Zmodo security camera is a well-known brand in security products that comes from Shenzhen, China, and is known as an innovation superpower. They offer competitive pricing for both their equipment and monitoring services. Zmodo has a lot of low-cost cameras and accessories, so we think it’s easy for anyone, no matter how much money they have, to add security cameras to their home.
They start at just $14, which is by far the cheapest price we’ve seen for a security camera. A lot of them come with 1080p HD video, night vision up to 65 feet, motion alerts, and the option to record in the cloud. All of them are pretty cheap, which makes Zmodo one of the best affordable camera brands in the market.
But when it comes to “cheaper” tech, there’s always one big question: do these cameras really work for this little money? In our full Zmodo camera review, you can read all about it. Today, though, we’re going to look more closely at Zmodo’s products, plans, and prices to see if they’re a good deal for you as you make your home secure.
Zmodo Wireless Security Camera System: Key Features
- Low-Cost Cameras
- Simple, Discreet Design
- No Paid Subscription Required
- Clear 1080p Video Quality
- Several Indoor Camera Options
- Works With Alexa and Google Assistant
- 30-Day, Money-Back Guarantee
- 1-year Warranty
Zmodo Sight 180C Indoor Wi-Fi Camera
We don’t think Zmodo’s Sight 180C is especially strong or well-built because it is light and has a simple design. However, as an indoor camera, it fulfilled its intended purpose: it captured significant events in our home in real time, promptly sent us alerts, and enabled us to view, save, and store videos at our convenience.
The wide-angle lens on the Zmodo Sight 180C is what we liked most about it. With this set-up, Sight 180C was able to record more activity than indoor cameras with a field of view of only 115 degrees, such as the Ring Indoor Camera. It’s better to have a wider viewing angle because it lets you see more and costs less to buy more cameras. We think it’s a good deal for everyone.
Sight 180C costs $79, which isn’t too much, but keep in mind that it’s not the cheapest option out there. Wyze cameras and packages are a low-cost alternative. For example, the Wyze Cam Pan can pan in all 360 degrees and costs only $29.99.
Zmodo 1080p Indoor/Outdoor Wi-Fi Camera
While the 1080p Wi-Fi camera from Zmodo is their best-selling outdoor camera, it won’t perform as well as, say, an outdoor camera from Arlo.
That being said, it’s important to keep in mind that Zmodo’s price of less than $50 puts it firmly at the low end of the range for equipment costs. And Zmodo’s outdoor camera will still give you the same high-quality images that we’ve come to expect in this market: images that are clear, free of noise, and packed with enough information to help you understand any activity that comes up, especially the kind that seems odd.
Since each camera only costs $39.99, we think it’s a good idea to buy one of Zmodo’s 2-, 3-, or 4-pack camera bundles. This will save you money compared to buying each piece separately.
Price Comparison Table: Zmodo Cameras
| Zmodo Cameras | Camera Type | Key Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zmodo 1080p Mini Pro WiFi camera | Indoor camera | Wide-angle 130-degree viewA.I. motion alerts | $14 |
| Zmodo Wireless Smart Security Camera | Indoor camera | 720p videoAdjustable night visionTwo-way talk130-degree viewing angle | $29.99 |
| Zmodo 1080p Indoor/Outdoor | Indoor/outdoor bullet camera | 1080p HD videoMotion zones and alerts65-foot. night visionDIY installation | $39.99 |
| Zmodo Pivot | Indoor | 1080p HDTwo-way talkPan & tiltAutomatic motion trackingAir quality sensor | $59.99 |
| Zmodo Sight 180C | Indoor | 1080p HD video180-degree viewing angleTwo-way talkNight vision | $59.99 |
| Zmodo Pivot White | Indoor | 1080p HDTwo-way talkBuilt-in Bluetooth speakerSmart device hub | $79.99 |
| Zmodo Torch 360 | Outdoor | 1080p HDLight controls360-degree field of view | $89.99 |
Zmodo Cloud Storage and Monitoring Plans
Like many other security companies in this market that are growing all the time, Zmodo has changed and grown over the years as technology, style, and tastes have changed. More people are looking for do-it-yourself cameras that take good pictures and are easy to set up. Zmodo has responded with equipment that is easy to set up and install and doesn’t cost much or anything each month to use every day.
There are also monthly fees for Zmodo’s paid cloud storage plans. If you don’t want to sign up for one of those, the basic plan is free and gives you 12 hours of rolling video storage.
You will have to pay extra for features like custom motion zones, alert storage, and recording all the time. If you pick the 7-day plan, though, you’ll still only be out less than $5 a month, which we think is pretty fair.
To give you an idea of how much Ring’s monitoring costs, consider how much a comparable cloud plan costs each month: $3. Still, we like that Zmodo has three plans instead of just two, like Ring does. And a few bucks here and there probably won’t make or break the deal.
| Zmodo Cloud & Monitoring Plans | Basic | 7-Day Plan | 30-Day Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video History Lookback | 12 hours | 7 days continuous cloud recording | 30 days continuous cloud recording |
| Alert Clip Storage | No | 7 days | 30 days |
| Custom Motion Zones | No | Yes | Yes |
| Video Editor & Time Lapse Clips | No | Yes | Yes |
| Monthly Price | Free | $4.99 | $9.99 |
| Yearly Price | Free | $49.90 | $99.90 |
Features and Performance: Zmodo Security Camera System
Since its inception in 2009, Zmodo has been a great choice for people who want good home security without spending a lot of money. Because Zmodo’s products can all be monitored on their own, you don’t have to pay a monthly fee to use them. You don’t have to store your videos in the cloud, so you can get Zmodo cameras for no more than the price of the cameras themselves.
People like us would rather not spend hundreds of dollars on new cameras every time they need one. We believe Zmodo is an affordable brand that meets that need.
1080p HD Resolution
Zmodo has 1080p HD resolution in their line of indoor and outdoor security cameras. This makes clear, high-quality video that shows a lot of what’s going on around your house, but sometimes there may be Wi-Fi problems. In this case, you need to extend your Wi-Fi router.
Night Vision
All of them have infrared night vision, except for Zmodo’s Torch 360 camera, which is made for torch lights or lamp posts. Once again, since Zmodo is a simple, low-cost brand, the night vision in our test cameras could have been better. We had trouble seeing some things and putting them in their proper place at night with Zmodo, so we don’t recommend them to people who need better night vision.
Wireless DIY Installation
Because all of Zmodo’s cameras are wireless, you won’t have to do any complicated wiring or hardwiring to set them up in your home. Setting them up outside might take a drill and some screws, but other than that, connecting the Zmodo cameras to your Wi-Fi is easy. But remember that if your home Wi-Fi isn’t stable, the video from your Zmodo cameras might buffer or move more slowly.
24/7 Customer Support
Zmodo’s customer service is hard to use. If you go to Zmodo’s support page to get help, you might not find much there. This is especially true if you’re looking for specific information about each camera, like how to fix problems. We had to call Zmodo’s customer service and wait on hold for a few minutes (not too long) before we could get answers to certain questions.
Smart Home Integration
Zmodo has built smart home features into most of the cameras they sell, if not all of them. So, if you have a device that works with Google Assistant or Alexa, you can use the app to connect it to your Zmodo cameras. After setting up a name for your camera, you can tell your smart home device to “show me the room.”
Power Outage Protection
If you pay for one of Zmodo’s subscription plans, your video history will be saved in the cloud. If the power goes out, you can still access your videos. Zmodo cameras need to be plugged in to work, though, since they don’t run on batteries.
Zmodo Deals and Discounts
It should be clear by now that almost every Zmodo product is designed to save your money from the start, since this is a cheap brand on pricing end. How much money you save with Zmodo, however, depends on how many cameras you want, where you want to put them, and whether you want to use the cloud to watch them.
Since Zmodo prices are already pretty low, we didn’t find any big deals on cameras, even though it was the holiday season. We do think that Zmodo is changing some of their products because many of the cameras we reviewed before, like the Sight 180C, are either sold out on their website or no longer made. For now, what you see is what you get. Things could change in a few weeks.
At the moment, you can get a bundle of 4 Zmodo outdoor Wi-Fi cameras for just under $130. Because each camera costs $32.50 less, you save a total of $30. Even though it’s not the biggest sale ever, this is still a good deal for people who want to make their home safer without spending a lot of money.
Conclusion
The technology that powers Zmodo isn’t as strong as what the competition has to offer. These cameras also don’t have the most up-to-date night vision or 2K resolution. You don’t get anything extra with Zmodo.
But we also learned that sometimes all you need to keep your home secure are the basics. And Zmodo does a good job of that. Indeed, Zmodo is one of our top picks for people on a budget because it doesn’t have the high-end options of Nest Cams or other expensive devices like the cameras Vivint sells. Instead, it is a brand that is easy on the wallet and offers a lot of options.