No-Sub Cam Guide

How we check cameras and calculate the no-plan score

Last updated

Every model page is built the same way, so you can judge how far to trust it.

1. Sources: the manufacturer's own pages, nothing else

  • Features and limits come from the brand's product page, spec sheet, support articles and plan pages.
  • Plan prices come from the brand's own plan page, in US dollars, on the date shown. We don't use reseller prices, coupon sites or reviews.
  • When two of a brand's own pages disagree (Wyze's monthly Cam Plus price, for example), we say so and mark the figure Unverified.
  • Every fact carries a source marker like [S1] that links to the source list at the bottom of the page, with the publisher, a link and the date we accessed it.

2. The no-plan score

The score counts how many of these five checks a camera meets with no paid plan and no trial:

  1. Live view: you can open the camera's live video in the brand's app.
  2. Local recording: the camera can record to storage you own, such as a microSD card, a hub (eufy HomeBase, Arlo SmartHub) or an NVR.
  3. Motion alerts: your phone gets a notification when the camera detects motion (or someone presses a doorbell).
  4. Person detection: the camera can tell a person from other motion and alert you about people specifically.
  5. Clip history (24 hours+): you can play back recorded video from at least the past 24 hours, from local storage or a free cloud tier.

Each check gets one of four statuses:

  • Yes (1 point): a manufacturer source says it works without a plan.
  • Limited (0 points): it works without a plan, but not enough to meet the check. Example: 3 hours of free clip history fails the 24-hour check.
  • No (0 points): a manufacturer source says it needs a plan, or the hardware can't do it.
  • Unverified (0 points): we couldn't find the brand saying it in writing. This is not a claim that the feature is missing. It means we haven't confirmed it yet. We re-check Unverified items first.

The score is a count of facts, not a rating. It doesn't measure video quality, reliability, security or value, and it's never shown as stars. Two cameras with the same score can be very different products. Read the table on each page.

3. Plan costs over 1 and 3 years

  • 1 year is the yearly price, or the monthly price × 12, whichever the brand offers. We show both when both exist.
  • 3 years is the same arithmetic × 3, at today's prices. Brands raise prices (Wyze raised Cam Plus annual from $19.99 to $29.99 in 2026), so treat 3-year totals as an estimate, not a quote.
  • Totals don't include tax, promotions, trials, add-ons or professional monitoring fees.
  • The plan cost calculator uses the same prices as the model pages. They're stored in one place, so they can't drift apart.

4. What we leave out

  • We don't publish reviews, star ratings, "best" awards or testimonials, and we haven't lab-tested these cameras.
  • We don't call any camera "private" or "secure". If a brand makes a privacy or encryption claim, we attribute it to the brand.
  • We don't guess. If a fact isn't in a manufacturer source, it's left out or marked Unverified.

5. Re-checking

Plans change often. Each page shows a "Last verified" date: the last day we re-checked every source on it. We re-check when a brand announces a plan change, and on a rolling schedule. Spotted something out of date? Email hello@certifiedcamfit.com.