The best cameras to monitor your pet remotely under $50


Kasa Chat Cam


AppleInsider may earn an affiliate commission on purchases made through links on our site.

Your suitcases are packed and you’ve left some money for the pet sitter, but not everyone is really good at goodbyes, especially with their pets. These cameras connect to your iPhone and can help you, even if you’re away from home.

If you often go on vacation or spend long hours at work away from home, a pet camera can help you keep in touch with your pet, track their habits, make sure they don’t nonsense and to have peace of mind about the well-being of your animal. .

Luckily, you don’t have to stretch your wallet to find a pet camera. Here are our top five pet camera picks under $50.

Kasa Spot Pan Tilt

The Kasa Spot Pan Tilt streams 2K HD video, features starry night vision, motion tracking, cloud and SD card storage, real-time pan and tilt, a patrol mode and is compatible with Alexa and Hey Google.

Kasa Spot Pan Tilt Camera

Kasa Spot Pan Tilt Camera

The most important feature, however, is live view with two-way talk, so you can redirect Mr. Pickles when he’s naughty. Or if you have a super regimented cat, you can check in at their usual bedtime to say goodnight.

The camera offers 24/7 recording with storage and activity alerts. This means that if your favorite ornament ends up in pieces on the floor, the cat can’t blame the dog.

To pair your device with Kasa Spot Pan Tilt

  • Plug in the camera
  • Create an account on your iPhone
  • Pair your device to the camera
  • Pairing your device to your camera is simple

    Pairing your device to your camera is simple

    You can set up push notifications to notify you when your camera detects motion. It’s a nice feature, but it can be a little annoying if it’s just taking video clips of your cat jumping on and off the couch all day.

    Motion detection alerts can be pushed to your iPhone

    Motion detection alerts can be pushed to your iPhone

    It can however detect when the cat sitter has come to feed the cat. This gives peace of mind to worried cat parents wondering if Sally has indeed passed.

    If you are abroad or in a different time zone, you can check the recorded videos on the live view page. The camera also has person detection, discernment movement of people other types of movement. If an intruder is in your home, you will know about it.

    Kasa Spot Pan Tilt can pan left and right – almost 360 degrees, helping you find your cat when it’s hiding from the postman. You can also manually toggle the directional arrows to follow your pet’s movements, and at near instantaneous reaction time.

    You can also zoom in on any mischievous behavior by pinching the screen on your target.

    While on vacation, the coolest feature is having a two-way chat with your cat. Just go to the homepage and press the microphone button to talk to your feline friend.

    To talk to your cat, press the microphone button

    To talk to your cat, press the microphone button

    It is rewarding to see your pet straighten up and stare at the camera. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a meow back.

    Mostly, because he’s a cat, expect him to yawn and fall back to sleep.

    Kasa Spot Pan Tilt – Features

  • 2K HD video
  • Starry night vision
  • motion tracking
  • Cloud storage and SD
  • Real-Time Pan Tilt
  • Patrol mode
  • Compatible with Alexa and Hey Google
  • The Kasa Spot Pan Tilt is on sale at Amazon for $22.99 with an on-page coupon. If video quality isn’t so important to you, click on the equally impressive 1080P camera from the same retailer for $34.99.

    The Kasa Smart app is available on the App Store, is a 1.4GB download, and is compatible with iOS 10 or later.

    The Blink Mini features reliable 1080p HD live video, responsible motion alerts, two-way talk, and voice command control. It comes with two cameras, which is great if your pet has access to multiple rooms.

    The Blink Mini (two cameras)

    The Blink Mini (two cameras)

    In addition, the camera has customizable motion detection zones, which means that you will be able to block out areas that you have no interest in focusing on. Some of the customizable options include adjusting the length of recorded clips, intensity of infrared LEDs for night vision, and motion sensor sensitivity.

    One consideration is live view, which tends to turn off after thirty seconds. If you need to see your pet for extended periods of time, it can get frustrating having to wake up your device.

    Note that the Blink Mini requires its users, through the Blink app, to purchase a $3 monthly subscription.

  • Two cameras instead of one for two-room viewing
  • Includes 2 Blink Mini cameras (black), 2 mounting kits with brackets, 2 USB cables and 2 power adapters
  • 1080P HD video
  • Live view and two-way audio
  • Easy setup: plug in the camera, connect it to Wi-Fi and follow the instructions in the free Blink Home Monitor app
  • Alexa compatibility
  • Motion detection alerts
  • Cloud storage for $3.00/month per camera
  • The Blink Mini is available for Amazon for $64.99. The Blink app is available on the App Store, is a 154.5MB download, and is compatible with iOS 14 or later.

    The Blink Mini Pan Tilt is the superior heir to the Blink Mini model, due to its ability to both pan and tilt. This means that by using the included wall brackets you can tilt the camera up or down if your pet is in a hard to see place.

    The app perfectly tracks your pets as they play – and lag-free. Video is crystal clear and setup is quick and easy.

    The Blink Mini Pan Tilt

    The Blink Mini Pan Tilt

    Although it records in HD, the microphone is too sensitive; Beware when using this device for audio monitoring. Additionally, pan and tilt are both very sensitive, which means you might be trying to pan and the camera also takes extra liberties to tilt.

    This can make it difficult to keep up with a brave and playful pet.

    If you keep your cat sequestered in a room, this might be the camera for you. Otherwise, we suggest the two cameras you’d get with the original Blink Mini.

  • 360° viewing from an iPhone, tablet or Alexa device
  • Infrared night vision
  • Real-time motion alerts
  • Live view and two-way audio
  • Easy setup: plug in the device, connect it to Wi-Fi and follow the instructions in the Blink app
  • Alexa compatibility
  • HD video
  • Free cloud storage for 30 days
  • The Blink Mini Pan Tilt is available on Amazon for $59.99. The Blink app is available on the App Store, is a 154.5MB download, and is compatible with iOS 14 or later.

    pet cube

    One of the coolest features that sets this camera apart from all the others on the market is its ability to chat one-on-one with a vet through the Petcube app. The veterinary consultation function is available 24/7.

    pet cube

    pet cube

    This means that if you’re on vacation or stuck at work and recognize strange behavior in your pet, you can talk to a professional if something is wrong. This service is only available with a subscription, but Petcube offers a 30-day free trial.

    You can easily connect the camera to your device by scanning the QR code on the device. While this product’s night vision, sound, and video match those of others, the main issue is that the motion tracking only records short snippets of what’s going on inside the home.

    For example, if your cat is messing up, you might not have conclusive video evidence of what happened to your favorite slime – only the build-up to the destructive moment.

    Setting up Petcube is a lightning-fast thirty-second process.

    Note that you cannot save videos to your device without paying for the subscription service. Subscription is $14.99 per month after a 14-day free trial.

    Petcube – Features

  • Online vet and emergency fund to keep your pet safe and healthy
  • Compatible with up to 6 Petcube cameras
  • 1080P HD video
  • Live view and two-way audio
  • Setup in 60 seconds
  • 30ft night vision with 8x zoom
  • Motion detection alerts
  • Cam is only compatible with 2.4GHz WiFi network
  • Cloud storage for $3.00/month per camera
  • Petcube is on sale on Amazon for $34.99. The Pet Cube app is available on the App Store, is a 147.1MB download, and is compatible with iOS 14 or later.

    Ebitcam pet camera

    Like the Petcam, this pet camera by Ebitcam runs on a subscription service for $5 a month. If you’re not looking to record video and just want to check on your pet in real time, this is a great camera option for you.

    Pet Camera by Ebitcam

    Pet Camera by Ebitcam

    The app delivers crisp, clear video and audio, and the two-way talk doesn’t induce lag or echo like some of the other cameras. You can link multiple cameras and move the directional arrows to track your pets.

    One cool feature that stands out from other apps is that you can take photos and videos. Since the recording and photography quality is fantastic, the snapshots in the app are superior enough to use as iPhone wallpapers.

    Ebitcam Pet Camera – Features

  • Night vision up to 32 feet
  • Easy 3-step setup
  • 1080P HD video
  • Live view and two-way audio
  • Multi-users and multiple views
  • Alexa compatibility
  • Sound/Motion Detection Alerts
  • SD/cloud storage
  • Ability to take video and photo snapshots
  • Pet Camera by Ebitcam is on sale at Amazon for $28.98 with an on-page coupon. The Ebitcam app is available on the App Store, is a 149.1MB download, and is compatible with iOS 8 or later.