Amcrest

Why r/BuyItForLife recommends Amcrest

14 mentions from real owners

• #1Sep 7, 2025

  Why did we accept that security cameras need monthly fees to work properly?

  This is the exact question that led me down the selfhosted rabbit hole. Now I'm running Amcrest cameras with Frigate NVR on an Ubuntu server

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• #2Sep 6, 2025

  Why did we accept that security cameras need monthly fees to work properly?

  Yeah I don't trust any of the generic brands and have always blocked their WAN access regardless. If some feature of the camera breaks after that, I just stop using that brand and cross it off the list. So far, Amcrest has been solid and checks all the boxes for me. I have been using them for about 5 years now.

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• #3Sep 6, 2025

  Why did we accept that security cameras need monthly fees to work properly?

  It's frustrating when you buy a product and find out you're just paying for the right to rent its best features. This trend of "subscription creep," where companies lock basic functionality behind a monthly fee, is particularly galling with security cameeras. You think you're buying a camera, but you're really just getting a perpetual bill for the core features you assumed were included. I believe in technology that empowers people, and that means you should own what you buy. A security camera should be a one-time purchase, giving you full control over ur footage and data. The business model of charging for ur own video storage and basic alerts feels like a step backward, not forward. It’s a classic example of a system designed to extract value from you indefinitely, rather than to serve you. For people who value ownership and privacy, the key is to find systems that offer true local storage and don't require a constant cloud connection to work. You're right to look for that. Here are a few companies that are still building products in that spirit: * Reolink: Many of their cameras support local storage on a microSD card or a Network Video Recorder (NVR) with no subscription required. You get all the essential features—like app access and motion alerts—without the monthly fee. * Eufy (by Anker): Their HomeBase system is a strong exsmple of a local-first approach. It stores your footage securely at home, and the core features are included in the initial purchase. Just be sure to check the model specs, as some companies are starting to change their models. * UniFi Protect (Ubiquiti): This is a more professional-grade system. It has a higher upfront cost because you're buying the hardware outright, but there are no recurring fees, and you have complete control over your data. This is a great solution for those who want a robust, private system. * Amcrest: Another company that has maintained a focus on providing local storage options without forcing you into a cloud subscription. The best technology should simplify our lives and give us more control, not less. Finding products that follow a "pay once, own forever" model is a good strategy to avoid the subscription trap.

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• #4Sep 6, 2025

  Why did we accept that security cameras need monthly fees to work properly?

  You can get cheap amcrest cameras and view them in the beta version of protect. IDK if the unifi ones have additional features, but it can do the basics with other brands.

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• #5Sep 6, 2025

  Why did we accept that security cameras need monthly fees to work properly?

  Eufy, Reolink, Dahua, Lorex, Hikvision, Vivotek, Amcrest, basically anything that either has a NVR or takes microSD cards. It'd be shorter to list which cameras are cloud-only because there's not many. The main reason people buy them is because they're significantly cheaper exactly, and they're significantly cheaper because the companies rely on cloud storage subscriptions to make up the cost.

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• #6Sep 5, 2025

  Why did we accept that security cameras need monthly fees to work properly?

  I have tried Frigate. I even have a Google Coral lying around from a different project. It didn't give me any worthwhile benefit over what I already had setup in base Home Assistant. All my motion detection is already working pretty well and the places I needed what Frigate offered were outside where I have the newer Amcrest bullet cams with human detection built in, so I ended up not using it in the end. Yes the Amcrest human detection feature is local on the camera, not cloud based. I have internet blocked to all my cameras and it still functions.

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• #7Sep 5, 2025

  Why did we accept that security cameras need monthly fees to work properly?

  Yeah, anything that's not ProHD or PoE will not have a built-in web server and will require the app, which is annoying. If you're running Home Assistant, have you looked into Frigate? And do you know if the Amcrest AI feature runs locally on the camera, or does it send detection images to a cloud server?

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• #8Sep 5, 2025

  Why did we accept that security cameras need monthly fees to work properly?

  Ok... here is what you need. IP Cameras - I have and use Amcrest. They come in a variety of styles. Wi-fi ro wired. I prefer wired. Further I prefer Power over Ethernet (PoE). A windows 11 computer you can leave on all the time - I bought a cheapo one deal of the day. As long as it has space for an extra Hard disk to store the footage on. I bought a 4TB drive and record my exterior 24/7 and keep footage for a week. Blue Iris - This is the software that manages the cameras and handles recording. There are tons of videos on how to set up and run Blue Iris. I have used this method for years with out issue. The computer I have sits in the basement and if I want to do any thing with I remote into it from one of my daily driver PCs.

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• #9Sep 5, 2025

  Why did we accept that security cameras need monthly fees to work properly?

  I use Amcrest IP cameras and have gone through the effort of blocking their WAN access and making sure everything works locally. For many non-technical folks, a big advantage of paying for the subscriptions and service is the app will pull up their camera feeds even if they aren't on their home network. That is probably the biggest hurdle for setting a system like this up DIY, unless you jut don't care to see feeds when away from home. People who don't know any better will just allow their cameras to connect to a cloud server over the open internet, privacy be damned--because it just works.

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• #10Sep 5, 2025

  Why did we accept that security cameras need monthly fees to work properly?

  I use Amcrest ProHD cameras. The indoor PTZ cameras are $60 on Amazon. I use their PoE bullet cameras and the doorbell camera outdoors as well. They all work locally with RTSP support so any self hosted NVR will work with them. I use them with home assistant and have 10+ cameras in total between inside and outside. One of my other pet peeves is needing an app or account to setup a camera or access it's configuration page. I prefer my cameras with an RJ45 jack so DHCP can assign an IP address on my network and I can browse to the cameras configuration page and set up anything else from there (WiFi, NTP etc.)

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• #11Sep 5, 2025

  Why did we accept that security cameras need monthly fees to work properly?

  Amcrest has local storage recording, and a PC app you can install to record on a file server. You can also use something like blue iris, and most of their cameras support ONVIF. We've been using them for years

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• #12Sep 5, 2025

  Why did we accept that security cameras need monthly fees to work properly?

  Reolink or Amcrest with an NVR let you store everything locally with no fees. For a more true BIFL setup a NAS with ONVIF cameras gives you full control and zero subscriptions.

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• #13Sep 5, 2025

  Why did we accept that security cameras need monthly fees to work properly?

  I didn’t. I’ve some used amcrest and hikvision cameras connected to an isolated(from the internet) network, with a pc running Frigate. 100% offline and only costs me electricity

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• #14Sep 5, 2025

  Why did we accept that security cameras need monthly fees to work properly?

  I didn't. I did all my own stuff. Amcrest and setup a PC with software.

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