Many of the best home security cameras have similar specs: 1080p cameras, night vision, and person detection. But which offers the best deal on cloud storage for all the videos you shoot?
Aside from price, there are many differences in the companies’ plans, such as the number of cameras included, video storage time, as well as additional features such as person and package detection.
We compared the video storage plans offered by the best home security camera companies (Arlo, Blink, Nest, Ring, and Wyze) to see which offers the best video storage plans.
Because many of these companies also make some of the best video doorbells, these storage plans also include those devices, where applicable. So, for example, you could get a Ring Video Doorbell, as well as one of Ring’s other cameras, and have both included in the same plan. Ring’s paid plans include 180 days of saved video footage, which is much more generous than any other. another plane.
Apple offers cloud storage for HomeKit-connected cameras from Eufy, Logitech, and Netatmo security cameras. Video footage will be analyzed securely on a HomePod, iPad, or Apple TV device before encrypting it and sending it to iCloud for storage. If you have a 200GB iCloud storage plan ($2.99 per month), you can store 10 days of footage from up to five cameras. If you have a 2TB iCloud plan ($9.99 per month), you can store images from an unlimited number of cameras. Apple will also add packet detection this fall.
Free plans
If you don’t sign up for a subscription plan, most cameras are limited not only in the number of video streams you can view but also in the features enabled. Below is a summary of the features available in each company’s subscription plan (and a source for more details on each product). A notable exception is Eufy, which offers many of these features without requiring a subscription.
Arlo: Watch live stream and receive notifications.
To blink: Live broadcast
Nest: 3-hour history, detection of people, animals, vehicles and packages, and custom activity zones.
Ring: Watch live videos and receive notifications.
Wyze: Motion and sound activated alerts, two-way audio, smoke and CO2 alarm detection.
If you don’t sign up for a plan, Nest offers more, with three-hour history recording as well as more detailed detection.
Paid Subscription Features
When you upgrade to paid plans, each company offers additional features in addition to cloud recordings. We’ll talk about pricing in a moment, but these are the features that are enabled once you sign up for a plan.
Arlo: 2K and 4K video; 30-day downloadable video history; Detection of people/vehicles/animals; packet detection; customizable activity zones, emergency response service
To blink: 60 days of continuous video storage, video recording with motion detection, person detection
Canary: Unlimited video downloads; desktop streaming; two-way conversation; custom arming modes
Nest: 30 days of video storage; Continuous recording; Person detection; facial recognition
Ring: 180 days of recorded video that you can save and share, person/package alerts, 10% off products, rich notifications
Wyze: Full motion capture. It will record the entire motion event, instead of just a 12-second clip.
Arlo users can also subscribe to a CVR (continuous video recording) plan, which will record video continuously to the cloud. However, you can only watch this video, not download it. A 14-day CVR plan costs $10/$100 per camera, and a 30-day CVR plan costs $20/$200 per camera. The pricing plan for each additional camera is 50 percent lower.
Nest Aware Plus subscribers ($15/month, $150/year) can also access 24/7 video history for an unlimited number of cameras, but it only covers 10 days.
Security Camera Cloud Storage Plan Comparison – Basic Plans
Arlo sure: $7.99/month for a single camera and $12.99/month for an unlimited number of cameras. This plan allows you to save 30 days of recordings in up to 4K quality. You also get additional features such as customizable motion detection zones, person, package and vehicle detection, smoke/CO alarm detection and e911. If you sign up for an annual plan, the price drops to $7.49/month for a single camera and $12.49/month for unlimited cameras in one location.
Basic flashing: $3/month or $40/year for a single camera and $10/month or $100/year for unlimited cameras. This provides 60 days of recorded footage, video sharing and saving, notifications, and the option for local storage.
Nest Aware: $8 per month or $80 per year for each Nest camera in one location. This also includes cameras on smart displays. This plan allows you to save 30 days of recordings, receive smart alerts (familiar faces, smoke and CO2 alarm, and glass break detection), save and share videos, and create activity zones.
Basic ring: $4.99/month or $49.99/year for a single camera, or $10/month $100/year for unlimited cameras in a single location. This provides 180 days of recorded footage, video sharing and saving, notifications and more.
Wyze Plus Camera: $2.99/month or $19.99/year per camera, or $9.99/month and $99.99/year for unlimited cameras. Includes unlimited video duration, detection of people, packages, vehicles and pets, and alerts triggered by smoke and CO2 alarms. However, you only get 14 days of video history. Wyze also offers a $9.99 per month/$99 per year option for an unlimited number of cameras.
For those who have only one camera, Ring offers the best value for money; While it costs $1 more per month than Wyze and Blink, it offers three times the storage. Blink is the next most profitable option, followed by Wyze, Nest, and Arlo.
If you want an unlimited number of cameras, Ring is still the best deal, followed by Blink. After that, Nest is in third place, followed by Arlo, and Wyze is in last place.
Comparison of Cloud Storage Plans for Security Cameras: Premium Plans
Arlo Insurance Plus: $17.99/month or $199.99/year for unlimited cameras. This plan gives you everything with Arlo Secure, but it also gives you Emergency Response, which connects you to a professional call center and lets you contact fire and police with the push of a button.
Flash more: $10/month or $100/year for unlimited cameras in one location. Includes 60 days of continuous cloud storage, as well as the ability to snooze alerts for up to 24 hours. You also get a 10% discount on Blink devices and an extended warranty.
Nest Aware Plus: $15/month or $150/year. This plan also covers an unlimited number of cameras, but increases storage to 60 days. Plus, you also get 10 days of continuous video; That means you can look back at any time in the previous 10 days, regardless of whether there was a motion event.
Protect Plus Ring: $10/month or $100/year: This plan gives you advanced video features (live view, picture-in-picture, snapshot capture, multi-camera live view) as well as advanced notifications.
Plans with professional monitoring
Arlo: Arlo Safe & Secure Pro ($24.99/month), includes all the features of Arlo Secure Plus, but also has 24/7 professional monitoring and Arlo Safe (Walk with Me protection, One Tap protection , accident detection and response, 24/7 personal safety expert, family place alerts, family records and family safety monitoring). However, Arlo Safe & Secure Pro also requires the purchase of an Arlo Home Security system.
Ring: Ring also offers Ring Protect Pro ($20/month), which includes professional monitoring, Alexa Guard Plus, and more, but requires the Ring Alarm Pro system.
Wyze Camera Protection: $3.39/month or $39.99/year per camera. It includes 14 days of video storage, people, pet and vehicle detection, AI-based facial recognition, and 24/7 professional monitoring from Noonlight. This plan only works with Wyze Cam OG, Wyze Cam Pan (v1, v2 and v3), Wyze Cam V3 Pro and Wyze Cam v3/v2.
General recommendations
If you go the free route:
Wyze is one of the few services that actually lets you save videos to the cloud; Plus, your cameras have local storage. However, there are some limitations on the length of the videos and how often they can be recorded.
Nest’s newest cameras will give you three hours of free storage, but if something is recorded in the middle of the night and you’re not awake to see the alert, you may not receive it.
Blink will let you save videos locally to its sync center, giving you the most flexibility.
If you want to pay for a subscription:
Ring usually gives you the best value. While it’s not the least expensive plan, it provides by far the most video history you can save.
Read more
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