Best Wireless Home Security Cameras of 2025

With more homeowners being threatened by growing package theft , adding some security measures to your home is more important than ever. These days, it's easy to install security cameras around your home, whether you want to do it yourself or hire a professional. And if you go with a wireless security camera, it's more convenient than a wired one, whether you choose to set it up indoors or outdoors.

You can mount these cameras nearly anywhere, and today's long-lasting batteries -- not to mention solar panels -- help keep them largely maintenance-free. Here are the cams we've chosen as the best. What is the best wireless home security camera? We've tested dozens of models, and our experts have chosen the feature-rich Arlo Pro 5S as the best wireless security camera.



Arlo’s Pro 5S packs all the smart features you could want into one device, plus excellent voice assistant compatibility, the well-designed Arlo app and the option to expand capabilities with an Arlo hub. It’s an easy choice if you’re willing to pay a bit more for a compact device packed with the latest smart features. While the Arlo Pro 5S is pricier, you don't have to spend a lot to get a great security camera.

For those on a budget, we've included a range of affordable wireless options we've tested that provide solid home protection. Our list includes options that have extra-long battery life, along with some that are portable (although there are some spots you'll want to avoid ). We also have guides for the most affordable security cameras , the best solar-powered wireless cams and outdoor models built for any weather .

Best wireless home security cameras of 2025 Wyze Cam Outdoor v2: Wyze cameras have a lot going for them, including affordability and strong feature sets, which is why we've picked them in several of our lists before. Wyze is currently facing repeated security breaches and vulnerabilities, including a 2024 incident that let 13,000 people see through strangers' cams (a similar incident also happened in late 2023). Until Wyze gets a handle on its security leaks, we can't recommend it as a brand.

Arlo Pro 4 : The Arlo Pro 4 remains an excellent choice for a security camera. The Arlo Pro 5S nudged it off the list for us, but you may be able to save some money with the Arlo Pro 4 and still many of the same features. Reolink Argus Eco plus solar panel : While we did choose this Reolink cam as an affordable option for solar-powered wireless cameras, we prefer the much easier installation of Arlo's solar cam.

TP-Link Tapo C420S1 : This powerful 2K camera is affordable and benefits from Tapo's user-friendly features, including local video storage. It didn't quite make our list -- we found better budget options, and the design of this camera is a bit awkward for mounting -- but it's still worth a look. Does it work with smart home platforms? If so, do the smart features work well together? Nowadays, home security cameras are expected to work with at least one major smart home platform.

Amazon Alexa , Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit are the main ones you need to look for. Apple Home app support is usually the hardest to find. How's the live view? Wireless security cameras and video doorbells are often exposed to direct sunlight, weather and other natural elements, but many others are installed under porches, near shady trees and in all sorts of other settings.

The camera must have crisp, clear video footage or even night vision so you don't get stuck with grainy and unusable footage. Local vs. cloud storage Not all video storage is equal.

You have two main options and picking one is up to your personal preference. There's cloud storage, which sends your video footage to a remote server to be saved, and local storage, which relies on a separate accessory or piece of hardware, usually a microSD card, to hold any footage you'd like to save. Usually, cloud storage requires a monthly fee, and companies typically reserve the right to share that footage with others in case of emergencies, such as an FBI search.

Motion detection and recognition Motion detection is one of the most important features of DIY security cameras. You'll want a feature that automatically records video and sends you alerts when the camera picks up motion. You also don't want to get alerts and useless videos every time leaves blow by (or cars drive by, deer walk past, etc.

). That's where object detection comes in useful: The best security cameras can distinguish between vehicles, animals and people. The best versions like Google's AI detection can also detect packages and, if you allow them, familiar faces at your door.

Battery life and management Wireless cams live and then literally die based on their battery life. When looking for a good battery, keep in mind that ratings are subjective, and batteries will drain faster depending on how often the camera is activated. We've found that most wireless security cameras fall in line with their ratings and last several months with at least a few daily activations.

Ring's Outdoor 4 cam is a notable outlier with its extra-long battery life, and solar cams offer an alternative way of charging. No matter what battery option you pick, consider installing a wireless camera somewhere that's relatively easy to reach to bring the camera or its battery pack inside for charging. Not everyone wants to climb a ladder every time.

Privacy and security You may want to look up privacy policies for the camera you are interested, and see if the brand has had any recent security issues. We look for brands that act quickly and make significant changes when they find a security issue like Eufy did back in the early 2020s . We also like to see changes like Ring removing its casual option for police to request user videos.

Hands-on testing is core to our evaluations of home security products. In short, when it comes to security cameras, we pay special attention to resolution, night vision and latency, extra features, general performance and overall value. We evaluate all of these elements in a real home environment over a week.

If you want to read more about our review process, check out our in-depth article on how we test home security cameras and video doorbells. Wireless smart cams generally rely on your home internet connection to function, but that isn't always the case. Some devices, like Nest's wireless video doorbell , can save footage locally in case of an outage.

Other systems, like Lorex's cameras , work using their own wireless network. That means as long as their base station has power, the wireless cameras will keep recording onto a microSD card. The cost of smart security cameras can add up really quickly, so if you're looking for a whole system of cameras, more affordable options from developers like Blink or Wyze might be the right call for you.

Getting an affordable video doorbell might be a good idea too, and wireless options are getting cheaper every year . Most wireless cameras use a simple screw-in mount or adhesive strips. Follow the manual’s directions carefully to prepare your mounting surface and install the base portion of the camera.

When possible, avoid trying to install a camera on stone, metal, brickwork or fiber cement, as these surfaces aren’t easy to drill into and may not support a sticky adhesive (especially when temperatures change). Solid sections of trim, fence posts, eaves and other spots tend to work best in our experience. Since you’ll have to take down a wireless security camera occasionally for battery recharging or other maintenance, it’s a good idea to choose a spot that’s relatively easy to access in the future.

Respect other people’s privacy and you shouldn’t have any legal issues with a wireless security camera. Generally, that means you can’t point a camera toward someone else’s backyard where they expect privacy, or into the windows of their home. You also shouldn’t point wireless cameras so they look into your own bedrooms or other private places in your home.

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