Abode’s new budget security camera can keep an eye on your home for less

Abode Cam 2 can be used on its own or with an Abode smart alarm system

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

Smart alarm brand Abode is hoping to rival some of thebest home security camerason the market with its own home security camera, which costs less than $30.

The Abode Cam 2 is currently available to pre-order in the US at the introductory price of $29.99 thoughAbode’s website. The Full HD security camera will go on sale in April, and will cost $34.99 once the introductory offer has expired. Abode says the camera will also be made available in the UK but hasn’t confirmed a date.

The mains-powered security camera will alert you when motion is detected, and will record 1080p footage of the activity. It can connect directly to your home Wi-Fi network, or can be linked to an Abode hub if you have the firm’s smart alarm installed in your home already.

Versatile camera

The weatherproof camera can be used indoors or outside, and has a flexible mount so it’s easy to position the camera at the right angle. The camera can record color video both during the day and at night, which makes it easier to see details in the footage.

You can view footage at the time an alert is triggered, but you’ll need to subscribe to Abode’s online storage service if you want to watch video clips back at a later time. Abode Standard costs $6 per month or $60 per year and lets you review footage for up to seven days after it’s recorded, while Abode Pro stores video for up to 30 days and costs $20 per month or $200 for a year.

Both subscriptions also include a person detection option, so you can choose only to be alerted about motion only caused by a person. Abode also says package and pet detection – which alert you when a package is left at your door, or to movement by a pet – will be made available in the year.

The camera also has bothAmazonAlexa andGoogleAssistant integration, so you can view a live feed from the camera on anAmazon EchoShow or Google Nestsmart display.

Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.

Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.

A real bargain?

The Abode camera can certainly compete with rivals from Wyze and Blink when it comes to initial cost of the security camera, and the addition of color night vision gives it one-up on its competitors. However, to really open up home security to those on a budget, we’d like to see the option of local recording being included, removing the burden of ongoing running costs.

Carrie-Ann Skinner was formerly Homes Editor at TechRadar, and has more than two decades of experience in both online and print journalism, with 13 years of that spent covering all-things tech. Carrie specializes in smart home devices such as smart plugs and smart lights, as well as large and small appliances including vacuum cleaners, air fryers, stand mixers, and coffee machines. Carrie is now a copy editor at PWC.

Reolink Altas PT Ultra review: a security camera that’s great for continuously monitoring your property

Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam review: would make the perfect indoor security camera if it wasn’t missing this one key thing

Arcane season 2 finally gave us the huge Caitlyn and Vi moment we’ve been waiting for – and its creators say ‘we couldn’t have done it in season one’