Cloud storage isn’t necessarily free. However, you can get a limited trial to unlock cloud storage for a particular brand.
That said, certain brands will support FTP for remote storage. However, these aren’t free and not generally not as safe as the brand’s cloud storage option.
In a nutshell, Arlo and Wyze offer a decent trial period with access to cloud storage. Reolink doesn’t always offer trials but most of their cameras support FTP as a storage option.
Things to Know
- Cloud storage for security cameras isn’t always free. You can get free cloud storage as a limited trial.
- Brands such as Arlo and Wyze may offer 30-day to three-month trials when you purchase one of their security cameras.
- Reolink doesn’t offer a trial, but their cameras support FTP. This can help you store footage remotely in FTP servers.
- However, FTP servers aren’t necessarily free. Besides, they might not be as secure as the cloud storage of each brand.
- Certain brands won’t offer the option to review past footage without a subscription. Always check for this when deciding on a brand.
Overview of Security Camera Brands That Offer Free Cloud Storage
Not all security camera brands offer free cloud storage. When they do, it’s usually a trial period to get you to check out their features and subscribe.
With this trial version, different brands offer different features. Here are some of the few brands you should look out for:
- Arlo
- Ring
- Wyze
- Reolink
- Nest
Arlo
Typically, you’d get a free trial for every Arlo security camera purchased. These are usually 3-month trials where you have access to Arlo Secure.
With Arlo Secure, you receive 30 days of cloud storage for a maximum resolution of 2K. Other than that, you get access to features such as:
- Person and vehicle detection
- Customizable motion zones
- Rich notifications
- Theft replacement
Regardless, you still get access to live streaming and push notifications.
The next tier is Arlo Secure Plus. This plan supports 4K resolution and stores your footage for up to 60 days. It also extends the warranty of your security cameras.
Ring
Ring provides a 30-day trial whenever you purchase and activate a new device. These can be Ring video doorbells, security cameras, or alarm systems.
However, users activating a new device on an existing location won’t be eligible for this 30-day trial.
The Basic tier of the Ring Protect plan offers features such as:
- 180 days of cloud storage
- Snapshot capture
- Human detection
- Rich notifications
- 10% discount on certain Ring and Amazon products.
Without a Ring Protect plan, your devices are severely handicapped. You’ll only get access to live-view and push notifications. There is no storage option and Ring won’t save your past footage.
Ring devices do not offer other means of storage. Therefore, a Ring Protect plan is essential.
Wyze
Wyze usually gives out a 30-day free trial. However, it’s not always guaranteed.
That said, you’re not in the dark entirely if you don’t subscribe.
So even without a Wyze subscription, you still get access to features such as:
- Local storage via MicroSD
- Motion detection recording
- Livestreaming
- Timelapse feature
- Alarm sound detection.
Also, the free plan has a 5-minute delay when sending out alerts. This might be an issue depending on your system and security requirements.
With a Wyze subscription plan, called the Cam Plus, you get:
- Cloud storage
- Intelligent object detection (for humans, pets, vehicles, and packages)
- Ability to check the live feed using a web browser.
Reolink
Currently, Reolink doesn’t offer a free trial on their cloud storage features. However, you’ll only miss out on cloud storage and rich notifications if you don’t subscribe.
Reolink cameras store footage locally. Therefore, you can livestream and check past footage via the app.
If you prefer a backup storage option, you can subscribe to the Reolink cloud service. Each of these plans offers higher storage space and support for additional cameras.
For instance, their basic plan offers 30GB of cloud storage for a maximum of five cameras. Also, the video history is limited to 30 days, and you get access to rich notifications.
That said, Reolink does encourage setting up FTP servers to store footage remotely. These act similarly to cloud storage, but you’ll have to rely on third-party servers and apps.
To learn more about how to set this up, check out this article by Reolink.
Google Nest
Nest offers a 30-day trial for their Nest Aware subscription plan. With this plan, you get access to:
- Familiar or unfamiliar face recognition
- Sould alerts (for broken glass or smoke alarms)
- Option to set up activity zones (customizable motion zones)
- 30 days of event history (past footage)
- Ability to create time-lapses
- Option to share time-lapses and video clips with others.
You’re limited to the last 3 hours of event footage without a subscription. Therefore, a Nest Aware subscription is essential to access footage in the past 30 or 60 days.
Verdict
Cloud storage always comes at a price. However, you can leverage the trial periods until you figure out alternatives.
Other than that, you can also consider setting up remote storage via FTP. However, not all camera brands support this so check the storage specs before you settle on a brand.
For starters, Wyze and Arlo offer a substantial trial period for their cloud plans. Meanwhile, Reolink doesn’t offer a trial but may support FTP for remote storage.