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The Best Indoor Security Camera

By Rachel Cericola
Updated
Our three picks for best indoor security camera, displayed next to each other in front of a yellow background.
Photo: Marki Williams

It’s said you can’t put a price on peace of mind. Well, we’re doing it anyway—and it’s pretty reasonable.

An indoor security camera lets you keep tabs on the things at home that matter most, whether that’s your kids, your pets, or your prized vinyl collection.

We recommend the Eufy Indoor Cam C120, which is typically available for $35. It provides sharp 2K video, has four options for video storage, distinguishes between people and pets, and even detects the sound of crying. If you want to integrate it with other smart devices, it includes support for Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit.

Everything we recommend

Our pick

This camera offers a sharp image, four choices for video storage, and a continuous recording option, and it can distinguish between different motions and sounds.

Buying Options

$43 $30 from Amazon

You save $13 (30%)

Runner-up

This 2K-resolution camera can produce detailed images and is less expensive than our other picks, but it doesn't include pet detection, and the cost to run multiple cameras is high.

Buying Options

$23 $20 from Amazon

(select colors)

Upgrade pick

This 1080p camera distinguishes among various types of motion and has both free and paid cloud storage. The latter adds in face recognition and options for 24/7 recording.

Things to consider


  • Storage options

    Although storing video in the camera is a nice option, we prefer cameras that save footage to the cloud, which is more secure.

  • Add 2FA

    Check under app settings to enable two-factor authentication (2FA), which restricts unauthorized access to your camera and recordings.

  • Other people’s privacy

    Using cameras should be a household decision, which may include babysitters, housekeepers, and tradespeople, depending on local laws.

  • Specific alerts

    All cameras respond to movement, but some can distinguish among people, pets, and passing vehicles.

Our pick

This camera offers a sharp image, four choices for video storage, and a continuous recording option, and it can distinguish between different motions and sounds.

Buying Options

$43 $30 from Amazon

You save $13 (30%)

Compatible with: Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home

The Eufy Indoor Cam C120 captures stellar video day and night, has a decent 125-degree field of view, and distinguishes between different types of movement and sound, such as people, pets, or a crying baby. It also has more storage options than our other two picks. One limitation is that if you intend to make use of its 2K video resolution, you’ll need to have all motion-only triggered recordings go to a microSD card. If you use other storage options, such as capturing 24/7 video to a microSD card, a networked hard drive (NAS device), or cloud storage via a paid subscription to Eufy Cloud or Apple HomeKit Secure Video, your video is downgraded to a lower-resolution (though still sharp) 1080p.

Runner-up

This 2K-resolution camera can produce detailed images and is less expensive than our other picks, but it doesn't include pet detection, and the cost to run multiple cameras is high.

Buying Options

$23 $20 from Amazon

(select colors)

Compatible with: Amazon Alexa, Google Home, IFTTT, SmartThings

The TP-Link Tapo C110 is the least expensive indoor camera we recommend. The hardware is less than our other picks (about $25), and the camera has options to store video footage locally to a microSD card, whether you want to capture just motion events or continuous motion 24/7. However, cloud storage for the Tapo C110 is a bit more expensive than that of our top pick ($3.50 per month per camera), so if you opt for anything beyond a single camera, the cloud plan could potentially get costly. The C110 is the only one of our picks that doesn’t have the ability to identify pets, but it can tag people, as well as detect crying.

Upgrade pick

This 1080p camera distinguishes among various types of motion and has both free and paid cloud storage. The latter adds in face recognition and options for 24/7 recording.

Compatible with: Amazon Alexa, Google Home

The Google Nest Cam (Indoor, Wired) is built for the long haul—and longer, more advanced recordings. It captures the longest clips of our picks (up to five minutes), it can record 24/7 to the cloud (a subscription is required), and it can distinguish among people, pets, and vehicles. Unlike our other picks, it doesn’t have a microSD card slot or provide any other way to store recordings locally at home, but it’s also the only model that offers limited free cloud storage of recordings, though for just three hours after they’re captured. Nest also has the most cost-effective subscription pricing for owners of multiple cameras, starting at $8 per month for unlimited cameras—and signing up for a sub adds facial recognition.

I first started testing smart-home devices more than 20 years ago, when the only smart-home devices were X10. I’ve been covering smart-home gear for Wirecutter since 2016 and have had my hands on everything from in-wall light switches, smart LED bulbs, and water-leak sensors to smart video doorbells, in-wall smart outlets, and security systems. I’ve also contributed to The New York Times, Wired, and Men’s Health, among others.

A standalone Wi-Fi camera can offer peace of mind, allowing you to know when the kids come home from school, keep an eye on what your pets are doing, discover who’s been hitting the liquor cabinet, or learn if a trespasser has entered your home.

Note: We don’t recommend using security cameras as baby monitors. Unlike purpose-built baby monitors, which allow you to view a live video and audio stream, indoor cameras tend to time out after a few minutes, which defeats the purpose.

Although the cameras we review in this guide do provide a basic level of security, they aren’t intended as a replacement for a full home security system, which includes door and window sensors, motion sensors, smoke detectors, and other security-specific accessories.

The use of security cameras raises important privacy issues for anyone who enters your home, be they guests, family members, or even people who live there. During our testing, we read the privacy policies for our picks, which spelled out how the companies collect data, why they collect it, and what they do with it. We specifically looked for policies that strayed from what we consider to be standard in the category. There are some common important points that everyone should understand. For instance, most camera companies say that, in certain circumstances, they will cooperate with police requests to view your camera footage—and may even do so without your permission.

On a less theoretical level, having a smart camera inside your home allows you to spy on and record the activities of others—without their consent or knowledge. Thus, installing an indoor security camera presents important ethical concerns, and in some locales it may be a legal concern, as well. If you plan to install an indoor security camera, the feelings and expectations of those in your household should always be part of the decision. Things to discuss and consider include where you choose to place the camera, when it’s in use, and who has access to the video. Visitors to your home, like babysitters, housekeepers, and even tradespeople, may need to be advised that you have a camera, depending on local laws. Ultimately, deciding which camera is best for you may depend on how conspicuous you want it to be and what you want it to record.

Thirteen security cameras we tested side by side.
Photo: Rachel Cericola

We’ve been testing indoor cameras for years. Although many models use PoE (power over Ethernet), we consider only those cameras that operate over Wi-Fi without the need for a networked video recorder. We also look for models that meet the following criteria:

  • Video quality: You’ll find a few 2K and 4K cameras, but a 1080p resolution is usually enough, as it offers sharp video that streams well over a standard Wi-Fi network.
  • Wide-angle lens: Although pan-and-tilt cameras can provide a far wider view of a given space and may even have great video quality, in testing several different models, we’ve found that all of them regularly got stuck, resulting in missed action. We prefer a stationary camera that can be positioned to capture a wider area. Most standard models have viewing angles ranging from 105 to 180 degrees.
  • Two-way talk: A microphone and speaker allow you to inform intruders that responders are on the way or tell your dog to get off the couch while you’re at work.
  • Alerts: All cameras offer motion alerts, but some can alert you when people and pets are present, trigger based on sound, and even distinguish between, say, a smoke detector and a baby crying.
  • Geofencing: This feature automates motion detection when you leave or return to a predetermined area (usually your home). For it to work properly, every person in the home (including kids) needs to have the app installed and geofencing enabled on their phone.
  • Storage: We limit our testing to cameras that rely on cloud storage. Local storage, in which video recordings are stored on a microSD card, is also an option for some devices, but using a card means your recordings won’t be accessible if you lose power—or if the card is stolen.
  • Smart-home integration: Smart-home compatibility allows you to link your camera to other smart devices. For example, you can trigger lights or thermostats when the camera detects motion.

To test indoor security cameras, I connected each one to a gigabit Verizon Fios network via a Wi-Fi router and the Asus ZenWiFi AX (XT8), our upgrade pick for mesh-networking kits. We used an iPhone 12, a Google Pixel 7 Pro, and an iPad to review the cameras and their companion apps, as well as an Amazon Echo Show 5, an Apple TV, and a Google Nest Hub.

Once we narrowed down our candidates, we reviewed privacy policies, sent questions to each company regarding privacy and security practices, and connected them to Firewalla Purple SE, a firewall device that monitors devices on a network and reports which are sending out data and to what country. We also monitor the practices of each company, review issues that come up in the news, and keep tabs on how each company responds to those incidents.

Our pick for best indoor security camera overall, the Eufy Indoor Cam C120, in front of a yellow background.
Photo: Marki Williams

Our pick

This camera offers a sharp image, four choices for video storage, and a continuous recording option, and it can distinguish between different motions and sounds.

Buying Options

$43 $30 from Amazon

You save $13 (30%)

Compatible with: Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home

The Eufy Indoor Cam C120 is everything you’d want in an indoor security camera. It records clear 2K video day and night, and it has the ability to tell the differences among general motion, people, pets, and even the sound of crying. And it’s just $35. It’s also the only camera we’ve tested that offers three ways to store video: internally on a microSD card (not included), to network-attached storage (NAS), or in the cloud, with either a Eufy Cloud subscription ($3/month or $30/year) or Apple HomeKit Secure Video (or HSV, a free video-storage service that comes with some paid iCloud plans; see Apple’s site for more info). Although Eufy downgrades all of your 24/7, NAS, and cloud recordings to 1080p resolution, we found that video remains detailed.

The back of the Eufy Indoor Cam C120.
Photo: Marki Williams

Pick your favorite storage option. The C120 provides several modes for recording and storing video. The only way to get full 2K-quality video (2304×1296 resolution) is to have it record motion-triggered clips to a microSD card. You can instead opt for continuous 24/7 recording to a microSD card, or motion-triggered recordings to a network-attached storage device via RTSP, as well as cloud recording through paid plans to Eufy ($3/month or $30/year for one camera) or HomeKit Secure Video (starting at $1/month for one camera). But all of those options require reducing the video resolution (see Flaws but not dealbreakers).

It can catch all different types of action—and respond to them. With or without a paid subscription, the C120 can distinguish among a human, a pet, and general motion triggers. It can also detect crying, which we tested using YouTube clips of teary people and babies—and it worked without fail. Another notable feature is Pet Command, which triggers the camera to play an audio clip whenever it detects a pet wandering into a designated activity zone. For instance, you can highlight the couch in the app so that if your pet jumps on it, the camera will announce in a robotic voice, “Hey, what are you doing there?” You can also record a customized response (“Pumpkin, stop scratching the carpet, you evil hellcat!”).

The Eufy C120 can store video in multiple places, including a microSD card and a NAS, as well as cloud storage through Eufy or Apple iCloud. Video: Rachel Cericola

Eufy has had security issues. After a 2022 incident, Eufy announced that the company had fixed issues with its web portal. Aside from correcting issues on its end, we noticed new protocols during our most recent round of testing. First, to access video on the website, you will need to enable Web Portal Access in the Eufy Security app under the Control Center. This allows you to generate a PIN that is good from anywhere between one and 24 hours. If you want to use web access beyond that amount of time, you will need to generate a new PIN.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Video quality may not be 2K. Although the C120 is technically a 2K camera, it only records in a 2K resolution when saving clips to a microSD card. If you use a NAS hard drive, or rely on Eufy’s cloud plan or HomeKit Secure Video, all of your files will be converted to 1080p. It’s still very sharp video, but not the 2K you may be expecting.

We are monitoring privacy and security. As part of the same November 2022 incident mentioned above, a Eufy spokesperson confirmed that the company uses an AWS-based cloud server to deliver push notifications with a thumbnail preview image, meaning that even if you opt for local storage, that content will pass through the cloud. Eufy has changed language in its app to be more clear, but thumbnail-enhanced smartphone alerts are an option that can be turned off by going into your camera’s settings, clicking Notification, and choosing an option for how you want to receive those notifications.

Our pick for best indoor security camera that is heftier, records longer clips and offers free cloud storage, the wired Google Nest Cam.
Photo: Marki Williams

Upgrade pick

This 1080p camera distinguishes among various types of motion and has both free and paid cloud storage. The latter adds in face recognition and options for 24/7 recording.

Compatible with: Amazon Alexa, Google Home

The Google Nest Cam (Indoor, Wired) looks more graceful than our other picks, and more importantly, it feels far more substantial and rugged—it looks like it could survive not only a fall but maybe a drop-kick, too. It’s also able to record longer clips, it offers free but limited cloud storage (see below), and with a subscription it can record 24/7 nonstop to the cloud. Once you add together the cost of the Nest Cam itself and the cost of a subscription plan, it’s definitely pricier than our other picks if you’re buying only one camera, especially since it is able to record only 1080p resolution (versus the 2K of the other cameras) and doesn’t have any built-in storage.

The most action in one clip. The Google Nest records the longest clips of all of our picks—up to five minutes—though it will record only as long as it detects motion. By comparison, the Tapo maxes out at three minutes, and the Eufy at two. All three cameras will create a new clip immediately after hitting their clip limit, so long as motion continues. (Tapo was the only model to consistently leave a four-second gap between clips, which the company says is so the clips won’t “overlap.”)

The most cost-effective option for multiple camera users. If you want to store recordings beyond a limited time (see below), you’ll need to subscribe to Nest Aware. The $8 monthly subscription may seem steep, but it covers an unlimited number of cameras. For comparison, the Eufy cloud plan is $3/month for one camera and $10/month for up to 10 cameras, and Tapo Care costs $10.50/month for three cameras or $12/month for up to 10.

The back of the wired, indoor Google Nest Cam.
Photo: Marki Williams

It’s all about the cloud. The Nest doesn’t offer any type of local recording option, but it’s the only one of our picks that offers free cloud storage—although it will store clips for only three hours after they’re captured. If that doesn’t suit your needs, and you’d like to store and access clips for a longer time frame, you’ll need to pony up for a Nest Aware subscription, which starts at $8/month.

The Google Nest Cam is the only one of our picks that provides free (but limited) cloud storage. Video: Rachel Cericola

That Nest Aware subscription adds great features. Paying for Nest Aware not only allows you to save clips for 30 days (or 60, if you opt for Nest Aware Plus) but also adds in face recognition, so you’ll know which kid is coming home from school. We found it worked pretty well, as long as the camera gets a good look at the subject. Nest Aware will also monitor for sounds of glass breaking, as well as smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

We tested a number of indoor security cameras that we didn’t prefer as much as our current picks but that are still good choices if they meet your particular needs. Note that we do not long-term test these models (as we do our top picks).

If you’re a Roku user: The Roku Indoor Camera SE provides a clear image and easy controls, and it has a platform that allows you to view Roku cameras on your Roku TV or streaming box. Though these cameras are made by Wyze (note that we no longer recommend Wyze devices), the app is managed by Roku. We prefer our top pick’s storage options, though Roku does offer local storage and a cloud plan for $4 per month (per camera) or $40 per year.

If you’re all in with Arlo: The Arlo Essential Indoor Security Camera delivers great 1080p video and alerts that can distinguish among people, pets, vehicles, and general motion. However, we found our picks to be more economical, and a newer Arlo camera is coming soon.

If you’re all in with Apple HomeKit Secure Video: The Aqara Camera Hub G2H Pro produces a great picture, plus it’s compact and inexpensive. It doubles as a Zigbee hub so you can connect other Aqara devices (like our sensor picks). It’s also compatible with HomeKit Secure Video—however, as with other HSV cameras, we encountered issues with the service when using this camera. Still, if you’re interested in creating a setup with HSV or Aqara, this is a good little camera. If not, we think our other picks would be better.

If you’re all in with Ring: The Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen) provides a clear 1080p image, person detection, and a removable privacy cover, which you can manually swivel to cover the camera while you’re at home. It is, however, typically more expensive than our top two picks, and it works only with Alexa.

We have paused all testing and recommendations of Wyze devices due to security concerns. For a full explanation, see this article.

We understand the appeal of pan-and-tilt cameras, which are able to scan an entire room and follow moving objects. However, we’ve reviewed several models—the Aqara Camera Hub G3, the Eufy Indoor Cam E220, the TP-Link Kasa Spot Pan Tilt (KC410S), and the TP-Link Tapo C210—and have yet to find one we’d recommend. Although many of these are perfectly decent cameras, each of them had mechanical issues and would regularly get stuck at different angles, resulting in missed action even when that action was happening right in front of the camera.

The Logitech Circle View and the Eve Cam both work with Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video, which we’ve had a lot of issues with. We love how secure the service is, but it consistently misses obvious movement that should trigger a recording—sometimes for hours or even days at a time.

Both the WiZ Indoor Camera and the TP-Link Kasa KC400 record sharp video, but we think our top picks offer a better user experience for a similar (or cheaper) price. We also dismissed the Abode Cam 2, the Blink Indoor, the Blink Mini, the Ecobee SmartCamera, GE’s Cync Indoor Smart Camera, the Kami Mini, and TP-Link’s Kasa Cam (KC120), due to missed motion triggers and overall concerns with performance.

The Canary Pro and Canary View are big and costly, and they don’t perform as well as our picks. Due to performance issues, we also tested and dismissed the Netatmo Smart Indoor Camera and the Honeywell Lyric C2 Wi-Fi Security Camera.

We’re planning to test the following indoor cameras:

  • Aqara Camera E1, a 2K pan-and-tilt camera with AI person detection, tracking capabilities, and support for Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2. It includes built-in storage and supports paid cloud storage and HomeKit Secure Video.
  • Arlo Essential Indoor Camera, which comes in 1080p ($40) and 2K-resolution ($80) versions. Both have a 130-degree viewing angle, an integrated spotlight, and color night vision.
  • Blink Mini 2, a $40 plug-in 1080p indoor/outdoor camera. It has a 143-degree field of view, a built-in LED spotlight for color night vision, privacy and activity zones, and person detection—but the latter is only available with the Blink subscription plan, which starts at $3 per month. The Blink Weather Resistant Power Adapter can be purchased for an extra $10.
  • Merkury Smart Indoor Camera, a $20, 1080p-camera that can record locally to a microSD card or to the cloud if you pay for a subscription.
  • Philips Hue Secure Camera, a 1080p indoor/outdoor camera with the option to add blackout zones and end-to-end encryption by default. Three versions are available: wired, battery operated, or a desktop model.
  • TP-Link Tapo C120, a 2K indoor/outdoor security camera that can detect people, pets, vehicles, and crying. It offers both local storage via a microSD card and cloud storage subscription (starting at $3.50 per month), and has two spotlights for color night vision.
  • TP-Link Tapo C125, a 2K camera with a physical privacy shutter and AI detection for people, pets, vehicles, and sounds. It’s compatible with Alexa, Google Home, and Apple Home.
  • TP-Link Tapo C220, a pan-and-tilt 4MP indoor camera that utilizes AI for specialized notifications of pets and people, and can detect crying. The C220 also features a privacy shield that covers the lens. It supports Alexa and Google Home.
  • TP-Link Tapo TC73, a 2K pan-and-tilt Wi-Fi camera that has AI smart motion tracking, color night vision, a privacy shield, and support for Alexa, Apple Home, and Google Home.

This article was edited by Jon Chase and Grant Clauser.

Meet your guide

Rachel Cericola

Rachel Cericola is a senior staff writer at Wirecutter who has been covering smart-home technology since the days of X10. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Wired, Men’s Health, USA Today, and others. She hopes her neighbors read this bio because it would explain why she always has four video doorbells running simultaneously outside her home. 

Further reading

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