You want your home to be secure, but you also don’t have thousands or even hundreds of dollars to spend on a security camera. At the same time, you don’t want to sacrifice your family’s security just because of your wallet. Well, I’m here to tell you that you can have it all. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of the best, most affordable security cameras around- nothing on this list costs more than $120!
My recommendations are the Tend Lynx Secure Indoor Camera, the Blink Indoor camera, the Amazon Cloud Cam, and the Canary All-In-One. Let’s jump in!
Tend Lynx Secure Indoor Camera
At only $59.99, you can’t get much cheaper than the Tend Secure Lynx. But don’t let the amazing price fool you. This camera comes equipped with 1080p HD video, a field of view of 120 degrees, two-way audio, and even facial recognition. That’s right, this camera can tell the difference between familiar faces and not-so-familiar faces, so you’ll received smart, specific notifications.
A negative of the camera, on the other hand, is its lack of local storage. I usually prefer having both cloud and local storage so I can back my footage up, but I am happy to see that Tend gives you a week of cloud storage on the house. The camera also loses points for its total lack of smart platform integrations. If you have Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, you won’t be able vocally command the Tend Secure. But for under $60, this is still a fantastic deal.
To learn more, check out our review on the Tend Secure Lynx Indoor Camera.
Blink Indoor Camera
Blink, one of Amazon’s latest security company purchases, makes a great indoor camera for only $99. Unlike the Tend Lynx, the Blink Indoor has both cloud and local storage available, completely free! Unfortunately, you only get two hours of cloud storage, but I’m happy with the fact that they offer both.
Smart home integration-wise, the camera integrates with both Amazon Alexa and Google Home. The major drawback here is that you can only use voice commands to arm or disarm your entire system, not specific cameras. One cool but slightly random feature is the camera’s built-in temperature sensors. At least it saves you the trouble of having to buy a thermometer!
When it comes to video, the Blink Indoor isn’t quite up to snuff with its competition. It only has 720p HD, way lower than the industry standard of 1080p HD. In the same vein, the camera cannot zoom and only has a field of view of 110 degrees. Similarly, its night vision disappoints, and there’s no two-way audio or artificial intelligence features.
Despite its many shortcomings, I do feel that the Blink Indoor is a quality, affordable camera option, and setup could not be easier, which is always a plus.
Want to learn more? Read our review of the Blink Indoor Camera.
Amazon Cloud Cam
Amazon is really gunning for the home security camera market. At $119.99, the Amazon Cloud Cam is their latest indoor camera, and it has some amazing qualities. With 1080p HD video, the ability to zoom in eight times, and a field of view of 120 degrees, this camera’s video is definitely giving you the bang for your buck. It also has awesome night vision powered by eight infrared LED lights, and two-way audio. Not surprisingly, the camera integrates with Amazon Alexa, but not Google Assistant or IFTTT.
Everything has its negatives, and the Amazon Cloud Cam is no exception. You can only get person detection or cloud storage over 24 hours through a paid monthly subscription. If you want more cloud storage, person detection, or activity zones, you’ll need to invest in a subscription plan, detailed below.
The prices are not ridiculous, as you can see, but of course, you can decide whether or not you want to pay the monthly fee. Unfortunately, the Cloud Cam does not offer any local storage.
For more information, look at our review of the Amazon Cloud Cam.
Canary All-In-One
Finally, I want to tell you about the Canary All-In-One, only $119. This camera is one of the better ones on the market, regardless of price. First of all, it has 1080p HD video, the ability to zoom in three times, and a whopping 147 degree field of view! The night vision is even better, with 12 infrared LED sensors. The camera also integrates with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, so you’ve got some nice flexibility there. Aside from that, the camera comes with a 90-decibel siren built in, about as loud as a lawn mower.
Another really cool feature of the camera is HomeHealth technology. Believe it or not, this little camera also monitors your home’s climate, measuring temperature, air quality, and humidity. This is a super rare feature in a camera, one that I haven’t seen anywhere else, and I love that I get so many extra benefits with the All-In-One.
Of course, you can stop there, but if you’re willing to pay an extra $9.99 a month or $99 a year, you’ll unlock some great features. The monthly subscription includes two-way audio, local storage, 30 days of cloud storage, person detection, activity zones, and a safety button to contact emergency services. You’ll also receive a two-year warranty, adding on an extra year to the warranty that comes with the camera on its own. Plus, you’ll have access to incident support services, meaning a team of professionals who can help you in case of an emergency.
While I’m disappointed that the camera does not come with person detection or two-way audio, I’m impressed with the security monitoring features available in the monthly subscription. Plus, the camera itself is of the utmost quality and reasonably priced.
For even more info, read our Canary All-In-One review.
Recap
That about concludes my take on the most affordable security cameras! Let’s recap.
The Tend Lynx Secure Indoor Camera might be a good choice for you if you’re looking for:
- 1080p HD video
- A field of view of 120 degrees
- Clear, infrared night vision
- Two-way audio
- A week of free cloud storage
- Facial recognition
- Motion detection
- Price under $60
However, if you definitely want a camera that integrates into your smart home ecosystem, the Tend Lynx is not for you.
The Blink Indoor Camera’s advantages include:
- Both cloud and local storage
- A built-in temperature sensor
- Price under $100
- Can arm/ disarm system with Amazon Alexa or Google Home
However, the camera lacks when it comes to video, night vision, audio, and artificial intelligence.
The Amazon Cloud Cam has a lot of great features, like:
- 1080p HD video
- Field of zoom of eight times
- Field of view of 120 degrees
- Great night vision through eight infrared LED lights
- Two-way audio
- Integration with Amazon Alexa
- Price under $120
However, I’m not thrilled with the Cloud Cam’s lack of local storage, or the fact that they only give you 24 hours of free cloud storage. I’m also not happy that person detection isn’t included.
Finally, there’s the Canary All-In-One, a fantastic indoor camera with:
- 1080p HD video
- Field of zoom of three times
- Field of view of 147 degrees
- Fantastic night vision with 12 infrared LED lights
- Integrations with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
- 90-decibel siren
- Built-in climate monitoring
- Price under $120
I’m not super excited about the fact that you need a monthly membership to get any local storage at all, or more than 24 hours of cloud storage. I’m also disappointed that two-way audio and person detection are not included with the camera.
Let us know if you have any additional comments or questions about the most affordable security cameras around.
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