Blink vs. Butterfleye vs. Arlo vs. Stick Up vs. Canary Flex vs. Ooma

By Bethuel Cruz - 02/05/2019

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Homeboy, Blink, Butterfleye, Arlo, Ring Stick Up Cam, and Canary Flex are all cordless security cameras, but they are not all the same. They offer different features and accessories. We will compare them all so that you can decide the best one for you.

Blink and Blink XT

Blink offers two security cameras: Blink and Blink XT.

Battery Life & Installation

The primary difference between the two cameras is that Blink is an indoor-only camera, while Blink XT is weatherproof and works indoors and outdoors.

Of all the cordless options, Blink offers the best battery life. This battery’s longevity is in part thanks to the camera’s unique processing technology. The other reason the battery life is so long is that part of the heavy lifting is done on what is known as a ‘Sync Module.’ Sync is an indoor base system that must remain plugged in and connected to a power source. Though the individual Blink cameras are cordless, the entire system is not 100% cordless.

That said, in testing, we found that Blink’s battery life is highly contingent upon use. Our indoor Blink lasted two years and our outdoor Blink lasted weeks.

Home Security Features

Let’s first talk about the features both Blink and Blink XT offer. Both cameras have the ability to detect motion, send alert notifications, and record. Motion-triggered recordings are sent to the cloud.

Blink and Blink XT also offer activity zones, wherein you can select which areas within the frame you would like the camera to monitor. It will ignore all other areas.

Finally, let’s discuss the differences. First, Blink XT records in 1080p. Blink is a 720p camera. Second, Blink uses a smart light that turns on when motion is detected to illuminate dark areas, especially at night. Blink XT uses IR LEDs for night vision.

Finally, I thought you should know that Blink was purchased by Amazon. The retail giant has decided to keep Blink as a separate entity, but we should expect to see more integrations with Amazon’s smart home ecosystem soon.

PROS – Compared to the others: Long Battery Life

CONS – Compared to the others: Requires a Sync Module and Lacks Rechargeable Batteries

Ooma Butterfleye, Nero 1, and Smart Cam

We’ve visited with Ooma during multiple CES trips. Since our initial visit, they’ve added two cameras to their lineup.

Battery Life & Installation

All three cameras work indoors and outdoors and are 100% cordless (no base station required). The differences between the three cameras are minimal. For starters, Nero 1 is black, while Butterfleye and Ooma Smart Cam are white. Also, of the three, Ooma Smart Cam offers the longest battery life at 6 months. Nero 1’s estimated battery life is roughly three weeks and Butterfleye’s is two weeks. However, you should know that Ooma Smart Cam is not yet officially for sale.

My favorite feature is that Butterfleye, Nero 1, and Ooma Smart Cam are not only 100% cordless, but they can work without an internet connection. If you lose internet, they will record to an internal storage device. When your internet is restored, the footage is uploaded from the device to the cloud.

Home Security Features

All three cameras are 1080p, but not all of them can see in total darkness. Butterfleye and Nero 1 both have the ability to see in low-light environments, but they’re not night vision-ready. Only Ooma Smart Cam has the ability to see in total darkness thanks to the help of IR LEDs.

The three Butterfleye cameras offer a unique technology that sets them apart from the other cordless options. They use advanced software that can learn over time. They can also tell the difference between a human and a dog or other non-human objects. Finally, they include software that will help you shuffle through your recorded footage. Instead of sending you an entire day’s worth, they will only send the best footage to help save time.

Finally, they all have built-in memory for storing event videos in case of an internet outage. Nero 1 has a 32GB built-in storage device and Butterfleye and Ooma Smart Cam both have 16GB of memory.

You can read more about Ooma’s camera lineup here.

PROS – Compared to the others: Facial Detection and Can Work Without Internet

CONS – Compared to the others: Butterfleye and Nero 1 Have A Two Week Battery Life

Arlo

Arlo is a popular HD home security camera, and there are not many cameras like it. They started with their cordless indoor/outdoor option and have expanded to other cordless cameras. Their lineup now includes Arlo Pro, Pro 2, Arlo Go, and Arlo Ultra. They also offer wired cameras including Arlo Q, Arlo Q Plus, and Arlo Baby.

Battery Life & Installation

Like Blink, the cordless Arlo cameras (except for Go, which uses LTE) are not 100% cordless. They all require a base station. The base station requires internet and power to communicate with the cameras. That said, the Base Station has benefits. The Arlo Pro Base Station has a siren and a USB port for local storage. The Base Station built for Arlo Ultra offers microSD storage and will soon support home security sensors.

All Arlo cameras promise to offer 3 to 6 months of battery life, with the exception of Arlo Go, which promises 2 to 4 months. If you want a longer battery life, you can use an Arlo Solar Panel (Arlo Pro, Pro 2 & Go only) to power your camera.

Home Security Features

Arlo Pro can work wire-free or wired. As compared to the original Arlo Wire-Free, it has a better motion sensor, support for audio, and a wider viewing angle. Arlo Pro 2 improves the camera’s resolution to FHD 1080p and adds three features that require the camera to remain plugged in: continuous recording with a paid plan, Motion Zones, and Look Back (discussed below). Arlo Ultra is a 4K camera that includes a spotlight. Go is like Pro but communicates using a cellular signal instead of Wi-Fi. The camera includes a Verizon Wireless SIM card; however, you’ll need a data plan to activate it.

My biggest issue with Arlo as a home security camera is that it’s sleepy. It is not continuously monitoring, which is how it preserves battery life. Instead, when it detects an event, it wakes up. Sometimes it takes time to wake up, and when you’re trying to record something important, seconds can mean the difference between capturing footage or not. You can overcome this obstacle by plugging in your Arlo Pro 2. However, plugging the camera in also requires that it be used indoors unless you buy the optional outdoor plug. That said, if you’re willing to plug the camera in, you will have access to Look Back.

Look Back uses a pre-buffer. When an event occurs, you will receive event footage plus the three seconds of activity before the event occurred.

Finally, you can pay to add a continuous video recording (CVR) plan. Plans start at $9.99 per month for 14 days of continuous video storage. This option also requires that your camera is plugged in.

PROS – Compared to the others: Arlo’s free cloud plan supports up to five cameras and works with all of the cameras except for Arlo Ultra.

CONS – Compared to the others: Expensive

Ring Stick Up Cam

Ring created the Stick Up Cam to work in conjunction with the Ring Video Doorbell. Joining the two devices together is not necessary, but Ring recommends the pairing to create a more effective “ring” of security around your home.

Battery Life & Installation

Not all Stick Up Cams are wireless. There’s also a wired, battery-powered version, and solar-powered version. The wired version is better than the battery and solar-powered versions in just about every category there is (camera sensor, field of view, PoE, etc.), but it’s not cordless.

The battery and solar-powered versions are the same camera. The only difference is that the solar version comes with a solar panel that charges and keeps the camera powered via a USB cord. When running on batteries alone, Ring Stick Up Cam can last for six to twelve months on a single charge. In testing another Ring camera, our battery life was closer to two months.

Home Security Features

The best thing about Ring Stick Up Cam is that it’s part of a family of security devices made by Ring, including video doorbells and the Ring Alarm security system. Stick Up Cam contributes to creating a “ring of security” around your home by utilizing its 1080p camera and various security features. Its primary security feature is motion detection with automatic motion recording IF you’re subscribed to a Ring Protect plan. Otherwise, it can only send motion alerts and let you live stream from the camera.

Despite its many benefits, the Stick Up Cam does have a few issues. First, the field of view is slight at only 115 degrees (Battery & Solar version). Finally, the camera does not include free storage, but you can expand to cloud storage by paying $3 per month or $30 annually for 60 days of stored video recordings. This price is per camera. If you have several Ring cameras, I recommend the $10 per month plan which covers alert recordings for an unlimited number of cameras. You can learn more about Ring’s cloud storage plan here.

PROS – Compared to the others: Solar Charging and Built-in Siren

CONS – Compared to the others: No Free Storage

Ring Spotlight Cam

Ring also sells the Ring Spotlight Cam.

Battery Life & Installation

Spotlight Cam comes in four versions including a wired version, mount version, battery-powered version, and a solar version, which is the same camera as the battery-powered version but bundled with a solar panel.

In testing Spotlight Cam, we’ve found that its biggest disadvantage is a shorter battery life. Though Ring promises several months, we ended up recharging the camera every one to two months. You can extend the camera’s battery life by adding the solar panel or by adding a secondary battery. Though the camera ships with one rechargeable battery, there is an extra slot that can hold a second battery.

A second disadvantage is that the camera is more difficult to install than the other cordless options. It doesn’t have a stand. Instead, it ships with a mount which requires drilling.

Home Security Features

The Spotlight Cam Battery monitors for motion using a FHD camera backed by night vision. It does not support zones like the Wired/Mount Spotlight Cam but does allow you to adjust the motion sensor’s sensitivity level. It also has two additional security features: a spotlight and a siren. The spotlight turns on automatically at night if the camera detects motion which significantly improves the camera’s ability to see at night. You can also turn the light on manually at any time. The siren isn’t as useful, but it’s still a nice feature to have. The siren is manually activated using the mobile app.

PROS – Compared to the others: Solar Charging and Spotlight

CONS – Compared to the others: Difficult Installation

Canary Flex

The Canary Flex is not so much an upgrade from the original Canary, but a different device that serves a similar function.

Battery Life & Installation

Where the original Canary has a warning siren and HomeHealth monitoring, Flex is weatherproof, wireless, and can be wall mounted. You also have several mounting options that require additional hardware. For example, you can buy the Secure Mount for a more permanent and secure installation.

As far as the battery life, it varies. While Canary suggests the battery might last up to four months, we found that it lasts about a month before needing a recharge. According to Canary,

“How long the battery lasts depends on a number of factors. Canary Flex only spends battery life if it’s unplugged and has detected motion using PIR—the more activity it is detecting daily and the longer the Canary Flex is activated, the more battery it will use.”

Home Security Features

Flex and the original Canary use the same app, so those familiar with the app have an advantage. You can monitor multiple camera types from one account.

Regarding features, Flex allows for two-way communication. Unfortunately, you have to pay to access the feature via a Canary Membership. For free, Flex provides person detection, live streaming of activity, and recorded videos. You can manually swivel it a full 360 degrees on its magnetic base, making its 116-degree field-of-view stretch further.

Canary Flex includes 24 hours of free cloud storage per device with a limit of four cameras. If you want more, you can pay for 30 days of storage via a Canary Membership. Membership rates vary depending on how many cameras you want to support but the initial fee of $9.99 per month includes support for five cameras.

PROS – Compared to the others: Free Person Detection and Multiple Mounting Accessories

CONS – Compared to the others: Performance Not As Strong As Other Options

HomeBoy vs. Blink vs. Blink XT vs. Butterfleye

	Blink	Blink XT	Butterfleye
Researched Price	$99.99 (Sync Module Included)	$129.99 (Sync Module Included)	$149.99
Free Cloud	7,200 Seconds	7,200 Seconds	7 Days + 16GB Internal Storage
Extended Cloud			Starting at $4.99/month/camera for 30 Days
Battery Life	2 Years	2 Years	2 Weeks
FOV	110°	110°	120°
Resolution	1280×720	1920×1080	1920×1080
Two-Way Audio			Requires Membership
App	iOS & Android	iOS & Android	iOS & Android
Battery	Replaceable	Replaceable	Rechargeable
Extra Feature	Panic Siren ($), Activity Zones	Panic Siren ($), Activity Zones	Facial Recognition ($)
Compression	Unknown	Unknown	h.264
Night Vision	Light Illumination		Brightens Image (Smart Cam offers IR Night Vision)
Live Streaming
Base	Stand or Wall Mountable	Stand or Wall Mountable	Magnetic
Motion
Multi-User
Works With	IFTTT, Amazon Alexa (Echo, Dot, etc)	IFTTT, Amazon Alexa (Echo, Dot, etc)	Amazon Alexa (Echo, Dot, etc), Ooma
Push Notifications
Geofence Arm/Disarm	Supports Schedules	Supports Schedules	Requires Membership
Cordless	Requires Sync Module	Requires Sync Module
Usage	Indoor Only	IP65 Rated	Indoor Only
Buy Now	Amazon	Amazon	Amazon
	Blink	Blink XT	Butterfleye

Arlo vs. Arlo Pro vs. Stick Up vs. Spotlight Cam vs. Canary Flex

	Arlo Pro	Arlo Pro 2	Stick Up Battery	Spotlight Cam	Canary Flex
Researched Price	$179.99 (Includes Base Station)	$249.99 (Includes Base Station)	$179.99	$199	$169
Free Cloud	7 Days	7 Days			24 Hours (Event Clips Only)
Extended Cloud	Starts at $9.99/month for 30 days	Starts at $9.99/month for 30 days. Optional CVR Plan Starts at $9.99/month	$3.00/month for 60 days	$3.00/month for 60 days	Starts at $9.99/month for 30 days
Battery Life	4-6 Months	3 Months	6-12 Months	1-2 Months	1-2 Months
FOV	130°	130°	115°	140°	116°
Resolution	1280×720	1980×1080	1980×1080	1980×1080	1280×720
Two-Way Audio					Requires Membership
App	iOS, Android, Apple TV, Fire TV	iOS, Android, Apple TV, Fire TV	iOS & Android	iOS & Android	iOS, Android, Android Wear, Apple TV, Fire TV
Battery	Rechargeable	Rechargeable	Rechargeable	Rechargeable	Rechargeable
Extra Feature	Works indoors and outdoors, Siren, Solar Charging, Person Detection ($), Zones ($)	Works indoors and outdoors, Siren, Solar Charging, Person Detection ($), Zones ($). If Plugged-In: CVR ($), Look Back, and Activity Zones	Works indoors and outdoors, Solar Charging	Works indoors and outdoors, Solar Charging, Siren, Spotlight	Works indoors and outdoors, Person Detection, Package Detection ($), Safety Button ($)
Compression	h.264	h.264	Unknown	Unknown	h.264 Compression
Night Vision
Live Streaming
Base	Magnetic	Magnetic	Magnetic	Wall Mount	Stand, Wall Mountable, Secure Mount, Twist Mount, Stake Mount
Motion
Multi-User
Works With	Echo Show, Echo Spot, Google Assistant, IFTTT, Stringify, SmartThings, HomeKit (Coming Soon)	Echo Show, Echo Spot, Google Assistant, IFTTT, Stringify, SmartThings, HomeKit (Coming Soon)	Wink, IFTTT	Wink, IFTTT	Wink, Google Home, Amazon Echo Show, Echo Spot, Fire TV
Push Notifications					(Supports Canary Custom Tone)
Geofence Arm/Disarm
Cordless	Requires Base Unit	Requires Base Unit
Usage	IP65 Rated	IP65 Rated	IP56 Rated	IP56 Rated	IP65 Rated
Buy Now	Amazon	Amazon	Amazon	Amazon	Amazon
	Arlo Pro	Arlo Pro 2	Stick Up	Spotlight Cam	Canary Flex

WINNER

In my opinion, Arlo and Ring are the best options.

Why Arlo Wins

Arlo Pro works with IFTTT, Google Home, Stringify, Echo Show, Echo Spot, and SmartThings. It will soon work with HomeKit. It can be used outside, offers free cloud storage, local storage, and you can automatically arm and disarm the camera through geofencing. Arlo Go, although expensive ($399.99), is an option for monitoring places without Wi-Fi.

Arlo Pro 2 offers a FHD experience and has several additional features including pre-buffering, motion zones, and continuous video recording if plugged in, but Arlo is currently selling a kit that requires the purchase of two cameras, bumping the starting price up to $479.99 (the kit also includes a rechargeable battery).

Arlo Pro and Arlo Pro 2 also belong to a family of security products. Should you need to expand your security camera system, you can add Arlo Baby, Arlo Wire-Free, Arlo Audio Doorbell, Arlo Security Lights, or Arlo Q cameras to the mix. These products can work in conjunction with Arlo Pro, Pro 2, Go, and Ultra. For example, Arlo Security Lights are equipped with a motion sensor. If the sensor detects motion, they can prompt your cameras to record. The Arlo Audio Doorbell, although lacking a camera, can also trigger your cameras to record.

As for Arlo Ultra, it’s a powerful camera, but I’m having a hard time justifying its price. It’s way more expensive than Arlo Pro or even Pro 2, but it doesn’t add much beyond a better resolution which is only accessible while streaming or using local storage. Finally, unlike other Arlo cameras, it lacks free cloud storage.

Why Ring Wins

Like Arlo, Ring offers a full suite of security devices. In fact, they offer even more types of products than Arlo. Ring has a security system (Ring Alarm), several video doorbells (Ring Video Doorbell, Video Doorbell 2, Ring Pro, etc.), security cameras (Spotlight Cam, Floodlight Cam, Stick Up Cam), and security lights (Ring Beams).

The beauty of Ring’s product line is that you don’t have to choose one over the other. Instead, they work together in such a way that creates a “ring of security” around your home. And of course, they all work with the same smartphone app.

What Ring has that Arlo doesn’t is a security system. With Arlo, you can add security cameras and other security products, but you can’t add professional monitoring. With Ring, more specifically, the Ring Alarm, you can add professionally security monitoring.

Finally, Ring is an Amazon-owned company and Ring cameras work closely with Alexa. Since Amazon’s acquisition of Ring, Ring cameras have been among the first to gain new Alexa features. For example, your Alexa-enabled speaker can now announce if someone rings your Ring doorbell.

Other Battery Powered Home Security Cameras

Zosi Battery-Powered Camera (Tested)

Zosi isn’t a popular brand, but I tested the camera and it performed well. This camera has no official name, but you can find it here on Zosi’s website. The camera offers a decent 720p resolution backed by a wide-angle lens. It also features live video streaming, two-way talk, and PIR motion detection.

You can read our full hands-on review of the Zosi Battery-Powered camera here

Purchase on Amazon for $89.99.

EZVIZ Mini Trooper

EZVIZ makes feature-rich but affordable cameras including Mini Trooper, a battery-powered, wireless camera. Similar to Arlo, Mini Trooper requires a base station. Mini Trooper’s base includes a siren, a microSD card slot, and it can control up to six cameras. The camera records in HD 720p, offers night vision, and a 116° viewing angle. It can also detect motion and sound but lacks two-way audio.

Mini Trooper’s battery life is estimated at nine months, although this will vary depending on usage, temperature, and your chosen settings.

Purchase on Amazon

Reolink Argus and Argus 2 (Tested)

On paper, Reolink checks a lot of the right boxes. It has a decent battery life, a FHD resolution, it’s 100% cordless, works inside and out, and offers local storage. However, it lacks cloud storage (coming soon), the app is unpolished compared to other options, and it lacks smart motion features.

You can read our hands-on review of the original Reolink Argus here.

Swann Smart Security Camera

Featurewise, Swann Smart Security Camera checks a lot of the right boxes. Unfortunately, it lacks third-party integrations, a feature present in all of our top picks. Swann Smart Security Camera offers a 1080p resolution, 120° viewing angle, and up to 32 feet of night vision. It’s also rated for outdoor use, and it runs on rechargeable batteries. One feature that sets Swann Smart Security apart is True Detect, which is a feature that uses the built-in PIR motion sensor to prevent false alarms.

Purchase for $119.99 at BestBuy.com

D-Link DCS-1820LH & DCS-2820KT

D-Link launched DCS-1820LH and DCS-2820KT at CES 2018. Both are wireless and battery-powered. The DCS-2820KT uses Wi-Fi, just like most of the cameras in this article. The DCS-1820LH, on the other hand, is equipped with an LTE SIM card powered by Verizon. The SIM card allows it to connect to the cloud even without Wi-Fi, similar to Arlo Go. Both cameras also offer a 1080p resolution, night vision, two-way talk, motion detection, sound detection, and human detection.

In the past, we’ve refrained from recommending D-Link cameras for several reasons, including their lack of cloud service offerings. However, D-Link recently announced that they will soon offer free and paid cloud service subscription, so we’ll see how that pans out for them.

Eufy EverCam

Eufy is new to security cameras, and their first security camera is EverCam. The most impressive thing about EverCam is that it promises to offer up to a 1-year battery life. Of course, the actual battery life is affected by factors such as usage and low temperatures. Another notable feature is facial recognition. EverCam offers facial recognition out-of-the-box, which makes it smarter than many cameras on this list. However, it’s not yet for sale. Eufy just finished running a crowdfunding campaign for EverCam and it’s expected to hit the shelves next year (2019)

Battery-Powered Cameras We Don’t Recommend

Homeboy

Homeboy was one of the cordless cameras to become available. We actually think it’s a decent camera despite its low resolution. However, the problem isn’t with the hardware but with the brand itself. Recently, we noticed that their website is gone with only a note left that says: “An all-new Homeboy experience is coming in 2018.” Of course, it’s already 2019 and there’s been no word from Homeboy since mid-2017, so it’s safe to assume it’s not coming back to life.
Homeboy is no longer on Amazon.com, but in case you see it on sale, don’t buy it.

BuddyGuard Flare

BuddyGuard Flare was a product of a successful crowdfunding campaign. It’s actually one of the fortunate products to reach their goal and be able to ship a working hardware. It even became available on shopping websites like Amazon. However, last time we checked, their website is no longer working and it seems like they pulled out Flare from most online merchants. As with Homeboy, we don’t recommend getting Flare in case you see one on sale. You may still be able to get the hardware, but the software is most likely dead.

Ulo

Ulo is a cute-looking (weird-looking?) camera. It’s designed after an owl, complete with a pair of eyes and a beak. But don’t be fooled by its looks; it’s a security camera with all the right features. So why don’t we recommend it?

The team behind Ulo started gathering funds in 2015 through a crowdfunding campaigns. Due to the complexity of the product, it took them almost three years to start shipping (mid-2018). Unfortunately, many backers still haven’t received their products (early 2019) and those that did receive their Ulo complain that it’s either not working as promised or not working at all. Their Kickstarter page is also riddled by backers complaining about their item and those that are requesting for a refund. Ulo is now on Amazon, but unless they fix the flurry of problems in their product and company/customer relations, I recommend that you don’t buy their product.