Best Home Security Cameras Without a Subscription, Tested and Reviewed
You can avoid fees—and boost privacy—with cameras from Blink, Eufy, and TP-Link that store video locally
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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.
Best Indoor Security Cameras Without a Subscription
Smart alerts: People, pets, and loud noises (like a baby crying)
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The Eufy Indoor Cam C120 boasts a 2K camera sensor with very good video quality and an excellent response time. The budget-friendly indoor security camera supports night vision with customizable activity zones and has two-way audio, allowing you to remotely engage with family members or intruders. It scores very well in our data security tests, which means you should be relatively safe from hacks.
The C120 has a bevy of smart features, too, including AI-powered people and animal detection. It can even detect abnormal noise levels, such as when it hears someone crying, and will deliver a detailed notification about the event. The camera accepts microSD cards for local recordings and it works with the Eufy HomeBase S380 hub, $150, for storage on a hard drive (hub and hard drive sold separately). It also supports cloud backups for recordings with an optional monthly or annual subscription. You can control the C120 through your major smart home platform of choice, including Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple Home.
Smart alerts: People, pets, and loud noises (like a baby crying)
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The Eufy Indoor Cam E30 offers a more luxurious suite of features, including a 4K resolution camera that earns very good scores in our tests. It supports color night vision with an integrated spotlight to help with clarity. Its above-average score for smart features comes from a solid set of AI capabilities like people, pet, and sound detection, plus automated panning and tilting motors, allowing the E30 to track subjects around the scene. You can also sound a siren and engage in two-way audio communication. Like most Eufy home security cameras, you can view live footage and store clips using a microSD card for no additional charge, connect it to a Eufy HomeBase S380 hub for storage on a hard drive, or pay for optional cloud storage. It’s compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple Home.
Smart alerts: People and loud noises (like a baby crying)
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The TP-Link Kasa Smart Pan & Tilt KC410S 24/7 security camera offers stellar video quality and quickly sends alerts when motion is detected. This low-priced camera also earns a strong rating for data security and a midrange rating for data privacy in our tests. It features voice and app control via Amazon Alexa and Google Home, two-way audio, activity zones, person alerts, and alerts for loud noises.
Best Outdoor Security Cameras Without a Subscription
Smart alerts: People
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The Eufy Solo Cam S230 was built for the outdoors. The battery-powered camera uses a top-mounted solar panel for continuous operation and withstands the elements with IP65 water and dust protection. You can install the camera virtually anywhere on your property thanks to a simple snap-on mounting system. While it has basic AI detection with customizable zones, it earns a subpar score for smart features in CR’s tests.
The S230 sports a 2K camera sensor that offers top-notch recording quality with color night vision. It also has superb responsiveness, and the camera will automatically shine its 600-lumen spotlight when it detects movement. Consumer Reports gives it a strong score for data security, partly because it operates completely locally with on-device AI processing and 8 gigabytes of onboard encrypted storage, no cloud subscription required. That said, it only manages a below-average data privacy score. In addition to its built-in storage, you can store footage on a Eufy HomeBase S380 hub (hard drive sold separately), or pay for optional cloud storage.
Smart alerts: People, pets, vehicles
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The TP-Link Tapo C325WB is a wired security camera with low-light color night vision that TP-Link claims is better than what competitors offer. In our tests, it receives high scores for video quality, response time, and data security. Its features include activity zones, object recognition (for people, pets, and vehicles), two built-in spotlights, a siren, and voice/app control with Amazon Alexa and Google Home. The camera can store footage locally on a microSD card (up to 512 gigabytes; sold separately).
For a more budget-friendly version of this camera without color night vision, see our test results for the TP-Link Tapo C310 2K Outdoor.
Smart alerts: People, pets, vehicles
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The TP-Link Tapo C420S2 performs well across the board in our tests for video quality, response time, and data security. Its data privacy is subpar, but that’s a common problem with security cameras we’ve tested. This battery-powered two-camera kit features color night vision, activity zones, person detection, pet detection, vehicle detection, a built-in siren, voice/app control via Amazon Alexa and Google Home, and free local video storage on up to a 256-gigabyte microSD card.
Best Floodlight Cameras Without a Subscription
Smart alerts: None
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The Blink Wired Floodlight Cam is one of the newer entrants to the floodlight cam market. It’s able to store recordings locally without a subscription, but you have to buy a Blink Sync Module 2, $35, and plug in a USB flash drive (up to 256 gigabytes; sold separately). In our tests, this floodlight camera receives superb scores for data security and response time, as well as a very good score for video quality. It falls in the middle of the pack for data privacy, but its free smart features are subpar compared with the competition. Those features include a siren, activity zones, voice/app control via Amazon Alexa, and up to 5 minutes of continuous live streaming at one time.
For a battery-powered option, consider the Blink Outdoor 4 Floodlight Camera. It performs well in our tests, but also requires you to purchase a Blink Sync Module 2 for local video storage.
Smart alerts: People, vehicles
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The hardwired Eufy Floodlight Camera E30 offers very good overall performance, with outstanding video quality and response times in CR’s tests. It has dual 2,000-lumen floodlights that can shine automatically when movement is detected, plus a 105 dB siren to deter intruders and a two-way intercom to speak with visitors. This 2K camera scores very well in our tests for smart features, too. It’s equipped with AI-powered object detection for people and vehicles, customizable activity zones, and motorized pan and tilt to keep them in view. It’s also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Home, so you can control the camera with your voice.
The Eufy Floodlight Camera E30 gets a very good score for data security in our tests, but only a so-so result for data privacy. You can use up to a 128-gigabyte microSD card to store clips locally, or rely on paid cloud storage. If you add the optional HomeBase S380, you can expand local storage up to 16 terabytes, which you’ll want to consider if you plan to take advantage of its 24/7 continuous recording capability.
Smart alerts: People only
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The Eufy Floodlight Cam S330 is Eufy’s most expensive floodlight security camera, but not its most feature-rich. The S330 receives an excellent rating for response time and very good ratings for its video quality, data security, and smart features. It receives a midlevel rating for data privacy, which is common among security cameras we test. This camera features 8 gigabytes of local video storage, three individual floodlights, pan-and-tilt functionality, person detection, and the ability to lock onto and track subjects as they move around. If you want a less expensive version of this floodlight with two cameras, 24/7 local recording, and vehicle and pet detection, see our test results for the Eufy Floodlight Cam E340.
Best Doorbell Cameras Without a Subscription
Smart alerts: People only
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The Eufy Video Doorbell C31 is a solid, relatively inexpensive battery-powered video doorbell with a 2K resolution camera that has above-par video quality and excellent response times. It also has very good data security, but just so-so data privacy. It only musters a middling rating for smart features in CR’s tests, however, as it’s limited to basic person and motion detection.
The C31 features a quick-release battery that makes it easy to recharge, but hardwiring it to your existing doorbell wiring enables continuous power, 24/7 recording, and 5-second pre-roll footage from the moment someone approaches or rings the doorbell. The downside to enabling those features is that you’ll have to bypass your home’s existing chime, but you can pair it with Eufy’s add-on chime ($40) if you still need audible alerts throughout your home.
Once visitors ring the bell, you can get smartphone notifications that allow you to jump right into the live feed and greet visitors by voice, or trigger preset responses. The doorbell is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Home. You can store recordings entirely locally with up to a 128-gigabyte microSD card, no subscriptions required. The C31 supports Eufy’s Cloud Storage plans for online backups, but you can also get the optional HomeBase S380 add-on that supports up to 16 terabytes of local storage, which is especially nice if you have several Eufy security products.
Smart alerts: People, pets, packages, vehicles
Optional storage subscription: Yes
One of the smallest (and least expensive) doorbell cameras you can buy, the TP-Link Tapo D130 offers a bunch of features without a subscription. They include 24/7 recording with local video storage on a microSD card, AI object recognition (for people, vehicles, packages, and pets), activity zones, and color night vision. In our tests, it receives strong scores across the board, with high scores for response time and its many included smart features. Its only weak spot is data privacy, but that’s common among video doorbells. This TP-Link model requires low-voltage doorbell wiring for power, but it can’t ring your home’s existing doorbell chime. Instead, it comes with a wireless plug-in chime in the box.
Smart alerts: People, pets, packages, vehicles
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The TP-Link Tapo D225’s 2K camera has just passable video quality in our tests, but this wireless doorbell tops the charts for response times and smart features. It also has very good data security, and its middling data privacy is a bit stronger than even the higher-rated TP-Link Tapo D130.
TP-Link says the Tapo D225’s rechargeable 10,000mAh battery can last up to eight months per charge, but you can also hardwire it to use your existing chime and record footage 24/7. It has people, pet, package, and vehicle detection, plus an ultrawide 180-degree field of view that offers head-to-toe coverage. It even has a built-in spotlight with configurable brightness levels that enables color night vision. You can use a microSD card (up to 512 gigabytes) for local storage, or upgrade to Tapo Care Premium to store clips in the cloud for up to 30 days. The Tapo D225 works with both Amazon Alexa and Google Home.
For more doorbells that don’t require ongoing fees, see our roundup of the best video doorbell cameras without a subscription.
How CR Tests Home Security Cameras
Our test engineers conduct a variety of tests on home security cameras. These tests reveal video quality under daylight and nighttime lighting conditions, how long it takes for the camera to send smartphone alerts, and useful smart features like person detection. We also evaluate 70 factors related to privacy practices and data security to create data privacy and data security scores for each camera.
Last year, we updated our testing methodology to reflect changes in the technology.
Security cameras have become faster at loading videos and sending notifications since we started testing them in 2017. So we’ve adjusted our response-time test to reflect those improvements and push manufacturers to do even better. We no longer factor smart features that require a subscription into our smart features score. We also now place greater emphasis on our data security and response time tests to help you avoid purchasing a security camera that’s slower or more susceptible to security problems than its competitors.
For more information on our in-depth testing process, see our home security camera buying guide.
Correction: This article has been updated to address computational errors affecting several models in our home security camera ratings.
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