Zmodo camera reviews

Zmodo offers affordable and feature-rich cameras that are perfect for keeping an eye on the fam. We especially like how the Pivot Cloud and Torch 360 automatically pan toward motion. But if you want your Zmodo camera to record continuously or make super-cool time-lapse videos, you’ll need to pay an expensive monthly fee.

Zmodo’s cameras don’t connect to a professional monitoring center and aren’t the strongest choice for home security. Instead, these cameras are designed for checking in on your home or loved ones and for recording memories.

We really love the price of Zmodo cameras; they’re all under $90.

But take those prices with a grain of salt: if you want continuous recording—the main draw of these “capture-every-moment” cameras—you need to pay a monthly fee for each camera.

Yep, a fee for each camera. If you get too excited about the low price tags and buy a bunch of Zmodo cameras, the monthly fee will add up quickly.

Called “Zmodo Cloud,” this subscription also unlocks smart motion detection and motion activity zones. If you want clips to save for 7 days, you’ll need to pay $4.99 per month per camera. If you want clips to save for 30 days, it’s $9.99 per month per camera. The free version records only when motion is detected and stores clips for just 12 hours.

The Zmodo NVR, which saves footage to a hard drive, is no longer available.

All Zmodo cameras connect to 2.4 GHz password-protected, non-hidden Wi-Fi signals. Zmodo recommends an upload speed of at least 2 Mbps for best results. Multiple cameras may need a faster upload speed for best performance.

To use the Zmodo app, you’ll need an Android device operating on version 4.0 or better—or an iOS device operating on version 9.0 or better.

The Zmodo Mini Pro has some smart features, including the ability to distinguish between people and pets to cut down on motion notifications. You can also set motion-activity zones to receive notifications about movement in a specific area of the room—maybe that’s a window, door, play area, or out-of-bounds location.

If there are times when you don’t want to receive notifications at all, you can create an on/off schedule on the app.

The Mini Pro also features two-way audio so you can chat with your family at any time. It’s a convenient alternative to a phone—and you don’t have to wait for anyone to answer the call. Just check the live stream via the Zmodo app, tap the microphone icon, and start talking.

Speaking of the app, you’ll need to purchase a subscription for most features, including motion notifications, two-way audio, continuous recording, and time-lapse videos. But you can use it for free to check real-time footage.

The Torch 360 also functions as a light source, so your lamppost will still serve its original purpose. Plus, you get to have some fun changing the light’s colors through the Zmodo app.

It has a 132° field of view and also pans left and right to capture movement in the area. But the Torch 360’s night vision is just so-so, and it’s not a great choice for winter surveillance due to a temperature tolerance of 14°F to 122°F.

The Torch 360 records at a lower resolution (720p) compared to other Zmodo cameras. It also lacks night vision, which is odd for an outdoor camera. There’s no two-way talk either, and it doesn't work with smart home hubs.

The Zmodo Sight 180 and Sight 180 C are older cameras that you can still find for sale on Amazon (about $70 for the Sight 180 and about $130 for the Sight 180 C). The main difference is that the Sight 180 can’t be mounted to a wall like the 180 C.

These older Zmodo models aren’t worth the price. You’ll get more value for your money by purchasing the Pivot Cloud in lieu of the Zmodo Sight 180 or the Mini Pro in lieu of the Sight 180C.

Of all the Zmodo cameras, we like the Pivot Cloud the best because it packs the most features into an affordable camera, but we appreciate the diversity of Zmodo’s lineup:

• Pivot Cloud: automatically pans toward motion to record important moments
• Mini Pro: affordable indoor camera that mounts anywhere
• Outdoor Wireless Security Camera: excellent night vision but no two-way talk
• Torch 360: easy outdoor installation and automatically pans toward motion
• Sight 180 and 180 C: outdated compared to other Zmodo cameras

We researched Zmodo’s product specs and used our knowledge of other cameras to determine what’s unique about Zmodo cameras, what could be better, and whether each camera offers a good value for the price. View our methodology page for more information.

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