15 Best Home Security Cameras Without a Subscription, Lab-Tested and Reviewed
Cameras from Blink, Eufy, Reolink, and TP-Link store video locally, helping you avoid fees—and boost privacy
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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 companies 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 down by type (indoor, outdoor, floodlight, and doorbell) 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 sounds
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The unusual Eufy Indoor Cam S350 is a dual-camera model, meaning it has a 4K wide-angle camera and a 2K telephoto camera. The two cameras work together to give you detailed zoom abilities, with what Eufy claims is “8x hybrid zoom.” In our tests, this Eufy camera offers speedy response times and receives a strong score for video quality, data security, and smart features. Its only weak spot is lackluster data privacy; however, that’s par for the course with security cameras.
The Eufy Indoor Cam S350 must be plugged in for power and can store recordings locally on a microSD card (up to 128 gigabytes, sold separately). In addition to its dual cameras, this Eufy features motorized pan-and-tilt, person and pet detection, crying detection (if you choose to use it as a baby monitor), voice and app control for Amazon Alexa and Google Home, a privacy mode to point the camera away at a wall or ceiling, and support for WiFi 6 wireless routers.
For another option that performs similarly, see our test results for the Eufy Indoor Cam E30.
Smart alerts: People and pets
Optional storage subscription: No
The Reolink E1 Pro is an inexpensive pan-and-tilt security camera that performs well in our tests, receiving excellent scores for both daytime and nighttime video quality and response time, as well as very good scores for data security and its many smart features. Its only weak spot is data privacy, where it receives a subpar rating, but that’s a common issue with home security cameras. This wired camera features local storage on a microSD card (up to 256 gigabytes), 24/7 recording, people and pet detection, a siren, activity zones, and voice/app control via Amazon Alexa and Google Home. In addition to microSD card storage, this camera can store videos on Reolink network video recorders.
Smart alerts: People and loud noises (such as a baby crying)
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The TP-Link Kasa Smart Pan & Tilt KC410S 24/7 security camera offers stellar video quality (both during the day and at night) 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. It offers free local storage on a microSD card up to 512 GB (not included).
Smart alerts: People, animals, vehicles, and specific sounds
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The TP-Link Tapo C225 offers a lot of value, given its low sub-$50 price. It’s a motorized pan-and-tilt camera with local video storage on a microSD card (up to 512 gigabytes; not included) and a laundry list of features: person detection, animal detection, vehicle detection, sound detection (for crying babies, glass breaking, dogs barking, cats meowing), color night vision, activity zones, motion tracking where the camera moves to follow the subject it’s recording, a privacy mode that covers the camera, a built-in siren, and voice and app control via Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, and Google Home.
Are you still with me? In our tests, this wired TP-Link camera receives excellent scores for nighttime video quality, response time, and smart features, as well as strong scores for daytime video quality and data security. Its only drawback is its lackluster data privacy, but that’s quite common with security cameras.
For more great indoor options, consider the 4K pan-and-tilt TP-Link Tapo C260 and the 2K TP-Link Tapo C125, which features a physical privacy shutter.
Best Outdoor Security Cameras Without a Subscription
Smart alerts: People, animals, and vehicles
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The Reolink Lumus Pro is a compact 4K security camera. It receives excellent scores for daytime video quality, response time, and smart features, as well as very good scores for nighttime video quality and data security. Its one weak spot is data privacy, where it receives a subpar score. Its many features include activity zones, person detection, vehicle detection, animal detection, a siren, a spotlight, voice and app control via Amazon Alexa and Google Home, and free local video storage on a microSD card (up to 512 gigabytes; not included).
Smart alerts: People, pets, and 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 excellent scores for video quality (both during the day and at night), response time, and its many smart features. It also receives a very good score for data security, but a subpar score for data privacy. 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, and vehicles
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The TP-Link Tapo C420S2 performs well across the board in our tests for daytime video quality, nighttime video quality, response time, and smart features. It receives a very good score for data security, but a subpar score for data privacy (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 (up to 256-gigabytes) on a microSD card (not included).
For a similar single-camera solution, check out our test results for the TP-Link Tapo Wire-Free MagCam C425.
Smart alerts: People, pets, and vehicles
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The TP-Link Tapo C660 is one of the company’s newer 4K security cameras. In our tests, it receives excellent scores for daytime video quality, nighttime video quality, and its many smart features. It also receives very good scores for response time and data security, as well as a decent score for data privacy. This camera is packed with bells and whistles, including a built-in solar panel to keep it charged, pan-and-tilt functionality to change its field of view (handy for large properties and long driveways), activity zones, person detection, vehicle detection, pet detection, voice and app control via Amazon Alexa and Google Home, and free local video storage (up to a 512 gigabytes) on a microSD card (not included).
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 either a Blink Sync Module 2, $50, or Blink Sync Module XR+, $100. The former stores footage on a USB flash drive, while the latter stores footage on a microSD card (both support up to 256 gigabytes; sold separately). In our tests, this floodlight camera receives excellent scores for daytime and nighttime video quality, data security, and response time. 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 five 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 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 (both during the day and at night) and response times in CR’s tests. It also receives a very good score for data security and a decent score for data privacy. It has dual 2,000-lumen floodlights that automatically illuminate 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 or from those smart home apps.
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, vehicles, and animals
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The Reolink Elite Floodlight WiFi is a 4K dual-lens floodlight camera that allows you to have a 180-degree panoramic view of your property. In our tests, it receives excellent scores for response time and smart features, and very good scores for daytime video quality, nighttime video quality, and data security. Its only weak spot is data privacy, where it receives a subpar score. It has 3,000-lumen floodlights and features activity zones, person detection, vehicle detection, animal detection, a 105dB siren, voice and app control via Amazon Alexa and Google Home, and local AI video search. That last feature allows you to search through clips using natural phrases, such as "package delivery" or "kids coming home." It’s also impressive that this functionality is built into the cameras itself, as most manufacturers rely on cloud servers for it and require a monthly fee. The camera supports up to a 512-gigabyte microSD card for local video storage.
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 excellent nighttime video quality and response times. It also has very good data security, as well as decent daytime video quality and data privacy. It receives just a midlevel 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 desire 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 subscription 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. For a similar version of this doorbell that is less expensive and runs on battery power only, consider the Eufy Video Doorbell C30.
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 (up to 512 gigabytes, sold separately), AI object recognition (for people, vehicles, packages, and pets), activity zones, and color night vision. In our tests, it receives excellent scores for response time and smart features, very good scores for daytime video quality and data security, and a decent score for nighttime video quality. 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 only
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The TP-Link Tapo D205 is a new, less expensive model in the company’s ever-growing doorbell lineup. It claims to offer 2K video resolution, and it’s battery powered, but its smart alerts are less robust than other TP-Link models, as it offers person detection only. In our tests, it receives an excellent rating for response time, very good ratings for nighttime video quality and data security, and decent ratings for its daytime video quality, data privacy, and smart features. In addition to person detection, this doorbell offers activity zones, doorbell calls (to receive a phone call to talk to visitors when they ring the bell), pre-recorded messages for visitors, and voice and app control via Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings.
This doorbell can run on its internal rechargeable battery, but you have to remove it from its mount to charge it with a USB-C cable. It can also run off an AC wall plug or an optional solar panel accessory (not included). You can store video on a microSD card up to 512 GB (not included) or in the cloud with a Tapo Care subscription.
Smart alerts: Packages, people, and vehicles
Optional storage subscription: Yes
The TP-Link Tapo TD25 is a Best Buy exclusive version of the TP-Link Tapo D225 featuring a slightly higher-resolution camera sensor (5 megapixels vs. the D225’s 4 megapixels). It receives excellent scores for its quick response times for motion alerts and doorbell presses, and its robust set of smart features that are included without the need for a subscription. It also receives a very good score for data security, as well as decent scores for daytime and nighttime video quality and data privacy. Its features include a 180-degree field of view for head-to-toe video, AI object recognition (for people, packages, and vehicles), a built-in spotlight for color night vision, activity zones, and compatibility with Amazon Alexa and Google Home.
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 TD25 has a built-in rechargeable battery, but it can also be hardwired to doorbell wiring for continuous power and to enable 24/7 recording and 4-second preroll video (this shows you what happens before the doorbell detects motion). Depending on how you hardwire the doorbell, it can ring an existing doorbell chime, but you won’t be able to use the 24/7 recording feature. Your best option is to use the chime plug-in that comes with the doorbell instead.
For a more inexpensive alternative with similar performance in our lab tests, consider the TP-Link Tapo D225. And if you don’t plan to hardwire your doorbell, you can save even more with the TP-Link Tapo D210.
For even more doorbell options, see our guide to the best doorbell cameras without subscriptions.
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.
In 2024, 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.
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