9 best indoor security cameras (2024): For homes and apartments

The C120 can stream and record video at up to 2K resolution, supports two-way audio (with slight latency), and has a microSD card slot for up to 512GB to keep recordings locally. This affordable security camera features a starlight sensor that delivers impressive color night vision, smart detection (people, pets, and vehicles) without registration, and a IP66 ratingmeaning you can also use it outdoors (as long as you can run the power cable). The stand is convenient, easy to wall mount, can be placed on a shelf and is magnetic. There's no need to spend more than this to monitor your entrance or a specific room in your home.

Motion detection is reliable, and you can adjust sensitivity and customize the notifications you receive. Video is sharp, but the frame rate maxes out at 20 frames per second, so fast-moving subjects are sometimes blurry. You can set activity zones and privacy in the Tapo app, and there's AI detection to recognize people, pets, vehicles, and crying babies. Sadly, rich notifications, including snapshots, come with an optional Tapo Care subscription, along with 30 days of cloud storage for clips, and it's expensive at $3.50 per month for one. cameras or $12 per month for up to 10 cameras. There's no HomeKit or IFTTT support, but it works with Google Home and Amazon Alexa, although stream loading speeds on my Nest Hub were a bit slow. This camera also supports Open Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP).

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