apart in all the right ways.
GREAT VALUE
WYZE 1080p HD Cam v3
If you’re looking for a small, easy to set up smart indoor security camera, Wyze’s cube-shaped camera is an excellent choice. It can capture video at 1080P with a wide 110o field of view. Wyze says it’s substantially improved this camera’s night mode compared to the previous generation. Wyze has also upgraded the Wyze Cam’s outer casing, making it IP65 waterproof.
The camera starts out as a cube, but it can be lifted to reveal a stand, so you can adjust its height and angle. It also comes with an adhesive pad, which lets you stick the camera on a wall. I’ve used several Wyze Cams, and the setup is easy: pick a location for the camera, plug it in, and run through a quick setup process in Wyze’s app (iOS and Android).
Wyze is owned by Amazon, so this camera can be controlled by an Alexa-enabled device, like the Amazon Echo. You can also ask Alexa to display a live feed from the camera on an Echo with a display, or a television connected to a Fire TV. If you don’t own any of Amazon’s smart-home gadgets, you’ll still be able to view a live video feed from the camera on your phone.
This camera doesn’t require a subscription fee to store clips in the cloud, which is rare, but there are some limitations. Clips will only be available for 14 days (you can download them to your phone, and they’ll stay there forever), and can only last for 14 seconds.
You can get around these limitations by popping a MicroSD card into the Wyze Cam. Instead of saving clips in the cloud, it’ll save a continuous video feed to the card, so you can see everything that’s happened in your home at all times.
BEST ARLO CAMERA
Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight Camera
The Arlo Pro 4 has all the features you need in a good indoor security camera. You’ll get clear 2K HDR video and since this easy-to-install option connects directly to your WiFi, there’s no need for a smart hub.
Battery life lasts six months, and buyers will get three months of Arlo Secure included. With Arlo Secure you’ll get access to past video recordings, get smarter alerts with object detection and be able to adjust what notifications you wish to receive.
This indoor camera also supports color night vision, so you’ll be able to keep an eye on every nook and cranny of your home. There’s also two-way audio, in case you need to communicate with visitors in your space.
As for extra features, there’s even an in-built siren, which can be triggered automatically or manually through the Arlo app — scare away any potential intruders with the push of a button.
This indoor camera can also withstand extreme weather which means you can set this home security camera outdoor too. Plus, there’s compatibility with Alexa, Google Home, Smart Things and Apple Homekit, so you can seamlessly integrate it into your smart home.
BEST RING CAMERA
Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen)
Ring is best known for its video doorbell, but its smart indoor camera is a great choice for people who want to start their home security system.
The camera has a resolution of 1080P, night mode, two-way microphone (so you can talk to an intruder while a break-in is in progress), and a 115° horizontal and 60° vertical field of view.
Ring is also owned by Amazon, so it has all of the same smart-home features as Wyze’s cam, including the ability to arm and disarm it using Alexa, and getting a live stream on an Echo with a display, or TV connected to a Fire TV device. Its setup process is also identical: pick a location, plug the camera into a wall, and set it up using an app on your iOS or Android device.
Once it’s set up, you’ll receive notifications each time the camera sense motion. But, clips won’t be saved in the cloud if you don’t subscribe to Ring’s Protect Plan. The plan costs $3 per month, or $30 per year, and allows the camera to save video clips in the cloud for 60 days. Subscribers are able to review, download, and share video clips right from Ring’s app.
What makes Ring’s Indoor Cam stand out is that it’s one piece in a larger family of home security equipment Ring makes. If you start with this camera, you can add a full alarm system, outdoor camera, and video doorbell, and control the entire system through a single app. If you’re starting small, but have ambitions of building out a large home security system over time, this is a good choice.
BEST BATTERY LIFE
Blink Indoor (3rd Gen)
One of the biggest limitations that smart indoor security cameras have is that they need to be placed near an outlet for power, which limits where you can place it. Blink’s Indoor Cam runs on a pair of AA batteries, which frees you from this restriction, and the company says you can get up to two years per charge.
The camera has a resolution of 1080P, infrared night vision mode, two-way microphone system, temperature monitoring, and full integration with Amazon’s Echo and Fire TV devices. Once the batteries are inserted, the Indoor Cam has the same setup process as the other cameras on this list: download Blink’s app on iOS or Android, which will walk you through getting started.
Blink charges $3 per month or $30 per year for cloud storage for its basic plan, which includes 60 days of unlimited video history for one camera. Its plus plan costs $10 per month or $100 per year, and stores videos from an unlimited amount of Blink cameras for 60 days. You can avoid paying for cloud storage by getting Blink’s Sync 2 module, and plugging in a flash drive to store video clips locally.
Cloud limitations aside, if you want a smart indoor security camera you can place anywhere, and can be used outdoors, Blink’s Indoor Cam is your best option.
BEST FOR GOOGLE USERS
Google Nest Cam (Battery)
The Nest Cam is a must-have for Google Home users. It’s battery-powered so it’s easy to set up and offers Full HD video with HDR.
It’s got a 130-degree field of view and as well as black and white night vision, to keep an eye on your belongings after dark. This indoor security camera can even detect what triggered your motion zones, be it a person, animal or thing.
Feel free to view video footage up to three hours prior with your Nest Cam, but if you want to access older video clips make sure to opt-in for a Nest Aware subscription. With that, you’ll get video history up to 60 days depending on your plan as well as access to the Familiar Faces feature, which lets your home security camera intelligently identify who’s been in your space.
There are also other features like two-way audio, zoom-in options and a weatherproof design, allowing you to place this camera both indoors or in your backyard if you wish.
This indoor security camera was built with Google Home users in mind though, so it won’t work with Alexa or any other smart home assistant. If you are part of the Alexa ecosystem, feel free to pick one of the other indoor security cameras on our list.
Indoor Security Camera Buying Guide
There are many factors to consider when choosing the right smart indoor security camera for you; below are the most important ones, which we considered while we were researching this list.
Resolution: The most important technical spec of a smart indoor camera is its resolution. The higher the resolution, the clearer the picture. You’ll want the best-looking video possible in case of a break-in, because it’s the piece of evidence you’re going to review, and possibly turn over to the police. All of the cameras on this list capture video in HD (either 720P or 1080P), so you’ll get a very high quality recording of any suspicious activity.
Smart-home integration: All smart indoor security cameras have the ability to send you alerts when they sense motion, and get a live video feed to your smartphone, tablet, or computer at all times. But, many also integrate with smart-home platforms like Amazon’s Alexa, allowing you to arm or disarm the camera with just your voice.
Subscriptions: Some smart indoor security cameras require you to pay a monthly or annual subscription fee to store video clips in the cloud, so you can view them later. Video clips are taken each time the camera senses motion. You’ll always have the option to save a video clip to your phone if you catch the notification on your phone when motion is detected without paying the fee. A subscription allows you to review clips if you miss that notification.
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