4 Best Home Security Cameras Under $100 (2026)
Best overall: Reolink 5MP at $85.99 — 5-megapixel outdoor PoE camera with IP66 weatherproofing, 100-foot night vision, and local storage requiring no subscription. Best wireless: eufy Cam 2 Pro stores footage locally via HomeBase with no monthly fees and flexible wireless placement.
See Today’s Price →At a Glance
4 Best Home Security Cameras Under $100 (2026) Buying Guide
Home security cameras under $100 break into two categories: wired cameras with consistent power and connection, and wireless cameras with flexible placement but battery trade-offs. Both can deliver 1080p-5MP video with night vision at this price — the right choice depends on whether you want permanent installation or the ability to move the camera around.
Wired vs Wireless: The Core Trade-off
Wired cameras (Reolink PoE) run continuously without battery management and transmit video reliably without Wi-Fi dropouts. The installation requires running ethernet or power cable to the camera, which limits placement to locations near your walls. Wireless cameras (eufy, SimpliSafe) can be placed anywhere with Wi-Fi coverage and moved if needed, but require battery charging every 2-6 months depending on motion frequency. For a permanent outdoor installation you won't move, wired is more reliable. For flexible indoor monitoring, wireless is more practical.
Video Resolution: 1080p vs 5MP
1080p (2 megapixels) is the baseline for clear daytime identification of people at 15-20 feet. 5MP cameras like the Reolink produce roughly 2.5x the pixel density — noticeably sharper for reading license plates or identifying faces at greater distances. The difference is visible in recorded footage when zooming in. If identifying license plates or recognizing faces at distance matters, 5MP is worth the upgrade. For basic motion detection and package monitoring, 1080p is sufficient.
Subscription vs No-Subscription
eufy's cameras store footage locally on a HomeBase hub — no monthly subscription. SimpliSafe requires a monitoring plan for full camera features. Nest cameras integrate with Google Home but cloud storage requires a Google One plan. Reolink stores footage locally on a NAS or SD card. The no-subscription picks (eufy, Reolink) are the better long-term value unless you specifically want professional monitoring.
What to Avoid
Avoid cameras without specified IP ratings for outdoor use — only purchase outdoor cameras with IP65 or higher weatherproofing. Avoid cameras that require a proprietary hub if you want simple plug-and-play setup; some cameras only work within their own ecosystem. Check the field of view (wider is better for monitoring large areas); most quality cameras cover 130-160 degrees.
How We Picked These
We compared security cameras on video resolution, night vision distance, weatherproof rating, subscription requirements, and installation complexity. Picks cover wired and wireless options and both indoor and outdoor use cases. Brands with established security track records and clear privacy policies were prioritized — camera data storage location matters for privacy-conscious buyers.
“Reolink 5MP at $85.99 delivers 2.5x the resolution of 1080p cameras for sharper license plate and face recognition. IP66 weatherproof for outdoor year-round use, 100-foot night vision, local storage v”
See Today’s Price →What we like
- 5-megapixel resolution produces noticeably sharper footage than 1080p for license plate recognition
- IP66 weatherproof certification handles rain, snow, and outdoor temperature extremes year-round
- PoE (Power over Ethernet) runs both power and video data through a single cable, simplifying installation
Watch out for
- Wired PoE installation requires running an ethernet cable to the camera mounting location
- No two-way audio on the base model — records video only with no built-in speaker
“eufy Cam 2 Pro stores footage on a local HomeBase hub with no monthly subscription. Wireless placement flexibility, two-way audio, and wide-angle lens cover standard home monitoring use cases. Pairs w”
See Today’s Price →What we like
- Two-way audio lets you speak through the app to anyone near the camera remotely
- Local storage via HomeBase eliminates monthly subscription fees for recording history
- Wide-angle lens captures more of the room without repositioning the camera
Watch out for
- HomeBase hub sold separately or in bundle — adds cost and a device to the setup
- Requires eufy Security app account for remote access and app-based configuration
“SimpliSafe indoor camera integrates with SimpliSafe's alarm system for unified monitoring — when the alarm triggers, the camera automatically arms to record. Works standalone for video monitoring but ”
See Today’s Price →What we like
- Wireless setup connects to an existing SimpliSafe security system without running cables or drilling new holes
- 1080p HD resolution with night vision covers doorways and entry points in low-light conditions
- Motion triggers recordings linked to the SimpliSafe alarm timeline — review video alongside alarm event logs
- Two-way audio lets you hear and speak through the camera from the SimpliSafe app remotely
Watch out for
- Advanced configuration may require technical knowledge to fully optimize
- Performance may lag behind premium models for intensive workloads
How We Analyze Products
We analyze Amazon review data — often thousands of reviews per product — to surface patterns that individual buyers miss. Our process aggregates star ratings, review counts, and buyer sentiment at scale, identifying which strengths and weaknesses appear consistently across the largest review samples available.
Each product earned its placement through data: total review volume, average rating, and the specific praise and complaints that repeat most often across buyers. No manufacturer paid for placement on this page. Products appear here because buyers endorsed them at scale, not because a company asked us to feature them.
We use AI to summarize review sentiment — not to fabricate opinions, but to condense what thousands of buyers actually wrote into a readable format. The pros and cons you see reflect the most common themes found in verified purchaser reviews, paraphrased for clarity. We do not claim to have accessed Reddit, YouTube, or specific publications in generating these summaries.
Prices shown reflect Amazon pricing at the time this page was last generated. Click “See Today’s Price” to get the current live price on Amazon. Read our full methodology →