Best Home Security Cameras under $50 of 2023

It’s impossible to put a price on feeling safe and peaceful in your home. That said, home security systems can cost a pretty penny, and not all of us want to shell out thousands of dollars to outfit our houses, apartments, and other properties with high-tech systems.If you want to add a security camera but have a budget to stick to, We think Wyze Cam v3 is right for you.

Most cheap security cameras keep costs down by sacrificing smart detection and cloud storage, but Wyze delivers a surprisingly solid experience that rivals the best home security cameras no matter the price.

Here are the top 5 security cameras under $50

1. Wyze Cam v3: Best overall and budget
2. Reolink E1 Pro: Best Video pick
3. Eufy Solo IndoorCam C24: Best Indoor pick
4. ZOSI C190: Best Outdoor pick
5. YI Dome Camera U: Best Privacy pick

cheap security cameras compared

Product	Best for	Price*	Frame rate	Field of view	Night vision	Smart home	Learn more	Read review
Wyze Cam v3	Best overall and budget	$35.98	20 FPS	130º	Up to 30 ft.	Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant	View on Amazon	Read review
Reolink E1 Pro	Video pick	$59.99	20 FPS	87.5º	Up to 40 ft.	Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant	View on Amazon	Read review
Eufy Solo IndoorCam C24	Indoor pick	$42.99	15 FPS	125º	Up to 32 ft.	Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant	View on Amazon	Read review
ZOSI C190	Outdoor pick	$39.99	25 FPS	90º	Up to 80 ft.	Amazon Alexa	View on Amazon	Read review
YI Dome Camera U	Privacy pick	$39.99	20 FPS	Not specified	Up to 10 ft.	Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant	View on Amazon	Read review

*Amazon.com price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

Compare cheap camera storage options

Info current as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
*Limited-feature cloud storage is available for free.

Reviews: Best cheap security camera under $50

1. Wyze Cam v3: Top pick

Pros	Cons
Powerful color night vision Most affordable cloud storage Indoor and outdoor capabilities Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT support Motion, person, and sound detection Built-in siren	Special power source for outdoors MicroSD support tops out at 32 GB Doesn't support HomeKit Some features require a subscription

The affordable Wyze Cam V3 is an indoor/outdoor home security camera that packs a ton of features into its small frame, including color night vision (new starlight sensor), smart motion detection, voice control, built-in siren and local video storage.

Cloud storage is another way Wyze differentiates itself from other cheap security camera brands -- which often can't compete with mid-range brands like Arlo and Ring. Wyze Cam v3 comes with 14 days of rolling cloud storage for free. But you might still want to subscribe to a monthly subscription plan so you can use the smart features. The Wyze Cam Plus plan gives you access to people, package, vehicle and sound detection.

Wyze Cam v3 is a wired camera with an IP65 rating, so you can install it outdoors in the rain or in a kid's room with confidence. Unfortunately outdoor use requires the Wyze Outdoor Power Adapter (sold separately). Phone Compatibility - Android 5.0 plus, iOS 9.0 plus.

It's also compatible with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, IFTTT, and Wyze's security systems and smart home devices, making it an excellent smart security camera.

The Wyze Cam v3 beats other inexpensive wireless security cameras in just about every way, and we can't recommend it highly enough. Learn more about Wyze's noteworthy camera lineup in our Wyze camera review.

2. Reolink E1 Pro: Video pick

Pros	Cons
Excellent video quality Pan-and-tilt functionality Above-average free cloud storage	Indoor only No automatic motion tracking

The Reolink E1 Pro, which occasionally hovers around $50, has the best video quality of any budget home security camera. 2K 4MP resolution lets you see images in super-sharp clarity and the finest details. Never miss a thing, even at night, with outstanding night vision up to 40 feet.

 Videos can be saved to micro SD card (up to 256GB, not included) and Reolink NVR, so you can play them anytime. Reolink's free cloud storage is actually pretty useful compared to similar offerings from Wyze and YI. It only works with a single camera, and footage only stays on for 24 hours, but the videos don't have onerous length limits. Reolink's paid cloud plans are a great deal if you have the maximum number of cameras allowed, not so much otherwise.

Sadly, the field of view of the E1 Pro is only 82°, and while the gimbal feature helps make up for that, the camera doesn't have automatic motion tracking like other cheaper gimbal cameras. At the same time, it is not waterproof and can only be used indoors.

Overall, the Reolink E1 Pro offers a great user experience and great video quality. Read more about why we think Reolink has the best video quality among security cameras in our Reolink camera review.

3. Eufy Solo IndoorCam C24: Smart home pick

Pros	Cons
2K video resolution Amazon, Apple, and Google smart home compatibility 125º field of view Intelligent motion detection	HomeKit and cloud storage limited to 1080p Indoor only

Eufy's Solo IndoorCam C24 is an affordable home security camera that doesn't skimp on features. For less than $40, you can get 2K video capture. It's also compatible with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant platforms, though some features aren't available in HomeKit. This flexibility makes it ideal for any smart home.

We also like that it offers 2K video resolution at a lower price than the Reolink E1 Pro. View every event in up to 2K clarity (1080P with HomeKit) so you know exactly what's happening in your home. The 125° field of view is also one of its highlights.

Eufy's cloud storage costs about $3 per month, bucking the trend of cheap camera cloud plans pricing higher than similar fees from Arlo and Ring. It's not as competitive as Wyze's cloud pricing, but that's a high bar to beat.

Judging from the name, Eufy Solo IndoorCam C24 is a veritable indoor camera. We've heard from some users that it doesn't work well in colder environments.

Learn more about Eufy security products in our Eufy camera review.

4. ZOSI C190: Outdoor pick

Pros	Cons
80 ft. infrared night vision Color night vision Local storage option	Narrow field of view Limited smart home compatibility No cloud storage

The ZOSI C190 is designed for use in all types of weather and environments. The IP67 housing can withstand any harsh weather conditions, you can use it both indoors and outdoors. It has a very good nighttime capability, when night falls, the bright white LED lights record in full color regardless of day and night, viewing clearer and valuable details to identify people and vehicles.

This ZOSI C190 features a bullet camera design with advanced AI human detection technology that enables the camera to intelligently detect body shapes and facial patterns. Make sure you are alerted only when there are people and not animals, fallen leaves, flying birds.

The C190 adopts H.265 video compression technology, which can double the data compression rate, and in the long run, local storage is more cost-effective. Support Micro SD card local storage (PS: Micro SD card (8G to 128G) is required for recording, each camera will be equipped with a 32GB Micro SD card.)

The ZOSI C190 doesn't work with many smart home platforms, but it does work with Alexa to easily control your camera with your voice to take care from anywhere in your home. Overall, at $39.99, it's hard to find a better outdoor security camera.

Learn more in our ZOSI security camera review.

5. YI Dome Camera U: Privacy pick

Pros	Cons
Physical privacy shutter Free cloud storage option Person and sound detection	Big limitations on free cloud storage Pricey paid cloud storage Bare-bones support resources online

YI Dome Camera U features full 360° PTZ, allowing you to see the entire room from one location. YI focuses on privacy and security, whenever you want to disable the camera's recording function, just flip the camera cover to turn on the "sleep mode". The design of this physical mode switch is very good to avoid the problem of privacy leakage caused by hacking, and we like this design very much.

The camera can track 340° horizontally and 90° vertically to achieve 360° coverage, let you say goodbye to visual blind spots, equipped with the latest chip supporting edge computing and built-in high-precision human detection technology can help you reduce plants, animals or False alarms caused by small insects.

Best of all, YI's free cloud storage has no storage limit and no cooldown period. But the clips are only six seconds long, and the servers delete footage older than 24 hours. While you can get around this with a paid subscription, $5 per month for a single camera is more expensive than similar plans from Wyze, Ring, and Arlo.

The YI Home app allows you to seamlessly view live and cloud footage from all YI cameras. The best thing is that it supports PC and Mac platforms, so that everyone can reduce their dependence on mobile phone screens. This design is very careful.

Learn more about this camera and others in our YI camera review.

Final word

The Wyze Cam v3 stands out in our review for being low-priced and full-featured. For about $36, it offers excellent quality: UHD video, weatherproofing, two-way audio and affordable cloud storage, and a plethora of companion smart home devices that also use the Wyze app, the only downside is that it's not equipped for outdoor use power cord.

While some brands of cheap security cameras also offer more features and better quality than ever before. But it is also a functional choice for the market. If you're on a budget, consider checking out our reviews of the best security cameras to see how pricier cameras compare.

Cheap security cameras FAQ

How we reviewed cheap security camera

When choosing a cheap security camera, we considered two factors: the first is the cost, which must not exceed $55. The second is functional diversity, which must have a complete list of functions such as Wi-Fi connection, relatively clear video quality, and cloud storage.

Prior to this update, our team has tested Wyze, ZOSI, Eufy, YI, Reolink brands.

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

Disclaimers

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Bestwirelesscam.com utilizes paid Amazon links.

Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided “as is” and is subject to change or removal at any time.

†Google, Google Nest, Google Assistant, and other related marks are trademarks of Google LLC.