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BEST · Security Cameras

The Best Home Security Cameras

Night footage, false alerts and where your video is stored.

By Daniel Reyes, Smart Home Editor · Published August 5, 2026 · 2 min read

Security cameras mounted on an exterior wall

Photograph: Scott Webb / StockSnap

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Six cameras, one street-facing test property, six weeks of logging every alert against actual events.

Local storage matters

Cloud-only cameras stop being useful the moment a subscription lapses or a service is discontinued. Prefer local recording with optional cloud.

Methodology

Every product here was tested in a working home against standardised tasks. Scores are the mean of five measured criteria and are never adjusted for commercial reasons. How we test · How we review.

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