Best Home Security Cameras of 2024

Our Experience with SimpliSafe Security Cameras

Camera Options

SimpliSafe doesn’t offer dozens of options like our 2nd (Lorex) and 3rd (Ring) picks do. But with a choice of both wired and wireless cameras indoor and outdoor cameras, we had enough choices to outfit our home. Inside, you can go with either a wired camera or the new wireless model. Out-of-doors, the SimpliSafe wireless outdoor camera runs on a rechargeable battery, so you never have to worry about tracking down an outside outlet or running an extension cord from inside. There’s no question though that what really sets SimpliSafe cameras apart is the fact that they’re connected to the complete SimpliSafe system. That includes SimpliSafe’s new Smart Alarm monitoring plan. Because no matter how good a camera might be, a camera that’s being monitored 24/7 by professionals is always going to be better.

A SimpliSafe indoor SimpliCam

And don’t let the simplicity of SimpliSafe’s approach fool you. SimpliSafe cameras do an impressive job of protecting against burglars. The Smart Alarm and the outdoor camera work with the Live Guard Protection feature from SimpliSafe’s Fast Protect plan ($29.99 per month) to provide total security. Here’s how that feature worked in our testing:

1. The camera detected movement
2. It used A.I. to verify it was human movement
3. The camera alerted SimpliSafe and opened a live video and two-way audio link
4. A security professional assessed the situation (and would use two-way talk to attempt to scare away a burglar if there were a break-in in progress)
5. The agent can also report the incident to law enforcement, providing all relevant information

The only other brand we tested that offered live monitoring was Ring. The SimpliSafe Fast Protect plan costs around $10 per month more than Ring’s monitoring plan, but SimpliSafe’s professional monitors can actually see what’s happening in your home and respond to it. We’d say that’s well worth $10 more each month. LiveGuard uses video verification to ensure emergency personnel are on site fast, and monitoring personnel are specially trained to try and drive burglars away themselves in the meantime.

You do need one of the new Wireless Indoor Cams to take advantage of all LiveGuard features. The SimpliCam allows for professional live video monitoring, including video verification, but it doesn’t include an audio link.

>> Read More: SimpliCam Hands-On Test and Review

Equipment and Subscription Costs

SimpliSafe’s cameras strike a near perfect balance between functionality and affordability. They don’t offer a lot of bells and whistles, but they cost a lot less than the feature-rich but pricey Arlo cameras we tested.

Take a look at how each SimpliSafe camera measures up against each other.

SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera on Garage

One of SimpliSafe’s downsides is that it doesn’t record without a cloud subscription. We had to sign up for a cloud plan for five cameras ($9.99 per month) but later realized we could do much better with the Fast Protect plan. Sure, it cost us three times as much, but it unlocked Live Guard Protection and video verification. Here’s a quick comparison of SimpliSafe’s security camera subscriptions:

Home Security Compatibility

We were intrigued by the fact that SimpliSafe cameras come from a well-established security system brand, unlike options like Lorex and Swann that solely offer security cameras. But that aspect proved to be a double-edged sword.

There are serious advantages to using a camera as part of a home security system, and SimpliSafe isn’t just any system. It’s one of our top-rated security systems. That means we didn’t just have video feeds. We had a network of sensors and detectors that created a net of security around our home. Components worked in sync to keep us more protected than cameras alone.

SimpliSafe’s Outdoor Camera video on the app

On the other hand, you can certainly save money with systems that let you buy cameras and don’t require you buy sensors and hubs. We should point out that you can use the SimpliCam as a standalone system with SimpliSafe’s Smart Alarm service. If you’re interested in an outdoor camera, though, you’re sort of locked into Live Guard Protection and that means you have to buy an entire system.

Still, it was well worth it. SimpliSafe’s security system is a great pick for home security. When you supplement it with SimpliSafe cameras – our top picks overall – you get a pretty impressive security outfit for your home.

Our Experience with Lorex Security Cameras

Camera Options

Picking your security cameras from Lorex isn’t going to be easy. This brand offers several dozen cameras and over two dozen more DVRs and NVRs. We loved the variety of options, but choosing just one camera can feel like drinking from a firehose.

Lorex cameras

We chose from Lorex’s Fusion Collection, and we weren’t disappointed. The available NVR system from that line works with both wired and wireless cameras, which gave us more versatility in how we set up our system. We chose one wireless outdoor camera and one wireless indoor camera, but the Fusion line has lots of additional options. You can read more about our experience in our Lorex review, but here’s a quick specs highlight:

Later on, we also purchased two Lorex 4K outdoor cameras. Those made our list of the best 4K cameras because they came with a unique feature called Smart Deterrence, which highlights Lorex’s ability to deter burglars. Here’s how it worked:

1. Motion detection and person detection combined to detect human movement
2. Once the camera verified there was someone approaching, it turned on its built-in spotlights to warn the intruder
3. The camera sent an alert to our phone
4. When we opened the Lorex app, we had the option to trigger the built-in siren. We could also customize the siren’s volume, intensity, and tone depending on the situation.

You’ll still need to trigger the siren manually. That’s why we think Lorex’s Smart Deterrence isn’t as great as SimpliSafe’s Live Guard Protection. It’s just not as proactive at deterring crime as SimpliSafe. But if you’re looking for security cameras that can deter criminals, Lorex is definitely a better pick than most other camera options.

Motion Events on the Lorex app

Equipment and Subscription Cost

Lorex has a lot of crowd-pleasing aspects, one of which is the affordable price of its cameras. It typically ranges between $80 to $150. We’ve even seen options under $50, like the $39.99 Smart Wi-Fi Indoor Camera we brought home. That’s right down there with the affordable Blink Mini we tested ($35) and most of Wyze’s low-cost cameras ($20-$30).

We recommend buying a Lorex package instead of going a la carte. Package deals are cheaper. They include an NVR and at least two cameras, usually starting at around $300. Here are a couple of examples:

Lorex is a money-saver for another respect as well: you don’t have to pay for a subscription service. The company does offer cloud storage for as little as $3 a month. You don’t need it, though, because you can get local storage options for absolutely nothing. Depending on the cameras you choose, you get either on-board micro-SD card storage or DVR/ NVR storage. That way you can review footage on your schedule and you have hard evidence to turn over to police should you need it. One thing you won’t get from Lorex is 24/7 professional monitoring. The company doesn’t offer this in any form. If you’re looking for low-maintenance security cameras you can monitor yourself, though, Lorex is the most affordable option out there.

Home Security Compatibility

Unlike SimpliSafe and Ring that both offer security systems, Lorex is solely focused on cameras. But that doesn’t mean you can’t integrate it with other security equipment you own. Some Lorex NVRs – particularly those under the Fusion Collection – are compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant. That means you’ll be able to control them with your voice.

Fortunately, our NVR was compatible with Alexa, so we got to test it with our Echo Show 8. Here’s a list of commands we tested:

• “Talk to the front porch”: Initiated a two-way audio link between our Echo Show 8 and the wireless outdoor camera.
• “Turn off front porch light”: Turned off the spotlight after Smart Deterrence was triggered.
• “Show me the backyard”: Streamed live footage from the 4K camera in our backyard on our Echo Show 8’s screen. (The video quality was fuzzy due to our Echo Show 8’s screen resolution – 1280*800 pixels.)

We’d like to note that while those voice commands worked the majority of the time, they didn’t always fire up instantaneously. There was about a five- to 10-second delay between us giving the command and Alexa responding. So while we’re thrilled that Lorex works with smart home platforms, we’re not big fans of how well those integrations work.

Our Experience with Ring Security Cameras

Camera Options

Ring’s Spotlight Cam, Stick Up Cam, and Indoor Cam

In contrast to Lorex cameras, the Ring security cameras we tested were a cinch to set up and even easier to use. All of them connected via Wi-Fi and except the Indoor Cam, all came with different power options.

Ring doesn’t offer 2K and 4K cameras like Lorex does, but it doesn’t really need to. The 1080p HD resolution coupled with HDR processing to remove glare was enough, in our opinion. We didn’t have much problem capturing small details like license plate numbers with our Ring Spotlight Cam.

The real highlight, though, is the audio. Each of those four Ring cameras has a built-in siren you can trigger manually via the app. The ones on the Stick Up Cam and Indoor Cam weren’t very loud, but the siren on our Spotlight Cam was loud enough to be heard from down the street.

Ring Spotlight Cam Video Quality

Compared to SimpliSafe’s Live Guard Protection feature, though, Ring isn’t as proactive in deterring crime. The Spotlight Cam and Floodlight Cam have motion-activated lights, but none of Ring’s cameras trigger the available siren. The only way to do that is to pull up the Ring app on your mobile device and activate it manually. That’s maybe not the best setup in a crisis.

Equipment and Subscription Cost

When it comes to cost, Ring’s cameras are squarely in the middle of the industry, not cheap but not overly pricey either. Take a look at our full guide to Ring’s pricing, and see the roundup below:

Ring Floodlight

Note that there’s a range of prices due to the different versions for each model (battery, solar, wired, etc.). Some beat comparable products from other companies, some are priced a bit higher. Overall, though, Ring’s camera pricing is right in the middle of the pack.

Even Ring’s long-term usage cost is low, thanks to its affordable cloud plans. Much like SimpliSafe, Ring cameras can only use cloud storage. Ring doesn’t offer free cloud storage, but you can get a lot with just $10 per month. For context, let’s compare Ring’s cloud plan with that of SimpliSafe.

Home Security Compatibility

You should know, though, that Ring’s basic professional monitoring plan doesn’t include video verification the way SimpliSafe’s Live Guard Protection does. Monitors don’t have eyes on your property under this plan. That means the system is prone to more false alerts. At the same time, it can take longer to get emergency personnel to your home since Ring calls you to verify there’s a true emergency.

If you want video monitoring with Ring, you have to sign up for an additional subscription to Virtual Security Guard. Be prepared for sticker shock, though. That service costs $99 a month, some three times what SimpliSafe charges.

And you can’t just buy a camera and sign up. Here’s what you need to activate the plan:

• A Ring Alarm or Ring Alarm Pro security system
• At least one compatible Ring security camera (most are compatible)
• A Ring Protect Pro professional monitoring subscription ($20 per month)
• A Virtual Security Guard subscription ($99 per month)

That’s a lot of moving parts and a lot of money. Suffice to say that if you’re in the market for live professional camera monitoring, SimpliSafe is definitely the better option. If you don’t mind monitoring your own cameras, though, or you’re interested in professional monitoring that doesn’t rely on video feeds, Ring makes for an excellent option.