When comparing Wyze Cam vs. Nest Cam, one of the most obvious differences is the way that they are priced. The Wyze Cam is significantly less expensive than the Nest Cam, which makes it a more budget-friendly option.
Nest has been in the smart home game for quite some time now, with their most recognizable product being the Nest Learning Thermostat. However, over the past few years we’ve started to see a lot of releases from the brand that all work together for a more convenient home. The Nest Cam Indoor is a quality product, despite being a little pricey. While the Wyze Cam has a lot of features at a pretty attractive price, while still providing high quality.
Below, we go into detail on what sets these two cameras apart from one other. Read on for the full picture, or use the navigation bar to jump to the sections you care about most.
Wyze Cam vs. Nest Cam — Differences
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Difference #1: Video Quality – The primary aspect most people think of when looking for a camera is the resolution, and both of these brands record in 1080p HD. However, frame rate is equally important when it comes to video quality, as it can be the difference between smooth footage and a blurry mess. There are some pretty significant differences in the FPS when comparing recordings of the Wyze Cam vs. Nest Cam.
The Nest Cam will record in 30 FPS 24/7, which is about the frame rate you’d need to consistently get a clear picture. The Wyze Cam, on the other hand, records at 15 FPS by default, with the frames dropping even lower to 10 FPS when using night vision.
While the resolution on both cameras might be identical, you’ll definitely see better quality footage if you opt for the Nest Cam.
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Difference #2: Field of View – A camera’s field of view can be the difference between catching an intruder in the act and having an invasion go unrecorded. Both cameras have a decent field of view, but you’re definitely going to get more comprehensive coverage and better results with the Nest Cam’s 130° diagonal field of view vs. the Wyze Cam’s 110°.
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Difference #3: Motion & Sound Detection – An area where the Wyze Cam really pulld ahead is in motion and sound detection.
The motion detection includes Motion Tagging technology to make it easier to detect moving objects. Plus, Motion Zones and Person Detection really adds value to the device.
The Nest Cam’s motion detection is quite impressive too, however, you need to have the Nest Aware subscription to add in the ability to create motion zones and add person detection.
In addition to motion detection, both brands can also detect sound.
Overall, the Wyze Cam and Nest Cam offer simillar motion detection capabilities. However, unlike Nest Cam, Wyze Cam offers them free of charge.
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Difference #4: Night Vision – As far as night vision goes, both cameras use 850nm LEDs that illuminate up to 29.6 feet, and have an IR cut-off filter for a better quality picture.
However, the Nest Cam uses 8 LEDs, while the Wyze Cam only utilizes 4. This means that you’re going to get a much brighter picture in the dark when you opt for Nest. Plus, when you consider that the Wyze Cam’s frame rates are significantly reduced at night, it’s pretty clear that Nest is the better buy if you’re looking to keep an eye on your property around the clock.
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Difference #5: Internet Connection – There are two main frequencies that devices use to communicate over WiFi — 2.4GHz, and 5GHz. The Wyze Cam is a single-band device that communicates using 2.4 GHz, while the Nest Cam is dual-band with support for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz.
What this means is that the Nest Cam will be less likely to clog up your network. You might not notice a difference either way if you only have a few devices connected, but on slower connections in homes with a ton of electronics, that dual-band technology is really going to make a difference.
This is also a consideration to keep in mind if you’re looking to add multiple cameras to your home. Streaming and recording footage and uploading it to the cloud can put a decent amount of stress on your network, and too many Wyze Cams could leave your 2.4GHz band completely crippled.
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Difference #6: Cloud Storage & Subscriptions – The two cameras differ quite a bit in the way they handle cloud storage and Subscriptions. We’ll start off by talking a bit about Wyze.
Wyze Cam’s cloud storage is simple: they offer a free rolling 14-day storage that is uploaded to the Amazon AWS Cloud via end-to-end encryption. Any time the camera detects motion or sound, it will record a 10-15 second clip and send it to the cloud where you can access it for those 2 weeks, free of charge.
This sounds great, but the ugly truth is that Wyze actually uses more than just AWS cloud when it comes to video storage — likely as a cost-saving measure. When your camera records a clip, the data is actually sent to a 3rd party service that isn’t controller by Wyze. Then, from that location, the clips are sent to Amazon’s servers. The 3rd party has servers located all around the world, so your video feed is constantly being fed to an unknown location. Only in the event of activity detection will Amazon receive the clip.
People have reported seeing their camera’s traffic being sent all around the world, to places like Japan, Germany, China and more. Wyze has blamed that 3rd party for sending the traffic outside of the country and asked that they keep it in the US in the future, but people continue to see their cameras stream video to other countries.
So while the Wyze Cam might be very affordable, the tradeoff is a video feed of your home being handled by a 3rd party service that isn’t very scrupulous with their management.
Nest Cam allows you to view a 3-hour snapshot history free of charge, but you’ll need to pay for a subscription if you’re looking to access your video recordings. There are 3 subscriptions to choose from: 5-day, 10-day, and 30-day.
Each of these plans contains the same extra features like 24/7 continuous recording, intelligent alerts, clips and time-lapse, and activity zones. The only difference between the 3 plans is the amount of storage offered.
The 5-day plan costs $5/month or $50/year and provides a 5-day video history. 10-day gets you 10 days of storage for $10/month or $100/year, and 30-day provides 30 days at $30/month or $300/year.
The plans are pretty simple to understand, although it’s obviously a bit more expensive than some other brands — especially when compared to Wyze. Personally, however, we’d rather pay a little extra to make sure we’re well aware of who has access to our video feeds.
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Difference #7: CVR & Local Backup Storage – The Wyze Cam and Nest Cam are both available with CVR, although they function much differently.
While Wyze supports local backup storage, the Nest Cam does not. As expected, this means that Wyze will record footage locally while Nest will stream it to the cloud.
All you need for CVR on your Wyze Cam is an 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB microSD card. The camera will automatically overwrite the oldest files with the storage is full, and this service is available free of charge.
The Nest Cam’s Cloud CVR is available with Nest Aware, which means you’ll be paying at least $5 per month for the feature and your storage will be time-limited.
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Difference #8: App Support – Both cameras offer the ability to access your feed and adjust settings through an Android or iOS app. However, the Nest Cam also gives you the ability to manage your camera through a web portal, which is great for checking in from the office — or any Internet-connected PC for that matter.
Wyze Cam vs. Nest Cam — Comparison Chart
| Wyze Cam | Nest Cam Indoor | |
|---|---|---|
| Video resolution | 1080p HD | 1080p HD |
| Frames per Second | Daytime video: 15 FPS Night vision: 10 FPS |
30 FPS |
| Video Format | H.264 | H.264 |
| On-Demand Live View | Yes | Yes |
| Record Live View | Yes | with Nest Aware |
| Field of View | 110° diagonal | 130° diagonal |
| Zoom | 8x digital zoom | 8x digital zoom |
| Power | AC | AC |
| Optional Power Source | N/A | N/A |
| Two-Way Audio | Yes | Yes |
| Motion Detection | Yes | Yes |
| Motion Zones | Yes | with Nest Aware |
| Person Detection | Yes | with Nest Aware |
| Facial Recognition | No | No |
| Sound Detection | Yes | Yes |
| Night Vision | 4 Infrared LEDs 850 nm LEDs: illuminates up to 29.6 feet IR cut-off filter |
8 Infrared LEDs 850 nm LEDs: illuminates up to 25 feet IR cut-off filter |
| Internet Connection | WiFi: 2.4 GHz | WiFi: 2.4GHz or 5GHz |
| Siren | No | No |
| 24/7 Recording | Yes | with Nest Aware |
| Local Backup Storage | Yes | No |
| Cloud Storage | free rolling 14-day | 3-hour snapshot history or with Nest Aware |
| Review, Share, & Save | free rolling 14-day | with Nest Aware |
| Instant App Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| App Support | Android, iOS | Android, iOS, Web |
| Rich Notifications | No | Yes, with a snapshot |
| Weather-resistant | No | No |
| Amazon Alexa | Echo Show, Echo Spot | Echo Show, Echo Spot |
| Google Assistant | Yes | Yes |
| Google Home Hub | No | Yes |
| IFTTT | Yes | Yes |
| Stringify | Not yet | Yes |
| Operating Temperature | 32°F to 104°F | 32° to 104°F |
| Dimension | 2.2 x 2 x 2 in | 4.5 x 2.8 in. |
| Color | White | Black |
Wyze Cam vs. Nest Cam — Things in Common
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Live View – Both cameras give you the option to view a live video feed from your phone whenever you please, as well as record the footage for future references. However, with Nest you’ll need to pay for a Nest Aware subscription, while the recording is available for Wyze by default.
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Zoom – Make sure you’re never too far away to see the action, with both cameras offering 8x digital zoom to keep you clued in on the details.
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Power – As far as power goes, the Wyze Cam and Nest Cam both use AC power and have no battery backup.
Wyze offers a 6-foot power cable and has a magnetic base and an adhesive metal plate to allow for mounting with no screws required.
The Nest Cam has a 10-foot cable that can plug into any outlet, although they don’t offer that creative mounting solution that is so handy with Wyze.
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Two-Way Audio – Two-Way audio allows you to listen and talk back to people within range of your camera. While it’s likely intended to scare off intruders or work as an intercom of sorts, we find the feature pretty handy for keeping our cats away from the plants!
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Instant App Alerts – In the event of activity detection, both brands will provide you with instant app alerts — giving you as much time as possible to figure out if it’s a legitimate threat and protect your home.
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IFTTT – IFTTT is a powerful conditional trigger system that allows you to connect your devices together and make your smart home more intelligent. With Wyze, it’s simple to use the service to make it easier to arm/disarm your cameras, turn them on and off, and manage your alert videos.
For Nest, you can do things like automatically turn on your Philips Hue Lights when Nest cam detects motion.
These are just a few examples of the way you can use IFTTT, but the sky’s the limit if the products you’re trying to connect are compatible.
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Voice Control – The Wyze Cam and Nest Cam both work quite well with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, which gives you access to voice control as well as the ability to view the video feed on devices like the Echo Show or Google Hub.
Wyze Cam vs. Nest Cam — Accessories
The accessories for the Wyze Cam and Nest Cam are largely focused on making the installation process a little bit easier.
For more flexibility when installing with Wyze, you might want to pick up the Outlet Wall Mount or . And since the power cord is shorter than Nest’s, it’s a good idea to have a 25ft Power Extension Cable on hand to ensure you don’t end up too far from the plug.
For the Nest Cam, the main options we would recommend are the AC Outlet Mount and the Twist Mount.
Wyze Cam vs. Nest Cam — Our Thoughts
Making a recommendation between these two brands is pretty easy. From a privacy standpoint, comparing the Nest Cam vs. Wyze Cam is like night and day.
There’s some truth to the saying “you get what you pay for,” and in this case, buying a budget model might compromise your privacy by sending your Wyze Cam video feed to sketchy locations around the world. You can’t put a price on privacy and the safety of your home, and in this situation, the Nest Cam Indoor is clearly the better choice despite the extra expense.
In addition to the privacy concerns, Nest just offers a better product as a whole. With better frame rates, superior motion detection, dual-band WiFi, brighter night vision, and more, it seems to outplay Wyze pretty much every turn.
Last update on 2024-04-20 at 01:35 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Can either of these products display multiple cams (on the same wi-fi network) on one screen?
Hi Robbi! It looks like both companies are looking into adding a multi-camera screen feature but haven’t implemented it yet.
Replaced my nest cameras with Wyze and havent regretted it. Nest storage is just too expensive to have multiple cameras. I have 5 cameras and to record for 30 days would have been $150/ month!!
I’ve got three Nest cams and three wyze cams. I expect
Better replace the nest cams that I have with three more wyze cams. There’s no doubt the quality of the nest cam is better for viewing. But for the
Cost of Nest Cam annual fee for 3 cameras
I can purchase three pan cam, from wise.
I do like that feature with Nest that you can view and Save are videos on the web. But the expense isn’t worth the difference.
$47 for WYZE???? ITS $27!!!!
5x cheaper than Nest!!
never had a problem with it and never found data sent around the world (but could be happening I guess- but its a still picture of my living room- so who cares