Most home security cameras on the market today have a monthly subscription fee after a short trial period. These camera makers sell their cameras almost at-cost and make most of the money from monthly subscriptions. Good for those companies, but not very good for consumers.
But Eufy offers excellent cameras without any monthly subscription fee. Eufy is owned by a well-known electronics company, Anker. Its products are of high quality and come with a very good mobile app. You can use the Eufy app to receive notifications if motion is detected, for two-way audio communication, and for managing your cameras.
Eufy has a few versions of its camera – the differences between them are minor. Eufy also has a doorbell. All of them have no monthly subscription fees.
Let’s take a look at the top features of Eufy cameras.
Eufy Cameras – No Monthly Subscription Fee And a Lot of Extras
2 Versions – 1080p and 2K
Eufy’s cameras come in two resolutions – 1080p and 2K. Get the 2K version if you need high video quality but most people will find the 1080p quality more than adequate.
The video resolution for the two are 1920×1080 for 1080p version and 2048×1080 for the 2K version. The difference in video resolution between the two versions is much bigger than what the numbers represent.
Need A Hub (Home Base)
Eufy cams only work with a Home Base. So when you buy the camera kit for the first time, you need to buy the kit with a home base. Later on, you can just buy add-on cameras to expand. The home base can connect up to 16 cameras.
Remember that the cameras connect to the Home Base and not directly to your wireless router. So where you place your Home Base matters. The closer it is to your cameras, the better the quality of the network connection. As long as you stay with 15 ft of the hub, you should get a good signal.
Wire-free And A Good Battery
Cameras are wire-free and come with a battery that holds a charge for 365 days according to Eufy. How long the battery lasts depends on a number of factors such as the number of times motion is detected, the recording duration you set, and the temperature to which the cameras are exposed. In reality, cameras hold a charge for about 6 to 9 months for the most common settings.
Easy DIY Installation
The cameras can be easily mounted on a wall. Indoor cameras can be installed with magnetic mounts and outdoor cameras can be installed with screws.
Excellent, Responsive App
The Eufy Security App has a clean design, is intuitive, and works well. The Eufy app is more responsive than other apps such as Arlo’s. The app also allows two-way audio communication with the camera (Quick note: Two-way audio does not work with HomeKit. You can hear but not talk to the camera)
Integration
Eufy works with the Apple HomeKit, the Google Assistant, or Amazon Alexa which gives you options on how you want to monitor your cameras.
Data Stored Locally
All your video data is stored in a local 16 GB SD card. So you don’t have to worry about the privacy and security issues around having your videos in the cloud.
Eufy cameras have all the standard features you expect from a camera these days – motion detection, two-way audio, night vision, and data encryption. I was concerned that the motion detection may be delayed due to local storage. But I get a notification with 3-4 seconds of motion detection, which is not much different from my Arlo, which has cloud storage.
Bottom Line
Eufy cameras are a great alternative to cameras that come with monthly fees. You get excellent video quality and a great app. These cameras are easy to install and have a battery that could easily last six to nine months.
