Are you looking for a new wifi home security camera? Which is the best? Nest or Arlo or Arlo Pro or Ring or Amazon Cam or a completely different home security system? If you’re looking for the best home security cameras, the choices can be overwhelming. What features do you need? What do you not need? Night vision? HD? Wireless? We’ll look at all the options and provide you with the best choices.
How to pick the best Home Security Cameras
The number one consideration when picking the best home security camera system is: how are you going to view the videos? Are you going to view them on a phone? A standalone TV? On an app on your Apple TV?
This will be one of the most important considerations in picking the right wifi security camera system for your home. More on that in a second…
The second most important consideration is how you want the videos stored. Do you want your videos stored in the cloud? Or on a local device? Most security cameras today store video in the cloud. However, I’ve reviewed a couple smart cameras that will do both.
Other things to consider: do you need to integrate with other services like Wink or Apple HomeKit?
Overall: Best Home Security Cameras
The overall best home security camera is the Netgear Arlo Pro 2.
Pros of Netgear Arlo Pro 2:
- Easy to use and set up.
- No WIRES! You can literally stick up the camera anywhere.
- Free cloud recording – 7 days for free without a monthly fee.
- Works with Wink has an Apple TV App
- HD Recording
- Siren Available
- Great Apps for Apple TV, iPhone/Android. Works with Wink.
Cons of Netgear Arlo Pro 2:
- No wires mean there are batteries to recharge. However, there are Solar and chargers if you want wires.
- Not the cheapest home security camera system you can buy.
The Arlo Pro 2 system is a great, overall home security camera system that will work for many businesses and homes alike. The easy setup, no monthly fees and great apps for iPhone/Android and other systems make this a great choice. As mentioned, the only downside is the price of the initial set up.
Best Beginner Home Security Camera
This should come as no surprise to you: but the best is the most popular wifi security camera, the Nest Cam.
Pros of the Nest Cam:
- Extremely easy to set up. I set one up in the kid’s playroom yesterday in literally less than 1 minute.
- Works with a wide range of products, from other Nest Products (like the Nest Thermostat) to Philips Hue.
- Easy to use. The Nest App does a great job of making it easy to use the camera on your phone. Better yet: if you already have a Nest Thermostat (or another Nest device), you don’t need to install another app.
- Reliable: Owned by Google, you don’t have the worry about them disappearing in the next couple months.
- Price: You can find great deals (like this one) on Nest Cameras for around $125-150/camera.
Cons of the Nest Cam:
- The monthly fee for recording can be very steep – around $10/month per camera. I wrote about the Best Nest Cam Alternatives.
- Some may not like the one app the rule all strategy – your Camera and Thermometer aren’t really related.
- Others may not like that that Nest is owned by Google. Google has shut down Smart Home Products before. Others may not like that Google has access to more of your life.
Overall, if you want a stable, supported home security camera system, you can’t beat Nest Cam.
Cheapest Best Home Security System for a Lot of Cameras
The Nest Cam and the Arlo cams are great security cameras. However, it gets really expensive if you need more than just a couple of security cameras for your home or office.
If you need a system of 4 or more security cameras, I recommend the Night Owl Security Camera System.
This particular Night Owl System, an 8 camera system, is about $349 (here’s where I’ve found the best deal). You may be wondering: why buy the Arlo when you only get 2 or 3 cameras for the same price? The answer: simplicity and compatibility. Here are more details on the pros and cons of a system like Night Own:
Night Owl Pros:
- The system is CHEAP, especially if you need a lot of cameras. There is a reason why, however.
- The system works well if you want to store video locally (not in the cloud) and you have a separate TV set up view the cameras.
- There is an iPhone Application, but it doesn’t have great reviews.
Night Owl Cons:
- The Night Owl system (and others like it) are more complicated and not as easy to use as Nest and Arlo.
- The video is stored locally (not in the cloud). You are at the mercy of the DVR being in your home AND having reliable internet if you want to access from outside the house.
- The user interface isn’t nearly as user-friendly as the other options on this list.
- Without massive workarounds, this product won’t work with systems like Wink or SmartThings.
What do you think? What do you think are the Best Home Security Cameras?