Which home security camera has the best cloud storage plan?

Close up of Nest Cam (indoor, wired)
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Many of the best home security cameras have similar specs: 1080p cameras, night vision and person detection. But which offers the best deal when it comes to cloud storage for all the video they record?

Apart from the price, there are many differences in the companies' plans, such as the number of cameras included, the length of time video is stored, as well as extra features, such as person and package detection. 

We compared the video-storage plans offered by the best home security camera companies — Arlo, Blink, Canary, Nest, Ring, and Wyze — to see which one offers the best video storage plans.

Because many of these companies also make some of the best video doorbells, these storage plans also include those devices as well, where applicable. So, for example, you could get a Ring Video Doorbell, as well as one of Ring's other cameras, and have both included on the same plan. Ring's paid plans include 180 days of saved video footage, which is by far more generous than every other plan.

Apple offers cloud storage for HomeKit-connected cameras from Eufy, Logitech, and Netatmo security cameras. Video footage will be securely analyzed on a HomePod, iPad, or Apple TV device before being encrypted and sent to iCloud for storage. If you have a 200GB iCloud storage plan ($2.99/month), you can store 10 days of footage from up to five cameras. If you have a 2TB iCloud plan ($9.99 per month), you can store footage from an unlimited number of cameras. Apple is also adding package detection this fall.

Recent updates

As of February 1 2024, Arlo has increased the price of its Arlo Secure subscription to $8/month for a single camera. The previous cost was $4.99/month for a single camera. If you pay for an annual contract, the price is $89.99, which comes out to $7.49 per month.

Free plans

If you don't sign up for a subscription plan, most cameras are limited not only in how much video footage you can view but also in what features are enabled. Here's a summary of the features available in each company's subscription plan (and a source for more details on each product).

Arlo: View live stream and receive notifications. 

Blink: Live view streaming

Canary: One-day history, video clips, custom activity zones, person detection, for up to four cameras.

Nest: 3-hour history, people, animal, vehicle, and package detection, and custom activity zones.

Ring: View live video and receive notifications.

Wyze: Motion- and sound-triggered alerts, 2-way audio, smoke & CO2 alarm detection.

If you don't sign up for a plan, Nest offers the most, with three-hour history recording, as well as more detailed detection.

When you step up to paid plans, each company offers extra features in addition to cloud recordings. We'll get to the pricing in a moment, but here are the features that are enabled once you subscribe to a plan.

Arlo: 2K and 4K video; downloadable 30-day video history; Person/vehicle/animal detection; package detection; customizable activity zones, emergency response service

Blink: 60 days rolling video storage, optional local storage.

Canary: Unlimited video downloads; desktop streaming; two-way talk; custom arming modes

Nest: Continuous recording; Person detection; Facial recognition

Ring: 180 days of recorded video, which you can save and share. 

Wyze: Complete motion capture. Will record the entire motion event, rather than just a 12-second clip.

Credit: Nest

(Image credit: Nest)

Arlo users can also subscribe to a CVR (continuous video recording) Plan, which will continuously record video to the cloud. However, you can only view this video, not download it. A 14-day CVR plan costs $10/$100 per camera, and a 30-day CVR plan costs $20/$200 per camera. The price plan for each additional camera is 50 percent less.

Nest Aware Plus subscribers ($15/month, $150/year) can also access 24/7 video history for an unlimited number of cameras, but it only covers 10 days. 

Security camera cloud storage plans compared: Basic plans

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Cost per month

Storage1 cam2 cams3 cams4 cams5 cams
Arlo Secure 30 days$3.99/mo$9.99/mo$9.99/mo$9.99/mo$9.99/mo
Blink Basic 60 days$2.50/month$5/mo$7.50/mo$10/mo$12.50/mo
Nest Aware30 days$8/mo$8/mo$6/mo$6/mo$6/mo
Ring Basic180 days$3.33/mo$6.66/mo$7.50/mo$10/mo$12.50/mo
Wyze14 days$1.49/mo$2.98/mo$4.47/mo$5.96/mo$7.45/month

Arlo Secure: $7.99/month for an individual camera and $12.99/month for an unlimited number of cameras. This plan lets you save 30 days of recordings up to 4K in quality. You also get additional features, such as customizable motion detection zones, person, package, and vehicle detection, Smoke/CO Alarm Detection, and e911. If you subscribe to a yearly plan, the price drops to $7.49/month for a single camera and $9.99/month for unlimited cameras at one location.

Blink Basic: $3/month or $40/year for a single camera. There's no discount for additional cameras. This provides 180 days of recorded footage, sharing and saving video, notifications, and the option for local storage.

Nest Aware: $8/month or $80/year for every Nest camera at one location. This also includes cameras in smart displays. This plan lets you save 30 days of recordings, get intelligent alerts (familiar faces, smoke and CO2 alarm and glass breaking detection), save and share video, and create activity zones. 

Ring Basic: $3/month or $30/year for a single camera. There's no discount for additional cameras. This provides 60 days of recorded footage, sharing and saving video, notifications, and more. 

Wyze Cam Plus: $2.99/month or $19.99/year per camera. Includes unlimited video length, person, package, vehicle, and pet detection, and smoke and CO2-alarm triggered alerts. However, you only get 14 days of video history. Wyze also offers a $9.99 per month/$99 per year option for an unlimited number of cameras.

In this bracket, Wyze's plan is by far the most economical if you have two or fewer cameras. If you have more than two cameras, then Nest Aware becomes the most cost-effective plan. 

Security camera cloud storage plans compared: Premium plans

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Cost per camera

Storage1 cam2 cams3 cams4 cams5 cams
Arlo Secure Plus30 days$17.99/mo$17.99/mo$17.99/mo$17.99/mo$17.99/mo
Blink Plus60 days$8.34/mo$8.34/mo$8.34/mo$8.34/mo$8.34/mo
Canary30 days$8.34/mo$8.34/mo$8.34/mo$8.34/mo$8.34/mo
Nest Aware Plus60 days$15/mo$15/mo$15/mo$15/mo$15/mo
Ring Plus180 days$8.34/mo$8.34/mo$8.34/mo$8.34/mo$8.34/mo
Wyze Cam Protect14 days$3.33/mo$6.66/mo$9.99/moRow 6 - Cell 5 Row 6 - Cell 6

Nest Aware Plus: $15/month or $150/year. This plan also covers an unlimited number of cameras, but increases storage to 60 days. In addition, you also get 10 days of continuous video; that means, you can look back at any moment over the preceding 10 days, regardless of whether there was a motion event.

Arlo Secure Plus: $17.99/month for unlimited cameras. This plan gives you everything with Arlo Secure, but also lets you store up to 30 days of recordings in 4K. In addition, you get Emergency Response, which connects you to a professional call center and lets you contact fire and police with a single button press. If you sign up for an annual subscription, the cost will drop to $14.99/month.

Ring Protect Plus: $10/month or $100/year: This plan is only worth purchasing if you have the Ring Alarm system, or have three or more Ring cameras. You get all the same benefits as the Ring Basic plan, but you also get professional monitoring for the Ring Alarm system, extended warranties, and 10% off Ring devices. 

Blink Plus: $10/month or $100/year for unlimited cameras at one location. Includes 60 days of rolling cloud storage, as well as the option for local storage. You also get 10% off Blink devices, and an extended warranty.

Canary Premium: $9.99/month or $99/year gets you 30 days of storage for one camera. Each additional camera is $2.99/month or $29/year. This includes features such as person detection, e911, custom activity zones, and two-way talk.

Wyze Cam Protect: $3.39/month or $39.99/year per camera. Includes 14 days of video storage, person, pet, and vehicle detection, AI-based facial recognition, and 24/7 professional monitoring from Noonlight.

Higher Tier Plans

Arlo: Arlo Safe & Secure Pro ($24.99/month), includes all of the features of Arlo Secure Plus, but also has 24/7 professional monitoring and Arlo Safe (Walk with Me Protection, One Tap Protection, Crash Detection & Response, 24/7 Personal Safety Expert, Family Place Alerts, Family Check-Ins, and Family Safe Monitoring). However, Arlo Safe & Secure Pro also requires you purchase an Arlo Home Security system.

Ring: Ring also offers the Ring Protect Pro ($20/month), which includes professional monitoring, Alexa Guard Plus, and more, but requires the Ring Alarm Pro system. 

Overall Recommendations

If you're going the free route, Wyze is one of the few services that actually lets you save video in the cloud — plus, its cameras have local storage.

Among paid plans, Wyze is again the least expensive plan if you have three of fewer cameras. If you have more than that, then the Nest Aware plan is the most cost-effective.

Read more

Mike Prospero
U.S. Editor-in-Chief, Tom's Guide

Michael A. Prospero is the U.S. Editor-in-Chief for Tom’s Guide. He oversees all evergreen content and oversees the Homes, Smart Home, and Fitness/Wearables categories for the site. In his spare time, he also tests out the latest drones, electric scooters, and smart home gadgets, such as video doorbells. Before his tenure at Tom's Guide, he was the Reviews Editor for Laptop Magazine, a reporter at Fast Company, the Times of Trenton, and, many eons back, an intern at George magazine. He received his undergraduate degree from Boston College, where he worked on the campus newspaper The Heights, and then attended the Columbia University school of Journalism. When he’s not testing out the latest running watch, electric scooter, or skiing or training for a marathon, he’s probably using the latest sous vide machine, smoker, or pizza oven, to the delight — or chagrin — of his family.