Best Home Security Cameras of 2021

Leaving home can be stressful if you're worried about what might happen when you're not there. Fortunately, a home security camera system can help address that issue by allowing you to keep an eye on your property and pets. Moreover, research indicates that many burglars will bypass a house if they see a security camera. And if someone does break in, having security camera footage can help expedite insurance claims and even help the police catch the perpetrator.

But like all electronic equipment, security cameras can be confusing and intimidating if you don't understand how they work and what features to look for. People in the market for a security camera might be wondering: What are the best security cameras? Do you need features like person detection, which can differentiate people from animals, and two-way talk, which allows you to talk to the person on camera? Where should security cameras be mounted? And what about reports of people hacking into them?

On this page, you can read about the Best Home Security Cameras of 2021 to help narrow down your search. We'll also explain how to decide if you need security cameras, how they work, and what features to look for.

To help protect your home, here are the Best Home Security Cameras of 2021:

#1 Arlo Pro 3
#2 Arlo Ultra
#3 Ring Indoor Cam
#4 Nest Cam Indoor
#5 Nest Cam Outdoor
#6 Arlo Pro 2
#7 Ring Stick Up Cam Plug In
#8 Nest Cam IQ Outdoor
#9 Nest Cam IQ Indoor

The Best Home Security Cameras of 2021

We've identified the Best Home Security Cameras of 2021 to help you find the cameras that are best for your situation. Read the descriptions below and follow the links for more information.

Arlo Pro 3: The Arlo Pro 3 can record and stream in 2K video with high-dynamic range (HDR) imaging, which shows better details of highlights and shadows. It features color night vision, a spotlight, 12 times magnification digital zoom, zooming and tracking capability, a wide field of view, and two-way audio. You'll pay extra for video storage.

Check out the top Arlo promo codes.

Arlo Ultra: The Arlo Ultra records in 4K video and HDR (with an Arlo Smart subscription), and the 12 times magnification zoom lens is great for seeing at close range. This camera has a 180-degree field of view – the widest currently available. Recording is motion-activated, and infrared night vision lets the camera see in the dark. Clear two-way audio is provided by two built-in microphones with noise cancellation. You should get three to six months of use before having to recharge the battery.

Check out the top Arlo promo codes.

Ring Indoor Cam: This camera is meant to stay indoors and must be plugged into a wall outlet. At $59.99, it's the cheapest camera in our ratings. Its 1080p (full high definition, or full HD) video quality will be good enough for many people. Night vision, a 140-degree diagonal field of view, recording activated by motion detection, and two-way talk round out the most important features.

Check out the top Ring discount codes.

Nest Cam Indoor: This is Nest's least expensive camera at $129.99. The base is magnetic, and it's smaller and lighter than the Nest Cam Indoor IQ. However, it has a lower-resolution 3-megapixel sensor and only an 8 times magnification digital zoom. The camera includes person detection if you purchase a Nest Aware subscription.

Check out the top Nest coupons.

Nest Cam Outdoor: The Nest Cam Outdoor ($199) is an outdoor camera that features many of the same specifications as the indoor camera. Moreover, dust, rain, snow, and temperatures between minus 4 and 113 degrees Fahrenheit won't bother the camera because it's weatherproof. The camera comes with 25 feet of weatherproof cable and an outdoor power adapter, which means it can be used entirely outside. (The Nest Cam IQ Outdoor has to be plugged in inside.) Familiar Face Alerts isn't included, but person detection is with a Nest Aware subscription.

Check out the top Nest coupons.

Arlo Pro 2: With this camera, you get seven days of free cloud storage, HD-quality video, a 130-degree field of view, and good quality two-way audio. Recording is activated by motion detection, and you can set recording to start when you leave the house with the geofencing feature. An optional solar panel and indoor-rated power cord are available as well. Arlo says the batteries should last four to six months before needing to be recharged.

Check out the top Arlo promo codes.

Ring Stick Up Cam Plug-In: This camera, which costs $99.99 and up, can be either an indoor camera or an outdoor camera. Motion detection, night vision, two-way audio, and up to 1080p full HD video with a 130-degree field of view complete the feature package. The Stick Up Cam can be placed on a shelf or table, or it can be mounted to a wall. The camera can be installed inside or outside.

Check out the top Ring discount codes.

Nest Cam IQ Outdoor: This is the most expensive Nest Cam at $399, but you get more features than the regular Nest Cam Outdoor. The IQ version of this outdoor camera can withstand temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit and features an 8-megapixel (4K) sensor with HDR imaging. It has three microphones like the Nest Cam IQ Indoor, which provide clearer audio for the two-way talk feature than cameras with just two microphones. The person detection feature is included for no additional cost. A Nest Aware subscription enables Familiar Face Alerts, which can learn people's faces and alert you when the camera sees someone you know. Plus, the camera can listen for specific sounds.

Check out the top Nest coupons.

Nest Cam IQ Indoor: The Nest Cam IQ Indoor ($299) has several hardware upgrades over the standard Nest Cam Indoor camera. In particular, the IQ version offers 4K video, a 12 times magnification digital zoom, and three separate microphones for enhanced two-way talk. Like the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor, the person detection feature is included. If you pay for a Nest Aware subscription, you get Familiar Face Alerts. The IQ Indoor camera can listen for specific sounds and has Google Assistant built in.

Check out the top Nest coupons.

Do I Need Home Security Cameras?

If you want a relatively inexpensive way to monitor your home, installing at least one security camera is a good option. Whether you install an indoor security camera, an outdoor security camera, or both, you'll be able to check in using your smartphone whenever you want and receive alerts when one of your cameras senses motion. Break-ins aren't the only worry; in a recent survey, 36% of Americans reported they had been a victim of package theft.

Good home security cameras can provide peace of mind. They also can provide evidence of a break-in for the police, as well as aid in prosecution. Moreover, potential burglars are often deterred from breaking in if they see a camera, according to Jeff Welch, a former corrections officer and founder of Grab The Axe Security Consulting LLC.

For complete home protection, experts agree that you need a home security system. But home security cameras by themselves might be preferable if you don’t want things like motion detection and the expense of professional monitoring.

How to Choose Home Security Cameras

When choosing home security cameras:

For more information, see How to Buy Home Security Cameras.

How Do Home Security Cameras Work?

A security camera system records video footage of your home and property that you can view on a smartphone, tablet, or computer from anywhere you have an internet connection. Motion-activated cameras only record when they detect motion, while others can record 24/7.

David VanWert, a home technology consultant and founder of VanWert Technology Design, says home security cameras provide peace of mind by deterring break-ins. They can also satisfy your curiosity about who recently came to the front door, and they can let you know if your child arrived home from school safely or if a package was delivered.

When it comes to security cameras, there are two main types: wired and wireless security cameras. Wireless security cameras store their footage on a cloud-based server, allowing you to view it on a mobile device. Many wireless security cameras still require a power cord, although some can run on rechargeable batteries.

Wired home security cameras transmit video over wires rather than Wi-Fi. With these cameras, video is stored on a digital video recorder (DVR) or a network video recorder (NVR). Wired home security cameras can use ethernet cables to connect to the internet.

You can buy home security cameras on their own and use them with your home Wi-Fi network, or you can purchase them as part of a complete home security system if the camera manufacturer sells one. Most home security cameras will only work with the manufacturer's own home security system, especially if it's professionally installed. Whether one company's DIY security cameras will work with another company's DIY home security system depends on whether the cameras and the security system are both compatible with a home automation system like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Even if they are compatible, getting all the equipment to work together could be complicated, and you wouldn't be able to get professional monitoring for your cameras. Click here for more about professionally installed vs. DIY home security systems, and here to learn more about professional monitoring.

For more information, see How Do Home Security Cameras Work.

What Should I Look For in a Home Security Camera?

When shopping for a home security camera system, look for these important features:

Learn More

For more information about home security cameras, see the following guides.

Methodology

The following describes our 360 approach to researching and analyzing home security cameras to provide guidance to prospective buyers.

1. We researched the brands and products people care most about.

U.S. News analyzed and compared publicly available internet search data to determine which brands of home security cameras consumers are most interested in. We found 26 Security Camera companies that stand out in terms of volume of searches and research among consumers. Once we identified these Home Security Camera brands, we analyzed consumer and professional reviews of each company’s individual products. We then narrowed the list down to the ten Best Security Cameras.

2. We created objective 360 Overall Ratings based on analysis of third-party reviews.

Our scoring methodology is based on a composite analysis of the ratings and reviews published by credible third-party professional and consumer review sources. The ratings are not based on the personal opinions, tests or experiences of U.S. News. To calculate the ratings:

(a) We compiled two types of third-party reviews and ratings:

· Professional Ratings and Reviews. Many independent home security camera industry sources have published their assessments of home security cameras on the web. We consider several of these third-party reviews to be reputable and well-researched. However, professional reviewers often make recommendations that contradict one another. Rather than relying on a single source, U.S. News believes consumers benefit most when these opinions and recommendations are all considered and analyzed with an objective, consensus-based methodology.

· Consumer Ratings and Reviews. U.S. News also reviewed published consumer ratings and reviews of home security cameras. Sources with a sufficient number of quality consumer reviews ratings were included in our scoring model.

***Please note that not all professional and consumer rating sources met our criteria for objectivity. Therefore, some sources were excluded from our model.

(b) We standardized the inputs to create a common scale.

The third-party review source data was collected in a variety of forms, including ratings, recommendations and accolades. Before including each third-party data point into our scoring equation, we had to standardize it so that it could be compared on an apples-to-apples basis with data points from other review sources. We used the scoring methodology described below to convert these systems to a comparable scale.

The 360 scoring process first converted each third-party rating into a common 0 to 5 scale. To balance the distribution of scores within each source’s scale, we used a standard deviation (or Z-Score) calculation to determine how each home security camera that a source rated was scored in comparison to the source’s mean score. We then used the Z-Score to create a standardized U.S. News score using the method outlined below:

(c) We calculated the 360 Overall Score based on a weighted-average model.

We assigned “source weights” to each source used in the consensus scoring model based on our assessment of how much the source is trusted and recognized by consumers and how much its published review process indicates that it is both comprehensive and editorially independent. The source weights are assigned on a 1-5 scale. Any source with an assigned weight less than 2 was excluded from the consensus scoring model.

Finally, we combined the converted third-party data points using a weighted average formula based on source weight. This formula calculated the consensus score for each home security camera, which we call the 360 Overall Rating.

All of the data used in our Home Security Cameras ratings were accurate as of April 17th, 2020.