Security Cameras

A wired camera rated by its listing for indoor or outdoor placement, with person, pet and vehicle detection and color-capable night vision. The listing states footage can be kept locally without a subscription, or in the cloud instead. That single choice is what separates a camera you can still review in a year from one you can only review while a plan is active.

• Listing states local storage works without a subscription
• Sorts motion into person, pet and vehicle
• Rated by the listing for outdoor mounting
• Color night view rather than gray-scale only

• Wired power means the mounting spot is decided by the outlet
• Local recording depends on a card you have to buy and check
• Detection labels are a filter for alerts, not proof of what happened

Best for A porch, side gate or driveway where you want the recording to survive without an active plan.

A weather-resistant camera for outdoor mounting, with live view, color night vision, two-way talk and motion alerts. It sits inside the Ring app alongside a doorbell, which is the practical reason most people pick it. Check the listing for what recorded video requires before you rely on it for anything other than live viewing.

• Weather resistant, so it can live on a wall or eave
• Two-way talk from the same app as a Ring doorbell
• Color night vision rather than gray-scale
• Live view without waiting for a motion clip

• Recorded video handling is tied to the plan the listing describes
• One more app account to keep signed in
• Outdoor placement means outdoor cabling or battery care

Best for A side path or driveway already covered by a Ring doorbell on the front.

An indoor camera on a motorized head that pans and tilts, with motion detection and tracking, two-way audio and night vision. The listing states storage can be local and subscription-free, with cloud as an option. Tracking is useful in a room where a fixed lens would only catch a shoulder leaving the frame.

• Pans and tilts to cover a whole room from one corner
• Listing states subscription-free local storage
• Two-way audio for talking to whoever is in the room
• Motion tracking keeps a moving subject in frame

• Indoor only, so it is no help at the door itself
• A motor is one more part that can fail
• Tracking can chase a pet and miss the doorway

Best for A hallway or living room where one camera has to cover several directions.

A small fixed indoor camera with motion detection, two-way audio, night vision and a built-in siren. Storage is cloud or SD card, and the listing states it works with Alexa and Google Home. The siren is a deterrent noise, not a security system, and it will not do anything a person cannot walk away from.

• Built-in siren adds a noise response to a motion alert
• SD card storage means footage can stay in the house
• Works with Alexa and Google Home, per the listing
• Small enough to sit on a shelf without dominating it

• Fixed lens, so aim has to be right the first time
• Indoor only
• A siren annoys, it does not stop anything

Best for A back room or landing where an audible response matters more than coverage.

A pan-and-tilt indoor camera with motion detection, two-way audio and night vision, storing to an SD card or the cloud. It covers the same ground as the other rotating indoor cameras here with a shorter feature list. If the room only needs one camera and you would rather aim it from the app than from a stepladder, that is the whole argument for it.

• Rotates, so one unit covers a whole room
• SD card storage keeps footage in the house
• Two-way audio built in
• Night vision for an unlit hallway

• Indoor only
• No siren
• Fewer detection categories than the 2K models here

Best for A spare room or nursery where wide coverage beats fine detail.

An indoor camera with a rotating head the listing describes as covering 360 degrees, plus HD video and two-way talk. Like the rest of the Ring cameras here it is easiest to justify when a Ring doorbell is already on the door. Full rotation means one placement decision instead of four.

• Listing states 360 degree pan coverage
• Two-way talk from the same app as a Ring doorbell
• One camera can replace two fixed ones in an open-plan room
• Aim can be changed from the app, not the ladder

• Indoor only
• Recorded video handling depends on the plan the listing describes
• Rotating cameras indoors make some households uncomfortable

Best for An open-plan ground floor where the doors are on opposite walls.

A plug-in indoor camera with HD video and nothing else to argue about. It is the smallest, plainest way to add a second viewpoint inside a house that already runs on the Ring app. Fixed lens, so decide the aim before you decide the shelf.

• Simple plug-in setup with no mounting decisions
• Sits in the same app as a Ring doorbell
• Small footprint on a shelf
• Nothing to configure beyond aim and alerts

• Fixed lens with no pan or tilt
• Indoor only
• Recorded video handling depends on the plan the listing describes

Best for A second indoor viewpoint at the back of the house.

A rotating indoor plug-in camera with HD video, two-way audio and motion detection, listed as working with Alexa. It is the least demanding way to get a movable indoor viewpoint. Check the listing for how recordings are kept before you count on reviewing anything later.

• Rotating head on a very small plug-in body
• Two-way audio built in
• Works with Alexa, per the listing
• Easy to move to a different room without tools

• Indoor only
• Recording handling depends on the plan the listing describes
• Small motor and small body means limited tilt range

Best for A rented room where nothing may be screwed to anything.