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Security cameras comparisons

Home Assistant-friendly cameras that work well with local streams, NVRs, and lower-cloud setups.

Read the buying guide → All security cameras →

Standout picks

Strongest overall pick

Reolink Duo 3 PoE

Reolink · HA: excellent · local: excellent

dual-lens design provides a super-wide 180-degree panoramic view

Product notes →

Also strong on local control

UniFi AI Pro

Ubiquiti · works offline: yes

Footage and AI detections process and record on your own UniFi Protect host. No Ubiquiti cloud account is required for local recording, and the Home Assistant integration uses a local user.

Why it stands out →

Easiest starting point

Reolink Argus 4 Pro

Reolink · setup: easy

users wanting a wire-free 4K camera with local storage options

See buyer notes →

All security cameras, side by side

Filter, sort, and open "More" on any row for what it's best at, setup, power, and cloud posture. Prices are the last verified read where there is one; the rest show a price band.

Showing 16 of 16 Ordered by Home Assistant fit, then local control. Click a column heading to re-sort.

Security cameras compared: Home Assistant fit, offline behavior, protocols, hub requirement, price, and where to buy.
						Where to buy
Reolink Duo 3 PoE Reolink More Best for covering wide areas like driveways or backyards with a single camera Standout Dual-lens 180-degree panoramic view covers what would normally require two separate cameras. Local control excellent Cloud local-first (none) Setup moderate Power poe	excellent	yes	Ethernet, ONVIF, RTSP	no	$188.99checked Sep 9	Amazon ↗ *
UniFi AI Pro Ubiquiti More Best for UniFi households wanting a high-end 4K camera with local AI detection Standout 4K PoE bullet with on-device AI detection (people, vehicles, animals, faces, plates) and fully local UniFi Protect recording. Local control excellent Cloud cloud-tinged (low) Setup advanced Power hardwired	excellent	yes	Ethernet, RTSP	yes	$537.20checked Sep 13	Amazon ↗ *
UniFi G5 Bullet Ubiquiti More Best for UniFi households wanting affordable outdoor coverage Standout Budget outdoor PoE bullet with fully local recording. Local control excellent Cloud cloud-tinged (low) Setup moderate Power hardwired	excellent	yes	Ethernet, RTSP	yes	$162.75checked Sep 4	Amazon ↗ *
UniFi G5 Flex Ubiquiti More Best for UniFi households wanting cheap multi-room coverage Standout The cheapest way into UniFi Protect - compact 2K cam with fully local recording. Local control excellent Cloud cloud-tinged (low) Setup moderate Power hardwired	excellent	yes	Ethernet, RTSP	yes	$161checked Sep 9	Ubiquiti ↗
UniFi G6 Bullet Ubiquiti More Best for UniFi households wanting local outdoor 4K coverage Standout 4K PoE outdoor bullet with on-device AI and fully local recording. Local control excellent Cloud cloud-tinged (low) Setup moderate Power hardwired	excellent	yes	Ethernet, RTSP	yes	$259.99checked Sep 14	Ubiquiti ↗
UniFi G6 Instant Ubiquiti More Best for UniFi households who want a cheap, fully local 4K camera indoors or under cover outside Standout The current-gen replacement for the G3 Instant: 4K, on-device AI, fully local NVR recording, Wi-Fi-easy placement. Local control excellent Cloud cloud-tinged (low) Setup moderate Power hardwired	excellent	yes	Wi-Fi, Ethernet, RTSP	yes	mid	Ubiquiti ↗
UniFi G3 Flex Ubiquiti Discontinued More Best for UniFi households wanting a cheap, compact local-recording camera Standout Compact, affordable PoE camera with fully local UniFi Protect recording. Local control excellent Cloud cloud-tinged (low) Setup moderate Power hardwired	excellent	yes	Ethernet, RTSP	yes	budget	Amazon ↗ *
UniFi G3 Instant Ubiquiti Discontinued More Best for Existing owners keeping a working camera in service Standout Discontinued indoor Wi-Fi camera with fully local NVR recording - superseded by the 4K G6 Instant. Local control excellent Cloud cloud-tinged (low) Setup moderate Power hardwired	excellent	yes	Wi-Fi, RTSP	yes	mid	Ubiquiti ↗
Reolink TrackMix PoE Reolink More Best for PoE camera setups wanting intelligent auto-tracking without cloud Standout Dual-lens camera that shows a wide-angle overview and auto-tracked close-up at the same time. Local control excellent Cloud local-first (none) Setup moderate Power poe	good	yes	Ethernet	no	$199.99checked Sep 9	Amazon ↗ *
Amcrest IP8M-2496E Amcrest More Best for Home Assistant users building a local NVR system with Frigate Standout 4K POE bullet camera with RTSP/ONVIF for fully local recording - no cloud subscription needed. Local control excellent Cloud cloud-tinged (low) Setup moderate Power POE	good	yes	Ethernet, PoE	no	$94.99checked Sep 6	Amazon ↗ *
Amcrest ASG42P-AI Smart Garage Camera Amcrest More Best for garage monitoring with integrated lighting and local recording Standout Garage-focused camera with built-in LED light and local AI detection - designed specifically for garage environments. Local control good Cloud cloud-tinged (low) Setup moderate Power mains	good	yes	Wi-Fi	no	mid	Amcrest ↗
Reolink Argus 4 Pro Reolink More Best for users wanting a wire-free 4K camera with local storage options Standout Battery-powered 4K (dual-lens 180°) camera with local storage and no subscription requirement. Local control good Cloud cloud-tinged (low) Setup easy Power battery	good	yes	Wi-Fi	yes	mid	Amazon ↗ *
Reolink E1 Pro Reolink More Best for a baby monitor or pet camera that must stream to a local dashboard with the internet blocked Standout An indoor pan-tilt camera that streams locally over RTSP and ONVIF and is on Home Assistant's tested list for the Reolink integration, which rules out most of the indoor cameras sold next to it. Local control good Cloud cloud-tinged (low) Setup moderate Power plug-in	good	yes	Wi-Fi, RTSP, ONVIF	no	budget	Reolink ↗
Reolink PoE Camera Line Reolink More Best for Home Assistant users building a local NVR or Frigate-based camera system Standout PoE plus RTSP / ONVIF support makes these cameras unusually practical for local NVR setups. Local control good Cloud cloud-tinged (low) Setup moderate Power PoE camera	good	yes	Ethernet, ONVIF, RTSP	no	$99.99checked Sep 9	Amazon ↗ *
TP-Link Tapo C120 TP-Link More Best for budget-conscious users wanting a local-capable camera under $40 Standout One of the cheapest cameras available with ONVIF support for local Home Assistant integration. Local control good Cloud cloud-tinged (low) Setup easy Power mains	good	yes	Wi-Fi	no	$31.99checked Sep 9	Amazon ↗ *
UniFi Protect Ubiquiti More Best for buyers already invested in Ubiquiti Standout Polished local camera platform if you are willing to buy into the broader UniFi stack. Local control good Cloud cloud-tinged (low) Setup moderate Power PoE or Wi-Fi cameras tied to controller hardware	good	yes	Ethernet, Wi-Fi, RTSP, Proprietary	yes	$363.13checked Sep 14	Amazon ↗ *