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Spy on your pets. Look out for intruders. Yell at the kids. Security cameras have plenty of purposes, but which one is worth the money? Our Best Wireless Security Camera 2024 comparison will help you decide.
You will also want to keep an eye out for which cameras charge monthly fees for cloud storage. When you are setting up your own DIY system, there is no reason why you should have to pay fees for storage. Plenty of cameras offer local SD storage or generous free cloud storage.
As you'll notice below, some of these cameras are simple, while others come with advanced features you wouldn't expect, like sirens and air quality monitoring.
Wireless security cameras start around $25 for the basic wireless cameras—although even those come with motion detection alerts and night vision. If you’re willing to spend a little more, you can get advanced home monitoring cameras with sirens, weather updates, and plenty of other enticing features. Read our security camera comparison below for more details.
Best Wireless Security Camera 2024
Disclosure: All reviews and prices on this page are from Amazon.com. We use the Amazon API to display prices and reviews.
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It's a close call between these security cameras since they all have their own strong features. If we had to pick two favorite wireless security cameras, it's the Arlo Q and Wyze Cam. Both work with Alexa, offer generous free cloud storage, with continuous video recording 24/7 so you don't miss anything.
Wyze Cam is a better pick for your wallet, plus it offers local SD storage. However, the Wyze Cam does have a slightly cheaper build. Arlo offers more smart home compatibility, including IFTTT, SmartThings, and others.
Whether you go with Arlo Q, Wyze Cam, or one of the other security cameras listed above, there’s a good chance you will be pleased with your selection since all of these have high user ratings on Amazon.
Setup and Security
These security cameras are completely wireless. While they might plug into the wall, they don't require any hardwires for home monitoring—they connect wireless to your WiFi. This makes DIY set up a breeze. Just plug it in, download the app, and follow the steps to connect it to your WiFi network.
Sorting through wireless security cameras is usually a huge mess that takes hours, but buying an unknown camera is risky.
If you've heard about wireless security cameras on the news, it was probably a terrifying story about how they can be easily hacked. It's certainly no secret that these cameras are susceptible to their own security vulnerabilities, which is horrifying for parents, homeowners, and just about everyone. But strong camera brands have never been hacked due to their strong protection. Buying devices with superior security is essential, which is why we included rankings for each camera's security below.
Common Questions
It all depends on your preferences. If someone breaks into your home and takes the security camera, they will take the SD card with it, leaving you without the incriminating footage to turn over to the police. Storing videos in the cloud solves this issue since the videos are separate from the hardware.
But cloud storage has its own drawbacks. Many times, it isn't free, or only limited storage is included for free. Even if cloud storage is free, manufacturers can always change their mind and begin charging a monthly fee, with customers feeling trapped since they already bought the camera. Or if the company goes out of business, your camera might not save videos at all without the company servers.
The ideal option is a mix of both. Arlo (with the new base station), Wyze, and Netatmo all offer both options. However, if you prefer only cloud or SD card storage and your perfect camera just that option, it might not make a difference to pick the one that matches your preferences.
In our security camera comparison, we tried to list cameras with tight security standards. Technically, nothing is completely unhackable, and we don’t want to give you the idea that some cameras are entirely safe. The security of any camera depends heavily on your personal network and passwords; if someone can hack your router, then they have potential to access everything connected to it.
When researching these cameras, look for ones with ongoing third-party audits to ensure security, AES encryption, and other specific security measures. You can usually find these details on their website.
If the manufacturer makes it more difficult to find details about the security, so proceed at your own risk. Companies that don't prioritize security are more likely to have vulnerabilities.
While nothing is hack-proof (including your phone, printer, DVR, and laptop), many of the cameras above offer excellent security and have never had security compromises due to unsecured software. Follow our links above to the Amazon pages for each site to see how other users rate the product's security.