Blink Home Security Camera System Pricing & Costs in 2024 | Security.org

Blink's lineup of security cameras includes the Indoor, Outdoor, and Mini.

We can’t talk about affordable security cameras without mentioning Blink. This Amazon-owned company produces one of the cheapest indoor cameras, called the Blink Mini. That’s just the tip of the Blink iceberg. It has options from the battery-powered indoor camera called the Blink Indoor to the hardwired outdoor camera with floodlights, aptly named the Blink Wired Floodlight Camera. And the best part? All of them are affordable, with only one model costing over $100.

In this review, we’ll look at the complete Blink lineup to help you pick out the best options for your home. Remember, these are all cameras that work together and with Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant. So if you want to secure your home with Blink cameras, managing multiple cameras won’t be a problem.

>> Related: The Best Indoor Security Cameras

Blink Indoor Cam

Blink offers several types of cameras, but we’ve tested other brands that offer a wider variety of options, such as cameras with facial recognition, continuous recording, and built-in smart lighting. Check out how Blink cameras compare to options from top brands in our Blink vs. Ring and Blink vs. Arlo comparison guides. And see our top picks that edge out Blink in various categories:

Blink didn’t give us a hard time picking which cameras to buy, contrary to what we went through when we tested Lorex, which offers dozens of options. Blink gave us six choices – the affordable Blink Mini indoor camera, the indoor/outdoor Blink Mini 2, two versions of the Blink Outdoor (Outdoor 3 and Outdoor 4), the Blink Indoor battery-powered camera, and the wired Blink Floodlight Camera.

So if you’re out shopping for a specific type of camera – let’s say, a battery-powered outdoor camera for your front porch – you don’t have to compare a handful of options. You can go with either the older but still capable Blink Outdoor 3 or the flagship Blink Outdoor 4. Read our Blink review for a detailed look at each of Blink’s cameras.

In the meantime, let’s break down how much it will cost you for a one-camera Blink system.

There were a couple of noteworthy accessories. There’s the pan-tilt mount for the Blink Mini that enables the camera to pan and tilt mechanically. You can control its motion with the Blink app. There’s also the Floodlight Mount for the Blink Outdoor. That one is a battery-powered floodlight with a casing where you can place the Blink Outdoor. And lastly, there’s the weatherproof outdoor power adapter for the Blink Mini 2, which you’ll need if you’re looking to use the plugged-in camera outside.

Those accessories are available a la carte or bundled with the cameras they work with:

Blink’s claim to fame back in its early days was its battery-powered cameras that can last for up to two years on a single charge. We’ve tested one of its older cameras called the Blink XT and it really did last more than a year on its non-rechargeable AA batteries. The key to that battery life? The use of a hub called Sync Module.

The battery-powered Blink cameras require a hub to this day. The Blink Indoor, Blink Outdoor 3, and Blink Outdoor 4 all work with the Sync Module 2. The Blink Mini and Mini 2 can also connect to the Sync Module 2, but it’s not required. The bad news is that it only supports up to five cameras. If you have more than five, you’ll need a second Sync Module.

If you’re looking to mix and match Blink Indoor and Outdoor cameras, we recommend buying one camera with a Sync Module and then adding add-on cameras. The prices for add-on cameras are as follows:

Obviously, setting up cameras that require a hub takes longer than those that don’t. We were able to set up the Wyze Cam we reviewed in under five minutes. The Blink Indoor, on the other hand, took more than 10 minutes, including setting up the hub. But the Sync Module 2 has a unique advantage because it can function as a hub for local video storage as well.

The Sync Module 2 doesn’t have local memory for videos, but it has a USB port where you can plug in a flash drive. Once plugged in, cameras paired with the Sync Module 2 can use the flash drive as backup local storage. That includes the Blink Mini if you choose to connect it to the hub, but again, that’s not required.

Blink’s Sync Module is actually similar to how base stations from Arlo camera packages and eufy camera bundles work. Those are two of the best wireless camera brands, so in a way, Blink works similarly as some of the industry leaders.

Blink offers hub-free cameras – the Blink Mini for indoor use, the indoor/outdoor Blink Mini 2, and the Wired Floodlight Camera for outdoor use. These cameras don’t have batteries.

The Blink Mini plugs into an outlet and connects to Wi-Fi directly. It’s a simpler and more practical option than the Blink Indoor, as long as you’re fine with its lack of battery power. At only $35, It’s also very inexpensive compared to similar plug-in indoor cameras like the SimpliCam.

>> Learn More: SimpliCam Review

The Blink Mini 2 improves on the first-gen Mini by adding a weatherproof camera body. That means it can work outdoors. It also has a small spotlight just above the lens that can function both as a motion-activated security light and a light source for color night vision. But the greatest improvement is the addition of A.I. person detection. That feature is reserved for those who have a Blink cloud subscription. Still, it can do more than the Blink Mini for only $5 more.

Of course, not everyone needs floodlights outdoors. If that’s the case, go with the Blink Outdoor 4. At $119.99 (including one Sync Module 2), it offers a wire-free setup, a 143-degree viewing angle (compared to 110-degree in the previous version), advanced motion detection technology, and person detection. Just note that person detection requires a cloud subscription, unlike the Nest Cam (battery) we reviewed that offers the feature right out of the box.

Blink Outdoor 4 Camera

Chances are, you’re out to buy more than one camera. After all, you’d need both indoor and outdoor cameras to cover the ground of your house. Plus, with the limited viewing angle of the Blink cameras (except the Outdoor 4), you might need more than one camera to monitor your front yard.

The good news is you get to save if you buy into the whole Blink lineup. Blink offers multi-camera kits, and they come with discounts. Let’s say you’re buying three Blink Outdoor 4s. That’s $119.99 for the first one including the Sync Module 2 and $109.99 each for the two other cameras. Total? $339.97. The three-camera Outdoor 4 kit, on the other hand, costs only $269.99. You save $70, which is exactly the cost of a Blink Indoor – take the savings or use it to boost your home security.

With the Blink Wired Floodlight Camera, Outdoor, Indoor, and Mini, we chose from one of two subscription plans: the Basic plan for $3 per month, or the Plus plan for $10 per month.

Both offer 60 days of cloud storage, which is quite generous in our view. That 60-day cloud storage means the cameras will record every motion event and keep the clips in the cloud for 60 days. During that time, you can download or share important clips.

Technically, we could have skipped the subscription option and paid nothing after the initial equipment costs. By not signing up for a subscription, we still got motion alerts and access to live footage. But we wouldn’t have been able to store, share, or download video. That would have meant no person detection for the Blink Outdoor 4, Blink Mini 2, and the Wired Floodlight Cam.

Alternatively, we had the option of inserting a USB flash drive into the Blink Sync Module 2 and storing our video footage locally. But we like that Blink still keeps cloud video storage costs low. Blink’s Basic plan costs almost the same per month as the Ring Protect Basic ($4.99) plan for Ring cameras.

As Amazon owns both companies, we doubt this is a coincidence. Add more cameras, and the cost goes up to $10 a month, again, the exact same prices as Ring.

While we wish Blink gave us at least some free cloud storage without a subscription, with Blink, local video storage is still an affordable and convenient option. Plus, users can get a 30-day free trial of the Blink Plus subscription with the purchase of a Blink Mini, Blink Outdoor, or Blink Indoor camera.

In our opinion, Blink’s cloud plans are reasonable. We encourage buying a subscription to store videos in the cloud; that’s safer than relying on just local recording. Another reason why you should go for a cloud subscription is person detection. The Blink Outdoor 4 and the Wired Floodlight Cam both offer person detection, which can greatly reduce false alarms and improve notifications, but only if you’re on a cloud subscription plan. If you’re not on one, they’ll detect any movement – even passing cars, animals, and sometimes even shifting shadows.

In addition to its cameras, Blink also offers mounting brackets, silicone skins, and USB flash drives as separate accessories. Take a look at our Blink accessories breakdown:

THE MORE YOU KNOW: Security signs can deter burglars from choosing a house to rob, along with the proximity to other people and dogs. In other words, they’re an affordable way to up your home’s security in a flash.

We think that Blink cameras are worth their prices, and here’s why:

Tip: The Blink Mini is the only camera in Blink’s trio that requires a power cord. Be sure to consider proximity to power outlets when you’re deciding where to install the Blink Mini.

Since Amazon owns Blink, the fact that all of Blink’s cameras work with Alexa makes perfect sense. We downloaded the Blink SmartHome skill on our Echo Show 8 because sometimes our smartphones are just too far away. Using our voices alone, we could have Alexa show our cameras’ footage on different Echo devices and hide it when we were done.

We could also tell Alexa to show us the cameras’ last activities, arm or disarm the camera system (the latter of which requires a PIN for security), and tell us when the latest motion alert was, the number of motion clips, our arming/ disarming schedule, or our current system status. Alexa even told us when the batteries were getting low and helped us to reorder new ones so that we never missed a day without our Blink cameras. That’s where that whole “being owned by Amazon” thing really comes in handy!

On top of that, we set our Blink cameras so that our Echo devices, including our Echo Dot with Clock and Echo Flex smart speakers, told us whenever our cameras detected motion. For us, this meant that even if we left our phones downstairs overnight, our alarm clock would let us know if our downstairs cameras detected motion while we were sleeping. This capability gave us the added assurance that if someone broke into our home, we’d know as soon as possible.

Taking it a step further, since we have smart lights downstairs, we set up a routine that had our lamps turn on as soon as the Blink cameras detected motion, making the would-be burglar very conspicuous.

All three Blink cameras work with IFTTT,1 which means that they could trigger or be triggered by a whole slew of Internet of Things devices. The IFTTT compatibility expanded our voice commands to even our Google Home Hub, so although there isn’t a direct Google action for Blink, the cameras can still work within a Google smart home ecosystem.

See how Blink measures up in the industry

Wondering if Blink is right for you? We squared it up with the best systems available to help you make a smart decision.

All in all, Blink provides decent home security at affordable prices. Blink’s Indoor, Outdoor, Mini, and Wired Floodlight cameras are all reasonably priced and perfect for folks on a budget. Without a subscription, users can still access live video and turn on motion alerts from the Blink Home Monitor app. With monthly cloud storage fees as low as $3, Blink’s subscriptions are inexpensive compared to rivals in the industry.

However, if Blink doesn’t seem right for you, we recommend checking out our list of the most affordable security cameras, which includes Blink, among other fantastic options.

IFTTT. (2020). Blink. ifttt.com/blink