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 lag), and has a slot for up to 512GB microSD cards to keep local recordings. This affordable security camera has a starlight sensor that provides great color night vision and smart detection (people, pets, vehicles) without a subscription, and IP66 ratingWhich means you can also use it outdoors (provided you can run the power cable). The base is easy to mount on the wall, can be placed on a shelf, and is magnetic. There is no need to spend more than this to monitor a specific hallway or room in your home.

Motion detection is reliable, and you can adjust the sensitivity and customize the notifications you receive. Video is clear, but the frame rate maxes out at 20fps, so fast-moving subjects sometimes appear blurry. You can set activity and privacy zones in the Tapo app, and there’s an AI detection feature to recognize people, pets, vehicles, and the sound of a baby crying. Unfortunately, rich notifications, including Snapshot, are included with the optional Tapo Care subscription, along with 30 days of cloud storage for clips, and they’re expensive at $3.50 per month for one camera or $12 per month for up to 10 cameras. There’s no support for HomeKit or IFTTT, but it works with Google Home and Amazon Alexa, though loading streaming to the Nest Hub was a little slow. This camera also supports Open Live Streaming Protocol (RTSP).

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