The Best Indoor Cameras With Artificial Intelligence
When Google Nest AI combines with ADT’s smart security system, it unlocks exclusive features that secure your home such as Trusted Neighbor.
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Last Updated on Apr 04, 2025
- Google Nest facial recognition working with ADT can disarm systems and unlock smart locks for regular guests
- Personalized alerts for people, vehicles, and animals
- ADT professional installers choose the best place for cameras for maximum coverage
- System lets you name cameras for easy voice commands
- Customized motion zones let you control what your cameras see and what they ignore
- Cameras know the difference between people and animals so you know exactly what’s on your front porch
- Set environmental controls within the camera to monitor and adjust the temperature in your home
- AI-powered person detection cuts down on false alerts
- No professional installation required, even for AI cameras
Editor’s Note: Some of the best DIY home security systems include state-of-the-art battery-powered cameras. You can even add sensors, thermostats, and video doorbells to tailor the solution to your needs.
While we haven’t reached Blade Runner levels of artificial intelligence, the best home security systems on the market are well on their way. And at the heart of this revolution are the best home security cameras.
This massive shift in the industry all started with person detection and intelligent alerts. Even though these features don’t stop burglars in the act, they drastically reduce false alarms which forces you to pay more attention to those alerts that get through.
Since the first human detection camera came out in 2012, we’ve been excited to test cameras that use this technology.1 Nowadays, it’s an industry standard. In fact, we consider it a core capability in our guide to home security cameras. So, needless to say, there are a lot of indoor cameras with artificial intelligence on the market today and we’ve personally tested a significant number of them. Here’s our rundown of our favorites.
Our Review Process And Criteria
| Cameras tested | 50+ |
|---|---|
| Test duration | 6 months |
| Minimum video resolution | 1080p HD |
| Video storage | Local, cloud |
The Best Cameras with AI at a Glance
- ADT - Best Camera with AI for Security Systems
- Ring Stick Up Cam Plug-In - Best Camera with AI for Affordable Subscriptions
- Canary - Best Camera with AI and Advanced Features
- Nest Cam IQ Indoor - Best Camera with AI for DIY Installation
- Arlo Pro 5S 2K - Best Camera with AI for Video Quality
Tech Specs of the Best Cameras for AI of 2025
| System |
ADT
|
Ring Stick Up Cam Plug-In
|
Canary
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Nest Cam IQ Indoor
|
Arlo Pro 5S 2K
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranking | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
| Ratings | 9.8/10 | 9.5/10 | 7.9/10 | 9.2/10 | 9.0/10 |
| Price | From $99 | $180 | $169 | From $99 | $179.99 |
| Indoor/Outdoor | Both | Both | Indoor | Both | Both |
| Video Quality | 1080p HD | 1080p HD | 1080p HD | 1080p HD | 2k HDR |
| Field of View | 130° | 150° | 147° | 130° | 160° |
| Night Vision | 6 Infrared LED sensors | Infrared | 12 infrared LED sensors | 16 infrared LED sensors | Color |
| Two-Way Audio | Yes | Yes | Yes, w/ subscription package | Yes | Yes |
| Local Storage | None | Yes, w/ subscription | Yes, w/ membership | None | Yes, can connect USB to Arlo Base Station or SmartHub |
| Cloud Storage | Included with ADT professional monitoring | Paid options of 60 days | 24 hours of free cloud storage, 30 days of free cloud storage w/ paid option | Paid options of 30 or 60 days | Paid options of 60 days |
| Smart Platform Integration | Alexa, Google Assistant | Alexa, Google Assistant | Alexa, Google Assistant | Alexa, Google Assistant, Philips Hue | Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit |
| Artificial Intelligence | Trusted Neighbor feature uses facial recognition. Animal and vehicle detection. | Person detection w/ subscription | Person detection | Person detection included, w/ subscription – familiar face alerts | Person, packages, vehicles, animal detection with Arlo Smart Home |
| Extra Features | 24/7 Professional monitoring, activity zones, 30 days of cloud storage, ADT + app. | Siren, up to 3 motion zones; Ring Protect Basic Plan includes video history for up to 60 days; Ring Protect Plus plan includes video recording/sharing for unlimited cameras, 24/7 professional monitoring, cellular backup | 90-decibel siren, climate monitoring system; subscription includes activity zones, first-person responder, safety button, desktop streaming, custom modes | Subscription includes motion detection, sound detection, dog barking alerts, person speaking alerts, familiar face alerts, activity zones, up to 30 days of video cloud storage | Spotlight, siren, activity zones, safety buttons |
| Battery Life | Up to 7 months | N/A | N/A | Up to 7 months | 8 months |
| Read Review | ADT Review | Ring Stick Up Cam Plug-In Review | Canary Review | Nest Cam IQ Indoor Review | Arlo Pro 5S 2K Review |
A Detailed List of the Best AI Security Cameras
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1. ADT
View Packages Links to ADTProduct Specs
Resolution Up to 1080p Field of View Up to 128° Power Wired, battery Connectivity Wi-Fi, ethernet Video Storage Cloud Smart Platform Compatibility Alexa and Google Home What We Like
- Trusted Neighbor feature
- Multiple smart home integrations including lights and smart locks
- Personalized alerts for people, vehicle, pets, and packages
- Award-winning professional monitoring
What We Don’t Like
- Expensive monitoring plans
- Limited security camera range
- No local storage
- Cameras are weatherproof but not waterproof
Trusted Neighbor and Home Automation
You can get Google Nest cameras as standalone products, but we recommend integrating them with an ADT security system (one of the best smart security systems). ADT uses Nest AI and facial recognition technology in its advanced features such as Trusted Neighbor. Since the cameras recognize regular guests, you can unlock smart locks and disarm the system as they approach the house. We even schedule Trusted Neighbor – like when our dog walker comes by while we’re at work.
It’s not the only scheduling feature ADT offers. When reviewing ADT, we set up schedules to arm and disarm the system, and switch off all the lights at bedtime.
Pro Tip: ADT lets you schedule your smart lights while you’re away. That way, thieves will be less likely to target your place if they think someone is home.
24/7 Professional Monitoring
Unfortunately, these features don’t come cheap. You’ll need to sign up for ADT’s most expensive professional monitoring plan for security camera support. These ADT plans are $39.99 per month for Self Setup customers and $49.99 per month for professionally installed systems. While they are pricey, we think it’s worth it. ADT’s professional monitoring is the best in the industry. The company has 12 centers across the country and responds quickly via text message and phone calls during active alarms.
Here’s where we installed our Nest Cam to watch over our front yard Smart Integrations
Beyond Trusted Neighbor working with Nest Cams and ADT’s smart lock, you can create custom automations with other smart products like ADT’s smart bulbs. We set our indoor lights to turn on when our outdoor Nest Cams detect motion. You can also integrate non-Nest camera products like the Nest Learning Thermostat. However, you can’t integrate older products like the Nest Cam IQ or Nest Cam Indoor.
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2. Ring Stick Up Cam Plug-In - Best Camera with AI for Affordable Subscriptions
View on Amazon Links to Amazon.com
What We Like:
- 150 degree field of view
- Indoor and outdoor capabilities
- Weather-resistance between -5°F to 120°F
- Affordable equipment and plans
What We Don’t Like
- No cloud and local storage included
- No person detection included
- No field of zoom
- Only one-year limited warranty
Customizable Motion Zones
After setting up our Ring Stick Up Cam Wired in the living room, we opened up the Ring — Always Home mobile app and customized our motion zones, which meant that the camera focused primarily on areas such as the windows, the entryway leading to the living room, and the patio door. As a result, we received notifications whenever the camera detected motion from these assigned zones only, while we had the camera ignore the corners of our living room where there was little to no activity of our concern.
24/7 Professional Monitoring Option
Ring offers three self-monitoring plans starting at $4.99 per month. Each one has up to 180 days of video event history, people and package alerts, and live feeds. But you’ll need the Standard or Premium plan for professional monitoring. That’s an extra $10 per month on top of the subscription fee. The most you’ll pay is $29.99 per month, which is cheaper than ADT’s professional monitoring plans, but it doesn’t include the same advanced features. We still received real-time emergency support from active monitoring centers whenever our Ring Stick Up Cam Wired detected a person while armed. This was a lifesaver during days when we were too busy to check the live feed – so we got our money’s worth.
>> Check Out: Most Affordable Home Security Cameras
Ring Stick Up Cam Wired Alexa and Google Assistant Integrations
We can’t talk about Ring without mentioning their smart platform integrations which include but are not limited to Alexa and Google Assistant. With Alexa, we named our Ring Stick Up Cam Wired “Living Room” and issued commands such as “Alexa, show Living Room” and “Alexa, show me the last activity from the Living Room.” As for Google Assistant, we kept the same name for our camera and said, “Hey Google, start recording for Living Room.”
Tip: A rule of thumb is to name all security devices so that voice assistants won’t have to ask to clarify which camera you want to access.
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3. Canary - Best Camera with AI and Advanced Features
What We Like:
- 147-degree field of view
- Built-in climate monitoring
- 90-decibel siren included
- No installation
What We Don’t Like
- No local storage included
- Must have subscription to use two-way audio
- Only one day of free cloud storage
- Poor mobile app ratings
HomeHealth Technology
HomeHealth Technology
A multifaceted camera is better than paying extra for additional features, and that’s what we got with the Canary Pro. With the inclusion of HomeHealth Technology, our Canary Pro monitored the air quality, temperature, and humidity in our apartment. When we integrated the Canary Pro with Google Assistant, we said, “OK Google, ask Canary for the temperature at home.” Shortly after, we received the response: “Home temperature is 65 degrees Fahrenheit.” Do you love the Google ecosystem as much as us? Be sure to check out our list of the best security systems for Google Home.Tip: Be sure to specify the location, especially if you have multiple Canary devices placed in multiple locations. Since we only had one, we didn’t need to specify that the Canary was in our living room. For multiple devices or locations, assign a name; otherwise, Google Assistant will ask which Canary device you’re talking about.
90 Decibel Siren
Another aspect of the Canary Pro that didn’t tug at our wallets is the built-in 90 decibel siren. From the Canary app, we had the option to sound the alarm if we saw an intruder in our apartment. Fortunately, we didn’t have to use the siren but the additional feature upped the security in our apartment.
Includes Person Detection
We bid adieu to false alarms with the AI-powered person detection, which was included with the Canary Pro. Instead of receiving notifications for all types of activity, we received alerts that pertained to people in our apartment. With person detection, the Canary Pro discerned people from pets and objects. As a result, we didn’t have to silence our phones from the bombardment of notifications whenever the Canary Pro detected the subtlest movement from shadows, flying insects, or falling objects.
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4. Nest Cam IQ Indoor - Best Camera with AI for DIY Installation
View on Amazon Links to Amazon.com
What We Like:
- 130-degree field of view on all cameras
- Smart platform integrations
- Simple installation process
- Person detection and familiar face alerts
What We Don’t Like
- No local storage included
- On the pricier side
- Must have a subscription for cloud storage
- Not the most discreet design
Easy to Install
We had our Nest cameras set up within minutes – even the ones we mounted. The Nest app guided us through the process step by step and included videos so we didn’t misinterpret anything. The Nest Floodlight does involve some hardwiring. So if you’re not comfortable messing around with cables, we suggest getting in touch with a licensed electrician or finding a Nest Pro on Google’s website.
Works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
We assigned our wired Nest Cam a name: Living Room. That way, when we integrated it with Alexa, we simply said, “Alexa, show feed from the Living Room.” As owners of more than our fair share of Amazon devices, we had Alexa show the feed on our Echo Show 8, which was pretty cool and easy. It surprised us how well it worked considering Google now owns Nest. For more Amazon-compatible security products, take a look through our roundup of the best security systems that work with Alexa.
With Google Assistant, we said, “Hey Google, play Living Room camera on Chromecast” to see our footage on the big screen of our TV.
Our Google Nest Cam (wired) was the easiest security camera to install Two-Way Audio
We were blown away by our Nest Cam’’s two-way audio — listening and speaking through the camera. During testing, we were startled by just how loud the speaker was, but in a good way. This meant that any intruders who dared to venture beyond our living room wouldn’t have a chance because our voices would deter them from doing so.
Tip: When testing out the two-way audio, have one person go to a different room — preferably one with a door. With the door closed, the person should then communicate from the mobile app while you’re in the same area as the Nest Cam. That way, you can determine just how loud and effective the speaker can be.
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5. Arlo Pro 5S 2K - Best Camera with AI for Video Quality
View on Amazon Links to Amazon.com
What We Like:
- 2K HD video quality
- Indoor and outdoor durability
- Wide range of AI detections
- Color night vision
What We Don’t Like
- Expensive option
- AI features only available with a subscription
- Needs larger temperature range
- No free cloud storage
Advanced Detection
Out of all the cameras with AI, the Arlo Pro 5S 2K is top-notch. Instead of just person, package, animal, and vehicle detection, our camera also knew when there was a fire or sirens were triggered. We definitely hopped on the one-month free trial to use these smart features, and after the trial ended, we signed up for Arlo Plus — Arlo’s subscription service — to continue using them. We first set up the Arlo Pro 5S 2K in our living room and turned on person detection only since we don’t own any pets. Packages and vehicles were more relevant for outdoor use, so we turned that off as well. However, when we set up the Arlo Pro 5S 2K outside by our front door, we only turned on detection for people and packages; we didn’t want our phones to blow up over animals and vehicles that we didn’t care about too much.
FYI: Arlo Plus is $7.99 per month for one camera and $17.99 per month for unlimited cameras. But it doesn’t include professional monitoring. You’ll need the premium plan, which is $24.99 per month.
Color Night Vision
What’s great about Arlo Pro 5S 2K’s night vision is it’s in color – something that most of the other cameras on this list can’t do. Because the Arlo Pro 5S 2K has a built-in spotlight, it can offer this feature. When it was outside, the camera gave us a clear view of whoever passed by or visited our apartment at night. But when it was inside the spotlight was a too conspicuous. Fortunately, we could adjust the brightness in the app so it wasn’t as obvious.
We tested our Arlo Pro 5S 2K inside and outside our apartment 2K HDR Video
Rather than the standard 1080p HD video quality, the Arlo Pro 5S ramps it up to 2K with HDR. Needless to say, the Arlo Pro 5S 2K ranks at the top out of all the other cameras on the list for best video quality. When we looked at the live footage of the outside of our apartment, we didn’t encounter any glares or shadows that obstructed our view. What we saw on the mobile app was as close to being real as what the Arlo Pro 5S 2K was seeing.
How We Chose the Best Cameras for AI
Although this review touches on the best cameras for artificial intelligence specifically, we take all of a camera’s technical aspects into consideration such as video quality, audio, night vision, storage, and smart platform integrations. We also measure the overall value, convenience, and protection that these cameras offered during our testing.
Our preferences for security cameras are as follows:
- 1080p HD video
- Two-way audio
- Optic zoom in-capability
- Field of view of at least 120 degrees
- Infrared night vision
- Free cloud and local storage
- Person detection
- Alexa and Google Assistant integrations
- DIY installation or free professional installation
- Affordable equipment and subscription prices
- User-friendly, companion mobile apps
For cameras with AI, we prefer person detection to be included, although more often than not, this requires a paid subscription. Other AI features include facial recognition and detection for packages, animals, and vehicles. With person detection, not only did the cameras distinguish people from moving objects and animals but it also notified us only when detected activity was person-related. This made for fewer notifications and, more importantly, fewer headaches from managing notifications. Nest Cams have familiar face alerts but this feature requires a Nest Aware subscription or an ADT professional monitoring plan.
Much as we like to praise technological advancements in security cameras, privacy concerns like Ring cameras being hacked, have been brought to light by multiple outlets. That’s why we appreciate companies that implement extra security measures like two-factor authentication, which requires a code that’s texted to a user’s phone in order to access their account. This prevents unauthorized access, even if the hacker has the user’s username and password.
Other technical factors that we consider when reviewing security cameras are power options and IP ratings, which determine a camera’s weather-resistance. When looking at camera setup, we like to have wired and wireless options. If it’s wireless, we look at the battery life; we prefer a battery life of a year or longer. Wired cameras are typically more reliable because they are less prone to signal interference that wireless cameras can experience from radio, TV, or phone connections. However, wireless cameras are a better fit for renters and apartment owners because setup is more flexible with mounting and dismounting; no hardwiring needed! For a concrete list of wireless cameras, check out our best wireless cameras of 2025.
Technical specifications aside, we also weigh in on professional monitoring and cellular backup. For the extra security, 24/7 professional monitoring is ideal. We mostly choose monthly plans that include professional monitoring because we’re often too busy to self-monitor our apartment. Cellular backup is something we tend to rely on whenever our Wi-Fi connection is lost or when the power goes out. This ensures that our cameras can still detect activity, send alerts to our phones, and stream footage to their respective app.
Common Questions About Cameras with AI
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What’s the difference between a camera with AI and camera without AI?
The difference between a camera with AI and a normal camera is that a camera with AI can distinguish people from pets and moving objects via person detection. Users can reduce notifications with person detection while normal cameras often send alerts based on any type of movement or object.
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What are the benefits of choosing a camera with AI?
Cameras with AI analyze activities and reduce notifications, alerting you of activities that are relevant to your home’s security such as doors or windows opening and people trespassing. The most common of the AI features is person detection, but some cameras also include pet, package, and vehicle detection.
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What is the best security camera for AI?
The best security cameras for AI are from ADT, Ring, Canary, Nest, and Arlo. We recommend ADT for its award-winning professional monitoring and how it integrates Nest AI with ADT security equipment.
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Are cameras with AI safe?
There is no guarantee that cameras with AI are completely safe from hacking incidents. However, several home security companies have implemented two-factor authentication— receiving unique codes on your phone or computer to input into your account — in response to privacy concerns such as hackers accessing your cameras.
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Does AI cost extra?
Some cameras include AI features for free like the Canary Pro. Typically, most AI features can only be unlocked by paying the company’s monthly subscription service like with ADT and Ring.
PR Newswire. (2012). First ‘Intelligent Security Cameras' with Facial Recognition Available in North America from Gadspot .
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-intelligent-security-cameras-with-facial-recognition-available-in-north-america-from-gadspot-173477531.html
