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9 Great DIY Wireless and Wired Security Cameras under $100
The days of a security camera setup costing upwards of a thousand dollars, professional installation, tons of wires, and dozens of holes drilled are over!
Even if security isn’t much of an issue in your area, a camera can provide added peace of mind. If something does go missing, a package disappears, or an accident happens, you’ll have visual proof. This, in turn, could prevent hundreds or even thousands of dollars in expenses.
Today, wireless security cameras are easily available, many under $100, $75, or even $50. Additionally, the setup is so simple; it can often be done in minutes.
We have compared the functionality, options, and reviews of dozens of security cameras. We then took the best 8 and split them up into three categories:
- Wire-Free Battery-operated cameras
These cameras require no wires at all; mount and done. - Wireless cameras
These cameras require a wired power source but use WiFi. - Wired cameras
These cameras require wired power and an internet source.
Wire-Free Battery-Operated Security Cameras
Pros:
These cameras are the simplest way to add a layer of security to your home. Since they run on long-lasting batteries, there are no wires required. Just pick a spot, mount, and forget!
Cons:
While battery-operated cameras are extremely convenient, the more you use them, the quicker they need a charge. Live-streaming will drain the battery at a much higher rate. Wire-free cameras typically only activate if the sensor detects movement to save battery life.
Packed with features
Blink Outdoor
Blink Outdoor is perhaps the most convenient security camera available. This camera is weatherproof and does not require a single wire. In other words, you can mount it anywhere!
It features a 2-year battery life and offers cloud or local storage.
Blink Outdoor is definitely one of the most expensive cameras we listed. But, you get a discount if you buy more than one.
Mount and forget
Ring Stick Up Cam
The company that started as “the world-changing doorbell” offers everything you need to make your home secure.
This battery-operated camera by Ring can be mounted anywhere. It is fully weatherproof and requires zero wires!
While the picture shows the ring camera sitting on a flat surface, the mounting base can be connected to the camera’s back for vertical wall mounting.
Shave off a few bucks
Blink Indoor
Blink Indoor offers all the great features as the Blink Outdoor, with one exception. It’s not weatherproof. If that’s alright with you, you can save roughly 20% vs. the Ring Outdoor.
Wireless (WiFi) Security Cameras
Pros:
Wireless cameras are perfect for indoor use. You plug them into a power source, and that’s it! They connect to WiFi (hence the wireless), so you don’t have to run wires through your home.
Cons:
While some wireless cameras are weatherproof, we found that they aren’t ideal for that purpose. They usually need to be plugged into an electrical outlet, and the power cord is usually only 6-10 feet long. This often leads to an amateur-looking installation, for example, a cord through the wall that’s plugged into an electrical outlet.
Our favorite
Tenvis Pan/Tilt
If you’re looking for a security camera that doesn’t have to be compact, I would highly recommend this one. I own a small store and needed a simple yet effective camera solution. This is it!
Just plug it into an electrical outlet, connect it to wifi, and you’re set. But what really sets this camera apart is that it can rotate 360 degrees. It can also tilt up and down. This allows me to see my entire store, with just one camera!
Whether you’re looking for a baby monitor, pet monitor, or just an indoor camera, I don’t think you will be disappointed going with Tenvis. To learn more, read my in-depth review of the Tenvis camera.
Bargain
Wyze
Wyze is an affordable and straightforward indoor wireless camera. It comes with a magnetic base and an adhesive mount. So installation doesn’t even require screws!
At around $50 for a pack of 2 1080p cameras, this is a security camera anyone can afford and a great value!
Great Quality
Blink Mini
Blink Mini is a compact security indoor camera. It’s effortless to set up. The Blink app is straightforward and easy to use as well. I personally own a Blink Mini that I use as a furbaby-monitor.
It allows me to check in on my 3 Pomeranians when I’m at work or travel. I purchased one on sale for $25. Honestly, for $25, I wasn’t expecting much. But this little security camera has been flawless so far!
Wired Security Cameras
Pros:
These cameras are very reliable. They are usually weatherproof, offer very high definition, and have great detection sensors.
Cons:
The biggest disadvantage of wired cameras is that they need to be wired. This means drilling holes, long wires, and depending on the camera, a DVR.
Our favorite
Goowls Pan/Tilt
This security camera is top-choice in the wired category. It requires a power source, like an electrical outlet. The electrical cord is roughly 8 feet long.
Not long enough for you? The good news is that it accepts a USB cord for power. So you can always buy a longer USB power cord. Here’s a great 20 foot USB cord for around $13.
This camera is weatherproof, and it can rotate 360 degrees and tilt up and down. It accepts local SD cards for storage, so no need for a DVR or paid subscription!
Ton of features
Swann Dome
The Dome by Swann is a great and reliable camera. With features such as motion and heat sensors, night vision, and a wide-angle lens, you get a big bang for your buck.
This camera does require a DVR, however, for power, internet and storage. The DVR is not included, so unless you already have one, you’ll need to keep the room in your budget.
Budget-friendly
Zmodo
These cameras have a ton of great reviews, and it’s easy to see why. They use a USB cord for power, so it’s quite easy to get a longer USB cord if needed. They offer high-resolution footage, convenient alerts and are Google and Alexa ready.
Storage-wise, you can use a DVR (not included) or the $10/month cloud subscription service. If you’re ok with paying for cloud, you can get 2 or even 3 of these cameras (dependent on promotion prices), under $100!
Not sure if you need a security camera?
If you have ever been a victim of a package thief (porch pirate), burglar, or someone causing harm to your property, you know it’s an awful feeling.
Last year alone (2019), a whopping 11 million homeowners had a package stolen, according to a study produced by research firm Edelman Intelligence. What’s even more surprising is that 74% of those packages were stolen during the day while the homeowner was home!
The feeling of someone stealing your property is awful, yet it gets even worse when the police can’t really do anything about it. You should definitely always file a police report, but without any evidence of who took it, there’s really not much they can do.
Lastly, thousands of incidents happen every year where cases are solved because a store, vehicle, or neighbor has a security camera that caught the incident in real-time. Maybe you’ll never end up personally needing it, but it could just be the piece of evidence someone around you could desperately need!
This is why you need a security camera. For less than $100, you’ll have visual proof of the incident occurring. Not only that, you could potentially have the needed evidence for the police to catch the individual!
How are modern home security cameras any different?
Modern home security cameras are mostly DIY devices. In the past, home security and webcams were all about hiring a security service provider to hook your home up with cameras.
It is the service provider that did the job of monitoring your home on your behalf. You were required to pay for the cameras, installation, and monitoring service.
But the new wave of home security cameras lets you take matters into your own hands. You purchase the camera, install it, and monitor the premise on your own.
The camera can either be wired or wireless and might come with alerts generated when the camera sensors are activated. These alerts are mostly sent to your mobile phone. This means that it’ll be up to you to contact the police if someone breaks into your home and the camera sends an alert for the same to your phone.
Also, while every modern security camera’s primary goal is to enhance the security of your home, their working and features can significantly vary. These cameras double extremely well as a baby monitor, for example.
Wired, wireless, or wire-free home security cameras?
It began with wired security cameras a few decades ago. The wireless revolution then introduced wireless security cameras. Currently, we now have a new breed of wire-free cameras.
The confusion between wired, wireless, and wire-free is one of the most common among people wanting to buy home security cameras. Allow us to help you clear this conundrum once and for all in the easiest way possible.
Wired cameras
If you purchase a wired security camera, the camera will be connected to a power source through a cable. Another ethernet cable will connect it to the internet.
Wireless cameras
A wired power source is needed with wireless cameras, but the internet transmission is wireless through Wi-Fi.
Wire-free cameras
These cameras are equipped with batteries and don’t need a separate connection to a power source. Internet connection is through Wi-Fi. While this may sound like a never-ending pain, many of these cameras have optimized battery setups.
Some wire-free cameras use rechargeable, long-lasting lion batteries, for example. Furthermore, they usually aren’t used for a constant live feed. Rather, they detect motion and then start recording.
Which is best?
You can find excellent models in each category. While wireless and wire-free cameras eliminate many wiring clutter, wired cameras have more secure connections. In the end, it is all about what better suits your requirement.
What you should look for when buying a security camera
As mentioned above, every security camera’s basic function is to detect events, record them, and send you notifications. However, not every security camera performs in the same manner. Also, a lot of them have additional features too.
But to make the selection easier, here is a list of some features that are common in every security camera:
Alerts/Notifications
Most security cameras send notifications to a smartphone every time events are detected. If you don’t want to watch your home’s live feed all day, this is a smart way to monitor your home. Depending on the camera you select, it can send text-based notifications for motion, face, sound, or all three.
Some of them send alerts to a single individual, while others can send them to multiple family members. Apart from text alerts, some cameras also send email notifications.
Motion Detection
If you want to install a security camera in an empty home, motion detection is one of the most important features you should look out for. Most modern security cameras feature motion sensors that can pick-up motion within the field-of-view of the camera.
Once the sensor is activated, it then starts video recording. But motion sensors are a bit tricky. Blowing of leaves outside the window or slight movement of the curtains inside can trigger the motion sensors. Ensure that you select a camera that allows you to adjust the camera’s field-of-view and motion detector sensitivity to reduce false alarms.
Storage (Cloud/Local)
Most of the manufacturers now offer some cloud storage service with their cameras. In most cases, these storage services have a monthly fee. Some manufacturers do offer free storage but only with minimal storage space.
With cloud storage, the recorded feed is sent to the cloud server of the company. The feeds stay there for a fixed duration, ranging from 1-7 days. Older feeds are then automatically deleted so that newer videos can be stored.
Lastly, most cameras feature a memory card slot for local storage in addition to cloud storage. This way, you don’t have to pay a monthly cloud fee. You pop in a memory card and clear the footage you don’t need occasionally. You can usually do this from the mobile app, so you won’t have to remove it once the card is installed.
Mobile App
Most of the security cams are controlled through a mobile app. The app is generally used for watching the live feed of the camera. The app should also come with all the features you might need to control and adjust camera settings.
For instance, it should allow you to adjust the motion detector and sound detector sensitivity, customize notifications, and set detection zones. Also, the app should be intuitive and user-friendly.
While some new manufacturers have pretty poor apps, you could always use a universal app that works with your specific camera. You’d be surprised how many are out there.
Night Vision
Depending on the placement of the camera and its purpose, night vision could be an important element. An important thing to consider is the night vision coverage area of the security camera.
While most cameras do come with the night vision feature, the coverage area can vary significantly.
For larger areas, go for a security camera with night vision of up to 25-30ft. Make sure that the night vision is automatically activated as and when the camera detects low-lighting conditions.
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