If you're in the market for one of the best security cameras of 2020 then there's never been a better time to buy – there are more top-quality, competitively priced smart wired and wireless security cameras than ever before, and we're here to guide you through the options.

Installing your own home security tech – wireless security cameras, IP cameras, motion detectors – is more straightforward than ever. You no longer need reams of cable, a bank of screens, or a huge hard drive to store all the video, because everything can be set up in minutes and managed from your phone.

There are even totally wireless smart cameras, which run for weeks of batteries, and so can be installed anywhere without worrying about drilling holes for wiring at all.

To help direct you to the right choice for the best security camera or wireless security camera of 2020, we've tested out all the best wired and wireless security camera models on the market, so you only need to weigh up the very top choices.

We've included models at all prices here, but you should also check out the best cheap security cameras for under £50, if you're looking for the quality budget buys only.

Choosing the best security camera

While you're doing your shopping, bear in mind that you can build up a smart security system piece by piece: fitting a network of wireless cameras is no longer the expensive one-and-done overhaul that it used to be. Today's systems can be modified and expanded as necessary.

It also doesn't have to be a complex system that feels overwhelming. You can start with just a single camera pointed down the hallway if you want, which requires only a couple of minutes of setup, and that auto-arms itself when you leave the house, so you don't have to do any maintenance for.

These cameras go beyond home security, too – one of these devices mounted by your front door could alert you to deliveries or visitors even when you're away from home. In some cases you can even chat with the person at your door, or scare off intruders, with the help of two-way audio.

As you look around, you'll notice plenty of options in terms of price and capabilities, and we should have something for everyone in our best security camera list. Home security is hugely important, so don't be tempted to take any shortcuts when it comes to choosing a model.

If you're interested in saving money (and who isn't?), you'll be pleased to hear you can still nab one of the best smart security cameras of 2020 even if you don't have a particularly big budget – in fact, you can now pick up a Wi-Fi security camera for not very much money at all in this fiercely competitive market.

Whether you want the highest quality video resolution possible, the easiest access to your camera feeds, the most advanced motion detection or just the best value for money out there, we can help by pointing you towards the right model. Find our picks for the best security cameras of 2020 below.

What is the best security camera in 2020?

The Arlo Ultra 4K UHD Wire-free Security Camera System is our very top pick for the absolute best security camera of 2019. It's currently the final word in premium, feature-packed security camera systems and, if you can afford it, then it really should be the highest entry on your shopping list.

Following behind the Ultra 4K is the brand new Arlo Pro 3, which delivers a similar package but with 2K video instead. It's a fantastic all-round system (especially with multiple cameras) and should definitely be weighed up alongside the Ultra when shopping for a new security camera system.

There are a number of other very good smart security camera options, though, including cams from Ring (now owned by Amazon), Nest, Canary, Logitech, Hive, Swann, Netatmo and more, so be sure to thoroughly explore our best security camera guide if you're looking for something in particular.

Best security camera 2020: key features

Our picks for the best security cameras of 2020 cover everything: from infrared night filming, to automatic motion sensing that instantly pings an alert to your phone. The more advanced cameras can recognise faces as well, and can even tell the difference between a stranger and your kids.

For the most comprehensive coverage of your property, you want something that includes night vision and can record at a decent quality – and almost all cameras now come with at least HD (1080p) resolution. Some, like our current top security camera recommendation the Arlo Ultra, go up from that to deliver 4K resolution.

We've also tried to limit this list to cameras that can serve up alerts that are reliable and actually useful – if your camera is pinging your phone every time a leaf blows past, you're soon going to get tired of having to check it.

If you want to be able to communicate with whatever's on the other side of the camera (whether it's your pets or your parents), make sure you get a model with two-way audio. You'll also need something with an alarm if you want to scare off intruders and record them as well, though this is a less common feature.

With all those factors and considerations in mind, here are our choices for the best security camera in 2020 – you should find something here to match your needs, no matter what budget restraints you're working to.

Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday security camera deals

Smart home gadgets tend to get a lot of Amazon Prime Day deals and Black Friday deals, and that includes smart cameras. We'd expect to see lots of actions among the cheaper options, including models from the likes of Blink, Ring and TP-Link to get 20-30% off, based on previous sales.

There may well be deals on more expensive smart security cameras too, but on something like a three-camera Arlo set, which will still mean it's expensive… but you'll save a good chunk of change.

Best security camera 2020: the list



(Image credit: Arlo)

1. Arlo Pro 3 The best smart security camera overall: perfect picture, and serious smarts in a brilliantly engineered package Specifications Max resolution: QHD Wired/wireless: Wireless Viewing angle: 160 degrees Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor Two-way audio: Yes Storage: Cloud/local Subscription: From £2.99 a month Reasons to buy + QHD HDR picture + Colour night vision + 160-degree view + Spotlight and siren Reasons to avoid - Hub placement can be an problem - Expensive Today's Best Deals £279.99 View at very.co.uk

• Read our full Arlo Pro 3 review

Though the Arlo Ultra (see below) technically has all the same smarts and more detailed 4K resolution, the Arlo Pro 3 still won our T3 Awards 2020 award for Best Smart Security, because its image quality is still excellent, and it's slightly better value – though its price is still its achilles' heel. Still, what you get for the money is all the usual Arlo traits in terms of the solid build quality, superb camera footage, tons of clever features and a polished app.

Building on what the Arlo Pro 2 offers, the Arlo Pro 3 offers QHD HDR video, full weatherproofing (so you can stick it outside), an impressive 160-degree viewing angle, and even colour night vision – so your low light shots will be in colour rather than grainy black and white.

One neat feature is the integrated spotlight, which can be turned on manually, or activated automatically when motion is detected. There's an integrated smart siren too: if would-be burglars need a little extra encouragement to get off your property, then the spotlight and siren should be able to provide it.

The motion detection is top notch, and the app is a pleasure to use as well (a lot better than the apps you get with some budget security cameras), though if you want to get into its cleverest customisations, there is a bit of a learning curve. For all the more basic smarts, it's great, though. If you don't already have an Arlo camera or two in place, you're going to need to install a hub that's wired to your router, so bear that in mind – the cameras all connect to the hub (not to your Wi-Fi), and this can mean there are range issues.

With the help of the app guiding you through the process, setup is really easy, and you'll soon be viewing your back garden or conservatory in high-definition quality. Two-way audio is included so you can chat to delivery people or maybe just the birds in your garden – it's up to you.

As always with Arlo, the full cloud video recording history (as well as the ability to distinguish whether motion is humna, animal or vehicle) will cost you extra, but you do get a 3-month trial so you can see if you like it first.

Its biggest issue is that smart cameras are coming down in price a lot, and the Arlo system remains very premium. If you're not going to get into its more advanced features, it may be overkill – take a look at the other cameras in this list if your needs are simpler.





2. Ring Stick Up Cam An affordable security camera with plenty of polish and reliability Specifications Max resolution: 1080p Wired/wireless: Wireless Viewing angle: 115 degrees Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor Two-way audio: Yes Storage: Cloud Subscription: from £2.50 a month Reasons to buy + Plenty of features and versatility + Goes just about anywhere + App has plenty of features and options Today's Best Deals £79.97 View at Laptops Direct 159 Amazon customer reviews ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

• Read our full Ring Stick-Up Cam review

Not only does Ring (now owned by Amazon) make video doorbells, it makes security cameras too: here we're picked the wireless, battery powered model, but there is a wired version as well if you don't want to worry about ever having to recharge the batteries.

Pretty much all the features you could ask for are included here, such as night vision, and motion detection alerts, and two-way audio, and 1080p HD video. The 115-degree field of view isn't the best in the business but definitely good enough.

This being Ring, the app is polished and professional too, and if you want to see what your camera is filming then you can get the footage up on an Echo Show or a Fire TV device with a simple Alexa voice command.

While the Ring Stick Up Cam isn't the cheapest of our best security cameras, it definitely earns its higher price. If you want to keep recordings in the cloud rather than just get live alerts, it'll cost you £2.50 a month (you get a free trial of the service with the camera).

(Image credit: Neos)

3. Neos SmartCam The best cheap smart security camera available today Specifications Max resolution: 1080p Wired/wireless: Wired Viewing angle: 110 degrees Indoor/outdoor: Indoor Two-way audio: Yes Storage: Cloud or microSD Subscription: N/A (14 days' free storage) Reasons to buy + Incredibly low price point + Good image quality + Free cloud storage Reasons to avoid - Lacks more advanced features Today's Best Deals £29.99 View at Amazon 3 Amazon customer reviews ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

• Read our full Neos SmartCam review

The Neos SmartCam offers 90% of what you need from a security camera to protect your home indoors, but at less than a quarter of the price of similar cameras. This is why we have placed this security camera so high in our list. If you’re on the fence about getting a costlier smart camera, at least trying this as an entry-level option is a no-brainer – for £25, why wouldn't you get one?

Here are the details: it captures 1080p HD footage, in the day or in the dark thanks to night vision, and all at a quality level that matches a lot of competitors. The field of view limit is 110 degrees, less than the best competitors out there, but that actually means sharper footage (with each pixel covering less of the view).

In terms of smarts, you have motion and noise detection, and the app will alert you when either happens (you can adjust the sensitivity as needed). It also arms and disarms automatically based on your location, so you don’t get alerts all the time when you’re home.

You can view the camera's feed live from the app at any time, and it supports multiple cameras, so wiring up the whole home for under £100 is totally possible. Footage can be saved to an optional microSD card in each camera, but is also stored for 14 days in the cloud for free, which is a great touch.

The camera is easy to place, and can be wall mounted. There's no option for battery power, and it's not designed to be out in the elements either. Overall, while the Neos SmartCam isn't as technically advanced as other cameras, for the price it's an amazingly good deal.

The best security camera system on the market today is the Arlo Ultra 4K UHD Wire-free Security Camera System.

4. Arlo Ultra 4K UHD wire-free Security Camera System Welcome to the high end: perfect picture, and serious smarts in a brilliantly engineered package. Specifications Max resolution: 4K Wired/wireless: Wireless Viewing angle: 180 degrees Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor Two-way audio: Yes Storage: Cloud or microSD Subscription: from £1.99 a month Reasons to buy + 4K HDR picture + Enhanced night vision + 180-degree view + Noise cancelling tech Today's Best Deals Check Amazon

Side by side with its competitors you'd be hard pressed to outwardly tell the difference, but fire up the Arlo app and it's clear that this is the single most advanced smart security camera package available.

It starts with connectivity. Setup of the Arlo hub and its paired camera was super fast, and where the others might have you wait a while before reaching a live view, the Arlo gives up the goods quickly (and when you're silencing a siren, or chatting to a caller, that immediacy is priceless).

While it hits the resolution, we suspect there's a little interpolation on its 4K footage given that the Arlo Ultra's recordings can tend to be a little smeary when zoomed right in, but this is still far and away the sharpest security camera we've seen in action, wireless or otherwise.

You can configure it to capture anything from a sensible field of view right up to a full 180-degree fish-eye, and that HDR picture comes with tremendous colour depth as well. Testing at twilight on a clear evening, the Arlo managed twenty minutes longer than its competitors at low light before switching to its night vision mode, still pulling in a clear and colourful image.

At night, though it lacks the full IR LED array of some competitors, the Arlo captures enough light to see a good distance, and there's an adjustable spotlight available if you're placing it outdoors – which neatly brings us to the fantastic motion detection. Not only is the Arlo quick to pick out moving items, it's brainy enough to make a decent stab at working out exactly what it's looking at.

Your push notification might say 'motion', it might say 'person', or it could even say 'animal'; we certainly didn't notice it struggling to determine the difference between a human and a cat. There's even a package detection algorithm, where a doorstep-pointed Arlo can spot when your latest online purchase has landed and alert you as much. That's just cool.

If you have the Arlo plugged in via its magnetic cable, you can configure detection hot zones, outside of which it'll ignore motion – handy if you live near a busy road, for example, but the power requirement somewhat nullifies its otherwise wireless nature. The mount is super-strong, meaning you can point an Arlo Ultra wherever you need it and remove it quickly for charging.

The only real issue we have is with the cost. The package isn't at all cheap in the first place, but if you want to store 4K recordings in the cloud you'll need a higher-tier additional subscription. Nonetheless, it's hard to argue that the Arlo Ultra doesn't earn its price tag – it's just that it's very much a niche product because of that price tag, when the Arlo Pro 3 has the same smarts for less.

5. Swann 1080p Smart Security Camera Swann manages a sharp picture and supremely flexible recording at an impressively low price Specifications Max resolution: 1080p Wired/wireless: Wireless Viewing angle: 120 degrees Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor Two-way audio: Yes Storage: Cloud or microSD Subscription: from £7.99 a month Reasons to buy + Very affordable + Good picture quality + Wireless cameras Today's Best Deals £59.99 View at Ebuyer

Outwardly there's no difference between the 1080p model of the Swann Smart Security Camera and its 720p predecessor: both use the same compact casing, both use the same mount – and that latter feature is a shame.

In theory the rubberised magnetic dish on the back, coupled with a rough-textured metal ball mounted on the wall, would be an excellent and infinitely adjustable mount, but in practice it's slippery and the magnetic connection isn't quite strong enough to hold the weight of the camera and its internal battery in a fixed position.

There's no dedicated hub involved here – each camera connects directly to your router via Wi-Fi, and streams to your phone (or to the outside world) from there. That's a neat solution, or at least one that saves a power socket and an Ethernet port, but we can't help but feel it's also the reason for the Swann's slightly sluggish response times.

That said, we have absolutely no other qualms about the Swann's motion detection credentials – it's hits the spot in terms of sensitivity, avoiding false positives in our tests and throwing in heat detection as an added bonus. It's quick to send an alert and convenient in terms of storage given that it supports both cloud uploading and an on-board microSD card for each camera.

Picture quality is also superb, with the sensor managing impressive clarity even in difficult lighting conditions, and missing little at night. Sure, Swann's app is a little rough around the edges, but it's easy enough to navigate, and its motion detection timeline works rather well.

If you're looking to gradually expand your security net as wide as possible, this is possibly the best choice going – there's no reliance on a hub, so theoretically no limit on the number of cameras you can place around your home, and IP65 certification means each unit can take a battering from the elements. It's cheap, too, at least in the context of wireless cameras with this level of image quality.

(Image credit: Ring)

6. Ring Indoor Cam An inexpensive camera for the indoors Specifications Max resolution: 1080p Wired/wireless: Wired Viewing angle: 140 degrees Indoor/outdoor: Indoor Two-way audio: Yes Storage: Cloud Subscription: from £2.50 a month Reasons to buy + Affordable price point + Simple setup and operation Today's Best Deals £49 View at Amazon

Ring is best known for its battery-powered outdoor cameras, but the newest Ring device on our best security cameras list is just for indoors: the Ring Indoor Cam brings with it 1080p HD video and a 140-degree field of view. You just plug it in and you're up and running.

Everything is operated through the usual Ring app, which we're fans of, and if you've already got several Ring cameras dotted around your property then it makes sense to use this one for any extra rooms you want to cover. At just £50 direct from Amazon, it's also one of the most affordable security cameras out there.

Alexa support is included, as you would expect from an Amazon-owned brand, and the camera competently handles all the usual functions when it comes to motion detection and two-way audio. Night vision is included too, for when the lights go out.

(Image credit: TP-Link)

7. TP-Link Kasa Spot KC100 A smart security camera that does just the basics, but does them very well Specifications Max resolution: 1080p Wired/wireless: Wired Viewing angle: 130 degrees Indoor/outdoor: Indoor Two-way audio: Yes Storage: Cloud Subscription: Yet to launch in the UK Reasons to buy + Can be used without a subscription + Clear and reliable video footage + Base can rotate the camera around 360 degrees Today's Best Deals £34.98 View at Amazon

TP-Link is known for its solid, no-nonsense, no-frills home security kit, and the manufacturer is always worth a look if you want some reliable hardware at a reasonable price. That's certainly true of the Kasa Spot KC100, a home security camera designed for the indoors.

You don't have to faff around connecting a hub to your router – everything just works out of the box, and through the polished and intuitive app you can check in on a live feed and review recordings made when motion was detected. You can keep these recordings for two days, for free.

We like all the features the Kasa Spot offers that make it such excellent value and one of the best security cameras on the market: two-way audio, night vision, 1080p HD recording, custom activity zones and more.

8. D-Link mydlink Pro Wire-free Camera Kit D-Link's mid-range 1080p camera system manages to stand out from a tough crowd Specifications Max resolution: 1080p Wired/wireless: Wireless Viewing angle: 180 degrees Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor Two-way audio: Yes Storage: Cloud or microSD or USB Subscription: from £2.29 a month Reasons to buy + Easy setup + Clever hub + IP65 rated Today's Best Deals Low Stock £319.99 View at Amazon 110 Amazon customer reviews ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

This is a well-designed camera and hub combo, which includes a long-lasting battery, and which is available at a decent price. It's definitely worth a place on our list of the best security cameras 2020, even if there are some issues (the picture quality isn't the strongest we've tested, for example).

Video detail isn't too bad, with an excellent level of sharpness when zoomed in, but when placed side-by-side the picture isn't as strong as some of its competitors. It's much more murky, both in broad daylight and at night. When it's bright out, shadows burn through while bright areas like sky tend to bleach out, even if you can still pick out trespassers easily enough.

With the lights off its night vision reach isn't the strongest, and it's a gloomy, shadowy picture. What's more, there are no options in the app to adjust the exposure of the sensor, which is something of a disappointment – though the colour depth isn't enough to ruin footage entirely.

As far as the app goes, D-Link has clearly tried to give it an attractive edge, and we have to give credit to its ability to show what's going on from up to four cameras at a time. It can be awkward and slow to use on occasion – with the process of connecting to the camera for a live view rather languid at times.

That's the bad news, but there's plenty of good. That hub takes seconds to set up, and arguably offers more than Arlo's equivalent since it mirrors Arlo's microSD backup options but also includes a USB port for hard drive recording.

There's a central 100db siren here too (silenced by the top button) which could be helpful if your cameras are all mounted outside – and doing so isn't a problem, with each carrying an IP65 rating that means they'll withstand a jet from a hose. For fixing, you have the option of either a strong magnetic ball mount or a standard tripod screw.

At the price it retails for, this strong core functionality makes this a strong mid-range contender if you don't want to spend too much but still want one of the best security cameras on the market.



(Image credit: Swann)

9. Swann Floodlight Security Camera If this doesn't put thieves off, nothing will Specifications Max resolution: 1080p Wired/wireless: Wired Viewing angle: 125 degrees Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor Two-way audio: Yes Storage: Cloud or microSD Subscription: from £7.99 a month Reasons to buy + Plenty of spotlight power + Doesn't really need a subscription + Heat sensor plus a camera Today's Best Deals £171.38 View at Amazon

The Floodlight Security Camera from Swann perches on a corner of your home and does just about everything: from detecting the movement of intruders to scaring them away with a light and a siren. It's almost like an all-in-one security system, though it is course limited in terms of how much of your property its single camera (with a 125-degree field of view) can cover.

In terms of its feature list, it's an impressive package – there's a heat sensor as well as a camera, which cuts down the number of false positives you're going to get, plus two-way audio and night vision. The video goes up to 1080p in terms of resolution and the two lamps max out at 2,500 lumens of brightness, which is rather bright.

That spotlight puts it into direct competition with something like the Ring Spotlight Cam Battery, though there's no battery here – you need to wire this up to a power socket inside (or outside) your home somehow. The connectivity is wireless, so the Swann Floodlight Security Camera should have no problem hooking up to your Wi-Fi and pinging your phone every time it spots something suspicious.

You can record video archives for free to the built-in memory card slot for eight days, or to the cloud for two days – anything above that and you'll need to pay Swann a subscription. The Alexa and Google Assistant integration is worth mentioning too, letting you quickly get footage up on a Chromecast, Echo or Fire TV device inside the home.

The Swann Floodlight Security Camera is more expensive than a lot of the competition, but it can easily be used without an ongoing subscription, and with its size and feature set it shows would-be intruders that you mean business. It's a security camera to consider if you want to go all-in on the lights, the noise and the audio in order to put burglars off.





10. Nest Cam IQ Outdoor A fantastic smart security camera for outdoor use Specifications Max resolution: 1080p Wired/wireless: Wired Viewing angle: 130 degrees Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor Two-way audio: Yes Storage: Cloud Subscription: from £4 a month Reasons to buy + Fantastic image quality + Rock solid app + Facial recognition, motion tracking Today's Best Deals £303.75 View at Ebuyer

The Nest Cam IQ is one of the most intelligent Wi-Fi cameras on the market, bringing facial recognition, a 4K image sensor, and person tracking to the party. See below for the indoor version, but this exterior version comes with IP65 weatherproofing: it'll stay recording whatever the British weather throws at it, and can operate in temperatures from -40°C to 45°C.

Picture quality is excellent both during the day and night, and the motion tracking (which zooms in and follows motion) and facial recognition (which only alerts you to unknown faces) are incredibly useful features which actually work.

It's a top-notch package but it's expensive, and to get the most out of it (like cloud storage archives or motion zones) you really need to sign up for a subscription too. You can just about get by with the live motion alerts and livestreaming (no subscription required) if you're on a budget.

The previous, cheaper version of the outdoor Nest cam is still on sale too if you want to save some money – it does have a cable attached though, rather than working wirelessly, which means it's a bit easier to sabotage for potential intruders. Definitely one of the best security cameras in 2020.





11. Logi Circle 2 Wired A great home security camera for indoor use Specifications Max resolution: 1080p Wired/wireless: Wired Viewing angle: 180 degrees Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor Two-way audio: Yes Storage: Cloud Subscription: from £2.99 a month Reasons to buy + Versatile set of features + Really fun to use + Responsive to commands Today's Best Deals £199.99 View at BT Shop 744 Amazon customer reviews ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

The Logi Circle 2 is among the most fun of our best security cameras 2020 list: it's a bit like the home monitoring equivalent of a Fitbit. For example, it preps "day brief" videos that show a sped-up version of the day's action of the day (so you don't have to sift through reams of footage of the slightest motion).

That makes it more suitable for keeping an eye on the dog while at work, rather than scanning for burglars.

There’s two-way talking, fast responses to remote commands, speedy zooming, and an adjustable field of view. The app is nice and slick, complimenting the camera's own neat design, and you can control the Circle via Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit or one of Logitech's Pop smart home buttons.

There are some negatives: you only get 24 hours of cloud storage for free for instance. For longer-term access, you have to pay: £2.99 a month snags you 14-day Cloud access, or £7.99 a month for 31 days. You need to subscribe to the top tier to set you custom motion zones and detect people in front of the camera.

Buy a rechargeable battery base as well and you can put the weatherproof camera anywhere in Wi-Fi range (it lasts up to three months between charges). There's also a fully wireless incarnation, but this is a different shape to the wired version and has a different range of accessories.

It might lack some security features, but as a smart home camera for watching pets or your gran, the wired version of Circle 2 is hard to beat as one of the best security cameras of 2020.





12. Hive View One of the most stylish home security cameras going Specifications Max resolution: 1080p Wired/wireless: Wired Viewing angle: 130 degrees Indoor/outdoor: Indoor Two-way audio: Yes Storage: Cloud Subscription: from £4.99 a month Reasons to buy + An eye-catching design + Simple to set up and use + Cheaper subscription Today's Best Deals £135 View at Amazon 393 Amazon customer reviews ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

If you don't need a Fort Knox-level of security but do want an attractive camera for monitoring pets and relatives that can also alert you to felons, then the Hive View works really well.

We're big fans of its striking, stylish looks, and the monthly subscription is unusually cheap (you get one day of video stored for free) – it's definitely worth a place on our best security cameras for 2020 roundup.

Admittedly the Hive View is rather limited features-wise at present, but Hive products have a tendency to get better with age, and we're reasonably confident it'll add Alexa support (as it has for its other smart home devices) soon. A recent update added two-way chat so you can sooth the pets or ward off burglars.

The basic mount and wall mount make it easy to setup at an angle to your liking – the 130-degree field of vision helps – and there's the option to remove it from the mount and use it wirelessly, albeit only for an hour. That could be useful for baby bedtime duties, although we struggle to think of many other uses.

You can download and share videos, should you need to, motion detection works as advertised, and image quality is decent – with a choice of 720p or 1080p maximum resolution depending on the available signal strength.

(Image credit: Ezviz)

13. EZVIZ Full HD Indoor Smart Security Cam Strong video quality and a neat design make up for a few minor shortcomings Specifications Max resolution: 1080p Wired/wireless: Wired Viewing angle: 130 degrees Indoor/outdoor: Indoor Two-way audio: Yes Storage: microSD / cloud Subscription: from £4.99 a month Reasons to buy + Setup takes minutes + Quality night and day footage + Works with Alexa and Google Assistant Today's Best Deals Check Amazon

When it comes to the EZVIZ Full HD Indoor Smart Security Cam in our best security camera round-up, the pros far outweigh the cons: it has a solid 1080p video feed, night vision, a decent 135-degree field of view, two-way audio and a straightforward app.

The design is compact, versatile and reasonably stylish, and you can just as easily mount the camera on a wall or a fridge as you can place it on a mantlepiece (the magnetic base helps here). As long as you can run a USB power cable to it, you can put it anywhere indoors.

The app isn't quite as polished as we might like, and the Alexa and Google Assistant integration isn't much to write home about, but overall this is a home security camera that isn't going to let you down. A cheaper 720p version is also available.





14. Nest Cam IQ Indoor A much more premium update of the Nest Cam Specifications Max resolution: 1080p Wired/wireless: Wired Viewing angle: 130 degrees Indoor/outdoor: Indoor Two-way audio: Yes Storage: Cloud Subscription: from £4 a month Reasons to buy + Super-clear cam footage + Recognises people (with subscription) + Top-quality companion app Today's Best Deals Low Stock £123.99 View at Amazon

We've split out the Nest Cam IQs separately in our best security cameras 2020 list because the indoor and outdoor variants really are distinct devices, and which one you need will depend on where you're putting them.

What stands out about these security cameras is the intelligence behind them and the quality of the apps Nest (now owned by Google) has put together.

Video crispness is also great, and this camera can shoot in (compressed) 4K. That means you get a clearer look at everything that's happening, and zooming is something that's actually useful. There's a neat auto-zoom mode here too, making it an easy choice for our best security camera roundup.

You do need a subscription for a lot of features, like cloud archives and the ability to distinguish between strangers and family members (the camera can identify a person on the free plan, but not who the person is) – so make sure you budget accordingly.

The older Nest Cam, with the previous design, is still on sale if you need something a little cheaper. You still get 1080p HD streaming, and access to the very intuitive app – just not as many of the additional bells and whistles.





15. Netatmo Welcome Monitor your house using facial recognition Specifications Max resolution: 1080p Wired/wireless: Wired Viewing angle: 130 degrees Indoor/outdoor: Indoor Two-way audio: No Storage: Cloud or microSD Subscription: N/A Reasons to buy + Stores files locally on an SD card + Facial recognition works well + No monthly subscription Today's Best Deals £163.51 View at Amazon 1 Amazon customer review ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

The Netatmo Welcome was quite ahead of its time as a security camera when it appeared several years ago, and it's still a very viable product. Like the other cameras here, it's a Wi-Fi-connected device that starts recording when it senses movement.

The clever bit is that the camera not only spots that people have entered its 130-degree field of vision, but it will also have a stab at recognising them too. Perhaps more usefully, if someone passes who the camera doesn't know, you get an alert about an "unknown face". You can tell the system who it is (if it's not an intruder), and next time around it should automatically know.

The camera can record video in up to 1080p, which looks perfectly fine on a smartphone screen and won't tax your internet connection too much. Netatmo also allows you to fine tune the settings for each individual user – for example, don't record Abbie, but do record Ben. It's actually pretty smart.

Perhaps the most pleasing feature here is that no monthly subscription is required to store more than a day's worth of footage. Here, video is stored on the Welcome's microSD card and/or remotely on your Dropbox folder, so you're not committing yourself to month after month of regular payments as you are with some other models. Absolutely one of the best security cameras of 2020.

16. Blink XT Decent value and simple operation Specifications Max resolution: 1080p Wired/wireless: Wireless Viewing angle: 110 degrees Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor Two-way audio: No Storage: Cloud Subscription: N/A Reasons to buy + Gives plenty of value for money + No subscription fees to pay + Build up your system over time Today's Best Deals £74.99 View at Amazon

You don't get the highest quality video and audio with the Blink XT, or the most attractive-looking hardware, or the most intuitive apps... so what's it doing here on our list of the best security cameras of 2020?

Well, as we note in our Blink XT review, it's very simple to set up, and you can start off with one or two cameras and then add more as you need. With a single camera system starting at around £100 you can add an extra layer of home security without paying too much.

These cameras have plenty of features too, including night vision and motion detection alerts. Importantly, the Blink XT devices are both waterproof and wireless (running for up to two years on AA batteries), so you can stick them just about anywhere.

And here's an added bonus: two hours of footage stored in the cloud for free. Unless you're pointing your camera at a busy high street, that should be ample for your needs, which means you won't have to pay any subscription fees.





17. Canary Smart Security Camera A good all-in-one home camera with a very loud alarm Specifications Max resolution: 1080p Wired/wireless: Wired Viewing angle: 147 degrees Indoor/outdoor: Indoor Two-way audio: Yes Storage: Cloud Subscription: from £7.99 a month Reasons to buy + Full 1080p video feed + 90+ decibel alarm + Useful air quality monitors Today's Best Deals £89.99 View at Amazon

Canary has got over some initial software issues to offer a very decent security camera option: especially that crisp 1080p video, with a 147-degree field of view, night vision and motion alerts (plus clear audio). What's more, that 90+ decibel siren makes it more of a serious security camera than some others here (though it needs to be manually activated when you spot something amiss).

Canary also lets you speed dial the emergency services from the app – though given it is unlikely that anything life-changing is going to happen in the time it takes you to manually dial 999, maybe that's not incredibly useful. Still, it's well worth a spot on our best security cameras 2020 list.

The device is more capable than most rival models, with sensors tracking the air quality, temperature and humidity in your home – or at least the area immediately around the camera – helping you create a pleasant and healthy atmosphere to live in. All of this can be tracked and managed from inside the app.

That pleasant atmosphere might be slightly affected by the thought that you need to pay extra in order to use the camera's handy night mode and some other useful other bits of functionality. For your £7.99 per month (or £79 per year), you also get up to a month of video recordings, unlimited downloads to your phone, two-way chat, and the option to view the camera on a desktop web browser.





18. Canary Flex HD Security Camera Canary smarts in a smaller package make this a tempting security camera proposition Specifications Max resolution: 1080p Wired/wireless: Wireless Viewing angle: 116 degrees Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor Two-way audio: Yes Storage: Cloud Subscription: from £7.99 a month Reasons to buy + Works just about anywhere + Crisp 1080p HD video footage + Attractive, compact design Today's Best Deals Low Stock £189 View at Amazon 944 Amazon customer reviews ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Say you like the design chops of Canary and the app it produces, but you don't want something as bulky as the Canary Smart Security Camera, or you want to monitor the garden outside – what's a person to do? Well, get the Flex HD instead.

It works with a wire or without, with a Canary Smart base station or without, and can operate indoors or indoors – you get a lot of flexibility from this little device. We like the 1080p HD video quality, the 116-degree field of view, the motion detection, and the removable magnetic base which is simple to install.

You get night vision here, and weatherproofing of course so it can be used outdoors. It's compact, versatile, and functions very well – the Canary app is easy to work your way around and lets you adjust the sensitivity of the motion detection, so you're not constantly getting interrupted with alerts.

As with the other Canary camera in this list, you need to cough up for a subscription to get more than a day's worth of streaming stored in the cloud, and to access two-way audio. Still, you get a decent amount of features, and without a subscription too, so it's easily one of the best security cameras of 2020.





19. Somfy One An all-in-one security camera solution Specifications Max resolution: 1080p Wired/wireless: Wired Viewing angle: 130 degrees Indoor/outdoor: Indoor Two-way audio: No Storage: Cloud Subscription: from £3.99 a month Reasons to buy + A more comprehensive system + Fine HD video quality + Support for Alexa/Google Home Today's Best Deals £162.97 View at Laptops Direct 224 Amazon customer reviews ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Designed to stop intruders before they've even made it through the front door, the Somfy One is part of a wider security platform from Somfy, and is ideal if you're looking for a more comprehensive setup that covers every corner of your home (it can work with sensors on the doors and windows, for instance).

You get 1080p HD streaming, a 130-degree field of view, the usual movement alerts, and a 90+ dB alarm that is likely to scare off any approaching burglar before they've got too far into your home. The privacy-conscious will be pleased to hear there's a physical shutter you can close over the camera when you're at home and don't want to be recorded.

We also like the way you can share alerts with friends, family, and neighbours, so even if you can't deal with an emergency, maybe someone else can. The app is streamlined and simple to use, and lets you cancel the wailing alarm remotely if it's been triggered by something that it shouldn't have.

As usual with most security cameras, you need to pay for a subscription to get a serious amount of cloud storage with this, though your £3.99 a month doesn't unlock any extra features on the camera itself.