Wyze V3 Cam vs. Blink Mini — Which Budget Home Security Camera Is Better?
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SPY.com may receive an affiliate commission.
Considering roughly one million home burglaries occur every year, getting even a single home security camera is a great idea and a strong deterrent for burglars. But building a DIY home security system doesn’t’ need to be a hardy expense. Many people still think that security devices mean expensive equipment and lengthy contacts and subscriptions, but in 2022 that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Today's Top Deals
Over 85,000 Amazon Reviewers Gave This COVID-19 Test 5/5 Stars
Price Drop: Amazon's House Brand of KN95 Masks Are Now Just $0.60/Each Today
The Wyze Cam V3 and Blink Mini are two prime examples that home security cameras can be helpful and affordable, especially if you want to get a camera without a subscription. Beyond being inexpensive — we’re talking under $40 — each camera is essentially ready to protect your home right out of the box. That’s an affordable and convenient way to curb those dirty home burglars.
Ok, so we’ve been talking up the Wyze Cam V3 and Blink Mini home security cameras, but which one is better? (Hint: only one of these cameras made our list of the best home security cameras of 2022.) Below we’ll give you the goods (and the dirt) on these budget-friendly cameras and help you decide which one is the best choice for you.
READ MORE: Review: Wyze Cam V3 Sets a High Bar for Low-Cost Cameras
Wyze V3 Cam vs. Blink Mini: What To Know
You may be more familiar with the name Ring vs. Blink regarding home security, but, like Ring, Amazon also owns Blink and has been since 2017. On the other hand, Wyze is a company that former Amazon employees created. Beyond their ties to Amazon, here’s how these two compares compare.
Subscriptions and Costs
When it comes to the initial cost of each camera, there is very little difference. The Blink Mini costs $34.99 at the time of publishing, while the Wyze Cam V3 costs $35.98. As mentioned above, both are incredibly affordable, so there’s a good chance a dollar difference isn’t’ going to sway any opinions here.
But what about the subscriptions? Both cameras can operate without a subscription, which is nice for those who don’t want to pay for any additional costs for monitoring their home and those who are just looking for a camera to see what their pet or kids are up to all day. If you plan on going without a subscription, you won’t be able to record video through the Blink Mini, plus you’ll need the Sync Module if you want to store any video in the cloud. A subscription to Blink Plus starts at $3 a month.
The Wyze Cam V3 has a one-up here. You can record video on a 32GB MicroUSB (sold separately) inserted into the camera base. You can also have it record continuously 24/7 or only have it record once an event or motion triggers the recording — no subscription is required to capture video. If you want a subscription and all the additional features that come with it, the Cam Plus subscription starts at $1.25 a month, so you’ll save a few bucks in the long run here versus the Blink Mini.
Camera
Both cameras capture 1080p footage. The Blink Camera has a 110 degrees field of view, while the Wyze Cam V3 sports a slightly wider field of view at 130 degrees. We had a chance to test both cameras to see how each camera does in real-world settings.
As you might expect from cameras that are so affordable, each come with their flaws. Both cameras have trouble with dynamic range where bright areas like windows can seem overblown. The Wyze sensor inside the camera appears to draw in more light than the Blink Mini, which we felt resulted in the image quality is a little sharper than the Blink Mini.
While both cameras actually perform relatively well in the dark, the edge again goes to the Wyze V3 camera, which has the added advantage of color night vision. The additional color provides better context for what is happening within the footage.
Security & Features
Both cameras feature two-way communication, so you can hear and speak to whomever or whatever is on the other end of the camera. And both cameras also feature customizable motion detection. However, our SPY team member who tested the product couldn’t get the Blink Mini to distinguish between people, pets or objects, which caused several redundant motion alerts.
While this didn’t seem to be an issue with the Wyze V3 Cam, it is worth pointing out that event notifications come in the form of a snapshot instead of a live video unless you pay for the subscription. And since sound can also trigger notifications for the Wyze V3 Cam, live video instead of snapshots becomes all the more important. Of course, you can customize the event trigger sensitively or even turn it off entirely with the Wyze V3 Cam.
READ MORE: Review: You Get What You Pay for with the Blink Mini
Wyze V3 Cam vs. Blink Mini: Our Verdict
The Wyze V3 Cam is a better buy and certainly worth the extra $1 over the Blink Mini. That’s not to say the Blink Mini isn’t useful or good — it’s a great budget camera as well. We simply liked the Wyze V3 Cam video footage better, especially the color night vision and the ability to store local video without needing a subscription or additional equipment.
Wyze V3 Cam
Blink Mini
What are some of the alternatives?
Although we think the Wyze V3 Cam sets the standard for a sub $50 camera, here are a few more of the best indoor security cameras at a similar price range.
Ring Stickup Cam
This camera is super convenient, can be placed on a tabletop or mounted, and works indoors and outdoors. And of course, it has two-way communication and is equally easy to set up as the Blink and Wyze cameras.
Eufy Security Solo Cam
Small, affordable and intelligent, the Eufy cam is impressive at capturing 2K footage and can distinguish between people and pets.
Buy: Eufy Security Solo Cam $42.99
Kasa Smart 2K Security Camera
Beyond having excellent 2K picture quality, the Kasa Smart Security Camera covers a lot of ground thanks to the ability to tilt 114 degrees and rotate a full 360 degrees.
Buy: Kasa Smart 2K Security Camera $39.99 (orig. $44.99) 11% OFF
Be the First To Know About New Deals!
These are some of the best deals on Apple products we've ever seen. 😲💸https://t.co/QHwkMk0U6t
— SPY.com (@spy_dot) March 8, 2022
More Top Deals from SPY
Best of SPY
