One of the best outdoor security cameras can help you keep tabs on what's going on around your house, and get alerts when its detects something. But there are a lot of outdoor security cameras on the market, with different uses and purposes.
To help you decide which is the best for your property, we've tested dozens of outdoor security cameras in our own homes to see which are up to snuff, and which aren't worth your time. All of these cameras have been tested in real-world conditions to see how they stand up to the elements, how well they illuminate in the dark, and how well they capture videos and images of people, animals, and more.
We think the best overall outdoor security camera is the Nest Cam (battery). It's reasonably priced, is very easy to install, and can detect people, vehicles, and animals. It will even save up to three hours of video locally if your internet goes down. If you're looking for a bargain, the Blink Outdoor 4 represents a real value, as it's small, lasts up to two years on a charge, and can save video locally.
We've divided this guide into a few sections: Outdoor cameras without built-in lights, cameras with spotlights, and cameras with floodlights. Cameras without built-in lights are best for areas that are already well-lit; cameras with spotlights are best for areas close to entryways, where you don't have to cover a lot of ground. Cameras with floodlights are best installed in spots where you need to illuminate a wide area. Regardless of your needs, we have a pick for you.
If you're looking for indoor cameras, check out our best home security cameras page.
The quick list
We love the Nest Cam for its simple design, ease of use, and the fact that you get person, vehicle, and animal detection free. However, you'll need a subscription if you want to save more than three hours of video.
Small, inexpensive, and completely wireless, you can place the Blink Outdoor 4 nearly anywhere. Its two AA batteries will last you up to two years, too. A remote hub also lets you store video locally.
It costs a lot upfront, but this high-quality camera will save you in the long run, as there are no subscription fees for saving video or using features. Solar panels help keep this camera charged all the time, too.
With superior 4K image quality — plus the ability to digitally pan and zoom — the Arlo Ultra 2 provides the best image in a security camera. And, it has a small spotlight to brighten things up.
Wyze makes lots of great inexpensive cameras, including the Wyze Battery Cam Pro, which has a small spotlight on top. And, it runs on batteries, so it can be mounted almost anywhere.
If you have poor Wi-Fi or none at all, this camera's LTE connection will beam 4K video to your phone wherever you — or it is.
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It's our favorite outdoor camera, only with the added benefit of two powerful 2400 lumen floodlights. However, like most of its ilk, it needs to be hardwired to work.
Wyze took its excellent Wyze Cam v3 and added a pair of adjustable 2600 lumen LEDs. You'll need a subscription to get the most out of it, but like the camera itself, it's cheaper than the competition.
Unlike most other floodlight cams, the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight runs on battery power alone, making it easier to set up. However, you can't move its lights around independently.
Recent updates
Based on reader comments, we've updated each camera's info to include its operating temperature, which is especially important for those of you who live in colder climates. However, none of the cameras we've tested has an operating temperature lower than -4º F, so if you're in a really cold area, you may have trouble finding a camera that works. We're also currently reviewing a number of other cameras, including ones from Reolink and Aqara, so we'll be updating this guide as soon as we test them.
The best outdoor security cameras you can buy today
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These cameras are best for outdoor areas that receive a good bit of light both day and night — for example, a porch where there's an overhead light. However, plenty of these cameras will also work in the dark, as they have infrared lighting or color night vision built in.
Best overall
The well-designed Nest Cam (battery) has a simple shape and is one of the easiest home security cameras to install, thanks to its magnetic base. It's weatherproof, so it can be mounted just about anywhere outside. Its 1080p camera captures sharp images day and night, and its microphone and speaker made conversations a breeze.
The Nest Cam (battery) also offers three hours of rolling video storage for free, as well as person, vehicle, and animal detection. If you sign up for a Nest Aware subscription (starting at $6/month), you also get familiar face detection as well as the ability to store up to a month's worth of video. However, while it has good battery life, Nest does not make any accessories to extend it, such as a removable battery or a solar panel.
Read our full Nest Cam (battery) review.
Best budget wireless outdoor camera
The Blink Outdoor 4 is the best outdoor security camera for those who want a truly wireless option for around $100. The camera runs off two AA batteries (which should last up to two years), and communicates wirelessly with a small base station that's connected to your Wi-Fi network. Compared to the previous generation, the Blink Outdoor 4 has much better night vision, a wider field of view, and comes with person detection — provided you sign up for a subscription.
The Blink Outdoor 4 is weatherproof, and comes with a convenient mounting bracket. While not tops — both Nest and Arlo deliver better images — the 1080p video it records is good for the price.
While it lacks free cloud storage, you can save videos locally to a USB drive. Cloud storage starts at $3/month or $30/year. Blink's app is fairly robust, and while it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of more expensive cameras, it has plenty of features for the price.
You can also extend the range of the Blink Outdoor 4 to up to 400 feet if you purchase the Blink Sync Module XR; using Blink's proprietary wireless network, you can stream 720p video from up to 250 feet, and 360p video from 400 feet.
Read our full Blink Outdoor 4 review.
Best subscription-free camera
While the EufyCam 3 has a high upfront cost — $549 for two cameras and the base station — you can make it up on the back end, as you don't need to sign up for a subscription to store video. But that's not all that impressed us; the EufyCam 3's 4K resolution was sharp and clear both day and night, and the massive battery and built-in solar panels meant we never had to recharge or replace the batteries, even after months of use.
The AI built into the cameras can be trained to recognize familiar faces, as well as vehicle and pet detection. It also works with Alexa and Google Assistant. Video is saved locally on the HomeBase 3, which has 16GB of storage built-in; however, you can increase its storage capacity all the way up to 16 TB using a 2.5-inch HDD or SSD.
A wireless 4K security camera that never needs to be recharged and doesn't require a monthly subscription? That's a winner in our book.
Read our full EufyCam 3 review.
Best spotlight cameras
These cameras have small built-in spotlights, which are good at providing a bit of illumination in a small area. However, the range of the lights isn't very effective beyond a range of around 10 feet.
Best spotlight cam
The Arlo Ultra is the best outdoor security camera if price is no object. Not only does it deliver the best video quality, but it also uses that extra resolution to enable digital track and zoom, which makes it easier to follow and ID a person as they move across the frame. A built-in spotlight also enables color recording at night, and it has dual microphones for better audio.
The Arlo Ultra run on battery power alone, but it can be wired if there's an outlet nearby. Arlo also sells a solar panel for $80, which should help to keep the battery charged longer.
All of this will cost you, though: A single camera (with the hub) is $399, and extra cameras are $299 each. The Arlo Ultra doesn't come with a free tier of cloud storage, so you have to spend at least $3 per month if you want to save any videos. And if you want to save 4K videos, it’s an extra $1.99 per camera per month, on top of the monthly plan, the latter of which is waived for the first year. But if you want the absolute best when it comes to video quality, the Arlo Ultra is it.
Arlo has come out with the Arlo Ultra 2, which has better Wi-Fi, so you should be able to place the cameras further from the base station.
Read our full Arlo Ultra review
Best budget spotlight cam
The Wyze Battery Cam Pro is the first battery-powered security camera from a company that's made its name with good but inexpensive security cameras. The Battery Cam Pro can record video at up to 2K (at 20 fps) during the daytime and at 15 fps at night; in general, we found the quality to be good, but the picture tended to degrade if the subjects started moving.
Helping its night vision are dual LEDs that beam a combined 187 lumens, which was good enough to illuminate subjects up to 15 feet away. In our tests, the Wyze's battery only dropped by about 10% over the course of a week in a high-traffic area, but your experience may vary based on how often you use its spotlight. Wyze does offer a solar panel separately if you don't want to have to recharge the battery as often.
While you can store video locally and in the cloud without paying for a subscription, there are a bunch of limitations — clips are limited to 12 seconds, and you have to wait a few minutes between recordings. Fortunately, Wyze's subscription is fairly cheap at $2.99/month per camera.
You'll want to go with a camera from Arlo, Ring, or Nest if you want higher quality video, but for the price, the Wyze Cam Battery Pro is a great deal.
Read our full Wyze Battery Cam Pro review.
Best Wi-Fi free camera
If you have spotty Wi-Fi — or no Wi-Fi at all, then you're going to need an outdoor security camera that can beam your video over a cellular connection. When we tested the Eufy S330, we were impressed all around. Not only did it deliver clear 4K video, but its pan-and-tilt camera meant that we could see nearly every corner of our yard.
The S330 is designed for off-the-grid use: It has a massive battery and can be hooked up to a solar panel — though, if you plan on using its spotlight, you may have to plug it in once in a while.
As with most all Eufy cameras, the S330 doesn't require you to sign up for a subscription (though you'll need one if you want to store video in the cloud). It even comes with a 32GB microSD card.
About our only issue with the S330 is that it uses LTE, rather than 5G — and keep in mind that it'll cost you around $10 per month to use this feature — but overall, this is an excellent camera for covering every inch of your property.
Read our full Eufy 4G LTE Cam S330 review.
Best floodlight cams
These cameras can replace your existing floodlights around the exterior of your home, and offer plenty of light to alert you or intruders that you're watching. In most cases, you can angle the lights separately from the camera, so you can ensure that you're hitting the right parts of your yard.
Best floodlight cam
Take the excellent Nest Cam (wired) and add two powerful floodlights, and you get the appropriately named Nest Cam with Floodlight (wired). The camera itself records great high-definition video, and has a three-hour local backup in case your Internet connection goes down. On either side are two dimmable LEDS that can crank out 2400 lumens, more than enough to illuminate anything around.
Like the Ring Floodlight, the Nest camera needs to he hardwired to work, so it's less mobile than the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight, which runs on battery power alone. Still, you get a few niceties for free, including person detection, customizable motion zones, and (limited) local storage. Unless you need a camera that works with Alexa, this is definitely a floodlight camera to consider.
Read our full Nest Cam with Floodlight (wired) review.
Best budget floodlight cam
Like much of its competition, Wyze took its excellent Wyze Cam v3, added a few LEDs, and called it the Wyze Cam Floodlight. And, because the Wyze Cam is so inexpensive, so too is the Wyze Cam Floodlight, which costs less than $100 — a bargain compared to other security camera floodlights.
Despite its low price, we were generally pleased with the quality of video, though the floodlights tended to wash out people's faces if they got too close. If you have a second Wyze Cam, you can also connect it to the floodlight to increase your surveillance coverage. The cameras also have local storage, handy if your internet goes down. Like most other security cameras, you'll need to pay for Wyze Cam Plus if you want person and package detection, but at $1.99/month, it's far cheaper than others.
Wyze now also offers the Floodlight Cam v2 ($89 at Wyze), which has a higher 2K camera resolution, a wider 160-degree field of view, a 270-degree motion sensitivity coverage, and 2800-lumen LED panels, which are dimmable.
Read our full Wyze Cam Floodlight review.
Best wireless floodlight cam
For those who don't have an outdoor light fixture, the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight camera is the best option for adding an outdoor security camera with a floodlight. This battery-powered camera is simple to install, has a bright 2000-lumen light, and has a 2K camera that can digitally pan and zoom, so you can get a better look at who's outside.
However, you may also want to invest in a solar recharging panel, as we found that the camera's battery drains quickly, especially when using the floodlight. And, like many security cameras, you'll need to subscribe to Arlo (starting at $2.99/month) if you want to use all the camera's features.
Read our full Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera review
Best cameras with professional monitoring
The Deep Sentinel is more like a mini professionally monitored security system than a standalone security camera. That's because when the camera spot an intruder, it sends a live feed to a monitoring station. From there, a professional can sound an alarm on the camera, shout a warning, and if necessary, contact the police.
This isn't cheap: In addition to the cost of the cameras ($499 for three cameras), you also have to pay a monthly fee of $50. And, the resolution of the video tops out at 480p, as it prioritizes the smoothness of the video stream over its definition.
You could spend a similar amount for the best home security system, but they don't monitor your cameras as proactively as Deep Sentinel. But, they're the best home security cameras if you're looking for active monitoring.
Read our full Deep Sentinel review.
Also tested
We've reviewed a lot of outdoor security cameras over the years at Tom's Guide. Here are some other cameras we also liked, but didn't quite make the cut for the best of the best.
What to look for when buying an outdoor security camera
Aside from price, there are a few things you'll want to consider when shopping for an outdoor security camera.
Weatherproofing: Any outdoor security camera should be protected against the elements. While they probably won't take to being dunked underwater, they should have some resistance to rain, sleet, and snow.
Battery powered: Many outdoor security cameras, such as the Arlo and Blink cameras, can run off battery power alone. That makes them easier to install, as you don't have to worry about running a power cord to the camera. However, this also means you'll have to either recharge or replace the batteries on a regular basis. Increasingly, companies are offering solar panels as optional accessories so you don't have to recharge the batteries as often.
Night vision: Almost all outdoor security cameras record good video during the daytime; it's nighttime video that really separates the haves from the have-nots. Most cameras use infrared lights to illuminate their subjects; better cameras will light the scene without blowing out the subject, so you'll be able to see details more clearly.
Extra lighting: Some outdoor security cameras, such as those from Ring and Arlo, have LED lights built in, so that at night time, you'll not only be able to see subjects more clearly, but you'll also be able to see better yourself if you're outside. Some have spotlights, which are good for a small area, while others have floodlights, which helps illuminate a yard.
Storage and storage fees: Most security cameras now require a subscription to either use all their features or to store video in the cloud. You'll want to refer to our best security camera storage plans for more detail, but before choosing a security camera, think about how many other cameras (including the best video doorbells) you're planning to install. The company that offers the best value depends upon how many cameras you want to use on your property.
How we test the best outdoor security cameras
As with the best home security cameras, we test outdoor security cameras outside our homes. We see how well they record video during daylight hours and at nighttime, and look at the detail of the recorded video, as well as the accompanying audio.
We also evaluate the security cameras' apps and features; you should be able to easily schedule when the cameras turn on and off, as well as set things such as custom motion zones and sensitivity, so that a tree branch or passing car doesn't set it off.
Better cameras will also let you filter for people, animals, vehicles, and packages, so that you only get the alerts you want.
If you have other smart home devices already installed in your house, you'll want to know how a security camera can interact with them, too. Many devices can be linked through Alexa or Google Assistant, so that if a security camera detects movement, it can trigger other lights to turn on, for instance.
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