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Vivint
Customer Reviews
Excellent
Contract Required
No
Lowest Monthly Fees
$29.99
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These days, there are a slew of indoor security cameras to choose from, but navigating the path to finding the right one for you can be difficult. Fortunately, we’ve taken the time to review some of the more popular brands on the market and rated them to make your decision easier.
The picture quality of indoor security cameras won’t vary much from brand to brand, but the radius, as well as how much video it captures, will differ between brands. Often, consumers can get stuck with data bills they didn’t anticipate or worse yet, not sign up for data storage and miss any footage they might need following an incident.
We ranked our top choices for indoor security cameras based on factors like pricing, customer rating, color options, video resolution, field of view, night vision, audio and warranty.
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Customer Reviews
Excellent
Contract Required
No
Lowest Monthly Fees
$29.99
Excellent
Excellent
Very good
Excellent
Excellent
Very good
Ring has established itself as a leader in the industry and has compatibility with other products that other brands can’t offer. The Ring Indoor Camera starts at $59 for one camera but can connect with other Ring devices like a Ring Doorbell for a total home security package. A four-pack of cameras will run up to $240, so be sure to decide how many you want. Ring also offers two- and three-camera packages.
Ring cameras offer everything you’d expect in an indoor home security camera: 1080p HD video, two-way talk, motion-activated notifications, color night vision, 140-degree diagonal view, 155-degree horizontal view and 60-degree vertical view.
You can choose to cover one Ring device for $3 a month or have them all covered for $100 a year with Ring Protect. Video saving and two-month video history aren’t available with the basic Ring package so be sure to choose basic or plus to save video.
Very good
Excellent
Excellent
Link Interactive receives high marks for its indoor security cameras and its premium indoor camera comes with some bells and whistles. Digital panning and tilt are among the major perks for the Link Interactive Premium Indoor Camera. It also has 15-foot infrared night vision and cellular monitoring, which is typically faster than a Wi-Fi or landline connection.
Link Interactive comes with a higher price tag and a few other wrinkles. It offers three different plans to choose from: standard, gold and elite. Standard starts at $30 a month while gold goes for $40 and elite for $48. A standard plan will cover professional monitoring and life safety devices. Gold and elite provide home automation while elite stands out with HD video monitoring with analytics.
The home automation features offered with the gold and elite plans allow you to add other smart home items. Link Interactive’s Smart Home Panel starts at $331 and its other smart home panel starts at $300, both of which can be a pain point for those just learning about indoor security cameras.
Very good
Excellent
Very good
Very good
Excellent
Very good
Economical and compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa, the Canary View is a popular option for home security cameras. It boasts many of the features that come with higher-end cameras, like person detection and its own Wi-Fi connection. The video quality ranks on par with other cameras with a 1080p HD picture and it has one of the wider fields of vision with 147 degrees.
Canary View requires a subscription for video storage but its rate runs among the best at $9.99 per month for one device with the premium bundle package. Additional devices cost $9/month with the package. A one-year premium service membership costs $8.25 per month for the first device and $2.50 per month for additional devices. Both the premium and premium service packages come with two-year device warranties.
Very good
Excellent
Very good
Vivint has long set the standard for home security cameras and even topped our list for best home security companies. Its indoor cameras are no different. The entry price turns some people away, but as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. With a cool 155-degree horizontal view and three high-powered infrared LEDs (850nm) with IR cut filter, Vivint earns its place on our list.
Vivint offers monitoring plans starting at $30 per month with its smart security monitoring plan. Its smart home monitoring plan runs $40 per month and its smart home video monitoring plan costs $45 per month. The smart security monitoring plan includes 24/7 professional monitoring, mobile access, smoke and carbon monoxide monitoring and a medical alert system. The smart home monitoring plan offers smart home features and integrations, while the smart home video monitoring plan adds video monitoring on top of the other features.
Detractors point to Vivint’s customer service track record. Vivint gets 1.13 stars out of five from customer reviews with the Better Business Bureau.
Very good
Excellent
Very good
Very good
Excellent
Very good
At $130, the Nest Cam Indoor provides some of the best value available for indoor security cameras. Its zoom capability outpaces nearly all other competitors and its eight high-power infrared LEDs make it one of the best on the market for home security cameras in dark conditions.
Nest works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Hue, Wink and other Nest products for ease of use for smart devices. In order to capture video, though, a Nest Aware subscription is necessary. It typically comes with a 30-day subscription but then runs around $6 per month for event video history. The Nest Aware Plus plan runs $12 per month and captures 60 days of event video history and 10 days of 24/7 video.
1
Customer Reviews
Excellent
Contract Required
No
Lowest Monthly Fees
$29.99
Company | Company - Logo | Forbes Advisor Rating | Forbes Advisor Rating | Pricing | Customer Reviews | Field Of View | Learn More CTA text | Learn more CTA below text | LEARN MORE |
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4.7 | Excellent | Excellent | Very good | View More | |||||
4.6 | Very Good | Excellent | Excellent | Learn More | On Link Interactive's Secure Website | ||||
4.6 | Very Good | Excellent | Very good | View More | |||||
4.6 | Very Good | Excellent | Very good | Learn More | On Vivint's Secure Website | ||||
4.6 | Very good | Excellent | Very good | View More |
The world of indoor security cameras is full of options and navigating through those choices seems full of obstacles. Price shouldn’t be one of those impediments, since many low-cost home security cameras offer the same picture quality and field of view of the more expensive brands.
Be sure to check the specifications of each model you have an eye on and compare to find the best deal. Sometimes a lower-priced home security camera will provide all the bells and whistles as a more expensive brand.
Pay attention to the data storage capability of the home indoor security camera you’re interested in purchasing. Some brands will provide just a day or two of video backup if they use an SD card or something similar. Other brands will use the cloud for video data storage, but how much and what it records will often depend upon the subscription model you choose to purchase with the camera.
Some brands offer days of 24/7 video coverage, which is nice but often unnecessary. Event history is a more important consideration when it comes to capturing video, so look for packages that will cover that at the best cost. Think of event history like motion detection in a sense where the camera will begin recording after sensing movement.
Home indoor security camera makers will offer all sorts of add-ons that sound useful but they all come at a cost. Some home security companies have subscriptions for a handful of dollars a month while others can charge up to $50 a month.
Do a thorough assessment of your needs with an indoor security camera before signing up for a subscription. Some companies don’t require a subscription but won’t offer the video backup you’d like. Do your due diligence before picking a camera.
Installing an indoor security camera comes with its perks, including the safety of your home and family, but also peace of mind with children and pets, smart home security and more.
The no. 1 reason people purchase indoor security cameras is to ward off thieves of all kinds. An indoor camera can capture break-ins as well as porch pirates. Plus, they capture video, which is great for tracking down thieves. That video can help neighbors as well, so they know what to look for around the neighborhood. Often thieves will sit on a spot days in advance before targeting it so if an indoor security camera captures suspicious-looking people, you can alert your neighbors.
Much like how baby monitors made life easier for parents, indoor security cameras are doing that now. Indoor security cameras are great for capturing the moment a child decides to climb out of a crib or get into something else in their room.
On a similar note, pet owners can keep an eye on their dog or cat while away. With two-way talking capabilities, they can also provide commands for the pet to get it to behave.
If you already have a smart home device like an Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, an indoor security camera can enhance your home’s features. If you notice you’ve left blinds down on your security camera, you can close them, if they’re connected to a smart device. Likewise, you’ll never have to worry if you’ve left the oven on again.
To determine the best indoor security camera ranking, the Forbes Home Improvement editorial team analyzed third-party data on 10 major companies, with each product’s star rating determined by evaluating a variety of metrics, including:
*Price, customer rating and field of view counts for 45% of the total weighting.
Naturally, anything connected to the internet faces vulnerabilities but you can protect your devices from getting hacked with some sound security decisions. A strong password ranks toward the top of the list of prevention measures you can take. Make sure your camera’s password gets changed from its factory password. You can also turn on two-factor authentication, if available, to further secure your camera. Make sure your camera password differs from your Wi-Fi router.
You’ll want to store those passwords in a home information folder or something similar and be sure to change those passwords periodically. Your router should have Wi-Fi Protected Access or Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) security. Both will encrypt your data.
Make sure you enable your camera’s built-in firewall, which can block malicious attacks and remember to install updates for your camera or smart home devices to remain the most up-to-date against potential threats. You can also decide to invest in an entire home security system if you want to amp up the total security.
The obvious answer is to place cameras where burglars might try to enter a home. So, ground-level windows and doors are often the best places for indoor security cameras. Burglars will often target windows with large bushes or hedges in front of them because they provide cover. Plus, windows often get left unlocked and make it an easy entry point for thieves.
Thieves often target garages for entry into homes because homeowners often fail to secure those doors, so consider a camera in your garage as well. Thieves can riffle through vehicles to find devices that will allow them to enter homes, too.
Places like your kitchen and living room are good spots for hiding indoor security cameras, as well, because thieves will often target the high-end entertainment products found in those spots. A camera with a wide field of view in the kitchen or living room will capture more potential footage than other spots in the house.
Security and surveillance cameras get lumped into together frequently but there are some differences. Surveillance cameras work on an IP network that transmits footage from the camera to a security surveillance spot. Surveillance cameras are reserved for governmental agencies and not typically allowed for personal use.
Security cameras monitor activities and can provide evidence if a crime occurs. The lens of a camera can also thwart criminal activity if criminals notice it prior to committing a crime.
Security cameras are often found in homes for those who want an extra layer of protection.
Many cite that home security cameras are a huge theft deterrent. An oft-cited 2012 University of North Carolina at Charlotte study surveyed 422 incarcerated burglars and found a surveillance camera system can result in a 50 percent reduction in crime. According to the survey, cameras ranked as the top deterrent.
If your home contains valuables or you store products there as part of a home business, a home security camera can provide assurances and evidence should a burglar target your house.
But beware of the potential to have your security camera system hacked and guard against that the best you can.
You should find an indoor security camera that fits your needs. Maybe you just want to guard against potential threats or you need additional security.
Look for motion-activated cameras and cameras that detect people. Make sure your security camera can connect to other smart home devices. Two-way communication is another factor, whether you need to talk to pets or provide a threatening voice during a potential break-in. A good security camera should also provide alerts to your phone so you can respond quickly.
Of course, you’ll need to make sure your system remains safe from any hacking threats, so maintain strong passwords and firewalls.
If you’ve decided to purchase an indoor home security camera, take a look at the storage options and the subscription fees because they vary drastically across brands.
Nick is a content creator with a background in DIY home renovation, maintenance, repair and trends. When he's not writing, Nick likes to rehab vintage or kitsch furniture for his home.
Samantha is an editor who covers all topics home-related including home improvement and repair. She edited home repair and design content at websites like The Spruce and HomeAdvisor. She also has hosted videos on DIY home tips and solutions and launched multiple home improvement review boards staffed with licensed pros.