Best Wireless Home Security Cameras

If you want a camera system but you’re no electrician, we suggest looking at wireless security cameras.

A wireless security camera does everything a wired camera does, just with less hassle and fewer wires.

We recommend the Arlo Pro 4, the Wyze Cam Pan, and the Wyze Cam v3, for starters. Let’s dive in.

The first step when looking for a wireless camera is defining what you mean by wireless.

Sometimes, when people think wireless, they actually mean wirefree. A wireless camera doesn’t use electrical wiring to communicate with its camera storage device, but it can use either a plug or batteries. In contrast, a wirefree camera steers clear of wires or cords of any kind, including power cords.

Most people looking for a wireless camera just don’t want the hassle of hardwiring, and they don’t mind plugging their camera in. But some people want their camera in a place where a plug won’t work, so they’re actually looking for wirefree.

You can start thinking about other features after you’ve figured out what kind of wireless camera you’re looking for.

• Motion detection
• Person detection
• Sound detection
• Night vision
• Lights
• Siren
• Two-way audio
• Weatherproofing (for outdoor security cameras)
• Home compatibility

We recommend cameras with multiple types of detection so that they never miss an important event.

Night vision and lights help you see video clips more clearly, and sirens are a great way to scare off anyone you don’t want around. Similarly, two-way audio allows you to hear what’s going on and talk to or tell off folks on the business side of the camera.

If you put a camera outside, it needs weatherproofing! Luckily, it’s easy to figure out which cameras have enough weatherproofing: they’re labeled as outdoor security cameras.

And if you have a home security ecosystem, then ideally, you’ll want to pick a camera compatible with the products you already own.

We see a lot of folks looking for wireless, wirefree cameras for outside their homes, where wiring is a hassle and plugs are hard to come by. If that sounds like you, the Arlo Pro 4 is an excellent choice for your needs.

Wirelessness isn’t the only thing to recommend this camera. The Arlo Pro 4 also has 2K video quality, color night vision, a spotlight, and a zoom feature for a better viewing experience. Its two-way audio lets you talk to anyone the camera picks up—and there’s even a siren in case of an emergency.

There’s also Arlo advanced object detection, which differentiates between people, animals, vehicles, and packages. This precision keeps your camera push notifications to a manageable level. It also helps you know when to respond to a notification and when you can leave it.

Unfortunately, the advanced detection costs extra. We don’t love that Arlo charges an arm, a leg, and a kidney for some of its cameras, then turns right around and charges more for the top features. Paying to use something you already own feels a little like highway robbery.

But with more and more cameras moving towards a subscription model, these kinds of costs are not only accepted, they’re expected.

To be clear, you can’t use your advanced object detection without the subscription, and you won’t have any cloud storage either.

There are a couple things you should know about the Arlo Pro 4 hardware.

Like many wireless cameras, the Arlo Pro 4 relies on rechargeable batteries. These batteries are supposed to last six months—but we tested them, and they don’t stay charged that long .

We saw the Pro 4 hold an okay charge over several weeks, though, so it’s not like you’ll take the batteries out every day or even every month. And you always have the option of extending the battery life with an Arlo solar panel.

Many Arlo cameras need a base station or smart hub to work, but the Arlo Pro 4 doesn’t.

That’s not to say you can’t use an Arlo hub if you already have one! With the hub, you get free local storage. That’s a boon if you don’t want to pay for the monthly subscription.

The Arlo Pro 4 works with Amazon Echo, Google Home, IFTTT, Apple HomeKit, and Samsung SmartThings. Basically, that means you can use this camera with almost any smart home setup.

And why does that matter? Because a smart home can make your life way easier.

To simplify your daily tasks, you can create automatic events and smart home chains (where one action leads to another). Imagine leaving the house and your house automatically locking, arming the home security system, and turning on the cameras. Almost as good as Fort Knox!

View on Amazon | Read Full Arlo Pro 4 Review

Looking for a wireless camera you can use indoors? We’ve got a great plug-in 1080p camera that you can set on a tabletop or bookshelf: the Wyze Cam Pan.

The Wyze Cam Pan isn’t as flashy as the Arlo Pro 4 (no lights, no sirens), but it’s well-suited to indoor needs. It has a 360° mechanical pan and tilt, so it can sweep an entire room. And the camera also comes with sound detection.

As a bonus, this camera is very affordable. Even the subscription costs won’t break the bank. Which is great because, like with the Arlo Pro 4, the Wyze Cam Pan’s advanced motion settings are useless without a paid subscription.

The Wyze subscription plans are a little confusing, so let’s break it down.

If you go with the free Basic plan, you get partial motion-triggered recordings (called Snapshots) with a five-minute cooldown between each Snapshot. If something suspicious happens in your home, you’ll see bits and pieces—but you won’t catch all of it.

If you pay for Cam Plus, you have unlimited, complete, back-to-back recordings. Nothing will escape the keen eye of your Wyze Cam. And you’ll also get person detection, package detection, vehicle detection, fast-forward capabilities, subscriber discounts, the works.

We recommend springing for Cam Plus because it’s so affordable and offers so much. But if you decide not to pay for the subscription, you’ll still get basic motion detection and sound detection.

You can use your Wyze Cam Pan with an Amazon Echo device, a Google Nest Smart Hub, a Google Chromecast, or the IFTTT platform.

The main smart home function of the Wyze Cam? You can live stream it to Alexa devices with screens.

If you have other Wyze products, you can easily connect them through the IFTTT app.

View on Amazon | Read Full Wyze Cam Pan Review

If you’re thinking, “Wow, I don’t want to spend $100+ on my wireless home security camera. I want to spend, like, as much as I would for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory,” then you’re (surprisingly) in luck. Say hello to the Wyze Cam v3.

The v3 is the budget-friendliest wireless camera we recommend. But it’s not just affordable. It’s also a genuinely nice indoor-outdoor camera!

It doesn’t pan and tilt like the Wyze Cam Pan, but it has a siren for emergencies. It also has all the Cam Pan’s advanced motion features and sound detection.

The v3 also has color night vision, which you don’t usually see at this low of a price. Color night vision isn’t a must-have, but it can be instrumental in an outdoor camera. It helps you differentiate between objects that would be indistinct in black and white, and it can even allow you to make out things like the hair and eye color of an intruder.

And it’s not just the camera that’ll fit your budget. Wyze Cam Plus is astoundingly inexpensive—just $15 a year for unlimited cloud storage and advanced motion features.

Once again, if you choose to go with the free plan, you’ll have shorter video clips with a five-minute cooldown.

You also won’t get the cool motion detection features, like person detection to alert you to trespassers or package detection to let you know you have a delivery.

The v3 has a little more smart home automation than the Pan Cam because it works with Google products other than the Nest Hub and Chromecast. Otherwise, v3 compatibility and Pan Cam compatibility are the same.

View on Amazon | Read Full Wyze Cam v3 Review

There’s a lot to love about the Arlo Essential Spotlight, but our favorite feature is its versatility. It works indoors and outdoors and has night vision, two-way audio, a siren, a spotlight, and tons of smart home compatibility to fill various needs.

We tested the Essential Spotlight for about a month, and nothing got past it. Any time we walked past, the camera recorded and the spotlight snapped on. In fact, this camera was a little too sensitive, so we had to play with the motion settings and zones so it would only pick up on certain movements in certain areas.

Like the Arlo Pro 4, the Essential Spotlight needs a paid plan if you want to use cloud storage and advanced motion detection.

Like the Arlo Pro 4, the Arlo Essential Spotlight doesn’t require a hub.

But (also like the Arlo Pro 4), if you want to use the Essential with an Arlo SmartHub, you totally can. Take full advantage of that free local storage!

The Arlo Essential Spotlight Cam has the same compatibility as the Arlo Pro 4: it works with most major smart home setups.

View on Amazon | Read Full Arlo Essential Spotlight Review

Want a camera that works directly with a home security system? In that case, try the Ring Spotlight Cam Battery. It’s easy to set up and has the power of the entire Ring brand  behind it. Plus it also works with a Ring Alarm system.

Ring’s mastered these easy-to-use cameras, and the Ring Spotlight Cam is a prime example. You do have to mount the camera using a plate and screws, but other than that, you won’t have a lot of work to get this camera up and running.

The Ring Spotlight Cam Battery has a lot of similar features to Arlo and Wyze cameras, although it doesn’t have package detection. That’s not a big problem if you’re using the camera somewhere other than your porch, but if you want to catch package thieves, this may not be the best camera.

We think the major plus of picking a Ring camera is its Ring Alarm compatibility. With a camera that works with a security system, you only need one app to access your cameras and system.

You can also often bundle your home security monitoring with your camera storage. And Ring is no exception! Bundling Ring camera and home security services gives you an awesome deal.

Most home security companies charge quite a bit extra for cloud storage or require separate camera and alarm subscriptions. The Ring Protect Pro plan is affordable and makes it easy to pay for both your cameras and your alarm at once.

Refreshingly, when you pay for Ring cloud storage, you’re paying just for the storage. You’re not also paying for Ring’s motion detection or anything else—once you own this camera, its features are yours to enjoy.

You can use the Ring Spotlight Cam Battery on its own, in a Ring camera system, or alongside a Ring Alarm home security system. The products are easy to purchase on Amazon or directly from Ring.

Our only word of caution: Ring is known to work in conjunction with the police. If you aren’t comfortable with that, you’ll want to buy elsewhere.

View on Amazon

• Arlo Pro 4 is an excellent choice for a wireless outdoor camera due to its rechargeable batteries and advanced motion detection technology. However, you have to pay extra to fully use all the features.
• Wyze Cam Pan makes a great indoor camera because it can see an entire room and pick up on suspicious sounds, but you’ll have to subscribe to the Wyze cloud service if you want a fully functioning camera.
• Wyze Cam v3 is one of the cheapest wireless cameras out there, and you aren’t sacrificing quality for the low cost. Just know you’ll pay extra to use all the features.
• Arlo Essential Spotlight is a versatile indoor-outdoor camera that once again requires an extra fee for full use.
• Ring Spotlight Cam Battery works with a Ring Alarm system and doesn’t require extra fees for features, just for cloud storage.

When looking for the best wireless home security camera, we looked at the following factors:

• Price
• Subscription price
• Features
• Ease of use
• Compatibility
• Power source

While there are a lot of good security cameras out there, we tended to favor brands we knew and had experience with. We also tested some of the cameras that ended up in this review.