A lot of things need a membership, and you can probably name five or more services that take money out of your bank account each month. Perhaps security cameras are already on that list, but they don’t have to be. These are the top five security cameras that don’t require a continuous membership and provide exceptional performance along with their most useful features.
Compare the best fee-free security cameras
| Product | Best for | Price | Type | Video resolution | Local storage | Learn more |
| EufyCam 3 (2-cam kit) | Best overall | $549.99 (2-cam kit) | Indoor/outdoor wire-free, solar | 4K | 16GB + expand with 16TB hard drive | View On Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lorex 4K Spotlight | Best for microSD storage | $229.99 | Indoor/outdoor wired | 4K | 32GB SDcard + supports up to 256GB | View On Amazon |
| Nest Doorbell (battery) | Best fee-free video doorbell | $179.99 | Outdoor wired or battery | HD | N/A; 3 hours free cloud storage | View On Google Store |
| TP-Link Tapo C110 | Best for budgets | $29.99 | Indoor wired | 2K | Supports up to 256GB | View On Amazon |
| Reolink E1 Zoom | Best fee-free indoor camera | $79.99 | Indoor wired | 2K | N/A; 7 days free cloud storage | View On Amazon |
1. EufyCam 3: Best outdoor security camera without a subscription
We could easily fill this page with Eufy cameras, but instead we’re focusing on the EufyCam 3, which is the company’s current flagship camera. It is available as a 2, 3, or 4-camera set.
We adore its 4K video resolution, which appears gorgeous both during the day and at night.
The camera is superbly charged by built-in solar panels, which simplifies the process of determining the best spot to monitor your property.
The only product we are aware of that supports facial recognition as part of its smart motion detection features is EufyCam 3, which is free of charge on a monthly basis.
Because it has 16GB of storage out of the box and can easily hold a 16TB hard drive, the inventive HomeBase 3 is the unanticipated star of the show. Naturally, you
need to buy a compatible hard drive separately, but getting a high-capacity drive is more affordable than a similar microSD card.
The HomeBase 3 supports up to 16 cameras, including most of Eufy’s other camera models—more than enough to blanket your home with outstanding, fee-free video surveillance.
At $550, the EufyCam 3 is a big investment. Still, that price includes two cameras and the HomeBase 3, which cost close to $600 when purchased separately. It’s worth the expense if you can afford it, especially since you can supplement the pricier EufyCam 3 models with Eufy’s cheaper options.
Why Eufy made our list
Eufy’s security camera strategy is perfect for skipping a monthly fee: it makes outstanding standalone products when many manufacturers build security cameras to sell subscription plans. This fee-free mentality is evident when you see that Eufy’s paid cloud storage doesn’t unlock any additional features, like smart motion detection, rich notifications, or video recording. Essentially, Eufy’s cloud storage backs up your local storage.
2. Lorex 4K Spotlight: Best for microSD local storage
If you’re looking for a wired 4K spotlight camera with a microSD card slot, the Lorex 4K Spotlight is a great choice. Smart motion detection is another feature that helps arrange your records for convenient viewing. It still can’t match the EufyCam 3’s facial recognition capabilities.
The multicolor smart security lighting on the Lorex 4K Spotlight is one of its most amazing features. It can be programmed to operate in various camera settings, such alerting or greeting visitors. It’s also a terrific way to add some seasonal flair to your security cam.
Despite having fewer installation options than battery-powered cameras, the 4K Spotlight’s wired power source is a dependable method of keeping your camera operational during cold weather, when batteries may not function as well.
Why Lorex made our list
Lorex is notable as the only brand on this list that doesn’t offer a cloud storage plan. Fear not; you can still access Lorex cameras and video recordings from a mobile app. Additionally, Lorex is one of the only home security camera brands that include a microSD card with every camera—32GB in this case—and you dwon’t need a separate purchase to use your camera to its fullest.
But the best thing about Lorex is that its latest cameras support microSD cards up to 256GB. For comparison, many other brands top out at 128GB, cementing Lorex as the best option for folks using this storage option.
3. Nest Doorbell (battery): Best video doorbell without a subscription
Our selection of the top video doorbells is easily topped by the Nest Doorbell (battery), which offers consumers free access to Nest’s best-in-class smart motion detection and is incredibly simple to setup. We’re happy that the other smart detection features—for people, animals, parcels, and vehicles—all function without a subscription, even though the facial recognition tool still requires a monthly plan.
Why Google Nest made our list
Simply put, Google Nest offers the most effective smart motion detection features among home security cameras without subscription fees, only reserving facial recognition and hazard alarm detection for paid cloud storage plans. Nest is far and away the best camera brand to use with Google Home, and its Amazon Alexa compatibility is quite good.
While noteworthy, Nest didn’t make our list because of free cloud storage. The latest Google Nest cameras all include three hours of free cloud storage, which seems tiny but goes further than you’d think. Realistically, there’s a good chance that if you wait to save an important video immediately, you’ll remember when it’s too late, or it blends in with other clips in your video history.
4. TP-Link Tapo C110: Best fee-free security camera on a budget
The lowest priced indoor security camera with 2K video resolution is the TP-Link Tapo C110, which costs about $13 and $24 less than equivalent Wyze and Eufy models, respectively.
Like Lorex, it accepts microSD cards up to 256GB, although there isn’t a card included in the package.
We appreciate the Tapo app’s straightforward design, particularly the way it allows you to arrange cameras into a useful grid. Eufy and Nest do not offer simultaneous live viewing on numerous cameras, a functionality that the app does allow.
Person identification and baby crying notifications are available without a subscription, however Tapo’s premium Tapo Care service offers superior features.
We adore Tapo’s compatibility with Google Home and Alexa, which makes it an excellent choice for anybody building a smart home from the ground up—especially
Why TP-Link Tapo made our list
TP-Link has long produced some of the best smart home gear on the market, and our only regret is that we should’ve covered it sooner. Tapo is still a relative newcomer to the US market compared to Kasa, TP-Link’s other smart home label. Between TP-Link’s two smart home brands, Tapo is the clear winner for security camera selection, offering cameras for as little as $20, which is cheaper than Wyze.
As you’d expect from a budget camera brand, Tapo locks some features behind a paywall, including rich notifications and smart detection, which Tapo calls Smart Sort. Still, Tapo has a better no-fee approach than Wyze, which is a bit of a hassle without a subscription.
5. Reolink E1 Zoom: Best indoor camera without a subscription
The best-performing security camera on SafeWise is the Reolink E1 Zoom. Clearly. The E1 Zoom offers us the greatest degree of customization options of any security camera. Despite this, as we don’t yet have official rankings for indoor or pan-and-tilt cameras, the E1 Zoom often goes unnoticed in comparison to our other top choices. Additionally, Reolink Argus, which offers weatherproofing for more adaptable installation options, usually takes precedence over it.
Nevertheless, we adore the E1 Zoom for its superb optical zoom and video quality, which is the key to the crystal-clear visuals. The E1 Zoom competes with 4K monsters like Arlo and Eufy even at 2K resolution, yet it costs a fraction of the price.
To find out how the E1 Zoom stacks up against other Reolink cameras, see our review of Reolink cameras.
Why Reolink made our list
Reolink is a favorite among SafeWise reviewers because it produces some of the best video quality we’ve seen during testing. This brand isn’t perfect, but it balances the good and bad in a sweet spot without costing too much. Reolink tends to dominate our rankings in other categories, but the local storage options for its standalone wireless cameras lag behind those of Eufy and Lorex. However, Reolink’s multi-camera systems have storage capacities on par with what Lorex offers.
Aside from rich notifications, which show a photo preview with each motion alert on your phone, Reolink doesn’t lock any features behind a paywall. While Reolink’s cloud storage is great, it’s generally more expensive than other entries on our list. Reolink provides seven days of free cloud storage for a single camera, which is helpful for smaller homes.
i would like to use this type of cameras in my house , this is much useful blog !