These Security Cameras Are Subscription-Free Alternatives to Google Nest

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Smart security cameras can be useful portals into what's happening in and around your house. The problem with security cams is that in order to access the clips of everything that's happened, you need to store them someplace—and for most cameras, that means a subscription.

If you're someone with Google Nest cams, the cost for your subscription is about to get hiked. For the basic plan, which gets you 30 days of clips, pricing will go from $8 a month to $10; for users of the upgraded plan, called Nest Aware Plus, you're about to see a substantial hike from $15 a month to $20. Nest Aware Plus gives users more time to access old clips and 10 days of 24/7 video history. That price change is coming soon, too. Current users will see those changes starting Aug. 15.

If, like me, you refuse to submit to one more monthly fee, then it might be time to either choose less-expensive cameras, or cameras that will let you avoid subscriptions altogether.

To avoid monthly fees, store clips locally

In order to avoid a subscription, you'll need to either accept live access only (no saved clips), or find a camera that offers local storage. Let's dismiss the first option: the real value of a security camera is the saved clip, not the live view. Live view is a tool mostly used for when you're home and someone rings the doorbell, for instance, or you know a delivery person is approaching.

Local storage allows you to skip the cloud, and many cameras currently offer either a slot for a microSD card or a networked hard drive that will capture clips from all your cameras. Don't be deterred by the notion of the microSD card—often you don't need to retrieve the card to view the clips. Rather, you can access them through the app, just as if you had cloud storage. Networked hard drives work the same way.

Brands that offer networked hard drives

I almost exclusively now use Eufy cameras alongside a HomeBase (Eufy's networked hard drive). I like the cameras a lot, but I love that I don't need a subscription, and can add as many cameras as I want to the HomeBase. I pull up clips quickly.

Amazon Blink cameras work similarly. If you have a Sync Module, you don't need a subscription. The Sync is simple and small; you plug it into an outlet inside your home, as close as possible to the cameras. It isn't as solid a connection as Eufy's Homebase provides, but considering how inexpensive Blink cameras are, this is an excellent choice for those looking to spend less.

Reolink cameras can be networked to a Home Hub, which works similarly to Eufy.

Brands that offer onboard microSD cards

Many Tapo cameras offer a slot on their cameras for a microSD card. The card acts as a drive for your clips, and while it's unlikely to offer as much storage as a local hard drive, it still affords the user a decent amount of space. And Tapo cameras are some of the most affordable on the market, often below $50, so you're saving on the camera and the subscription.

Aqara—a brand I love for their wide range of smart sensors—also offers a security camera with onboard microSD storage. The camera also serves as a hub for all other Aqara products.

MicroSD cards are a perfect storage solution when the camera is too far from your home network to use wifi to transfer files. Remote cameras that rely on 4G are becoming more popular, and in this case, having local storage on board the camera itself will free you from subscriptions, while allowing you to see camera activity when you retrieve the card.