Best Home Security Cameras to Keep Your Insurance Company on Side in 2023

Building up your security setup from scratch? Google's most recent refresh of its Nest lineup and Nest Aware subscription packages make them a better value and more competitive option when compared to rivals like Arlo and Ring. The battery-powered Nest Cam works indoors and outdoors because it’s weather-resistant, lasts up to three months between charges, attaches to the included simple magnetic mount, and has person, animal and vehicle detection that’s available without a subscription. Just need it for the indoors? There's a cheaper wired Nest Cam that you can grab for under 90 quid.

The camera records HD video, and if you’ve already got other bits of Google hardware or want something that’ll work with Google Assistant voice control, this is the one to go for. There is one main downside compared to its key rivals, and that’s night vision. Unlike models from Ring or Arlo, it doesn’t record night-time footage in colour, and it also doesn’t have a spotlight or siren.

Unlike some rivals, Google also made this model more useful if you don’t want to pay for the subscription. Key features used to be locked away, but now the camera records some local video (three hours of “event” history) and has image recognition features that you’d have to pay monthly for with other brands. If you want 60 days of video storage or 24/7 recording, that does require Nest Aware at £5 per month.

If you're after an affordable indoor camera to keep an eye on your living space, Ring's wired model is a good starting point. It’s got a small form factor (tiny enough to fit within an ordinary soft drink can), it captures reliable HD video quality and has a 110db siren. It runs on mains power, works with Alexa, and has two-way talk.

It’s available in black or white to blend in with its surroundings, but it’s worth noting that the included cable is just under two metres so it won’t be long enough to put on top of a cabinet or bookshelf.

The Indoor Cams’s £49 price tag makes it a budget-friendly option, but you’ll want to factor in that ongoing Ring Protect fee at £2.50 per month. The camera comes with a 30-day trial to get you started and, while you can use it without subscribing, you’ll need to pay if you want to access videos for a month. If the limitation of mains power is an issue, Ring also makes the versatile Ring Stick Up Cam Battery, which works indoors or outdoors, and costs £89.

After a high-end camera with top features? The Arlo Pro 4 has all the most premium specs like colour night vision, a bright light, a siren and an automatic zoom.

It’s capable of detecting and differentiating between people and animals and has a smooth zoom-in to any motion it spots. It includes a motion-activated spotlight too, it also has a long-lasting battery life – Arlo says it can go for up to six months between charges – and it should recharge in two-and-a-half hours.

However, it’s an expensive model – and that's before you've reckoned with the ongoing subscription of at least £2.79 a month for a single camera (it costs more for multiple). Certain headline features aren’t usable without paying, including cloud storage, 2K replay, facial recognition, interactive notifications and object detection.

It’s galling that many of the best models (here’s looking at you, Arlo) need an additional subscription in order to make the most of them. Those costs could add up. If you want to keep your system affordable, it’s worth looking at Eufy’s cameras – they all work well without extra fees.

The 2C is weatherproof, works indoors and outdoors, has a long-lasting six-month battery, and built-in 16GB EMMC digital storage for a generous year’s worth of HD clips (and you can view the clips via an app too). Eufy models aren’t the cheapest, but once you’ve factored in the lack of ongoing cost, just £230 for two HD cameras and a base station is not bad. It’s £90 for each extra camera, and you could hook up a Eufy video doorbell or smart alarm to the system without any subscription costs too.

The cameras also connect to Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple’s HomeKit, so they can be integrated into your existing setup. Using smart features may deplete the battery a bit faster, though.

This one’s worth picking if you’re just wanting to try out a wifi security camera without spending all that much – it tends to RRP at £30, but is often discounted to under £20. This model is tiny too, with the camera itself being about as small as its wall plug.

The Blink Mini records HD clips and has motion detection both during the day and at night, notifying you via its smartphone app. We think this one’s ideal if you need to keep an eye on a pet, for example, or if you just want something to point out of your front window to keep an eye on your driveway.

If you just need to use live view and get motion alerts, you’ll probably be alright without paying for cloud storage. The camera does come with a free trial, though; and once that ends you need to pick between the “Basic” plan (£2.50 per month) or the “Plus” plan (£8 per month for multiple cameras). There is also an option for local storage via the Blink Sync Module 2.

Like the Eufy 2C kit, this is another model that doesn’t have any hidden fees or ongoing costs. We think it’s ideal for home security beginners who don’t want to be stuck in a contract. The key difference between this and the 2C is that it connects straight to your wifi without the hub. That’s great if you can’t find room at home for the base station that the eufyCam 2C requires, as the 8GB of local storage is built into the camera itself.

It’s a 1080p HD camera with 120 days of battery life – it’s weatherproof too and has a ​​90dB siren, a bright spotlight and colour night vision. Eufy says the storage will be enough for at least two months of footage, which is decent while not quite as much as the eufyCam models. You’ll have noticed that the promised battery life is also less than the six months you can get out of the eufyCam.

The SoloCam has on-device AI too, so it’ll only alert you if it detects a person. This is helpful if, like us, you don’t want to be bothered by false alerts caused by trees blowing around in a gust of wind.

Surrounded by Apple gear at home? If you’ve already got an iPhone, pay for iCloud storage, or have an Apple TV, we’d suggest you pick up a security camera that plays well with Apple kit. Our pick works with “HomeKit Secure Video”, a privacy-focused storage option.

The Eve Cam records in HD quality, has infrared motion sensing and comes with a magnetic stand. There are some downsides, this one is only for indoor use and records in black and white at night. However, you can use it without having to get a separate app or a new account – the whole thing can be set up within Apple’s Home app.

HomeKit Secure Video is worth it for Apple fans, as it encrypts and analyses videos on your home hub device (an Apple TV, iPad or HomePod) and uploads them to iCloud. If you’re already paying for any extra iCloud storage, you can see the last 10 days of activity and this won’t count against your storage limit. Apple’s AI also adds in the ability to set activity zones, and to detect people, vehicles, animals and package deliveries.

Like the sound of the Arlo Pro 4, but wondering if there’s an even higher resolution option out there? There is – and the Ultra 2 is the absolute top of the range, with 4K HDR video recording that exceeds everything else on the market. It has the same colour night vision, microphone, speaker, spotlight, siren, motion detection and AI features as the Arlo Pro 4, just with far higher quality.

The Ultra also has a wider 180-degree viewing angle, guarantees a six-month battery life and comes with a magnetic mount, too. It’s the brand’s only camera that requires its SmartHub to work though, connecting to your home wifi and syncing up multiple devices at once. It also enables local backup storage with a microSD card. Essentially, you can’t just buy the £314.99 camera alone, you’ll need to pick up a kit like the two-camera system for £629.99 as this includes the required hub.

Like every Arlo camera, though, the Ultra 2 is hobbled without the subscription. You’ll likely find yourself paying to get access to those crisp 4K videos in the cloud. But, to view clips in full resolution and across multiple cameras, you’ll have to go for the £12.99 “Secure Plus” plan that gives you an extended warranty too.

If you’re not too bothered about market-leading video quality and simply want HD and Arlo’s smarts, the Essential model is a good buy. This one delivers 1080p video quality; it won’t impress quite as much as the Pro’s 2K or Ultra’s 4 but matches many of the rival options and should be more than good enough for most people. The lower “per-camera” cost also makes the Essential worth considering if you’re setting up a system of multiple cameras.

The main difference is that lower resolution and a narrower 130-degree field of view, and the Essential lacks the Pro’s clever auto-zoom feature. Both cameras connect straight to wifi, work with Alexa, Google and HomeKit and have night vision, a bright spotlight and a siren. When it comes to motion detection and alerts, they’re just as capable: both can identify people, vehicles, animals and packages, so you know more about what the camera has seen when you get notified.

Arlo’s cameras are much less useful without the monthly subscription, so we’d recommend the Essential for anyone factoring that extra ongoing fee into their budget too. If you want AI-driven motion alerts, 30 days of cloud-based storage or continuous recording, you’ll have to pick one of Arlo’s packages.

If you really can’t be bothered with changing the batteries on your security camera, you’ll want to pick either (or both) of these Blink cameras. Both the indoor and the outdoor models claim to have a massive two-year life using just two AA batteries – longer than any of the other devices out there.

These models are also more basic than some rivals though. While they still offer HD quality, it’s grainier than expected and it isn’t the best for night footage. On the plus side, these have got a sleek minimalist look and affordable price tags (£69.99 for the indoor, and £89.99 for the outdoor).

When it comes to storage, you’ll be relying on cloud storage to access your video clips. It comes with a free trial and once it ends, you can pick either the “Basic” plan (£2.50 per month) or the “Plus” plan (£8 per month). There is also an option for local storage via the Blink Sync Module 2.

If you’ve got valuables in your shed or you want to monitor a wide driveway, it might be worth looking at a camera with a floodlight. A few models on our list include a spotlight, but ones with a floodlight will be brighter and a better way for scaring burglars off your property.

This Arlo can run on a battery or wired mains power via the included weatherproof cable. It has bright lights that you can turn on manually or set to automatically trigger when it detects motion. It also offers 2K HDR video quality, colour night vision, a wide field of view and a loud 80db siren.

The camera can identify whether any movement was caused by a person, animal, vehicle or another source – but as with all the other Arlo cameras, these AI powers are part of the subscription. The Pro 3 Floodlight comes with a three-month trial. After that period, if you want to keep videos for 30 days in the cloud and use the clever detection features, you’ll need to pay for one of Arlo’s service plans (which start at £2.79 a month for a single camera).

While the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight gives you a light bright enough for full-colour recording at night and AI detection features, you won’t be getting all of the smart extras without paying that ongoing subscription. Luckily, there’s an option made by Eufy that, with a higher upfront cost, gives you a floodlight as bright as the Arlo’s, 2K video resolution and intelligent auto-tracking to recognise and follow people moving around within the frame.

What sets this apart from other floodlight cameras is that it’s able to rotate 360-degrees horizontally and 130-degrees vertically, which enables it to lock onto subjects it detects and follow them. However, it’s a wired installation only, and it won’t recognise animals or vehicles. The video storage is built-in, like on other models from the brand, and Eufy says it’s enough for about 32 days’ worth of footage (at a rate of 30 one-minute video clips per day).