Security Camera Cost & Installation Fees

We looked at over 100 security cameras from brands like Arlo, Eufy, Lorex, Nest^*, Reolink, Ring, Swann, Wyze, and many more to see how their costs compare.

Our research of many security camera brands and models shows that the average price depends on the type of camera. Here's a rundown based on the cameras we've reviewed here at SafeWise:

Here are some takeaways:

• Pan-tilt cameras (Wyze Cam Pan, Reolink E1 Zoom) and indoor cameras (Wyze Cam v3, Blink Mini) cost the least.
• You can find various reliable outdoor camera and video doorbell options for a lower price than the average indoor camera.
• Battery-powered wireless cameras cost significantly more than wired models like pan-tilt and indoor cameras.
• Multi-camera systems (Arlo Ultra 2, Lorex Home Center) and cellular security cameras (Reolink Go, Arlo Go) cost the most.

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Simply buying a home security camera doesn't mean you can record and save video surveillance footage right away. Most models use local storage, cloud storage, or a combination of the two.

Depending on the brand, you can insert a microSD card into your IP camera to store video. While some cameras (Wyze, YI) don't support large storage capacities over 32 GB, this is plenty of space to keep weeks of short video clips. Expect to pay a one-time cost of $10 and $50, depending on the size of the card.

Multi-camera systems usually include a DVR (or NVR) capable of storing an average of 1 TB of video. This type of camera surveillance system is one of the more expensive options, but there aren't any additional storage costs.

Cloud video storage keeps your clips on a secure server and generally requires a monthly fee to use. Expect to pay between $2 and $15 a month for storage on most brands, though you may need additional plans or an upgrade if you want to save video from multiple cameras. We don't recommend paying more than $15 a month for cloud storage unless you're getting extra benefits like emergency services and alarm monitoring.

Most modern home security cameras are plug-and-play so you can install them yourself with minimal effort. If you choose to hire someone to install a wired CCTV system, expect to pay based on the number of cameras you need: at least $50–$100 per CCTV camera. 

You can also get surveillance camera installation with a home security system, which costs around $100–$200 for the whole install. (It's cheaper because you're also paying monthly monitoring fees.)

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