How To Find the Best Arlo Secure Subscription Plan for You

Arlo is a big name in smart home security. The company offers a wide variety of cameras and more to help protect the interior and exterior of your home, but getting the most out of these devices requires a subscription. Let’s take a closer look at what’s available, and which is best for you.

What Can You Do without an Arlo Secure Subscription?

Before taking a look at all of Arlo’s subscription options, let’s take a look at what you can do without any subscription.

All of Arlo’s cameras and video doorbells are still functional if you don’t subscribe. You can view a live stream from the camera and receive a push notification when the doorbell is pushed or when motion is detected.

Two-way audio is still available, so you can talk and hear what’s going on. On compatible devices, you can still use auto zoom and tracking. And if you have an Arlo SmartHub or Arlo Base Station, you can still record video locally to view later.

Choose From Three Arlo Subscriptions

With the free option out of the way, let’s take a closer look at the three premium subscription options available from Arlo. You’ll can access a three-month trial of any subscription option when purchasing a new camera.

Arlo Secure (From $7.99/Month)

The basic subscription tier is Arlo Secure. That’s $7.99 per month for a single camera or $12.99 monthly for unlimited cameras in your home. You can save a bit of money by paying annually too at $89.99 for a single camera or $149.99 for unlimited cameras.

Video will be recorded in up to 4K resolution, depending on your camera. All recordings are saved in the cloud for up to 30 days and can be downloaded on your device for more long-term storage.

Subscribers can also access smart interactive notifications. Those are push notifications for various events including a person, package, animals or vehicles, and smoke or carbon monoxide alarms. The notification on your smartphone will also show a clip of the event.

Animate Preview features on motion alerts will show a short video summary of the event without opening the app. Subscribers can also access advanced object detection features that use AI. The first type is Person Detection, offering real-time alerts when someone is detected. It also allows you to search the recording library for videos only with people.

Package Detection will allow you to receive a notification when a package is dropped off or picked up. It can detect packages as small as a shoebox. Animal Detection can notify you when any animal larger than a small rodent is seen. Finally, Vehicle Detection detects cars, trucks, buses, motorbikes, and bicycles. Each of the detection features can be toggled on or off as needed.

Activity Zones allow you to select a specific area of the camera’s view to focus on motion events. It’s a great way to help reduce false notifications from something like a tree branch moving in the wind. With compatible cameras, subscribers can also use the smoke or carbon monoxide alarm detection feature where you’ll receive a notification if an alarm is triggered.

Another great subscription perk is the Arlo Theft Replacement Program. If you’re the original purchaser of an eligible Arlo device, you can qualify for a replacement if the device is stolen. See more about the program here.

Finally, Secure subscribers can receive a 10 percent discount on some products purchased directly through Arlo’s site.

Secure Plus ($17.99/Month)

A Secure Plus subscription covers unlimited cameras and is available for $17.99 per month or $199.99 yearly, a $16 savings. Secure Plus subscribers can access all the features in the Secure tier.

A big addition is a 24/7 Emergency Response feature. When viewing something suspicious on a motion alert, you can press and hold the notification to access Emergency Response. The Arlo response team can call the fire department, police department, or medical responders.

Another addition is Critical Alerts which provide notifications for emergency and security events, overruling Mute, Silent Mode, and Do Not Disturb on an iPhone.

Safe & Secure Pro ($24.99/Month)

The Safe & Secure Pro subscription is $24.99 monthly or $299.99 annually and offers all features of the previous two tiers. This tier is mostly for users with both Arlo cameras and the Arlo Home Security system.

With an Arlo camera and Security System, the Video Verification feature will allow professional monitoring agents to check recent videos or snapshots from your Arlo system to confirm whether an issue requires a response when the Panic Mode or Duress PIN is activated. You can choose which cameras an agent has access to.

An Arlo Security System is also monitored 24/7 by a professional monitoring company. The system’s hub also has a cellular and battery backup that can be turned on if you have a power or internet outage.

Finally, subscribers will also receive access to the Arlo Safe app. That features a wide variety of family safety options like Crash Response to alert live security experts to send help after a car accident.

Which Arlo Secure Subscription Is for You?

For most Arlo users, the Ring Secure tier is the best option whether you have one or more cameras. It provides a wealth of additional features beyond simple viewing or recorded video and can help you make the most out of your Ring cameras.

The Secure Plus option is nice if you’re willing to spend a little more for the peace of mind that you can quickly and easily call first responders in an emergency. Safe & Secure Pro is the best option for anyone deep into the Arlo system and who has multiple cameras and the Arlo Home Security system.

Are Arlo Security Cameras and Doorbells Worth It?

While Ring is a household name when it comes to doorbell cameras, Arlo is by far one of the best Ring alternatives and for good reason.

Unlike Ring, which only works with Amazon Alexa, Arlo devices can connect with Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Home. And the company has a huge variety of cameras including exterior cameras, like the Arlo Essential XL, and interior options like the Essential Indoor Cam.

I’ve been using Arlo devices for more than 5 years to protect the interior and exterior of my home, and the cameras have held up well and are easy to use. The companion app is well-designed and easy to use.

Arlo products can help you easily improve your home security whether you’re wanting to keep an eye on your front door with a doorbell camera or somewhere else in or around your home. Since you’ll need to pay an additional subscription to make the most of the Arlo lineup, hopefully, you have a little better idea of what subscription option is best for your home.