Foscam review
Updated September 30, 2026 · SmartHomeCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 30, 2026
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Our verdict
Foscam suits homeowners who want a cheap camera or video doorbell and a free app, and who are content to check footage themselves. Hardware starts at $43.99, professional monitoring is not offered, and cloud recording is limited to 7 days.
Key facts
- Best for
- Budget camera and video doorbell buyers who self monitor and only need short clips stored.
- Price
- $43.99 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Products
- Camera, Video-doorbell (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Professional monitoring
- No (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Money-back period
- 30 days (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Free features
- Live view in free Foscam app with 1-month free cloud trial (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Top resolution
- 4k (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Recording retention
- 7 days (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Installation required
- No (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Foscam, Inc (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Founded
- 2007 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Pricing model
- Diy
- Power source
- Battery, Wired, Poe
- Ecosystems
- Alexa, Google
- Official website
- foscammall.com
Apps and profiles
- Elsewhere
- Xfacebook.comyoutube.com
Pros and cons
Pros
- Entry hardware costs $43.99, well under Aqara at £36.98
- Live view in the free Foscam app, so the free tier is usable before any paid plan
- Covers both camera and video doorbell, so cameras and a video doorbell come from one maker
- Power options of battery, wired and poe cover battery, wired and PoE installs
- 30 days money back window and email, phone and help centre support
Cons
- Professional monitoring is not offered, so no one watches alarms for you
- Cloud recording is capped at 7 days without a paid plan
- Video doorbells and cameras are sold as diy kit, leaving setup to the buyer
- Entry price of $43.99 sits above The Home Security Superstore at $13.95
Ready to try Foscam?
Scored 9.0 / 10 by SmartHomeCue.
Who it suits
- Renters and homeowners who want indoor coverage without a monitoring contract
- Shoppers who already use alexa and google and want a camera that fits that voice assistant
- People who will rely on the free app rather than paying for cloud storage
Who should look elsewhere
- Households that want professional monitoring, which Foscam does not offer
- Buyers who need long cloud retention, since the free tier holds 7 days
- Shoppers watching every penny, who may prefer The Home Security Superstore at $13.95
Core features
Foscam is a diy brand and the range covers camera and video doorbell, so a house can mix indoor, outdoor and front door kit from the same app. Video quality tops out at 4k, and power options of battery, wired and poe let you choose battery, wired or PoE depending on where the unit goes. The Foscam app carries live view at no cost, with a short cloud trial included before any subscription starts. Cloud recording is retained for 7 days on the free tier, which is enough for short clips rather than a long archive. Professional monitoring is not offered, so alerts go to the app and the owner decides what to do. Installation is not required in the usual sense, as the kit is set up by the buyer rather than by an installer or a monitoring engineer.
The company behind it
Foscam trades as Foscam, Inc and has been building cameras since 2007, so the brand is an established hardware maker rather than a recent smart home label. It sells direct, which keeps hardware prices low and puts the support relationship with the buyer. Support runs on email, phone and help centre, so a phone line and an email route sit alongside a self service help centre for setup questions. No licences or regulator approvals are listed, and the value rests on hardware price and app features rather than a certified monitoring service.
How Foscam compares
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Where Foscam is available
- Available
- United States
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
How much does Foscam hardware cost?+
Foscam hardware starts at $43.99 for the entry camera. That sits below Annke at $19.99 and Aqara at £36.98, but above The Home Security Superstore at $13.95. Prices cover the camera itself, and cloud recording is a separate plan.
Do you have to pay a monthly monitoring fee?+
Professional monitoring is not offered, so there is no monitoring fee on the account. The Foscam app gives you live view at no cost. Paid plans only cover cloud storage, and the free tier keeps 7 days of recorded footage.
Is there a contract or minimum term?+
Foscam is a diy brand, so hardware is bought outright rather than leased. Nothing locks you into a minimum term. If you later add a cloud plan, you can cancel it without ending your use of the cameras.
What resolution and power options do the cameras come in?+
Foscam cameras top out at 4k. Power options of battery, wired and poe cover battery, wired and PoE, so a rear or driveway camera can run on battery while a fixed front camera can sit on mains or PoE.
Does Foscam work with voice assistants?+
Yes. Foscam cameras pair with alexa and google. Live view is also available in the Foscam app itself, so the voice assistants are optional rather than required for basic use.
What types of product does Foscam sell?+
The range covers camera and video doorbell, so both indoor and outdoor cameras plus a video doorbell come from the same maker. That makes it easier to match a doorbell and cameras in one app, which suits a single property rather than a multi site setup.
How long is cloud video kept?+
Cloud recording is retained for 7 days on the free plan. The Foscam app includes a free cloud trial so you can see how playback works before committing. Anyone needing a long archive should budget for a paid storage plan.
Who is behind Foscam?+
Foscam trades as Foscam, Inc and has made cameras since 2007. Support runs on email, phone and help centre, so you can reach a person by phone or email as well as through the help centre.
Sources
- foscammall.com checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Support channels
“Tel: 1-866-896-3636, Email support@foscam.com, FAQs”
- foscammall.com/collections/outdoor-camera-1 checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Price, Top resolution
“V5P 5MP WiFi Security Camera: Regular price From $43.99”
- foscammall.com/pages/cloud-services checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Professional monitoring
“Access, manage and control all your cameras”
- foscammall.com/policies/refund-policy checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Money-back period
“return the cameras within 30 days counting from receipt”
- foscammall.com/products/indoor-camera-r4s checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Ecosystems, Free features, Installation required, Pricing model, Recording retention
“R4S: Works with Alexa and Google assistant”
- foscam.com/products/foscam-pd8.html checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Power source, Products
“Battery Camera, WiFi Camera, PoE Camera”
- foscammall.com/pages/about-us checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Founded
“Foscam is founded in 2007”
- foscammall.com/pages/affiliate-progarm checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Legal entity
“Foscammall.com is held and operated by Foscam, Inc”
Compiled from 8 source pages, checked September 30, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Monitoring per month, Minimum contract.
Foscam
Budget camera and video doorbell buyers who self monitor and only need short clips stored.