Arlo Subscription Plans

Learn more in our full Arlo Pro 4 review.

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Your Arlo camera comes with essential features that work without a monthly fee like live viewing, basic notifications, and two-audio. That said, we think Arlo's paid plans are worth it for their extra features.

• Watch live videos: You can watch a live feed from your camera anytime.
• Basic notifications: Your camera will tell you when it detects motion so you can view live footage on your phone or use two-way audio.
• Two-way audio: You can talk with visitors through the Arlo app, which uses your Arlo camera like an intercom. This is a handy way to thank your neighbor for bringing in the mail while you're out of town.

The Arlo Secure plan's cost changes based on how many cameras you want cloud storage for:

• Arlo Secure (Single Camera) costs $2.99 a month.
• Arlo Secure (Unlimited Cameras) costs $9.99 a month.

Here are some features you unlock with a paid plan:

• Event-based recording: Most Arlo cameras use batteries. To preserve battery power, all cameras on the plan record short videos when detecting motion (instead of recording 24/7).
  • Arlo stores recordings for up to 30 days.
  • This plan covers video quality up to 2K resolution.
• Interactive notifications: You can control the camera using rich notifications without opening the Arlo app. This makes it easier to activate the siren or call a friend if you need help. It even shows a quick animated preview of what's on your camera.
• Smoke and CO alarm detection: The camera listens for your smoke detector and sends a notification so you can get out of the house and call for assistance.
• Smart motion detection: The camera uses AI to categorize notifications and videos according to what it sees—people, animals, vehicles, packages, and movement within designated activity zones. This is useful for telling the camera to alert you only when someone walks by.
• 10% discount: You can save money on products you buy from Arlo's online shop.

If you upgrade to Arlo's top-tier plan, you'll unlock e911 emergency calling and video storage in 4K. E911 is a handy tool but might not be for everyone. 4K video storage is more of a luxury for folks that want the best video quality in their recordings.

• 4K video storage: If you have an Arlo Ultra 2 security camera, you can store its full 4K video resolution. This is different from the standard Arlo Secure Plan, which downgrades the Ultra's video quality to 2K for storage. This doesn't affect other Arlo cameras since they don't have 4K video.
• E911 emergency response: This feature means you can contact emergency services near your home instead of your phone's location if you're on vacation. It's also a convenient way to call for help in an emergency.

We think Arlo Secure (Unlimited Cameras) is the best option for most folks because it provides all of Arlo's best features on unlimited cameras at a single address. Still, we recommend paying for the single-camera plan if you have fewer than four cameras.

If you're still looking for the perfect camera to go with your plan, we suggest checking out our Arlo cameras review. If you want to learn more about other security camera options, head over to our rankings of the best wireless cameras.

We generally think Arlo Secure is worth the monthly fee since there's no other way to save videos with Arlo, and the added features help you get the most out of your Arlo cameras. It helps that Arlo's prices are competitive with rivals like Ring and Google Nest but better than brands without unlimited camera options like Reolink, Eufy, and Wyze.

You can access the following features on Arlo cameras without paying for an Arlo Secure plan:

• Live view video footage
• Two-way audio
• Basic motion detection alerts
• Battery life warnings
• Adjust most camera settings
• Local storage (when using a base station)

Arlo's oldest cameras have seven days of free cloud recording, but the feature isn't available on the newest models. This free storage option doesn't include any other elements from paid Arlo Secure plans but still allows for live viewing and basic notifications.

Here are the Arlo cameras that qualify for free storage:

• Arlo Wire-Free
• Arlo Pro
• Arlo Pro 2
• Arlo Q
• Arlo Q Plus
• Arlo Go
• Arlo Baby

You can skip the monthly fee for newer models by linking them to an Arlo base station, which supports local storage. The Arlo Ultra and Arlo Pro 3 include base stations in their starter kits, but it's an extra purchase if you have other cameras like the Arlo Pro 4, Arlo Essential, and Arlo Essential Doorbell.

There is no camera limit if you pay for an Arlo Secure plan. It's unclear if this applies to all Arlo Secure plans or just the tiers that specifically mention unlimited cameras like Arlo Secure (Unlimited Cameras) and Arlo Secure Plus. Without a plan, you can expect to use five cameras in total.

You can authorize multiple users—each with their own Arlo account—to access your cameras from the Arlo app. You can even choose which cameras a user can access. However, Arlo doesn't support a single account running on two devices at the same time.

Monthly fees help offset the ongoing costs of cloud server maintenance like electricity, employee wages, additional equipment, and building leases while creating a reliable source of profit. Fortunately, it's not a one-way street since you benefit from the features Arlo offers in exchange for your subscription.

Arlo Smart is the previous version of Arlo's cloud storage—it's no longer available for purchase. While each Arlo Smart plan was similar to its Arlo Secure counterpart, it didn't have features like E911 or video storage for unlimited cameras.

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