CNET’s best indoor security cameras of 2024
While keeping your family safe is the top priority, you can’t predict the unpredictable. But what you can do is add an extra layer of safety with an indoor home security camera. These fancy security systems have come a long way, so they’re accessible for just about anyone to install. Finding quality cameras and setups is easier and more convenient than ever. DIY security camera systems are available at affordable prices too.
There are lots of options for monitoring the outside of your home, but for total protection, you’ll want to keep an eye on the interior as well. That’s why we’ve tested and rounded up some of the best indoor camera options on the market right now.
Which indoor home security camera is best for your home? That can depend on a number of factors, including price and compatibility with smart home devices and ecosystems, not to mention features and video quality. We’ve taken these considerations and more into account when testing indoor cameras and curating our list of the best.
WYZE CAM PAN V2
Best overall indoor security camera
CNET TAKE: Few indoor cameras will offer as much bang for your buck as the Wyze Cam Pan v2. It comes with the features you’d expect: 1080p resolution, night vision, pan, tilt and zoom, and two-way audio, for a budget-friendly price of just $50.
The Wyze Cam Pan can also identify a person and follow them as they walk across the room, send you a real-time notification of the event, and store a record of
it for up to 14 days.
What sets this security camera apart even more is the free two-week cloud storage and built-in microSD card slot for local storage. If you’d like to continue cloud storage past the trial period, a monthly subscription will run you as low as a buck and a quarter.
GOOGLE NEST CAM (INDOOR, WIRED)
Best indoor security camera features
CNET TAKE: The Google Nest Cam isn’t the cheapest on our list, but the $100 list price is worth the robust features, not to mention the device’s contemporary design. The camera comes with the usual two-way audio,
1080p resolution with HDR and night vision, plus smart alerts that distinguish between people, animals and vehicles, three hours of event history, activity zones and Google Home app viewing and support.
With the Nest Aware subscription (starting at $6 per month or $60 for a year subscription), you’ll also get facial recognition, sound alerts that listen for things like smoke and CO alarms and weeks of event storage. Finally, the Nest Cam works well with Google Assistant and Nest smart displays.
TP-LINK KASA KC410S
Best for 360-degree monitoring
CNET TAKE: We like a lot of TP-Link devices here at CNET, including its routers and smart plugs, so we were eager to try out the Kasa KC410S indoor security camera. It did not disappoint, with a sleek, snowball-like design, highquality video resolution, Alexa and Google compatibility and ample local storage up to 256GB on a not-included microSD card.
Like the GE Cync Indoor Camera, the Kasa KC410S came with a mounting bracket and hardware, but unlike the former, the Kasa does feature pan and tilt functionality, perhaps better than any other indoor camera. Whereas other cameras often come with 130- or 160-degree panning, the Kasa KC410S features a full 360-degree range.
Best of all, how you pan and tilt – using a joysticklike button control with up, down, left and right, as opposed to swiping (and swiping and swiping) the video feed like you have to do with most indoor cameras – makes it quick and easy to navigate about the room.