How Much Are Security Cameras?

Security cameras can bring a ton of value to your home security. They give you visual access to your home, record important footage, and even let you speak with guests at your front door.

One of the most impactful ways to protect your home is to install security cameras. But, selecting which cameras to use and how much you should budget can be difficult.

Don’t worry, though. We’ve spent years testing and reviewing security cameras to gain an in-depth understanding of this constantly evolving industry while paying special attention to how costs are changing.

Security camera prices vary. During our search, we found security cameras that cost upward of $200 per piece. We also came across a few budget-friendly options starting at just over $30. Whether you’re after a top-of-the-line security camera like the $399 outdoor camera from Vivint or an affordable indoor camera like the $35 Wyze Cam V4, there’s an option for every budget.

Let’s delve deeper into security camera pricing and analyze the real cost of owning and using security cameras.

The Real Cost of Using Security Cameras

You might think security camera costs only cover the equipment price. Not all cameras stop at the device cost. You may have to pay for add-ons like cloud storage and monitoring subscriptions. There might even be installation and maintenance costs to consider.

Let’s take a closer look at each, starting with the most basic, the equipment cost.

Equipment Costs

Security cameras can range from tens to hundreds of dollars. The best place to start is to figure out how many you need to secure your home. To help with your budget, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best security camera models along with their prices.

Storage Costs

Security cameras can store footage locally on a hard drive, video recording device, or microSD card. Alternatively, you can save videos in the cloud. Local storage requires buying extra hardware, like a DVR or microSD card. We found some packages that come with the recording device.

Cloud storage, on the other hand, can either be free or subscription-based. The Wyze Cam and Wyze Cam Pan, for example, includes both free cloud storage and a local storage option. On the other hand, there are brands like Nest that don’t include any local storage at all and offer a very limited free cloud storage option. In such a case, a paid cloud subscription is necessary to enjoy the camera’s full features and capabilities.

Cloud subscriptions may cost more over time. They’re typically billed monthly or yearly. Nest’s storage options, for instance, cost a minimum of $6 per month or $60 per year.

Here are other security camera brands with cloud subscriptions and the options available from them.

Monitoring Costs

Security companies don’t usually monitor security cameras due to privacy concerns. We did find some security cameras that only work when paired with a security system. Some even require professional monitoring from their parent brands.

ADT security cameras are examples of that. You can only buy ADT security cameras as part of an ADT security system, and while the professional monitoring service from ADT doesn’t cover the security cameras, your subscription to the monitoring plan gives your cameras cloud recording.

When buying security cameras, it’s important to take note whether a professional monitoring plan is necessary, and if so, how much it costs.

Installation Costs

Most of the cameras we installed ourselves at no extra cost. However, some cameras from security companies, like ADT or Vivint, require a technician to set them up. On average, that costs around $100 to $300, depending on the complexity of your system. This might seem steep. If you prefer not to install their security cameras or worry about placing their security cameras, it’s worth the cost.

Cost of Maintenance

High-quality security cameras don’t require a lot of maintenance. Some budget or lower-quality cheap security cameras may need more attention. With a reliable camera, you shouldn’t need to replace components regularly, especially since most modern cameras feature rechargeable batteries that last for months.

Pricing Factors

As you can see, the price of security cameras varies widely based on what you’re paying for. Beyond these services, the camera type and quality impact the price. Key factors include:

• Durability
• Quality of video, audio, and night vision
• Smart platform integrations
• AI
• Power

We’ll go over what to look for in a security camera below, but first, let’s compare some common terms.

Surveillance vs. Security Cameras

Most people use the terms “surveillance cameras” and “security cameras” interchangeably. Technically, they’re different. Security cameras are CCTV cameras used to monitor one place from a single location. Surveillance cameras work on IP networks, allowing you to access footage remotely through a mobile app. Most modern cameras we work with are technically surveillance cameras. We call them security cameras to align with common usage.

Video Doorbells vs. Security Cameras

While all video doorbells are security cameras, not all security cameras are video doorbells. What they have in common is that they’re typically both outdoor cameras, meaning they’re weather-resistant. However, only video doorbells connect to existing doorbell setups (if they’re hardwired) or have separate chimes (if they’re battery-powered). Both outdoor security cameras and doorbell cameras can be wired or wireless and have either motion detection or person detection. Technically, you can use an outdoor camera in place of a doorbell camera and get the same results, unless you want to integrate it with your existing hardwired doorbell setup.

How Much To Spend on Security Cameras

You can spend anywhere from $20 to $500 on security camera equipment alone. The total cost depends on a number of factors, including how many cameras you need, whether they’re indoor or outdoor models, and their video quality. You also have optional costs to consider, like storage, monitoring, and installation. We’ve found most DIY home security companies offer flexible, customizable camera systems that fit most budgets.

What To Look For in a Security Camera

Price aside, there are tons of factors to consider when you’re buying security cameras.

• Indoor vs. outdoor: Do you need an indoor camera or an outdoor camera? We recommend getting both, unless you live in an apartment.
• Video resolution: Video resolution for security cameras ranges from 720p HD to 4K, with 4K cameras being among the highest quality available today. In our opinion, though, 1080p HD resolution or higher is more than enough to get clear footage, while 720p HD is a bit pixelated.
• Field of view: The field of view is how wide the camera’s viewing angle is, 180 degrees being the widest possible. We look for cameras with fields of view of at least 120 degrees.
• Artificial intelligence: While some cameras have mere motion detection, others can detect people, pets, and packages, leading to more specific notifications. The best cameras for AI have person detection, facial recognition, and beyond.

• Night vision: We also prefer cameras with infrared night vision via LED sensors, because they’re not as conspicuous as the spotlights that allow for color night vision.
• Smart platform integration: If you’re already in a smart home, why not get a security camera that works with your voice assistant? You can also set up your camera to trigger other IoT devices, and vice versa.
• Two-way audio: Most cameras these days have speakers and microphones for two-way audio, meaning you can speak to anyone who’s in front of the camera through its mobile app.
• Power: Decide whether you want a wired camera or a wireless camera. While wireless cameras are easier to set up, particularly outdoor wireless cameras, they also lose charge over time. Wired cameras, on the other hand, are harder to set up but aren’t dependent on batteries. Of course, with wired cameras, you also have to worry about power outages, unless you have cellular backup.
• Storage: Finally, cameras can have cloud storage, local storage through a hard drive or SD card, or both.

Are Home Security Cameras Worth It?

Many people wonder if security cameras deter crime, or if they’re simply a capitalistic ploy that exploits our greatest fears about safety. Conspiracy theorists, step down. In general, research shows that security cameras effectively deter crime. For example, a survey of 86 inmates serving time for burglary revealed that security cameras were a significant deterrent when choosing targets. A minority noted that cameras suggested valuables inside.1

Of course, security cameras don’t deter all crime. There’s always faulty cameras to worry about, limitations of night vision, and more. In general, though, security cameras are your best bet to deter burglaries and package theft (or, at the very least, to give you video evidence if these thefts do occur).

Do Security Cameras Need Wi-Fi?

If your Wi-Fi is as unreliable as ours, you may worry about a camera losing connection and preventing remote access. However, not all smart security cameras require Wi-Fi. For example, many Reolink cameras connect to cellular networks instead of Wi-Fi. If you don’t need remote access and livestream capabilities, we suggest choosing cameras that only record locally. Of course, we think it’s better to monitor your cameras from anywhere, but Wi-Fi isn’t your only option.

Integrating Security Cameras Into Your Smart Home

One of our favorite things about testing out new security cameras is integrating them into our larger smart home. What does that mean, exactly?

• Connects to voice assistant: If you’ve read our reviews of the Nest Mini or the Echo Dot With Clock, then you know that we’re voice assistant agnostic here at Security.org. However, most people tend to stick to one voice assistant, such as Google Assistant, Alexa, or Siri. We recommend getting a security camera that works with the smart home ecosystem already set up in your home.
• Triggers other IoT devices: Once you connect your camera to your voice assistant, you can automate actions with compatible IoT devices. For example, we have our smart lights turn on whenever our outdoor camera detects a person. This sort of convenient automation is the entire point of a smart home, one that protects you without any action on your part.

How Do Outdoor Security Cameras Work?

With the threats of snow, rain, and hail (depending on where you live), many people wonder how to use and install outdoor security cameras. The truth is that there’s not much difference in using outdoor cameras vs. indoor cameras. Of course, you have to worry about durability, which is indicated in the camera’s IP rating and temperature range. Another consideration is the power source, if your outdoor camera isn’t wireless. If it’s wired, it’ll need proximity to an outdoor outlet. You may also want to hide your outdoor cameras, although we’d argue that you should keep some visible to deter crime.

Aside from that, outdoor cameras work the exact same way as indoor cameras, connecting to mobile applications via Wi-Fi in most cases. With infrared night vision, you should be able to see clearly, day or night. However, note that weather conditions can affect visibility, so you may want to pair your outdoor camera with security lights.

The Cities With the Most Burglaries

We live in New York City, one of the most dangerous cities in the U.S. and one of the worst cities for police. Using the FBI’s 2019 burglary data, we learned that NYC is also one of the top five cities for known burglaries. Here are the rest of the top 20 cities using the most recent data.

Recap

That was a lot more information than you may have wanted, but if you’d like to learn more, read what we consider the best security cameras. We also have a ton of individual security camera reviews and additional best-of pages at your disposal, both on this website and on our YouTube page, and we’re available to answer any and all of your questions. Keep reading for the answers to the questions we get the most.