Shelly’s new $50 security camera watches your home without a subscription

The high-def camera can livestream to your phone or record events locally to a memory card.

The high-def camera can livestream to your phone or record events locally to a memory card.

by Sep 1, 2026, 3:19 PM UTCshellycamera1shellycamera1Image: ShellyPart OfIFA 2026: the biggest tech and gadget announcementssee all updates Andrew LiszewskiAndrew Liszewski is a senior reporter who’s been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2006, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid.

After launching a budget-friendly flood sensor last month with impressive battery life, Shelly announced a new $49.99 security camera today that can be used without any additional subscription fees — although that’s still an option if you want to expand its capabilities.

The Shelly Camera will be available soon from the company’s online store and other resellers in black or white. Although competitors like Wyze have released 2K security cameras for $40, Shelly’s first camera is limited to 1080P with a wide field of view that stretches 110 degrees horizontally and 70 degrees vertically with night vision capabilities. But there’s no battery, so during installation you’ll also need to route a USB-C cable to deliver power.

The Shelly Camera mounted to the wall in a child’s nursery room.

Wherever you decide to mount the Shelly Camera you’ll need to be mindful of cable management.
Image: Shelly

When used without a subscription plan the camera can livestream video over Wi-Fi to various devices, capture events locally to a microSD card, and trigger smart home automations through other Shelly devices such as turning on a floodlight when movement is detected. If you do opt to pay for a subscription you’ll gain access to cloud recording as well as smart object detection that can distinguish between people, pets, and vehicles so alerts and automations can be customized for specific scenarios.

Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *