Arlo Security Camera Cost and Pricing

Alro has been in the home security space for a while, carving out a niche for itself by manufacturing high-quality, feature-rich security cameras and doorbells. They’ve recently expanded their offerings into wireless home security systems, but their focus still appears to be helping customers keep an eye on things — indoor and out.

But are these cameras worth the price?

In this article, we’ll dive into Arlo camera pricing: each of its devices, how the WiFi-connected devices function with Arlo’s monitoring plans, and if Arlo can deliver a truly cordless home security solution.

Favorite Things

Before you see the pricing, we want to tell you why we think Arlo’s pricing is worth it.

• Wireless devices: As mentioned before, Arlo prides itself on its cordless devices. This not only freed us from the hassle of power cables, but it also allowed us to place our devices anywhere we liked, without worrying about proximity to an outlet. For those of us worried about replacing batteries, however, you can plug many of Arlo’s cameras in, as well.
• High quality video: Not only can Arlo’s line of cameras capture video in high-def resolution, from 1080p HD to 4K, but many of them also pack in advanced features such as color night vision and panoramic fields of vision. Some of the cameras, such as the Arlo Ultra, even featured a motion-activated integrated spotlight!
• Simple installation: Each of Arlo’s systems boasts a simple DIY installation. We synced devices easily through the use of Arlo’s smartphone app. What’s more, with screw and magnetic mounting options available for our cameras, placing our devices was also a snap.
• Smart A.I.: In addition to stellar video quality, Arlo’s cameras adjust to movement, zooming in on subjects of interest. They even feature advanced object detection, helping our system differentiate between passing traffic, people, and packages.

Equipment Pricing

Unlike other DIY security systems that offer different types of starter kits, Arlo centers everything around it’s line of cameras. You can purchase the Arlo, Arlo Pro, Arlo Pro 2, Arlo Pro 3, and Arlo Ultra alone, as an add-on, or as part of an Arlo camera system that also includes a base station and installation materials. For those of us just getting up and running with an Arlo system, we recommend purchasing one of these kits of either one, two, or three cameras, depending on the size of your home.

For example, the Arlo Ultra 2 costs $299.99 when purchased on its own. However, we purchased a three-camera security system for $799.99, saving us about one hundred dollars solely in terms of the cameras alone, not to mention the addition of a base station, which would have cost $99.99 if we purchased it alone. Most of Arlo’s cameras are on the more expensive side of the market, but due to their video quality, durability, and AI features, we think they’re well worth the price.

Here’s a breakdown of their current camera lineup, some important stats, and the all-important price. And remember, you can bring down the cost of your cameras by bundling with Arlo. But, they no longer offer premade bundles, so you’ll need to make a customized bundle for yourself to take advantage.

In addition to cameras, Arlo also offers doorbells, security lights, and a wide range of accessories.

Here are the Arlo video doorbell prices:

And finally, Arlo offers some helpful accessories to get the most out of your security cameras. Here are the products and their costs:

Arlo Accessory Breakdown

What’s interesting about each of these devices is the way in which they can function as standalone security systems. Although we can sync each piece of Arlo hardware to an existing system, one device can function on its own, as we monitor it through the Arlo app.

Without the assistance of a base, we set up our video doorbell and received calls to our phone each time somebody pressed the button. To learn more about how everything worked, check out our Arlo camera review.

Arlo Secure Plans

While they’re still a DIY company at heart, Arlo has taken a cue from competitors like SimpliSafe and began offering professional monitoring to augment their security offerings. Here’s a quick breakdown of their subscription plans, their prices, and what you’ll get with them.

Arlo Ultra 4K Camera

For a list of each plan’s features, look here:

As you can see, Arlos subscription plans offer robust protections for their camera users. Their most comprehensive plan is a little expensive at $24.99 per month, but when you consider the wide-ranging protections it provides, we’d argue the value is there — especially if you’re looking to protect your family. That Arlo Safe App is pretty impressive.

And just so you’re aware, Arlo also offers security plans as well. Here’s a breakdown of what you can get with those subscription plans.

Now $49.99 per month is pretty expensive, especially when you consider SimpliSafe offers the same features with their Smart Protect Monitoring for $29.99 per month. You can read our SimpliSafe review, but we’d argue that since Arlo’s equipment is included in this price, it’s pretty reasonable.

Smart Home Integration

Our Arlo devices worked with Amazon Alexa, Apple Homekit, Google Assistant, IFTTT, Samsung SmartThings, and Stringify among other IoT brands. Here are some commands we found useful with these platforms:

Alexa

After we enabled the Arlo Alexa Skill through the Arlo app, we could use our camera for voice commands. By saying, “Alexa, show me the patio,” we tuned into our outdoor camera’s stream on our Echo Show 8. Even cooler, by using our Fire TV, we could stream this video onto our television, which displayed the 4K video from our Ultra beautifully

Apple HomeKit

Enlisting the help of Siri, we could also tap into our camera’s streams. By saying, “Hey Siri, show me the living room,” we viewed our living room livestream right on our iPhone.

We also utilized our camera’s two-way audio and spoke through it. If we had kids, this would come in handy in getting them to finish their homework. But since we just have dogs, we used this feature to make noises at them. Let’s not forget, dogs can also be an effective deterrent to potential home invaders as well!

Google Assistant

Using Google Assistant, we could tap into our camera’s streams by saying, “Okay Google, show me the front yard.” We were also able to stream this footage on our smart TV by using Chromecast, or simply show it on our Nest Hub.

Comparing to Competitors

With Arlo’s most recent cameras costing at least $99.99 a piece, that’s certainly on par with other options out there like SimpliSafe’s SimpliCam ($99); however, we think Arlo’s cameras are well worth the price of admission. Made of durable hardware that can withstand elements, they offer a versatility not often seen with cameras at this price point. The SimpliCam requires an additional kit to be used outdoors, and it relies on an AC power supply, that is, a wall plug. Additionally, Arlo offers advanced AI features like person detection, while the SimpliCam can’t differentiate between people, pets, and other moving objects like cars, resulting in unnecessary notifications.

Arlo Comparisons from Security.org

While we really like Arlo, It’s good to have options. See how Arlo compares to these top security camera picks.

• Arlo vs Blink
• Arlo vs. Lorex Security Cameras Comparison
• SimpliSafe vs Arlo Comparison
• Ring vs Arlo Comparison

You can also check out our guide to the best home security cameras of 2024 if none of these strikes your interest.

Overall Value

Arlo sets out to reshape the world of home security into one that’s free of long-term contracts and wires, and, on the whole, we think it succeeds. Each of its cameras provides a highly sophisticated way to monitor your home with as few moving parts as possible. Whether you only need one camera or twelve, Arlo makes it easy to build a system suited to your needs and manage it with little hassle. While the price tag might be a turnoff for many, we’d argue that there is definitely value here.