Sure, outdoor cameras are great — but what about what’s going on inside your home? The best indoor security cameras help you monitor pets, kids and your home while you’re away. Whether you’re ensuring your dog stays off the couch or checking in on the babysitter, these cameras have you covered.

Our CNET team spent more than 150 hours testing various models, concluding that the Google Nest Cam is the best indoor security camera. It provides 3 hours of free footage storage, features night vision and is compatible with Google Home and Alexa systems.

But if the Nest Cam seems too expensive or lacks the features you need, we’ve included plenty of other options, ranging from crystal-clear 4K cameras to compact cameras that need no drilling, making them perfect for renters. Whether you’re on a budget or need top-of-the-line features, we’ve got options for everyone looking for home security systems and learning more about which cams are best.

Here are three of CNET’s top indoor camera picks for every kind of household.

Best overall indoor security camera: Google Nest Cam (Wired)

The easily adjustable Google Nest Cam second-generation model works hard to make itself at home, bringing it to the top of our picks. Available in a variety of colors with support for shelf or wall mounting, the camera is easy to set up in any spot you have in mind, as long as you’re near enough to an outlet for this wired model. The healthy 135-degree field of view also lets us cover enough space to easily capture all the important spots in a room, while the night vision is top-notch for darker conditions.

The reason we gave the Nest Cam our top spot came down to Google’s unique contributions to smart home security. The company’s AI detection is unparalleled, able to spot people, animals or vehicles, and with a subscription, it’s good enough to learn the difference between familiar and unfamiliar faces. Then there’s video storage: Nest users get 3 free hours of cloud storage, a deal that’s almost impossible to find elsewhere, and you can expand it with the Nest Aware Subscription. Google’s AES 125-bit encryption and low-vulnerability track record also help inspire confidence.

If you want a security camera that puts the “smart” in your smart home like none other, the Nest Cam is an easy choice. At $100 the price is higher than many of our picks, but we believe the plethora of features you get in return is worthwhile.

Best pan/tilt indoor camera: Eufy Indoor Cam S350

A cam that can pan, tilt and zoom is perfect for open-floor plans in your home and navigating tricky areas where you want to manage multiple angles. We have more than one camera with this design on our list, but our favorite model is the Eufy S350. Its dual-cam zoom function complements the PTZ features, while the extra-high 4K resolution lens helps you examine every detail.

Those PTZ features are particularly helpful when paired with AI tracking, which automatically follows pets and people around the room when it detects movement. We also found the S350’s night vision was excellent with two infrared LEDs. For those concerned with privacy or ongoing fees, Eufy falls firmly on the local storage side with a microSD card slot (not included). We also appreciate that Eufy took steps in 2024 to add end-to-end encryption to its web portal and other changes following a security vulnerability issue, although we are keeping an eye on their security performance.

Keep in mind this camera is wired, so you can’t put it just anywhere, but thanks to all that panning, tilting and zooming, your placement concerns will be a distant memory after installation.

Best budget indoor security camera: TP-Link Tapo C210

We like a lot of TP-Link devices here at CNET, including its routers and smart plugs, so we were eager to try out the Tapo C210. The term “budget camera” makes it sound like you’re giving up features to save on price, but it’s seriously impressive just how little is lost with this now under-$30 indoor camera from TP-Link.

It offers a hefty 2K resolution (more than enough for indoor viewing), plus solid pan/tilt capabilities with motion detection and tracking for 360-degree coverage of a room. Add in the two-way audio and night vision, and it’s the best security camera deal we’ve found so far.

The Tapo cam supports notifications for sound alerts as well as person detection, so you can use it for tasks like baby monitoring. For more security-focused jobs, it has a built-in siren for intruders. Alexa and Google Home support round the cam off nicely as a jack-of-all-trades that’s still a steal. You even have options when it comes to video storage: The C210 has an on-board microSD card and an option for Tapo Care at $3.50 per month that includes 30 day-long cloud storage and rich notifications.

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