Blink cameras are super cheap for Prime Day, but these 5 subscription-free alternatives are just as good

There are huge savings on Blink home security cameras this Amazon Prime Day, but don't rush to grab one just yet. Although basic features are included with Blink cameras — live view and two-way-talk — for anything more advanced you'll need a Blink subscription in addition to the cost of the camera itself, which adds up over time.

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That's not the case with all home security cameras though, and here I've rounded up my top five Blink alternatives that give you local storage, plus features like AI facial-recognition, object-tracking, and pre-roll all without any extra payments.

1. Baseus Security S2 Outdoor Camera 4K

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The Baseus Security S2 isn't the only solar-powered security camera we've tested, but it's the only one with a photovoltaic panel that rotates around its body to follow the sun, ensuring it captures as much light as possible throughout the day. It looks strange, but in our tests, we found it worked brilliantly, noticeably extending the battery life.

During tests, the S2 produced very few false alerts. This not only prevents you from being bombarded with unnecessary phone notifications, it also means recording is triggered only by genuine events, extending the cam's battery life. Images are superbly detailed during the day, and the spotlight is excellent for illuminating the garden at night to ensure high-quality footage in the dark, too.

The Baseus S2 is also one of the most affordable subscription-free security cameras we've tested. The camera itself has a nice little Prime Day price cut, and the absence of fees for storage and advanced features mean it almost certainly works out cheaper overall.

If you're on a strict budget, take a look at the Baseus Security S1 instead. It's available for about half the price of the S2 and has the same rotating solar panel. However, it records at only 2K and has 8GB built-in storage rather than up to 256GB via a microSD card.

Read our full Baseus Security S2 Outdoor Camera 4K review

2. Reolink Altas PT Ultra

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The Reolink Altas PT Ultra earned four stars in our review thanks to its crisp video recordings, pan-and-tilt functionality to cover an extra-wide area, and local storage for your video. Although it's somewhat bulky, it looks smart and didn't worry our neighbors unnecessarily (always a plus).

The camera can automatically track subjects such as people and animals, or you can pan and tilt it manually using the app, if there's something in particular that you want to keep an eye on. There's a pre-record option, too, similar to the one you'd get with a dash cam, which captures footage continuously in the background and saves the 10 seconds that were recorded before a trigger event.

You can store your videos to an SD card, or to an encrypted Reolink Home Hub. The Home Hub comes with 64GB storage, expandable with up to two 512GB SD cards, which should be more than enough. Cloud storage is available if you really want to pay for it, but there's really no need and all the standout features are available free of charge.

Read our full Reolink Altas PT Ultra review

3. EZVIZ EP4 Peephole Door Viewer

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This little camera threads through the peephole in your front door, giving you a wide-angle view of the area beyond in sharp 4K on an internal screen, and on your phone. It's a clever design that means there's no need to drill any holes, and is ideal if you live in an apartment and/or rent.

Installation is a piece of cake (I had it fitted and working within 10 minutes during my tests) and you'll receive alerts to your phone when motion is detected. This will trigger a 10-second video recording, which can be saved to an SD card in the display unit. The AI person detection works very well, but what impressed me most was the facial recognition. Just upload photos of friends and family, and you'll be notified when they arrive. Ideal if you want to be sure that the kids have got home safely, for example.

It doubles as a doorbell too, offering two-way talk and even a voice changer so you can stay anonymous if you prefer — all subscription-free.

Read our EZVIZ EP4 Peephole Door Viewer hands-on

4. Eufy eufyCam 3 S330

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The eufyCam 3 S330 is a full security system designed for large properties, and even businesses. It consists of a set of cameras (the starter kit includes two, and additional ones are available to purchase separately) plus a HomeBase unit that connects them all to one another, and to your home Wi-Fi network.

Your videos are stored within the HomeBase unit, which comes with 16GB of storage that you can expand up to a colossal 16TB by plugging in an external hard drive, so you don't need to pay for cloud storage and your data is safely saved indoors.

Although it's a 'prosumer' system partially aimed at businesses, we found it easy to install and set up for the average user. Each camera has a 135-degree field of view, and a bright floodlight that can be triggered by motion at night for full-color footage, and a top-mounted solar panel so you don't need to take them down for frequent charging. Subject detection is excellent (and available without a subscription), though on the standard settings it proved so sensitive that it sometimes also mistook a person's reflection for someone else in our tests, so it's worth taking some time to tinker with the settings.

Read our full Eufy eufyCam 3 S330 review

5. Aqara Camera Hub G350

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Don’t be fooled by this camera’s cute looks, complete with removable bunny ears. Despite looking like a gadget for kids, it’s actually a very advanced piece of kit with a motorized base which provides a 360-degree field of view with zero blind spots. This is paired with a dual lens setup that allows you to track a subject (human or animal) using the wide-angle lens or zoom in to an area of detail using the telephoto lens. A 9x hybrid zoom is provided which really does allow you to get close up to your subject with reasonable picture quality.

There's advanced subject-detection, but what really impressed our reviewer Chris Price was the AI-powered sound recognition which can identify noises like a dog barking or a baby crying, and send you notifications accordingly.

It also acts as a Zigbee hub and Matter controller, meaning it can serve as the heart of your smart home. All the key features are available subscription-free, and there's no need to pay for cloud storage; just slide in a microSD card and you can keep all your recordings safely at home. A few features are only available to HomeGuard members, such as AI video search, but only a couple.

Read our full Aqara Camera Hub G350 review

More Prime Day deals in the US

Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18

Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99

Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29

Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools

Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99

Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99

Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung

Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199

Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186

Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99

Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing

Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

More Prime Day deals in the UK

Amazon Prime: sign up for a 30-day free trial

Amazon Devices: Fire TV, Ring & Blink from £24.99

Amazon Haul: up to 30% off

Apple: AirPods Pro 3 for a record-low price

Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja, Tefal & Sage

Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B

Essentials: household goods from under £10

Fashion: up to 50% off

Father's Day: up to 50% off gifts & drinks

Headphones: up to 50% off

Laptops: from £149.99

Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £125

Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies

TVs: from £129.99

Vacuums: up to 40% off Eufy & Roborock

Wearables: Garmin & Huawei from £36.99

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Cat is TechRadar's Homes Editor, covering smart home tech, kitchen appliances, vacuums, haircare and more. She's been a tech journalist for 15 years, having worked on print magazines including PC Plus and PC Format, and is a Speciality Coffee Association (SCA) certified barista. Whether you want to invest in some smart lights, find your ideal hair styler, or pick the espresso machine of your dreams, she's the right person to help.