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What comes to your mind when you think of a good security camera? Say it’s resolution, is 1080p Full HD enough? And if yes, which standalone camera will be more worthwhile to have between Arlo vs Wyze?
In a nutshell, both Arlo and Wyze are great brands if looking for a decent home security camera. Arlo has always been notoriously overpriced, for sure. But the Essential series we’ll be using for reference in our comparison guide today falls in the budget category.
Verdict: The 5 Reasons Wyze is the Best Camera
- Wyze camera have 360° pan & 93° tilt
- Wyze camera supports facial recognition
- Wyze camera has access to MicroSD from the App
- Wyze camera offers free continuous video recording
- Wyze camera supports object lock motion auto tracking
Arlo vs Wyze: A Summary of the HD Wireless Security Cameras
Arlo and Wyze have various wireless security cameras you can consider for your home. In this guide, we’ll use Arlo Essential and Wyze V3 for reference.
Should I Get Arlo HD Camera?
Would you like to monitor your home in full color even in areas without lighting? Arlo is one of the brands with an array of spotlight security cameras to grab. The company is kind of losing its aura to the likes of Eufy and Wyze, unfortunately. But it still has lovely features if you love to support our local brands.
For instance, the Arlo Essential we’re looking at today can make it up if you need a security camera with two-way audio. It even has a built-in siren that you can set to activate automatically by motion detection or manually via the app.
As for the recently released Arlo Essential Indoor camera, you also do get an automated privacy shield to mask the lens. But again, not a lot of people were impressed by the feature as the maker kind of left some basic things that matter.
Should I Get Wyze HD Camera?
Do you need the means to keep an eye on your property at zero costs? Wyze is one of the best options for a security camera without a subscription. And the best part is you won’t need to break the bank to own it.
In the Wyze vs Nest cam review, we saw the price of the camera at about thirty bucks and as low as $20 when on sale. But the super-low price has not prevented the brand from delivering the best of features.
Say image quality, the 1080p is certainly not the best. But it’s pretty much enough for the general purpose monitoring of both your indoor and outdoor environments.
Moreover, Wyze is one of the few motion sensor security cameras that brings you Advanced person detection at $0. Then our reference Wyze Pan Cam also has object lock and motion tracking. Thus, can be handy in following your pets around or tracking how the intruder may have entered and left the room.
Arlo Vs Wyze: The Crucial Differences You Should Know
In this section, we’ll go through the various differences and similarities between Wyze and Arlo HD cameras.
However, we will also touch on the outdoor HD cameras from the brand, specifically the Arlo Essential Spotlight and Wyze Cam V3. See their summary below.
- Best of Pricing
Wyze is the clear winner if looking for a cheap wireless security camera. The Wyze Cam Pan has a regular price tag of $50, whereas the Wyze Cam V3 goes for $35. But in the ongoing limited-time deals, you can get up to 40% on the indoor model.
On the other hand, Arlo has always been on the high end of the price meter. The Arlo Essential Indoor Camera usually goes for $100, while the Spotlight (Outdoor) model goes for $130. You could save 20-40% in the current deals, though.
- Best of Build Quality:
If you’re looking for a high-grade CCTV that can withstand a hammer, a dedicated vandal-proof brand like Montavue or Lorex is the best choice. But our two HD wireless cameras are still rugged enough to take you through a couple of years even in mildly harsh environments.
The plastic housing of the Arlo somehow feels a tad sturdier than that of the Wyze Cam. But all this might be just a pretense, considering both the Essential and V3 have similar working conditions (-4°F to 113°F).
- Best of Video Quality:
The two WiFi cameras would have been equal since they record in 1080p Full HD. But when you compare the videos from the devices, you’ll notice the Wyze Cam is slightly better in contrast.
What happens is that Wyze has innovated both the Pan and Cam V3 with a starlight sensor, which is a bit more sensitive to light. Then the viewing lens is a few degrees narrower, which you should know captures more details (than wider angle lenses).
- Best of Night Vision:
When we compare Wyze vs Arlo night vision side by side, they both record in color and infrared (black & white) quality. The color mode, which requires enough lighting in the area, is clear enough to identify a face within 10-15 feet.
Arlo Essential spotlight shouldn’t be a problem here since it already has its own built-in white light. But the indoor camera will rely on your house lighting to work on color. Otherwise, it will continue to work in black & white coverage.
If interested, you could turn off the IR LEDs of the Arlo camera to use it behind a window without flare issues. But the option is now available in many WiFi cameras, including Wyze Cams.
The Wyze camera is actually much better since you can enable the 940nm night vision (with invisible IR LEDs) to use in the nursery. Then the starlight sensor captures much sharper videos when the scene has nice lighting.
Note: The Wyze Cam V3 requires you to mount the add-on spotlight for color night vision in areas without outdoor lighting. But the company has an upcoming V3 Pro series that not only record in 2K HD but also has a built-in dual-LED spotlight.
- Best of Audio Functions:
The two cameras kind of split the point here. You not only get to record footage you can listen to but also two-way talk for a full conversation in real-time.
Furthermore, you could use the two-way talk to scare off a potential burglar. But the devices already have a built-in siren that you can easily activate with a touch from the app.
- Best of Smart A.I. Detection:
Are you looking for a standalone camera with intelligent A.I. detection? Both Arlo and Wyze qualify as you can set to get alerts of people-only, pets, vehicles, or packages. You could also set either to detect the sound of certain levels, say from your kitchen smoke alarm. But the companies have hidden all these features behind a paywall.
You could get person-only and sound detection with the Wyze Cam Plus Lite cloud plan that has a custom price (whatever you can afford, even $0). The rest will require either the $1.99 or $3.99 monthly subscription.
Ps: Wyze has motion tracking (on Indoor Cam) and a supposedly facial recognition mode (with V3 Cam). But the way facial recognition work on security cameras from the brand is a little too basic compared to sophisticated Lorex models.
- Best of Continuous Recording:
When we compare Arlo versus Wyze recording modes, they are both great as well. You could set either camera to record by events (motion/ sound detection) or (24/7) continuously.
However, the Wyze cameras will have our points since you get to record full-time on a MicroSD card. Arlo, on the other hand, requires a monthly subscription of $9.99 for 14-day storage and $19.99 for thirty.
- Best of Free Storage
Yet again, Wyze takes the lead here as you can get the indoor or outdoor security camera with memory card support. And the better part of it, you can access the videos from the SD card right from the mobile app.
Furthermore, Wyze has a basic Cam Plus Lite cloud plan (with 14-day event recordings) at a custom price of $0 or whatever you can afford. Then the standard monthly subscription sells at $1.99, whereas the premium plan goes for $3.99.
On its end, Arlo cameras, including our Essential series, only support local storage if you sync with a Smart Hub station. And the bitter truth, you can’t access the recordings through the app: you can only view the SD card or USB drive on a computer.
Also, the Arlo Secure cloud subscription is a little more expensive, with the standard monthly package at $2.99. And if you need access to all the security perks from the company, it will cost you $19.99 per month.
Common Related Questions:
Unlike Arlo, Wyze charges a monthly fee only if you need access to all the intelligent detection features or optional cloud storage. However, the basic Cam Plus Lite plan with person detection and 14-day event recordings has a monthly fee of as low as $0.
In a nutshell, how long a 32GB SD card last in a Wyze camera depends on the recording mode in use. If you have set the camera to record in 1080p@20fps nonstop, the card will last 40-48 hours. Then at SD quality (480p), you can have up to 7 days of full recordings.
Is Cheap Still Expensive?
Well, either Arlo or Wyze can make a nice security camera for your home, as it depends on what you hope to achieve. And from our love of promoting local brands, we were tempted to push Arlo ahead of our recommendation list.
However, the Arlo cameras are up to four times more expensive than Wyze Cams. Worst, the two have many features in common, and others are better on the cheap Wyze. Built-in MicroSD slot, motion auto tracking, free continuous video recordings, and facial recognition are a few of the areas Wyze leads.
So, until now, the Wyze camera is still our favorite pick and recommendation. The only thing we hope the company can improve in the future is the recording frame rate (30fps would be nice) and Apple Homekit support.
