Want a home security camera without a subscription? I test smart home tech for a living, and these are my 3 recommendations
4K recordings, local storage, and AI smarts without the extra fees
· TechRadarFeatures By Cat Ellis published 23 December 2025
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The best home security cameras have come a long way, with resolutions up to 4K, extra-long battery life, and smart object identification and tracking now all commonplace.
However, things aren't always as simple as plugging in your camera and downloading the app. To unlock all features, you'll likely need to sign up for a subscription plan as well, with monthly or annual payments that can quickly exceed the price of the hardware. Suddenly that budget camera doesn't appear quite such good value.
It doesn't have to be that way, though. We've tested more than 60 home security cameras here at TechRadar, and as the resident smart home expert, I've picked out three of the very best options – and all work perfectly, without the need to pay any extra fees. You won't have to pay to save your videos in the cloud, either – all these cams offer local storage (so your footage is in your control), a 4K resolution, and even smart features such as person detection and recognition.
Best for facial recognition
Baseus Security S2 Outdoor Camera 4K
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The Baseus Security S2 isn't the only solar-powered security camera we've tested, but it's the only one with a photovoltaic panel that rotates around its body to follow the sun, ensuring it captures as much light as possible throughout the day. It looks strange, but in our tests, we found worked brilliantly, noticeably extending battery life.
In addition, an SD card slot in the bottom means you can save your video recordings locally, without paying for cloud storage. However, the real standout feature in our view is the S2's built-in facial-recognition, which can alert you if the camera spots familiar people nearby. Just upload their photos to the app, and it will keep an eye out for them. It's the kind of advanced feature that would normally only be available as part of a premium subscription package, but here it's thrown in.
During tests, the S2 produced very few false alerts. This not only prevents you from being bombarded with unnecessary phone notifications, it also means recording is triggered only by genuine events, extending the cam's battery life. Images are superbly detailed during the day, and the spotlight is excellent for illuminating the garden at night to ensure high-quality footage in the dark, too.
The Baseus S2 is also one of the most affordable subscription-free security cameras we've tested. Yes, the up-front cost is more than you'd pay for a camera from Blink or Ring, for example, but the absence of fees for storage and advanced features mean it almost certainly works out cheaper overall.
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