Do security cameras need a monthly subscription?

Cloud cameras charge monthly to keep your footage. Local-recording systems keep it in your home with no plan. Here is how the two compare.

Most cameras sold at big-box stores are cheap up front and earn their money later through a cloud plan. Without the plan you often get live view only: no history, no clips, no smart alerts. Before you buy, it helps to know there is another way to do it.

Cloud recording

Each camera uploads video over your internet connection to the maker's servers. You pay per camera or per home, every month, for as long as you want recordings.

• Easy to set up, often battery or Wi-Fi powered
• Footage lives on someone else's servers
• Recording stops when your internet or Wi-Fi drops
• Costs add up with every camera and every year

Local recording

Cameras send video over a cable to a recorder (an NVR) in your home. The recorder stores footage on its own drives, and an app lets you watch live and recorded video from anywhere.

• No monthly fee from the camera maker
• Recording continues when the internet is down
• Footage stays in your home
• Wired cameras need cable runs, which is where installation comes in

UniFi Protect, which we install, works this way: the cameras, doorbell and recorder are a one-time purchase and the app is free.

Wired beats Wi-Fi for cameras

Video is heavy. A Wi-Fi camera at the edge of your coverage drops frames or goes offline, and battery cameras sleep between events so they can miss the start of one. PoE (Power over Ethernet) cameras get power and data through a single cable, so they record continuously and never need charging.

What to ask before you buy

• Where is footage stored, and what happens if I stop paying?
• Does recording continue if the internet goes down?
• How many days of footage will I keep?
• Can I add family members to the app for free?

The short answer

If you want a camera or two for a quick look at the front door, a cloud camera is fine. If you want reliable recording around the whole home without a bill every month, a wired, local-recording system is the better long-term choice.