Keep an eye on your home and pets with one of the best indoor security cameras, tested and approved by CNET’s experts.
CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. interior surveillance cameras
CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.
If you're busy and constantly on the go, having an indoor security camera in your home is probably a good idea. Even if there are others in the house, having a camera there can help ease your worry, and give you a little peace of mind while you’re away. While outdoor security cameras are great for keeping tabs on what's going on outside your home, indoor cameras are ideal for monitoring your interiors, pets and elderly loved ones. Because it's always better to be safe, than sorry.
CNET's team of experts has dedicated over 150 hours to testing cameras and has chosen the Google Nest Cam as the best indoor security camera. It offers 3 hours of free footage storage, features night vision, and is compatible with both Google Home and Alexa.
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If the Nest Cam is too expensive or doesn't have the features you need, there are plenty of other options on the list. Our diverse picks include options with high-quality 4K recording and compact cameras that need no drilling, making them perfect for renters. Whether you're on a budget or need the best of the best, we've got options for everyone looking for home security systems to keep watch over their loved ones or even those shopping for a great holiday gift for a new homeowner.
Alongside tips on choosing the best indoor security cams (while keeping privacy laws in mind), we've also included answers to questions that may be bugging you, a guide on how we test these cams and other key info below. If you want to upgrade your security camera options, you may want to stop by our guides on the best home security cameras without subscriptions, the best wireless cams and how you can save by using an old smartphone as a security device.
The easily adjustable Nest Cam second-generation model works hard to make itself at home, bringing it to the top of our picks. Available in a variety of colors with support for shelf or wall mounting, the camera is easy to set up in any spot you have in mind, as long as you’re near enough to an outlet for this wired model. The healthy 135-degree field of view also lets us cover enough space to easily capture all the important spots in a room, while the night vision is top-notch for darker conditions.
The reason we gave the Nest Cam our top spot came down to Google’s unique contributions to smart home security. The company’s AI detection is unparalleled, able to spot people, animals or vehicles, and with a subscription, it’s good enough to learn the difference between familiar and unfamiliar faces. Then there’s video storage: Nest users get 3 free hours of cloud storage, a deal that’s almost impossible to find elsewhere, and you can expand it with the Nest Aware Subscription. Google’s AES 125-bit encryption and low-vulnerability track record also help inspire confidence.
If you want a security camera that puts the “smart” in your smart home like none other, the Nest Cam is an easy choice. At $100 the price is higher than many of our picks, but we believe the plethora of features you get in return is worthwhile.
A cam that can pan, tilt and zoom is perfect for open-floor plans in your home and navigating tricky areas where you want to manage multiple angles. We’ve got more than one camera with this design on our list, but our favorite model is the Eufy S350. Its dual-cam zoom function complements the PTZ features, while the extra-high 4K resolution lens helps you examine every detail.
Those PTZ features are particularly helpful when paired with AI tracking, which automatically follows pets and people around the room when it detects movement. We also found the S350’s night vision was excellent with two infrared LEDs. For those concerned with privacy or ongoing fees, Eufy falls firmly on the local storage side with a microSD card slot (not included). We also appreciate that Eufy took steps in 2024 to add end-to-end encryption to its web portal and other changes following a security vulnerability issue, although we are keeping an eye on their security performance.
Keep in mind this camera is wired, so you can’t put it just anywhere, but thanks to all that panning, tilting and zooming, your placement concerns will be a distant memory after installation.
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 Tapo C210. The term “budget camera” makes it sound like you’re giving up features to save on price, but it’s seriously impressive just how little is lost with this now under-$30 indoor camera from TP-Link. It offers a hefty 2K resolution (more than enough for indoor viewing), plus very solid pan/tilt capabilities with motion detection and tracking for 360-degree coverage of a room. Add in the two-way audio and night vision, and it’s the best security camera deal we’ve found so far.
The Tapo cam supports notifications for sound alerts as well as person detection, so you can use it for tasks like baby monitoring. For more security-focused jobs, it has a built-in siren for intruders. Alexa and Google Home support round the cam off nicely as a jack-of-all-trades that’s still a steal.
You even have options when it comes to video storage: The C210 has an on-board microSD card and an option for Tapo Care at $3.50 per month that includes 30 day-long cloud storage and rich notifications.
Indoor cameras work well with wired models because there’s usually an outlet near the shelf or table where you want to place a camera. In some cases, there may not be any nearby outlets, or you may want to move the camera to the deck, patio, sunroom or playroom for an afternoon, then move it back. The battery-powered Ring Stick Up Pro is the answer here. We like it most indoors, but it’s weather-resistant enough that if you leave it outside overnight in the rain by accident (or for a couple of weeks), you don’t have anything to worry about.
The Ring Stick Up Cam Pro also comes with a bevy of important features including night vision, two-way audio and a siren. The motion detection includes customizable privacy zones, although there’s no sound detection on this model. It does have unique extras like Bird's Eye zones for tracking if you really want to dive into settings. Since it’s a Ring product, full Alexa support is included, like the ability to watch through an Echo Show. Ring also has its foibles, notably the need for a Ring Protect plan to enable video recording, so plan for subscription costs for this model.
With roommates can come a concern about keeping your room private, spotting theft or finding out who’s leaving all the dirty dishes. You may want a compact, simple cam that can watch over a small space without interfering too much with your budget. The Blink Mini 2, available at $40, is a nice answer for rental situations, dorms and similar spaces. It's pricier than the Blink Mini, but we've seen deals for as low as $20 and you get a lot more versatility in the same size.
The 1080p resolution is plenty to keep a watch on a room, and this cam includes handy features from larger models like motion detection and app alerts to show when someone enters your room. Setup couldn’t be easier, especially if you use Alexa voice commands. That also means you can make sure anyone knows you’re shutting the cam down for privacy with a command like, “Alexa turn off the Blink cam.” If you want to ask what someone’s doing in your room, the two-way audio will let you do it in real-time. The sore point is the lack of video storage without an extra hub or subscription, but you may be willing to accept this low-cost solution without that capability.
Please note: Tell your roommates you're getting a security camera if you buy one, and if you want to set it up in a more public spot, make sure everyone agrees on when, where and why. Even your roommates are protected by the law, which gives an expectation of privacy, especially when they’re in their own bedrooms, the bathroom or other private areas.
Local storage-only cameras offer hard drives to load and manage video footage. It’s a little more complicated than whisking away video into the cloud but also helps protect your privacy in case of data breaches. While you usually have to clear the drive manually, you never have to worry about subscription fees. This Lorex cam is one of your best choices for the local storage route, with a 16GB microSD card (replaceable) included with the cost (a Fusion hub is also an alternative).
We like the 2K resolution for adding extra detail to this cam and are glad to see motion detection with person recognition at no additional cost. The cam has essentials like night vision (infrared) and two-way audio, plus compatibility with both Alexa and Google Assistant voice assistants. There’s not a lot of extra bells and whistles otherwise, but as a no-nonsense cam with a higher resolution and everything you need right on the device, it’s an excellent choice.
Many cams with accurate motion detection can catch pets walking around, but if you want a truly pet-focused indoor camera, this Furbo model lets you do so much more. In addition to the 360-degree rotating capabilities (it’s designed to be placed in a convenient spot on the floor), it comes with motion and sound detection, pet tracking, and the ability to toss out a preloaded treat for a little bit of fun. You can also zoom in to take a close look at pet activities, and there’s two-way audio to see if your pet wants to talk.
We chose the subscription version, which costs $7 per month but adds very important features for pet lovers, including cloud video storage, history and even a “vomit alert.” Technically, there’s both a dog and cat version of the pet cam, but the biggest difference is that the cat version has an added toy on a wire: Other features should be largely the same.
Fair warning: Pets can react in many different ways to pet cams. Some are terrified, some love them and some will frequently attack the talking camera, so mileage may vary -- a lot. If it’s your first time with a pet cam, we suggest trying a test like putting your smartphone or smart speaker beside your pet and using FaceTime or a similar capability to call and talk to them. Watch how they interact for an idea of how they’ll do with a pet cam.
CNET has tested every major home security camera since the market exploded in 2011 with the first DropCam. Here are links to some recent cameras we've tested among the others listed above. We've also included a few early impressions of cameras I'm still reviewing.
GE Cync Smart Indoor Security Camera : The GE Cync isn't a bad camera, and makes a very viable alternative to a low-cost camera that still has all the important features like motion detection, two-way audio, voice assistant compatibility and more. It didn't quite make our list since the TP-Link Tapo cam can do more while costing less, and the Blink Mini is a more compact, easy-to-manage option.
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