9 Best Indoor Security Cameras (2024): For Homes and Apartments

The C120 can stream and record video up to 2K resolution, supports two-way audio (with little lag), and has a slot for a microSD card up to 512-GB to keep recordings local. This affordable security camera features a starlight sensor that offers impressive color night vision, smart detection (people, pets, and vehicles) without any subscription. IP66 ratingWhich means you can even use it outdoors (provided you can run a power cable). The handy base is easy to wall mount, shelf-stable and magnetic. There is no need to spend more than this to keep an eye on the entrance of your house or a particular room.

Motion detection is reliable, and you can change the sensitivity and customize the notifications you receive. Video is crisp, but the frame rate maxes out at 20 fps, so fast-moving subjects sometimes appear blurry. You can set activity and privacy zones in the Tapo app, and there's AI detection to recognize people, pets, vehicles, and the sound of a baby crying. Sadly, rich notifications, including snapshots, are bundled with the optional Tapo Care subscription as well as 30 days of cloud storage for Clips, and it's $3.50 per month for one camera or $12 for up to 10 cameras. Expensive per month. There's no HomeKit or IFTTT support, but it does work with Google Home and Amazon Alexa, though loading streams on my Nest Hub was a little slow. This camera also supports Open Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP).

If your budget is tight, Tapo C110 ($16) Even cheaper, with only a few compromises (low frame rate, no pet or vehicle detection, microSD limited to 256GB).