Any Good Security Cameras That Don't Need a Subscription?

Home Security Product Recommendations Forum
21

Reolink is solid. I have four POE cameras outside my house, and they’ve been better than my old Arlo system. Video is saved on SD cards and also sent to a Western Digital NAS over FTP. They do basic AI detection (animals, cars, people) and tag notifications on the phone.

I even have a Reolink up a quarter mile down the driveway powered by solar. It’s on an old telephone pole and gets free cloud storage – been reliable for three years now.

22

Unifi Protect is another good option.

23

Unifi.

24

Jake said:
Unifi.

I’ve been using it for years. It had some issues early on, but it’s really stable now, and they’ve added more features.

25

Lorex

26

I use Foscam cameras with Agent DVR running locally, so no fees at all. Everything’s stored on my own system.

27

Ajax has started making cameras now, and their app has a really nice interface.

28

Axis, Hanwha, i-Pro… all solid options.

29

Unifi Protect

30

I use EZVIZ and added 256GB SD cards to each camera.

31

If you’re tech-savvy, there are options that don’t require subscriptions. Many affordable Wi-Fi cameras offer local MicroSD storage, so you can skip the cloud option.

You can also look into wired DVR systems that don’t need subscriptions. And if you’re okay with a bit more setup, ONVIF-compatible cameras can stream to a local server like Blue Iris, where you can store footage on your own drive.

Hybrid options work too, like using the free cloud app for notifications and an ONVIF server for storage. It takes some tech know-how, but it’s possible to avoid monthly fees.

32

Most cameras don’t really need a subscription. Usually, the subscription is for cloud storage or extra features.

If you just need basic surveillance with a MicroSD card, there are plenty of options. Personally, I recommend iFEEL or Reolink.

33

I’ve got an Amcrest setup that’s been great. It has 2TB storage, and I can view it remotely anytime. With all four cameras on max settings, I get around 6-7 days of footage saved.

34

I use several Eufy cameras, including a doorbell cam, and they’ve worked really well without a subscription.

35

Unifi

36

Ubiquiti Unifi