Both have a 130-degree viewing angle, an integrated spotlight, and color night vision. Arlo Essential Indoor Camera, which comes in 1080p ($40) and 2K-resolution ($80) versions.

It includes built-in storage and supports paid cloud storage and HomeKit Secure Video. Aqara Camera E1, a 2K pan-and-tilt camera with AI person detection, tracking capabilities, and support for Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.(Eufy is $10/month for up to 10 cameras Nest starts at $8/month for unlimited cameras.) But the base plan is 50¢ more per month than our top pick ($3.50/month per camera), and if you plan to use more than two cameras, it’s actually the most expensive subscription of all our picks. There is a cloud plan available, which adds notifications with thumbnails and storage for up to 30 days (you can access it anywhere, even if there’s a power outage). Similar to the Eufy, when recording in continuous mode, the Tapo C110 will still notify you when there’s motion, isolate that motion as a clip, and allow you to download those, as needed. It records motion-triggered video clips up to three minutes long, or you can opt for 24/7 continuous recording (though you’ll fill up your card fast).

And like our top pick, you can reasonably use it without having to sign up for a subscription plan because you can save videos to a microSD card. At about $25, the C110 is the least expensive of our picks. It’s cheap to buy, and free (or cheap) to use. For example, you can trigger lights or thermostats when the camera detects motion.

Smart-home integration: Smart-home compatibility allows you to link your camera to other smart devices.

Local storage, in which video recordings are stored on a microSD card, is also an option for some devices, but using a card means your recordings won’t be accessible if you lose power-or if the card is stolen.

Storage: We limit our testing to cameras that rely on cloud storage.

For it to work properly, every person in the home (including kids) needs to have the app installed and geofencing enabled on their phone.

Geofencing: This feature automates motion detection when you leave or return to a predetermined area (usually your home).

Alerts: All cameras offer motion alerts, but some can alert you when people and pets are present, trigger based on sound, and even distinguish between, say, a smoke detector and a baby crying.

Two-way talk: A microphone and speaker allow you to inform intruders that responders are on the way or tell your dog to get off the couch while you’re at work.

Most standard models have viewing angles ranging from 105 to 180 degrees. We prefer a stationary camera that can be positioned to capture a wider area.

Wide-angle lens: Although pan-and-tilt cameras can provide a far wider view of a given space and may even have great video quality, in testing several different models, we’ve found that all of them regularly got stuck, resulting in missed action.

Video quality: You’ll find a few 2K and 4K cameras, but a 1080p resolution is usually enough, as it offers sharp video that streams well over a standard Wi-Fi network.

Remote surveillance camera recorder