Best wireless security cameras of 2024

We tested over 30 wireless security cameras to find the best features, video quality, and cloud storage.
Best overall
Reolink Argus 3
Reolink Argus 3 Pro
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5
  • pro
    2K video resolution
  • pro
    Solar option
  • bullet
    24% OFF
Best budget
TP-Link Tapo (Static)
4 out of 5 stars
4
  • pro
    1080p video resolution
  • pro
    Under $50
  • bullet
    20% OFF
Best outdoor
Eufy S340
3.8 out of 5 stars
3.75
  • pro
    3K video resolution
  • pro
    Solar panel included
Best design
Nest Cam (Battery)
Google Nest Cam
3.8 out of 5 stars
3.75
  • pro
    1080p video resolution
  • pro
    Design and aesthetic
  • bullet
    25% OFF
Best viewing range
TP-Link Tapo (Pan-Tilt)
4.3 out of 5 stars
4.25
  • pro
    1080p video resolution
  • pro
    Under $70
  • bullet
    29% OFF

SafeWise experts have years of firsthand experience testing the products we recommend. Learn how we test and review. We may earn money when you buy through our links.

We love the convenience and flexibility of wireless home security cameras and this year, there's a new sheriff in town: Reolink Argus 3 Pro. Reolink sports 2K video quality, a bright spotlight, and a wire-free design—features it shares with Arlo Pro 4, our previous winner. But Reolink offers a smaller price tag, no monthly fees, AND offers a solar option.

Although Arlo offers more advanced features like motion zones and better smart home compatibility, Reolink offers local storage, a longer warranty, and a very affordable solar panel add-on. These small improvements make a huge difference when the best wireless security cameras are so similar.

Find out which cameras on our list are truly wireless, which ones you can use indoors and outdoors, and what smart features each one offers in our comparison table and security camera reviews.



Compare the best wireless security cameras

Camera
Best for
Rating
Price
Type
Video resolution bullet
Night vision
Learn more
Best overall
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5
Indoor/outdoor, battery or solar-powered 1440p (2K) Colour/infrared
Best budget
4 out of 5 stars
4
Indoor, wired1080p Infrared
Best for outdoors
4.3 out of 5 stars
4.25
Indoor/outdoor, battery or solar powered2880p (3K) Colour/infrared
Best design
3.8 out of 5 stars
3.75
Indoor/outdoor, battery-powered1080p Infrared
Best viewing range
4.3 out of 5 stars
4.25
Indoor, wired 1080p Infrared
Best for Alexa
3.8 out of 5 stars
3.75
Indoor/outdoor, battery-powered 1080p Infrared

Price is accurate as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

Deal of the week 🔥
4 out of 5 stars
4
Reolink Argus 2E with Solar Panel
pro Battery powered, solar panel included
pro Free local and cloud storage
$111.98 (18% off)

Price is accurate as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

Best wireless security camera reviews

1. Reolink Argus 3 Pro: Best overall

Best overall
Reolink Argus 3
Reolink Argus 3 Pro
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5
$159.99🔥(24% OFF)

Price is accurate as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

We love the Reolink Argus 3 Pro because it performs on nearly the same level as Arlo Pro 5 for around 75% of the price, making it an easy choice to top our rankings as the best wireless camera. While Reolink's cloud storage isn't as good as the options from Arlo and Ring, it's totally free, and its microSD card slot gives it a local storage advantage. You don't need a paid subscription to save the high quality videos captured with your Reolink camera.

We also love that there's also an option with a solar panel, making it one of the more affordable solar cameras on the market.

pro
Pros
pro Affordable (even the solar version)
pro Excellent video quality
pro Bright spotlight
pro MicroSD video storage
con
Cons
con No removable battery
con No motion zones

We highly recommend the Reolink Argus 3 Pro over the normal Reolink Argus 3. Its 2K video resolution and larger battery give the Arlo Pro 5 a run for its money. This camera uses a rechargeable battery or solar power, so you have a lot of flexibility for camera placement. Still, the camera doesn't have a removable battery like Arlo Pro 5 and Ring Stick Up Cam—you can't swap a spare in when needed.

It outlasted Arlo Pro 5 in long-term battery tests, which is another notch in Reolink's belt. The local storage helps reduce the camera's Wi-Fi usage (which chews through batteries) for better performance overall. This contrasts with our experience of batteries draining fairly quickly if you record or view videos often without a solar panel accessory. Our test wasn't exactly taxing on the cameras, so you can expect to drain the battery in a month or two under normal conditions.

During our tests, we noticed that this camera lacks motion zones and has a narrower field of view (122º) than average, but it's still one of the best choices for most people. It even boasts compatibility with smart home platforms like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.

Its starlight night vision gives you clear images up to 10 metres without any extra ambient light. Overall we found the setup easy and the camera outperformed our expectations, so we're enormous fans of Reolink.

2. TP-Link Tapo (Static): Best budget camera

Best budget
TP-Link Tapo (Static)
4 out of 5 stars
4
$39🔥(20% OFF)

Price is accurate as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

The TP-Link Tapo static camera is a true powerhouse packed into a budget-friendly package. It includes two-way audio, a built-in alarm, up to 9 metres of night vision, and a 105-degree viewing range. Plus, under $60 is a total steal for a wireless camera this good.

TP-Link does offer 30 days of cloud storage history for an extra fee from $4.99 per month (discounted to $48.99 annually), or you can simply save photos and footage to your smartphone, tablet, or microSD card for free.

One of the only things we don’t like is that you need a power cord, which limits placement options compared to battery-powered cameras.

pro
Pros
pro Affordable price
pro Two-way audio
pro Motion detection
pro Built-in alarm
con
Cons
con Wired power cord
con Playback can be laggy
bullet
TP-Link Tapo (Pan-Tilt)
If you want more coverage from your wireless security cam, the pan-tilt model of the TP-Link Tapo Wi-Fi camera offers 360 degrees of horizontal viewing and 114 degrees of vertical viewing. Check out our full review below.

3. Eufy S340: Best outdoor wireless camera

Best for outdoors
Eufy S340
4.3 out of 5 stars
4.25
$399.95

Price is accurate as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

The recently released Eufy S340 has quickly become one of our most recommended cameras thanks to its versatility, coverage and exceptional video quality.

Boasting not one but two lenses (one ultra-wide, one telephoto/zoom) and 360-degree pan and tilt operation, the S340 captures exactly what you need to capture—all in ultra-crisp 3K resolution.

The camera is battery-powered, but with the included high-efficiency solar panel, it can power itself seemingly forever (ours has yet to dip below 95% battery in the last six months!)

And as always, we're big fans of the included local storage. No monthly fees really takes the sting out of that high upfront cost.

pro
Pros
pro 3K video resolution
pro Solar panel included
pro Wide viewing range
pro Local storage included
con
Cons
con High price
con Storage isn't easy to increase

4. Google Nest Cam (Battery): Best design

Best tech
Nest Cam (Battery)
Google Nest Cam (Battery)
3.8 out of 5 stars
3.75
$247🔥(25% OFF)

Price is accurate as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

The Google Nest Cam (Battery) is awesome when it comes to image, video, and sound quality. Plus, it also happens to be one of the best-looking (and most subtle) security camera designs out there.

This is Google's first battery-powered security camera, and we're pleased to say its battery holds up well in tests. There's even built-in video storage that keeps the camera recording up to a week's worth of clips when the internet drops.

There's even free cloud storage now, making Nest a lot more viable for those on a budget. It stores only three hours of video clips, but that's better than Arlo and Ring's complete lack of free storage.

pro
Pros
pro Great video quality
pro Battery-powered
pro Local backup storage
pro Quality design and aesthetic
con
Cons
con High price
con Facial recognition requires subscription

Among the smart alerts you can use for free are person, animal, and vehicle detection, along with motion zones. The fact that you can use so many features without a monthly subscription is a big improvement.

You still need to pay to use facial recognition, but we're not as excited about that. We especially like that you don't need to pay a separate fee for each camera in your home.

To learn more, read our full Nest Cam (battery) review.

5. TP-Link Tapo (Pan-Tilt): Best viewing range

Best pan-tilt
TP-Link Tapo (Pan-Tilt)
4.3 out of 5 stars
4.25
$42🔥(29% OFF)

Price is accurate as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

At SafeWise, we’re pretty big TP-Link fans, and this Tapo pan-tilt security camera doesn’t disappoint. Its remote pan-and-tilt function, easy setup, and variety of video storage options make this one of the best cheap security cameras available.

Like its static version above, the pan-tilt model includes features like two-way audio, motion detection, and a built-in alarm. However, if you can swing the extra 15 or so bucks, we think it's well worth it for the added functionality that comes with being able to pan 360 degrees horizontally and 114 degrees vertically.

Aside from the fact that it's not battery-powered, the only downside to the TP-Link Tapo pan-tilt camera is that, unless you're connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the camera, you'll have to refresh the stream every five minutes to continue viewing.

pro
Pros
pro Affordable price
pro Two-way audio
pro Wide viewing range
pro Motion detection
con
Cons
con Motion tracking requires subscription
con Playback outside of Wi-Fi network limited to 5 minutes

6. Ring Stick Up Cam Battery: Best for Alexa

Best for Alexa
Ring Stick Up Cam Battery

Price is accurate as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

The Ring Stick Up Cam Battery is completely wire-free, so you have a ton of flexibility in where you put it. And it costs under $180, making it one of the most affordable security cameras you can use both indoors and outdoors. It's an ideal wireless camera for an Alexa smart home, though we'd like it better if it supported Google Assistant and HomeKit like the Arlo does.

If you need a wireless outdoor camera on a budget, the Stick Up Cam Battery is a great bet. Ring also has one of the most competitive cloud storage plans on the market, starting from $4.95 a month for 60 days of storage.

pro
Pros
pro No power cables to wrangle
pro Indoor/outdoor capability
pro Motion-activated sensors
pro Alexa compatibility
con
Cons
con Tedious process to recharge battery
con Short battery life

We've seen reports of short battery life on Ring products (some say it lasts about a month), and recharging the Stick Up Cam is a tedious process since you need to remove the battery each time. While there's a wired option for this camera—Stick Up Cam Plug-In—you lose the flexibility of installing it anywhere.

You can get a solar panel accessory so you don’t need to remove the battery as often, but it’ll cost you extra.

bullet
Ring Spotlight Cam

The Ring Spotlight Cam (about $200) costs a bit more than the Stick Up Cam but has a couple of added benefits. The built-in siren and bright spotlight can help deter unwelcome visitors by sounding an alarm that's hard to ignore. We also like that the spotlight can double as a path light for getting to and from your car at night.

Final word

There are so many wireless security cameras to choose from—we barely scratched the surface of what kinds of cameras are out there. Still, the Reolink Argus 3 Pro is a standout option with 100% wire-free operation, local storage, solar option, and impressive video quality.

It's not a perfect camera, especially since it lacks the motion zones you can find on most competitors, but it's a refreshing change from cloud-centric brands like Arlo and Ring.

For more information about wireless security cameras, see our list of frequently asked questions below.

Wireless security camera FAQ

Unfortunately, yes, security cameras can be vulnerable to hacking—but we have a handful of protective tips for you.

Nearly every security camera we looked at supports encryption. This protects the camera’s data stream (like videos of your kids after school) from prying eyes.

No matter what security features come with your camera, these tips can help you maximize the privacy of your security cameras:

  • Buy a camera with a recognisable name and purchase it from a trustworthy seller.
  • Make sure your home Wi-Fi network is secure.
  • Create unique, strong passwords for your camera and any apps you use to access it.
  • Keep firmware up to date on your camera and your Wi-Fi router.
  • Turn off remote viewing when you don’t need it.
  • Block the lens of your camera when you’re not using it—a post-it or a piece of painters tape will work.

We’ve learned that many people want a wireless security camera to keep an eye on the people and pets they love. If this is your goal, here are some things to consider:

  • Two-way communication: This lets you listen in and talk to the pets or people at home.
  • Night vision: Clear images in low light are especially important if you want to use the camera as a baby monitor.
  • Field of view: Most security cameras use a wide-angle lens, while baby monitors often use a more narrow range of vision to focus on the baby.
  • Pan and tilt: If you’re viewing pets or older kids remotely from the office or on a beach, you may want to be able to move the camera angle.​

Wireless cameras can’t have it all. It would be great if they could watch things inside by day, and keep an eye on what’s going on outside after dark, right? But it rarely works.

Most indoor security cameras will pick up glares and reflections when aimed out a window. This obscures the outside view, making it useless.

If security both outdoors and indoors is a priority for you, we recommend getting the right type of camera for each area. You may be able to find an indoor camera that claims to be specifically designed to minimise the glare and reflection of a window, but be sure to read a lot of customer reviews to back the claim up.

If your goal is to protect against intruders, we recommend an outdoor camera first and foremost.

Outdoor security cameras can deter criminals and provide an early warning before someone enters your home. While indoor security cameras often help people catch a burglar after the fact, you have a better chance of sending a thief running with an outdoor camera.

And if you want to be connected to the police, you should look into security cameras that come with an option to add professional monitoring.

Contributing writer: Rebecca Edwards

How we reviewed wireless cameras

To find the best wireless security cameras, we looked at price, image quality, reliability, ease of setup, smart features, night vision, and customer satisfaction.

We tested several cameras in our homes, read expert reviews, researched industry standards and camera specs, and consulted thousands of customer reviews.

  • 200+ hours of research and testing
  • 33 in-home tests
  • 48 products considered

Battery-powered cameras that completely fall into the wire-free category, like the Reolink Argus 3 Pro, Arlo Pro 5, Google Nest Cam, and Ring Stick Up Cam, got extra credit when it came to ranking the top wireless security cameras this year. But we couldn’t dismiss high-quality Wi-Fi cameras like the TP-Link Tapo range just because of a compulsory power cord.

Find out more about how we rank and review products in our full methodology.


Disclaimer
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time of publish and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on the retailer’s website at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. SafeWise Australia utilises paid affiliate links.
John Carlsen
Written by
John Carlsen

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