Wireless security cameras have never been more affordable, with many highly rated models from our tests costing $100 or less. But that doesn’t factor in the recurring cost of cloud storage for the video captured by the cameras, which can easily cost as much as the camera itself for every year you subscribe.
Those costs, plus concerns about giving camera makers access to your video feed, can make it appealing to choose a security camera that can store video locally on a microSD card or built-in memory—no subscription required. Many of these cameras also offer an optional subscription, with video stored on company servers.
The main downside is that many of these cameras lack intelligent object recognition of people, animals, vehicles, packages, and faces. That’s because the object recognition often happens on a company’s servers rather than the camera itself. These features are one way companies try to entice consumers into paying for a subscription. But there are still plenty of security cameras without a subscription that will offer at least one of these intelligent features (usually person detection) for no extra charge.
Below, you’ll find the best security cameras from CR’s ratings that don’t require a subscription, broken out by type (indoor, outdoor, floodlight, and doorbell cameras), and listed in alphabetical order. We highlight which smart alerts each of these cameras provides, and whether they offer an optional subscription should you decide to store your video remotely. We also reveal how each camera fares in our tests for data privacy (how manufacturers collect, use, and share your data, including how transparent they are about this) and data security (whether the camera employs strong security measures to protect your data from outsiders).
For more options, check out our complete home security camera ratings for more than 100 models. And consult our comprehensive home security camera buying guide before you go shopping.
