Want to keep an eye on your home? We've done the sorting for you and selected the best connected security cameras for indoors!
The range of connected surveillance cameras is increasingly wide and it is becoming more complicated to navigate. In this guide, we have focused on models dedicated to indoor use. The current trend being towards versatile products, you will also find references capable of working outdoors .
If you are looking for an entire system capable of monitoring your home, we direct you to our guide to speakers with screens . You will find models equipped with a camera to protect your home. Our selection of the best connected doorbells may also interest you. And for a broader overview of the market, go to our guide to the best connected surveillance cameras !
The best indoor security cameras in 2024:
- Bosch Camera 360° : the most balanced indoor camera
- Arlo Pro 3 : the benchmark for indoor cameras
- Google Nest Cam : for 100% Google
- Ezviz BC1 : the most versatile indoor camera
- Netatmo Welcome : she has beautiful remains
- Xiaomi Mi 360° Security Camera 2K : the inexpensive indoor camera
- Amazon Echo Show 15 : a camera in a connected screen
Bosch Camera 360°: the most balanced indoor surveillance camera
Questions of privacy are often put aside with surveillance cameras, we must ultimately believe in the goodwill of the manufacturers. Signed by Bosch, this camera goes further since a double press will completely hide the sensor if you do not want to be filmed. Its design is elegant and reminiscent of that of the Netatmo Welcome.
Like the latter, it does not have a fixing system and must therefore be placed on a flat surface. Positioning is, however, simplified by the fact that the sensor is motorized and therefore mobile. It automatically tracks people entering its field with the possibility of controlling it manually via the app.
The indoor camera also stands out for its image quality. Full HD recordings are of very good quality day and night. The infrared mode is particularly effective thanks to the lamps allowing faces to be distinguished from quite a distance. On the other hand, the speaker disappoints a little, giving a very metallic sound to the voices.
For recording, you have the choice between the cloud and a microSD card . The cloud offering is free and stores up to 200 sequences for 30 days. Note that the data is stored in Germany, a real plus for privacy issues. Local storage is done on a micro SD card, we recommend that you immediately replace the 8 GB one provided, it is far too small.
The German manufacturer offers here an excellent camera which will particularly appeal to those who only need one point of view. The attention paid to privacy functions is still too rare on this type of product and must be welcomed. And as a bonus, its price is all the more attractive as the cloud storage is free.
The Bosch Camera 360° in brief
- 360° motorized tracking
- Excellent video performance
- Respect privacy
Arlo Pro 3: the benchmark for indoor cameras
Arlo has a recognizable design, relatively compact and associated with flawless manufacturing quality. Installation is extremely simple, with three possibilities: place the camera on a flat space, hang it on a support on which to screw the Arlo or another magnetic device. The latter is the most practical, because detaching the camera is done in a second.
The cameras are battery operated; count on between 30 and 60 days of autonomy depending on your uses. The Smart Hub, a box to connect to your router, is essential to make everything work. It includes an alarm, but it lacks power.
The Arlo Pro 3 films in 2K, 1080p and 720p with a viewing angle of 160°, HDR support comes as a bonus. We are facing the camera offering the best level of detail on the market and rather natural colorimetry. At night, the quality is still there, with an exceptional night mode. The camera also includes a projector which illuminates the targeted area and even allows filming in color at night.
Motion detection activates recording and is very fine. It can identify animals, monitor a specific area (parcel deposits for example) and even alert if a vehicle passes in front of its optics. The hub also includes a smoke detector.
On the other hand, to take advantage of all the software possibilities of the Arlo Pro 3, you must take out a subscription (starting from 2.79 euros for one camera and 8.99 euros for several). Without this, you will have to do without differentiated motion detection, smoke detection and especially access to videos recorded in the cloud.
Arlo, however, offers an alternative solution, by authorizing recording on a hard drive connected to the Smart Hub. Finally, the app is really rich, quite simple to understand, but the overload of information sometimes harms readability.
The Arlo Pro 3 is undoubtedly the most efficient model in this comparison. In a pack of two, its price is subject to a lot of variation, but you can sometimes find them for less than 300 euros.
The Arlo Pro 3 in brief
- Complete solution
- Day and night performance
- Integrated torch
Google Nest Cam: for 100% Google users
After a Nest Cam IQ which was a small revolution with its intelligent functions, Google returns with a model that is significantly less expensive and more versatile. This new Nest Cam now has a battery and is designed for indoor and outdoor use.
The design is refined and despite its rather imposing size, the machine will easily be forgotten in most interiors. It comes with a magnetic wall mount, but an optional base is also included if you want to place it on a flat surface. The announced autonomy is 1 month and a half to 7 months depending on use, more than adequate endurance.
Device management is now only via the Google Home app . The latter is easy to use and the majority of intelligent functions are accessible without a subscription. The only major exception is that face recognition is linked to paid plans. You will have the choice between 30 and 60 days of storage for respectively 5 euros per month and 10 euros per month.
In terms of display quality, the sensor provides a decent Full HD image, both day and night, which has no reason to be ashamed of the competition.
Google therefore delivers here a balanced indoor surveillance camera, which stands out from the crowd for the richness of its advanced functions. The integration with the rest of the Nest (and Google) ecosystem is of course perfect. We tell you about it in more detail in our review of the Google Nest Cam .
The Google Nest Cam in brief
- Software functions
- A good image
- The discreet design
Ezviz BC1: the all-rounder
Initially designed for outdoor use, this camera stands out for its versatility and can be used indoors without any problem if you have no problem attaching it to the wall. No need to worry about a possible cable: it has a battery giving it a battery life of up to a year. Like the Arlo models, it comes with a base.
The latter serves on the one hand to create a dedicated Wi-Fi network which will not suffer from interference, but also houses a micro-SD slot for local backup. A cloud offer is obviously available with prices ranging from €5 to €15 per month depending on the backup duration and the number of cameras.
Recording is done in Full HD, with perfectly good image quality whether day or night in infrared. The built-in projectors even allow color recording when turned on. On the audio side, the microphones do a good job and the built-in speaker is surprisingly powerful, even being able to act as a siren. The base is also given a more powerful siren.
We conclude this little overview with the software part. The app provided is simple to use, but not as developed as some of its competitors: no animal detection or recognition zones for example.
Less advanced than some of its competitors, this indoor camera offers excellent value for money for those who want to equip themselves without breaking the bank.
Ezviz BC1 in brief
- Excellent autonomy
- Good image quality
- An attractive price
Netatmo Welcome: she has beautiful remains
Although released in 2015, the Netatmo Welcome remains one of the most elegant indoor surveillance cameras on the market with its tubular design and very controlled dimensions. Only a small LED reminds us that we are in front of a camera. No hanging system on the menu, it must therefore be placed on a flat surface. Installation is as simple as it is quick. Although a microphone is available, it is not equipped with speakers.
If the Full HD image with a viewing angle of 130° is usable in most situations, the sensor is starting to show its age. Her algorithms are always effective, she knows how to differentiate a human being from an animal, but above all she is a virtuoso in facial recognition.
After a few weeks of training, she can identify each member of the household. Place it so that you have a view of the front door and you will then be alerted when the youngest comes home from school or when an unknown person is present in your home, with the added bonus of a beautiful photo of their face.
The app offers numerous configuration options and very fine management of notifications. No subscription or cloud at Netatmo, videos and photos are stored on SD card and can be backed up to your Dropbox, a NAS or FTP to secure the videos and photos. It may seem a little old-fashioned, but we appreciate having control over our data.
The Netatmo Welcome is Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant and Alexa compatible. A successful product, but which nevertheless deserves an update with a more efficient sensor to really shine.
Netatmo Welcome in brief
- Design and simplicity
- Face recognition
- Complete ecosystem and very well-made app
Xiaomi Mi 360° Security Camera 2K: the inexpensive surveillance camera
A true tech jack-of-all-trades, Xiaomi had to offer its surveillance cameras. Externally, this model is a clone of the one released a few years ago . It can therefore be placed on a surface or fixed to a wall or ceiling, all supports being provided.
The main strength of this camera is its motorization. As its name suggests, it allows you to move the lens 360°. This feature is easily controlled via the app. The use of a 2K sensor makes it possible to gain recording finesse, even if we have seen better in terms of image quality. Performance in the dark is, however, good, thanks to the powerful integrated infrared lamps.
Motion recognition is effective and seamlessly distinguishes human movements from the rest. Recording is mainly done via the cloud, but a microSD slot (32 GB maximum) is present for local recording. As for the audio, we are entitled to a microphone and a speaker which are quite sufficient for exchanging a few words.
If it does not have the ambition to compete with the best solutions on the market, this camera is a decent option for those who do not want to break the bank.
We detail it for you in our review of the Xiaomi Mi 360° Security Camera 2 K.
The Xiaomi Mi 360° Security Camera 2K in brief
- The price
- 360° rotation
- Free cloud (but required)
Amazon Echo Show 15: an indoor camera in a connected screen
Connected speakers with screens attempt to be the central point of your home by bringing together the different connected objects. The American manufacturer has therefore integrated a camera into its Echo Show 15. However, it will be necessary to configure the device beforehand. Indeed, it will prove very useful on a daily basis since it recognizes the face that approaches it in order to offer the person in question the appropriate widgets.
In terms of quality, the camera on the Echo Show 15 has a definition of 5 megapixels, which will allow faces to be recognized in broad daylight. On the other hand, the absence of infrared mode makes the images unusable at night. Not all video files are screen recorded. The Alexa app only lets you watch live footage. It's also not the most discreet product compared to a real indoor camera... It's up to you to see if you also need a sort of "hub" to manage the whole house.
Amazon Echo Show 15 in brief
- Software functions
- A good daytime image
- The heart of your ecosystem
Which indoor surveillance camera to choose?
What are the points to look out for for a quality image?
The majority of products today are Full HD, although there are also some in 2K. But the definition alone is not enough. The camera must be able to capture an image with enough detail to provide relevant information, or even identify faces. It must maintain constant quality in all lighting situations. Finally, pay attention to the viewing angle of the camera, the wider the area to be monitored, the larger it should be.
Home surveillance camera: where to store my photos and videos?
Storage can be done on an SD card, but it can disappear with the camera during a burglary. This is why the majority of manufacturers allow storage in their own Cloud. Some offer to keep your alert videos for a few days free of charge, others require a more or less expensive subscription. Without a subscription, you will mainly have access to alert notifications and live video feed. Another possibility is storage on an FTP server or a NAS, but not all brands offer it.
In addition, some brands do not always respect their promises regarding only local storage, like Eufy (Anker) which actually sends certain data to its remote servers ...
Where to place your indoor surveillance camera?
A surveillance camera is not there to spy on the home, but to protect it. An LED usually lights up when a camera is activated and the app informs you of the situation. Some products use facial recognition to guarantee privacy and not film members of the household. Transparency must remain the key word so that everyone takes the security tool seriously and appropriates it.
Do you need a microphone and speaker?
Cameras are often equipped with a microphone, to both allow you to hear what is happening in your home and to detect suspicious noises. It must succeed in realistically capturing ambient sounds, or even capturing audible voices. Some models offer a loudspeaker that allows you to interact with family members, for example, or inform a burglar in your voice that he is being filmed and that you have contacted the police.
Should we prioritize design or dimensions?
Aesthetics are not the first priority, but they are important indoors. You might as well avoid investing in a model with a questionable look if it is going to end up in your living room. This is less of an issue if you position the camera in a garage or hallway. If you want to camouflage it in the middle of a bookcase, behind trinkets or in shrubs, opt for a small size to ensure the greatest discretion.
Wired or wireless?
A battery-powered camera offers many advantages, the first of which is that it is easier to position than a product with a power cable. On the other hand, they must be recharged regularly and in this case, an autonomy of 3 months seems to be a minimum. Second cable that can hinder your freedom of installation, Ethernet. We've focused here on Wi-Fi products. But the more paranoid may want at least a surveillance camera with an Ethernet port, for reliability or simply if wireless coverage isn't great .
Is night vision really important?
An infrared device allows a surveillance camera to distinguish objects, animals or people in the dark. Ideal for nighttime surveillance, this function is mainly used to be alerted of an intrusion. Only the most efficient models can capture a face with enough detail to be usable. Not having it greatly reduces the benefit of a security product which must be efficient at any time of the day.
Is a complete ecosystem important?
Unless you live in a studio, one camera is rarely enough. Some manufacturers offer a complete range of products which can range from interior, exterior and mixed cameras to door opening detectors and alarms. They are controlled via apps that send you notifications in the event of a suspicious incident (noise, door opening, movement in front of the camera), whether or not to view what the camera sees live.
However, if for reasons of technical characteristics or cost, you want to mix products from different brands? You will just have to learn to juggle between different apps. Finally, make sure that the products are compatible with Apple Home Kit, Google Assistant or Alexa, this can simplify daily life.
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