Before you buy a pet camera, check the pet camera subscription, not just the camera price: the plan decides whether you can rewind and see what your pet did while you were out. Below are the real 3-year costs for 19 cameras, plus the ones that record for free with a microSD card.
Quick answer
- 7 of 8 pet-branded cameras in our sample (every Furbo and Petcube model) keep no recorded video without a paid plan. Among general home cameras, it was 3 of 11.
- The cheapest pet camera subscription for the pet-branded cameras costs 9.99 USD a month (median), against 3.99 USD for general home cameras.
- Over three years on monthly billing, one Furbo or Petcube camera costs 359.64 USD in plan fees alone. Paying yearly instead cuts that to 287.64 USD (Furbo) or 179.64 USD (Petcube).
- All 4 treat-tossing cameras in the sample need a plan before they keep any video.
- Want to skip fees? A microSD slot is the simplest way: 7 of 19 cameras record to one at no cost (only one of them is pet-branded). See our best pet cameras guide for picks.
Why we ran this pet camera subscription study
Pet cameras are often bought for one moment: seeing what happened while you were out. Did the dog bark for an hour? Did the cat knock something over? That only works if the camera saved the clip. Live view, which every camera in our sample includes for free, only shows you what is happening right now.
Plan prices also change. Blink raised its plan prices for US customers on renewals from October 8, 2025, and Wyze raised its yearly Cam Plus price in March 2026, according to each company’s own support pages. So we collected the current numbers in one place, with every source named, to make the three-year cost of a pet camera subscription easy to compare.
Finding 1: Most pet-branded cameras keep no video without a plan
Furbo’s own comparison page lists “Video History via subscription” for every camera, and Petcube’s FAQ says that “without Petcube Care, you will not be able to store video and get smart alerts.” Neither brand’s official pages mention a microSD slot or other local storage for these models. The one pet-branded exception was the PETLIBRO Granary camera feeder, which records to a microSD card without a plan.
| Group | Models | No recorded video without a plan |
|---|---|---|
| Pet-branded cameras (Furbo, Petcube, PETLIBRO) | 8 | 7 (88%) |
| General home cameras (Wyze, Tapo, eufy, Blink, Ring, Arlo, Google Nest) | 11 | 3 (27%) |
| All cameras | 19 | 10 (53%) |
The three general cameras without free recorded video were the two Ring indoor cameras (Ring’s FAQ says that without a plan you “won’t be able to review any videos or images you missed”) and the Arlo Essential Indoor Camera (3rd Gen), where we found no local storage option on Arlo’s product page. Blink is a partial case: the Mini 2 can record locally, but only with a Sync Module that is sold separately.
Finding 2: Pet camera subscription plans cost about 2.5 times more
The cheapest plan that unlocks cloud video history for one camera was 9.99 USD a month for every Furbo and Petcube model. For the general home cameras, the median was 3.99 USD a month, and the lowest was Wyze Cam Plus at 2.99 USD a month.
The pet plans do bundle extras. Furbo Nanny adds alerts beyond barking (such as activity and home-safety alerts), and Petcube Care adds smart alerts, clip downloads and Daily Diary videos. If you mainly want to rewind and see what happened, a general camera with a microSD card or a low-cost cloud plan covers that for much less.
Finding 3: The three-year cost, camera by camera
Here is what the cheapest pet camera subscription costs over three years for one camera, comparing monthly billing with yearly billing. Camera prices are not included, and taxes are extra.
| Camera | Cheapest plan | 3 years, billed monthly | 3 years, billed yearly | Free recorded video? | Source (checked Oct 19, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyze Cam v4 / Cam Pan v4 | Cam Plus | 107.64 USD | 89.97 USD | Yes, microSD | Wyze plan comparison and product pages |
| Tapo C210 / C220 | Tapo Care | 125.64 USD | 104.97 USD | Yes, microSD | Tapo Care page |
| eufy Indoor Cam E220 / E30 | Cloud Backup Basic | 143.64 USD | 119.97 USD | Yes, microSD | eufy Cloud Backup page |
| Blink Mini 2 | Blink Basic | 143.64 USD | 119.97 USD | Only with a separate Sync Module | Blink Support, plan changes |
| Ring Indoor Cam / Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam | Ring Solo | 179.64 USD | 149.97 USD | No | Ring Protect plans page |
| Petcube Cam 360 / Cam / Bites 2 Lite | Petcube Care Optimal | 359.64 USD | 179.64 USD | No | Petcube Care plans page |
| PETLIBRO Granary Camera Feeder | Video Cloud Standard | Yearly only | 179.97 USD | Yes, microSD | PETLIBRO Video Cloud page |
| Furbo 360 Dog / 360 Cat / Mini 360 / Mini | Furbo Nanny Standard | 359.64 USD | 287.64 USD | No | Furbo Help Center, plans and pricing |
| Arlo Essential Indoor (3rd Gen) | Smart Aware, single camera | 359.64 USD | 287.64 USD | No local storage found | Arlo Secure plans page |
| Google Nest Cam Indoor (wired, 3rd gen) | Google Home Premium Standard | 360.00 USD | 300.00 USD | 6 hours of short previews | Google Home Help and Google Store |
The billing choice matters most for Petcube: its Optimal plan is 9.99 USD a month, or 59.88 USD for a full year, so paying monthly costs 180 USD more over three years. For Furbo, Arlo and Google Nest the gap is 60 to 72 USD, and for the low-cost plans it is about 18 to 30 USD.
Finding 4: Treat tossers all depend on a plan for video
Four cameras in the sample can toss treats: the Furbo 360 Dog Camera, Furbo 360 Cat Camera, Furbo Mini 360 and Petcube Bites 2 Lite. All four keep no recorded video without a plan. On Furbo cameras bought outright, live view, two-way audio, treat tossing and barking or meowing alerts stay free, according to Furbo’s help center. Furbo also sells cameras at a lower price tied to a subscription; on those units, even live view needs an active plan, so read the pet camera subscription terms carefully.
Finding 5: Two cameras can cost very different amounts
Plans are counted differently. Some cover one camera, some cover a whole home, and Furbo adds a fee per extra camera. Here is the three-year cost for a home with two cameras on yearly billing, using the cheapest option for each brand:
| Brand | How two cameras are covered | 3 years, yearly billing |
|---|---|---|
| Wyze | Two Cam Plus licenses | 179.94 USD |
| Tapo | Tapo Care Basic for 2 cameras (billed per camera) | 209.97 USD |
| eufy / Blink | Two single-camera Basic plans | 239.94 USD |
| Ring | Two Ring Solo plans, or one Ring Multi plan | 299.94 to 299.97 USD |
| Google Nest | One plan covers every camera in the home | 300.00 USD |
| Petcube | Two Optimal plans (one per camera) | 359.28 USD |
| Furbo | One Nanny plan plus 2 USD a month for the second camera | 359.64 USD |
| Arlo | Two single-camera plans | 575.28 USD |
For Furbo we assumed the 2 USD monthly extra-camera fee also applies on yearly billing (24 USD a year). Furbo’s help center states the fee per month without separating billing periods.
What every camera gives you for free
- Live view: all 19 cameras let you watch live without a plan (for Furbo, only on cameras bought outright).
- Local recording: Wyze, Tapo, eufy and the PETLIBRO Granary feeder record to a microSD card with no fee. Blink records locally only with a Sync Module bought separately.
- Short cloud history: Google Nest keeps 6 hours of event video previews (clips up to 10 seconds) for free on the 3rd-gen indoor camera.
- Basic sound alerts: Furbo keeps barking or meowing alerts free on cameras bought outright.
How to use these numbers when you shop
- Decide whether you need to rewind. If you only want to check in live and toss a treat, a camera without a plan can be enough. If you want to see what happened at 2 p.m., you need either a microSD slot or a plan.
- Look for “microSD” or “local storage” on the brand’s own spec page, not only in the product title.
- Add the pet camera subscription to the price. A camera that is cheaper up front can cost more after a year if its plan is 9.99 USD a month.
- If you keep a plan, pay yearly. In our sample, yearly billing saved between about 18 and 180 USD over three years.
- Count your cameras. A plan that covers the whole home (Google Nest, Ring Multi) changes the math once you add a second room.
For specific camera picks, see our best pet cameras guide, and for dogs that struggle when left alone, our guide to choosing a pet camera for separation anxiety.
Cameras that record without a plan
If you want to rewind without a monthly bill, look for a microSD slot. Most cameras in this study that save video without a plan do it to a card you buy separately. These four come straight from the data above.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. The links below go to Amazon.
Wyze Cam Pan v4: best for following a pet around one room
It pans and tilts to keep a moving pet in view and records to a microSD card of up to 512 GB. Wyze’s Cam Plus plan adds cloud clips, but local recording works without it, and Cam Plus was the cheapest plan in our study if you want cloud backup later.
See the Wyze Cam Pan v4 on Amazon
Tapo C220: best low-cost pan-tilt camera
A 2K pan-tilt indoor camera that records to microSD (up to 512 GB). If you add more cameras later, Tapo Care is one of the few plans in our study that can cover more than one camera.
eufy Indoor Cam E220: best for Apple HomeKit homes
A 2K pan-tilt camera with on-device human and pet detection. It records to microSD and works with Apple HomeKit, Alexa and Google Assistant.
See the eufy Indoor Cam E220 on Amazon
PETLIBRO Granary Smart Camera Feeder: best if the camera should watch the food bowl
The only pet-branded device in our study that saves video to microSD (up to 256 GB) without a plan. It is a feeder first: the 1080p camera sits above the bowl, so it shows mealtimes rather than the whole room.
See the PETLIBRO Granary Smart Camera Feeder on Amazon
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Methodology
Sample: this pet camera subscription study covers 19 indoor cameras from 10 brands (Furbo, Petcube, PETLIBRO, Wyze, TP-Link Tapo, eufy, Blink, Ring, Arlo and Google Nest), chosen because they are sold in the US and either built for pets or widely marketed and used as pet cameras. Prices and features were checked on October 19, 2026.
Sources: only each brand’s own product, pricing, help-center and FAQ pages. We did not use retailer listings or customer reviews. Every source is listed below.
Rules: for each camera we recorded the cheapest standalone plan that adds cloud video history for one camera, at its regular US price (not first-year promotions or bundles that include a free camera). Three-year totals are 36 monthly payments or 3 yearly payments, before tax. Camera prices are not included.
Edge cases:
- Wyze: one Wyze comparison page showed 3.99 USD a month for Cam Plus, while three other Wyze pages and its support FAQ showed 2.99 USD; we used 2.99 USD.
- PETLIBRO: Video Cloud is billed yearly only; we used the regular price of 59.99 USD a year (it was on sale for 47.99 USD when we checked).
- Arlo: we found no local storage on Arlo’s product page for the Essential Indoor (3rd Gen), but Arlo’s full spec sheet was unavailable when we checked.
- Excluded: eufy Pet Dog Camera D605 (no US listing found), Kasa EC71 (Kasa says its plans are changing), and Google’s 2nd-gen Nest Cam indoor (product page unavailable).
Plan prices change often. If you spot a change, tell us through our contact page and we will update the table. Read more about how we research, or see our earlier automatic pet feeder study.
Using this data
You are welcome to quote or chart these pet camera subscription numbers. Please credit “Pet Gadget Guide” and link to this page. You can also download the full dataset (CSV, 19 cameras) with every plan price, the source page behind each figure and the date it was checked. Questions or corrections: hello@petgadgetguide.info.
Sources
All figures come from each brand’s own help, support, pricing and product pages, checked on October 19, 2026.
- Furbo Help Center, Furbo Nanny plans and pricing
- Furbo Help Center, basic features you can use without Furbo Nanny
- Furbo, camera comparison page
- Petcube, Petcube Care plans page and Petcube Cam 360 FAQ
- PETLIBRO, Video Cloud page
- Wyze Support, Cam Plus pricing FAQ, plus Wyze plan comparison page
- TP-Link Tapo, Tapo Care page
- eufy, Cloud Backup plans page
- Blink Support, subscription plan changes
- Ring, plans page and Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam product FAQ
- Arlo, Arlo Secure plans page
- Google Home Help, video history with and without a subscription, plus Google Store Google Home Premium page