While most computers ship with a built-in webcam, those options may come with low video quality, poor microphone performance, or will turn you into a pixelated mess. Upgrading to a compact, standalone webcam will solve many of those issues to make you look great and sound good for your next virtual meeting.
Our picks for the top webcams are great for remote work, distance learning, or just simply staying in touch with friends and family from afar. For students headed back to school, they’re a great companion to a new desktop or an inexpensive way to extend the life of an aging laptop. Our top choice for the category is the Logitech BRIO webcam, which has a standout feature list, and this cam often goes on sale. The webcams featured on our list are perfect for video calling with colleagues, friends, and family.
Best webcam for Windows PCs
Do you really need a 4K webcam right now? Probably not, but that doesn’t make the BRIO 4K any less impressive. If your needs stretch to the highest quality video, then it has to be top of your list.
Besides 4K, the BRIO ticks about every box you’d want from a webcam. Streamers will love the integrated background replacement feature. Everyone will enjoy that it supports Windows Hello, and the more security-conscious will appreciate the privacy shutter.
You’re also getting HDR, so the video quality isn’t just limited to resolution. It’s not the cheapest webcam, but there’s nothing else out there right now quite like it.
In addition to being packed with features, the 4K-capable Insta360 Link delivers an experience unlike any other traditional webcam you may have encountered. The large 1/2-inch 4K image sensor is mounted onto a three-axis gimbal, which delivers an experience similar to an action cam.
Why do you need a gimbal with a webcam? We’re glad you asked. This camera can track you as you move around, panning and framing you in the process. Unlike software-driven solutions, like Apple’s Center Stage on the latest iPad and MacBook models, Insta360’s hardware approach is smoother, more precise, and doesn’t require digital cropping. It’s literally like having a cameraman mounted on top of your laptop or monitor.
Image quality and performance is superb, and the AI processing is second to none. In addition to being able to use the Link as a webcam, you can also use it to capture white boards or use the camera as an overhead capture tool for demonstrations. The Insta360 Link should be at the top of your list if you’re a businessperson giving virtual presentations.
We fell in love with Lumina’s latest smart AI-powered webcam in our review, and with good reason. This 4K model delivers outstanding image quality that surpasses anything we’ve seen to date and comes packaged in a solid, durable unibody aluminum housing.
And when the terrific hardware of the Lumina is coupled with the company’s webcam software, you’ll have plenty of settings, options, and configurations to choose. This gives the Lumina a lot of flexibility, with adjustments to the configurable field of view lens. On top of that, the camera’s artificial intelligence helps to perfect the image quality, making automatic adjustments and providing for automatic zooming.
Poly’s P15 Personal Video Bar stands out for its integrated design, featuring a 4K webcam, three-element beamforming microphone array, and powerful speakers to ensure that you’ll be seen and heard during important video conferencing calls. Made for business professionals, the camera’s features are driven by artificial intelligence, which helps with automatic framing to always keep you in focus and minimize distracting background noises.
The built-in speakers make for powerful audio to help you clearly communicate and hear colleagues on the other end of the line. Though everything is housed in a compact package, the integrated design means that this solution is less travel-friendly for road warriors than other standalone webcam solutions on the list. However, if you need conference room-quality audio and video while working remotely, Poly’s P15 delivers.
Anker helps make working remotely easier by combining all the elements you need to have a great video calling experience into one. The AnkerWork B600 Video Light Bar combines a 2K resolution camera, speakers, and a noise-cancelling microphone array into a solid product that you can clip onto your monitor or laptop screen. The best part about Anker’s design is that it also includes a flip-up light bar to help illuminate your face, which helps you looking your best even in darker home office setups.
While the AnkerWork B600 Video Light Bar is intended for professional crowds, the addition of the light bar makes it a great addition for streamers, beauty influencers, and anyone looking to film tutorial or create video content online. Create your own MasterClass and be a star of your own tutorial!
AVerMedia might target the Live Streamer CAM 313 at the streaming market, but the truth is it’s a solid shout for anyone shopping in the mid-range market. The price is good, it’s compact, and the built-in privacy screen is a nice touch that’s still all too rare on modern webcams.
You get video up to 1080p, albeit limited to 30 FPS, paired with dual-mono microphones, which while not much use for streaming, are certainly clear enough for conference calls. The body of the webcam pivots through 360 degrees, too, so whatever your home setup, you can easily get a perfect angle.
Picture quality is good given the price, though you will have to download AVerMedia’s software to get the best from it. It’s also nice that this webcam only uses USB 2.0, so there are no compatibility issues with older PCs.
Windows Hello is a fantastic tool to help you easily log in and secure your PC. Whether it’s a desktop or laptop, it’s built into Windows 10 so long as you have the right hardware, which is where this webcam comes in.
It won’t break any records for video quality since you’re limited to 720p, but the price offsets that shortcoming a little. It promises one-second recognition for fast access to your PC, as well as having multi-user support for a shared computer. Everyone can then log into their accounts with ease.
It’ll be fine for video conferencing, but ultimately this is a strong, affordable choice to add Windows Hello to your otherwise Hello-free PC.
Best for streamers: Razer Kiyo
The Kiyo has one essential feature: a big ring light on the front. For streamers short on space for lighting, the Kiyo can solve the issue. Despite its size, the adjustable light can get very bright, bringing your face right into your streams.
The image quality itself is pretty good, too, with excellent contrast and decent sharpness, and it can record in 1080p at 30 FPS or at 60 FPS if you drop the resolution to 720p. There are no software requirements either — it’s a simple plug-and-play affair, and you can adjust settings from within your streaming software.
There’s also a standard tripod mount on the bottom if you’d rather not mount it to a monitor. Wherever you place it, you’ll have a crisp, well-lit stream.
Best webcam for Windows PCs
Not everyone will need a 4K video from their webcam. Even so, you can’t beat the sheer quality you get from the Logitech BRIO. It supports Windows Hello, too, for added biometric security on your PC and is the top webcam for both home and office environments.
You’re also future-proofing to some extent. Sure, you may not need a 4K video from a webcam now, but these aren’t products that go out of date very quickly. Your 4K webcam today may well come into its own in a couple of years, particularly if you’re a streamer.
The Lumina A.I. cam is a solid pick if you need a more advanced model. While it’s more expensive than Logitech’s model, the Lumina A.I. comes with a ton of automatic and manual settings, including face tracking, to keep you looking sharp.
