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About four years ago, Blink was the best security camera without a subscription but Wyze is the overall best choice in my reviews. The brand didn’t even have a paid cloud service, which was very surprising considering it’s a US company. However, that was then. So, how does the company stand out today? Also, which is better between Blink vs Wyze camera, or how do they compare to each other?
Well, this article has brought together everything you ought to know from these two brands. This includes the use of technology, monitoring experience, and reliability. So, we hope it will help guide you in making the right decision for your home security needs.
Summary
Wyze Cam can be a much better choice if you won’t mind recording in 20fps. The six things that stand out include:
- Wyze cameras are relatively cheaper to get
- Wyze Cam offers rolling 14 days of free cloud storage
- Wyze Cam V3 has a Starlight image sensor and a spotlight
- Wyze camera has up to six intelligent video surveillance features
- Wyze cameras have a built-in MicroSD card slot for local recording
- You can pair Wyze cameras to Alexa, Google Home, or IFTTT devices
Blink vs Wyze: A Summary on the Best Indoor Security Cameras from the Brands
The following chart highlights the key features of the Blink Mini and Wyze V2. Of course, they’re not the top bestsellers from the makers, but they’ll provide a light of what to expect from an under $50 security camera.
About Blink Security Camera
- Monitor the inside of your home day and night with our 1080P HD indoor plug-in smart security camera...
- See, hear, and speak to people and pets in your home from your smartphone with Blink Mini’s live...
Overall, Blink is a home automation company, whereby it only makes wireless security cameras for smart homes. It used to be one of the most-talked-about security cameras, especially with the Blink XT2, which came around 2019. At the time, it was about a year and a half after Amazon became the new owner of the company.
Another thing from the past, Blink security camera used to have only the free basic cloud. However, a lot of people complained that the provided 7200 seconds of recording weren’t enough and needed a subscription package.
As of now, Blink does have a paid cloud storage service, but it also came at a cost. That’s all the new Blink subscribers after 15 April 2020 no longer receive the free basic cloud storage. However, you can still have video recordings with no subscription as we shall see later in the article.
About Wyze Security Camera
- mounting type: Wall Mount
- Operating Systems - Supports iOS 9.0 and Android 5.0 or later. Connectivity Requirements - Upload...
Meanwhile, Wyze is also not the brand to go to if you need an outdoor security camera system with a DVR or NVR recorder. It only deals with WiFi cameras, which are about four different series, and a basic video doorbell.
Overall, the Wyze security camera is synonymous with success from its affordability and built-in local storage. All the devices from the brand (except the doorbell) have an integrated slot that you can insert a MicroSD card.
As we saw on Wyze Cam V1 and V2 and V3, this young company has also taken advantage of the latest technologies pretty well. Nearly all the cameras have intelligent video surveillance features, not limited to person detection, package detection, and pet detection.
More on that, let’s now jump into our main Wyze vs Blink discussion and see what else you can get.
Blink Mini vs Wyze Cam V2: Comparing the Key features and Capabilities
See below the summary of the similarities and differences between the two brands of smart home security cameras.
How’s the Pricing?
Naturally, many of the WiFi security cameras in the market are not expensive, and these two brands are no exemption. However, the Wyze security camera is relatively cheaper, with the priciest of all, Wyze Cam Outdoor, selling at $59.98. The cheapest from the brand is the Wyze Cam V2 at $25.98 on regular days or $19.99 on offer.
On its end, the Blink camera has the cheapest model (Blink Mini) at $34.99 when buying as a single camera. Then, the Blink Outdoor is the most expensive at $99.99 for a single-camera kit. Sadly, however, free basic cloud storage is not available to everyone. So, you might also need to purchase a Blink Module 2 separately for local storage.
Therefore, all the points for the pricing will go to Wyze camera as you even may not need to subscribe for the cloud service.
What Camera Choices are Available?
We’re going to split the points here as the two security camera brands have only a limited line of products. None of them has DVR kits, specialty cameras, or even a PTZ outdoor camera that you can use in high-traffic areas.
If it’s Blink, the brand has the three newly-released models, then the Blink XT and XT2, which we can say are older generations. You have the option to go with a plug-in or battery-powered security camera, as well as indoor and outdoor creations.
When we now come to Wyze, you also have the option to choose indoor or outdoor cameras. Also, the company has not long ago released a battery-powered Wye Cam Outdoor. So, you can monitor your property from about any position without the hassle of running the cables or searching for outlets.
How Good is the Video Recording?
Until now, neither Blink nor Wyze have created a 4K security camera system, or even 2K. Of course, we could argue that they’re trying to maximize the bandwidth needs to ensure seamless streaming without draining your WiFi. But again, how comes Eufy and Arlo cameras can record in 2K video quality so well?
In any case, both Blink and Wyze cameras are currently up to 1080p Full HD. However, the former does deliver smoother videos when recording at 30fps. Also, it has infrared night vision and the camera eye covers 110 degrees diagonal.
When it comes to Blink vs Wyze V3, however, the latter drops on the video smoothness as it can only record at up to 20fps. However, the Wyze camera wins on night recordings, courtesy of the starlight image sensor it uses.
More on that, you can as well opt for a Wyze Cam V3 with an add-on spotlight. Thus, enjoying even clearer or otherwise colored night recordings.
Another thing, the Wyze Cam Pan series can patrol your indoors with a wider 120-degree lens and 360-degree horizontal rotation. It actually does support motion tagging and auto-tracking the action until the object exits the area.
Does it have Wire-Free Cameras?
As was mentioned, all the two smart security companies have battery-powered wireless cameras. These are what we also call wire-free cameras since they require no cords for data or even power. They are best for areas inaccessible to wired power or in case you live in a rental and don’t want a fight with the owner.
Needless to say, Blink has four different wire-free models, not limited to Blink XT, XT2, Indoor, and Outdoor camera. In other words, it’s only the Blink Mini that relies on wired power to operate.
Meanwhile, the Wyze Cam Outdoor is the single one that uses a battery to operate. So, we can give Blink the Wire-free points since it has more selections to try out.
Is There an Active Deterrence Feature?
In the Blink Mini vs Wyze V2 comparison chart above, it’s clear neither of the devices has a theft-deterrent feature. However, Wyze Cam V3 does come with a built-in siren that you can activate manually from the mobile app.
More on that, the camera has an add-on spotlight accessory, which you can also use for deterrence purposes. However, the lighting can only be turned on or off from the app. So, it won’t be as effective as the built-in motion-activated spotlight of Reolink or Ring security camera.
Regardless, the manually controlled siren and spotlight in the Wyze camera are far much better than the Blink without any. However, the American company did release a Blink Panic Siren around 2017, albeit it didn’t work out for a number of people.
As for the lighting, the Wasserstein 3-in-1 floodlight we were talking about the other day can do the trick. It’s a thoughtful design that’s ready to pair with a Blink camera and also has its inbuilt motion detection feature. So, it’s total peace of mind for you and mission impossible for the potential thug.
Local Storage or Cloud Plan
Usually, a lot of people shop for a security camera without expecting to pay any monthly fees after. Therefore, the Wyze camera is also the winner here as it has both reliable local storage and cloud service. The local storage feature is a built-in slot on the camera that you can add your MicroSD card.
On top of that, the company also provides free 14-day cloud storage. However, the free space can only hold 12-second even recordings (triggered by motion or sound), though you can upgrade for the Cam Plus cloud for longer recordings.
Meanwhile, blink camera also does have free cloud storage, but that has now become a privilege for only the old users. As was mentioned earlier, all the new subscribers to the service will no longer receive the 7200 seconds of event clips
However, you could sync up your camera with the newly-released Blink Module 2 to save your footage locally to a USB flash drive. The feature, though, is more of a storage backup as it adds the recordings only once a day. If that doesn’t work out for you, you can go ahead and get one of the Blink subscriptions plans, which, by the way, are not that expensive.
Does the Camera have Continuous Video Recording?
Yet again, the Wyze camera win in this category as it supports multiple video recording modes, including continuously (24/7). In other words, you’ll have constant recordings available for playback, which means you won’t miss any moments. You can choose to record in SD video quality or HD video, though the former is the best if you need more recording days.
Speaking of recording, Wyze recommends using a class 10 32GB MicroSD card in FAT32 format. Some cameras would accept larger cards (64GB and above) as well, but the manufacturer warns they may become unstable and go wonky.
When we now come to Blink, the brand only supports event recording. True, the cameras usually wake up pretty quickly after they detect movements, but they still miss those initial moments (like 3-5seconds), which sometimes could be crucial.
Is the Camera Compatible with HomeKit?
A smart home is not any “smart” if it doesn’t have Alexa, Google Home, Home Kit, or similar virtual voice assistants.
Luckily, the Wyze cameras are compatible with IFTTT, Google Assistant, and Alexa devices. So, you can enjoy hassle-free, hands-free, and fun controlling, as well as add to your smart home ecosystem without issues.
Meanwhile, Blink is a product of Amazon, a major rival of Google. So, you can only pair and send voice commands with Alexa Assistant or IFTTT.
Note, neither Wyze nor Blink security camera is compatible with Apple HomeKit or Samsung SmartThings at the moment.
To Conclude:
As an American, it’s safe to say we do hold dear to locally-owned brands than the foreign ones. One of the main reasons for this is quality protection, then there’s that trust thing, whereby you feel more secure while using US products. This now explains why Blink security camera is very famous at home despite lacking many crucial features the foreign brands include at no charge.
If it’s the Wyze camera that we’ve been talking about for the last few minutes, it’s very affordable. Then, it has various intelligent video surveillance technologies to bring you a smoother, fun, and security-tight monitoring experience.
Furthermore, each Wyze Cam has multiple ways to you save your videos and phones at no subscription, something Blink is too unwilling to share with us. So, in our opinion, it’s a much better smart home security camera option, for now.
