If you’re weighing up storage options for home security, you might find yourself choosing between a cloud subscription and local storage with a camera hub and external drive.
Each has its merits, and for the best blend of benefits it may even be worth opting for a mixture of both storage options.
Here are the benefits of cloud vs local storage options, as well as some underutilised features you may not be taking advantage of.
Cloud Storage Advantages
Cloud subscription services like Arlo Secure Plus allow cameras to save footage to the cloud. If the camera detects an event and you aren’t able to view the live feed, the clip is saved for accessing later.
The strongest case for cloud storage is that footage is stored off-site, meaning that even if your camera equipment is stolen or damaged, the video remains safe and accessible.
Cloud plans unlock smart detection features like AI person, vehicle, and package detection that help to filter out unwarranted alerts so you only get the notifications that matter. Across most common security camera systems, AI detection is subscription-dependent.
You can remotely access the footage from anywhere via the companion app. This is especially useful if you’re travelling or away from home and need to access footage.
Local Storage Advantages
For cameras that support it, local storage is a great option. Arlo’s SmartHub-compatible cameras like the Arlo Essential, Pro and Ultra models provide the option to save to external USB storage.
The key feature local storage offers is internet independence. Even if your connection drops due to a storm or an internet outage, your cameras can continue to record motion-triggered events.
There are no ongoing fees with local storage, just a one-time purchase of the camera hub and an external USB drive or card to store your clips.
The Arlo SmartHub makes this practical. Just plug a USB drive or microSD card into the hub, enable local recording in the app, and compatible cameras will save motion-triggered clips automatically.
However, there are a few limitations to local storage. Only automatic clips save locally – you cannot save manual recordings to local storage. Additionally, remote access requires some fiddly configuration with your home network.
Cloud vs Local Storage: The case for both
The ideal choice isn’t between cloud and local, but a blend of both. With a subscription active on the Arlo ecosystem with a SmartHub attached, footage saves both to your local drive and to the cloud. That gives you resilience against outages as well as off-site protection, advanced detection methods and simplified remote access.
Underused Features
There are a few features included with Arlo’s cloud subscription that you may not be using to their full potential.
Activity Zones
Many users leave cameras as they’re set up out of the box: covering the full frame. When you set up activity zones, you can define specific areas in the frame so that alerts only fire when something enters those areas.
This is really helpful to cut false alerts from passing traffic and neighbour movement outside your property boundary.
Known Person / Vehicle Recognition
Cloud plans on the Arlo ecosystem allow you to train the system to recognise your regular visitors and your own cars. That categorises alerts into “known person” and “unknown person” rather than just “motion detected.”
Video Sharing
Cloud footage can be shared directly with others from within the app – no need to download, reupload, or hunt for a USB drive to share footage.
The bottom line
Running local storage and cloud storage alongside each other is the best option to ensure you can access footage and take advantage of the full feature set. There’s an old saying in data storage that “one is none, two is one.” That means a single copy isn’t a backup, and two copies are the bare minimum.
If you’re looking to add some features to your home system, check out our guide.
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