Not quite ready to deck out your house with window, door, and motion sensors and hire an on-call monitoring service? Don’t fret! You can still keep your home secure without messing with your wiring. Setting up a camera or two is an affordable alternative.

Knowing you can check in when you’re away offers you peace of mind, but a lot of us have a love-hate relationship with these cameras. There’s an obvious security benefit, but you expose yourself to privacy risks. We break down what you should keep in mind when shopping for one, and we’ve rounded up our favorites after rigorous testing.

Be sure to check out our many other guides, including The Best Outdoor Security Cameras,  Best Pet Cameras, and Best Password Managers. And if you want more smart home products, we have guides on smart plugs and light bulbs, too.

Updated September 2022: We added a camera from Arlo. 

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