Indoor smart cameras are an excellent security step for your smart home, providing a view of the inside of your house whenever you need it.
Almost all indoor smart cameras - including top picks from Ring, Arlo and Nest - let you use your smartphone to check in on things through a companion app, as well as provide alerts when movement is spotted in certain zones.
However, there are plenty of additional considerations to keep in mind when making a decision, such as night vision capabilities, subscription fees, two-way audio and compatibility with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri.
You’ll also have to decide what kind of price range you’re going to shop for. Generally, more expensive picks will work both indoors and outside and offer better features, while the market is now full of budget-friendly, indoor-only devices that simply offer the basics.
That’s where we can help. The Pocket-lint team continuously tests and reviews all indoor security cameras to give you an idea of the very best options in the smart home camera market.
For those who need something that can withstand the conditions of the great outdoors, we have a separate guide for the best outdoor smart security cameras. If you’re after the best indoor security camera, read on to discover the top picks.
Our Top Pick: Best Indoor Security Camera
Google Nest Cam (Indoor, Wired)
An excellent indoor camera that not only looks great but has great built-in features, too.
The Google Nest Cam (Indoor, Wired) is the best indoor camera from the company to date, considering its asking price. Currently, it’s also our top recommendation.
It offers a beautiful design, excellent image and video quality and features like two-way audio and brilliant integration with the Google Home platform.
A subscription is required for some of the features offered, but you get plenty without a subscription, too, and the Nest Cam (Indoor, Wired) can differentiate between people, animals, vehicles and standard motion so you can tailor your notifications accordingly.
There are cheaper options in the indoor security camera market, but none of them looks quite as attractive as the Nest Cam does.
Indoor security cameras we also recommend
We believe the Google Nest Cam (Indoor, Wired) is currently the best option out there in terms of design, price, features and performance, but there are four other models we’d also highly recommend checking out.
For
- Battery operated for easy placement indoors or out Great video quality
Against
- Expensive Only 1080p resolution
Google Nest offers a number of different camera options, but the Nest Cam (Indoor, Outdoor, Battery) is one of the most versatile, being weatherproof and battery operated.
It also has a magnetic mount for easy installation and it offers great video quality, whilst also continuing to record if there is a Wi-Fi outage.
A subscription is required to access all the features offered, but, like our top pick, there are plenty of features offered without a subscription, too.
This isn’t the cheapest security camera - or even one with a catchy name - but it looks great, plays very nice with Google’s ecosystem and offers easy installation.
Privacy Shield Flexible connectivity
No free cloud storage Cheaper rivals
Arlo offers a long list of smart home camera options, but the Essential Indoor Camera is the best pick for those who want a single indoor camera.
It’s wired, so you’ll need a power socket within 2-metres of where you want to put this camera, but it doesn’t require a hub to connect to, linking directly to your Wi-Fi.
There’s also a unique feature in the Arlo Essential Indoor Camera in that there is a built-in Privacy Shield, giving you 100% confidence it’s not watching you when you don’t want it to.
Other features include night vision, motion alerts and 1080p resolution from the 130-degree lens. There is also two-way audio. One thing to remember is you’ll need a subscription, though, for access to cloud storage.
Versatile Good features
Requires Ring Protect Plan
Ring may be best known for its doorbells, but the Stick Up Cam Battery is no slouch - in fact, we’d rank it as one of the very best cameras you can place within your home.
Primarily, this is because of the pure versatility. You get the choice to place this inside or out, with features like night vision, two-way audio and compatibility with Alexa and Echo Show devices all working very smoothly.
In order to get the most out of it, though, you will need to sign up for the Ring Protect plan. This allows you to view video history, not just the live feed.
We wouldn’t rank it as attractive as Google Nest cameras, but this is ideal for those embedded within the Alexa ecosystem.
Apple HomeKit enabled Hardware and software privacy features
Only works with iOS Very sensitive motion detection
If you’re an Apple HomeKit user with an iCloud subscription then you will love the Logitech Circle View. It’s got crisp 1080P video, weatherproofing and privacy features at hand, all at an affordable price.
Unfortunately, though, it requires iOS to do just about anything and won’t integrate with Google Assistant or Alexa.
If you’re all in on the Apple ecosystem then we reckon you’ll be really pleased with the Circle View, but if you have Android users in your household then steer well clear.
MicroSD storage Loud siren
No cloud storage option Notifications can be a bit heavy
The SimCam 1S indoor camera is an affordable, attractive indoor camera that comes with several mounting options, giving you great levels of versatility.
There are plenty of features on board, including 60-foot person detection with facial recognition, 360-degree pan function with 22-degree tilt and two-way audio.
It’s IP54 water and dust resistant, has a built-in siren and it comes with microSD storage, too, so there is no need for a subscription.
Video recording capabilities are good, as well, and, although it’s far from perfect, the SimCam 1S is a great affordable indoor camera.
2K video recording Works with Alexa
Pricey Ongoing Arlo subscription costs
The Arlo Pro 3 is a very capable security camera with plenty of smarts for detecting different types of motion. With 2K video resolution and night-vision, it’ll have enough detail for most scenarios.
The SmartHub can record locally to a thumb drive via its handy USB socket and, of course, you can store footage in the cloud too, provided you pay for the subscription.
The subscription-based nature of the Pro 3 is where things get less attractive, the cameras are fairly pricey by themselves and the ongoing cost is sure to be a turn-off for some people. Still, if you don’t mind paying, it does a fantastic job.
How to choose the right indoor security camera
There are plenty of options when it comes to indoor security cameras these days.
We’ve listed the best ones we’ve tested in the feature above but there are also a couple of things you could apply if you’re choosing the right one for you.
How much to spend on an indoor security camera?
As you can imagine, this really depends on what you want from your indoor security camera. As we mentioned, the more expensive options typically enable you to place them indoors or outdoors, but, if you know you want it for indoors only, you could opt for a cheaper model.
Should I choose battery operated or wired?
Whether you opt for battery or wired will depend on where you are planning to place your indoor security camera. Most wired options come with a decent length cable, but you will still need a mains socket close by and you’ll need to bear in mind that the wire will be visible.
Battery options are great as they offer more versatility in terms of placement, but the cons are that they are sometimes larger and you’ll also need to remember to charge the camera when it starts running low.
Do I need a monthly subscription?
The answer to this depends on which model and brand of indoor security camera you opt for. For some, a subscription isn’t necessary as they offer microSD for storage. For others, a monthly subscription is required in order to see video history or get access to more features.
If you just want to be able to see a live feed from your indoor security camera, such as checking in on your dog for example, then you may not need to splash out on the monthly subscription. If you want video history though, you’ll probably need to so make sure you factor the respective costs in when choosing.
