Lorex is a popular choice for buyers who want to stay off the cloud and away from subscriptions.
What’s the best subscription-free home security camera?
Our experts have spent over 150 hours testing multiple kinds of indoor and outdoor security cams, including dozens of cameras that don’t require those annoyingly common subscription fees: Our top pick for a no-fee camera that still does everything is the Eufy Indoor Cam S350. From close-in zooming to human and pet detection, this home security cam has an excellent assortment of features with a focus on local storage and zero subscriptions.
Eufy’s cam is an indoor-only model, but don’t worry if you’ve got grounds to keep watch over. We’ve also picked top options for outdoor and floodlight cams, as well as budget models to save even more money — all offering key features like video storage without the need for a cam subscription, which usually starts at $5 to $10 per month. If you’ve got saving money on your mind, take a minute to stop by our guide to the best cheap home security systems and budget video doorbells too.
The best home security cameras without subscriptions
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Eufy’s pan/tilt/zoom camera is a complete package for a useful indoor camera.
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Like
- Dual-cam design with sharp image
- Pan/tilt/zoom
- People/pet detection and tracking
- Local storage options
Don’t like
- Local storage costs extra
- Wired only
- Eufy’s app is a little janky
Eufy’s pan/tilt/zoom dual-cam model can see anywhere, and with the right vantage point it can cover multiple doors or areas in a home, all at an excellent 4K resolution for the wide-angle lens and 2K resolution for the telephoto lens. It also has 32-foot night vision and the ability to recognize people or pets and quietly follow them — and it’s surprisingly small for these features, so you can easily find room on a shelf. And it’s one of the few security cameras currently offering compatibility with Apple HomeKit as well, making it an ideal pick for Apple users (and less ideal if you prefer Alexa or Google Assistant).
Eufy also nabs the top spot on our list for its subscription policies: You don’t need one. Nothing significant is locked behind ongoing fees unless you really want cloud storage, and the cam comes with a slot for a microSD card (purchase the size of your choice) to add local storage.
You also have the option of adding a HomeBase S380 hub if you prefer more storage, better AI capabilities and other useful features, still without any necessary subscription. The one downside to Eufy’s cam is that the Eufy app is a little janky and may time patience to learn, but that’s a minor tradeoff.
