I'm using the Eufy ecosystem, which connects to the Homebase hub, a physical harddrive in my house. The wired cameras also can have a SD card option. I also have the wireless outdoor ones that came with solar panels so technically they will run for ages.
I had gotten the newer E340 doorbell, which had two cameras, one eye-level and one point downwards so that it can track packages left on the doorstep. Personally, I think that doorbell is not very good and the battery drains very quickly. My old C30 worked much better and the battery lasted way longer.
I can access the videos via the app, but there isn't anything stored on the Cloud so there is no subscriptions.
I have one and it’s been pretty decent battery life. I think where you place it and how many often it records will impact battery life. Have you considered setting up exclusion zones?
good question! I had a look and I purchased it in january 25th this year and I have charged it twice since installing it. It is not the 6months but it is a lot longer than your 2 weeks!
I am not doing 24/7 recording and my driveway is not facing the road or have people walking past frequently.
I'm using the Eufy C30 (the cheapest one) it does have a micro SD card slot but that only works when you're using it stand-alone - if you have it connected to a homebase then it'll use the storage on that.
Works well except battery life isn't great - I have to charge it every four weeks or so while the other Eufy cameras we have will last a couple of months between recharges (capturing a similar number of events)
Eufy! We’ve got 8 of them including the doorbell cam and love them. Only extra thing you’ll pay for is a larger SD card. Our cams with a 128GB card will store about 2 weeks of continuous recording.
I use both **Eufy** and **Tapo**, but Eufy is my preferred ecosystem.
# Eufy Recommendations
**Outdoors:**
* **S4 Solocam** – Best overall. Triple-lens (4K + 2×2K PTZ), solar + battery, and true 24/7 if wired. Quick-swap battery is a huge plus (will outlive any camera with a built-in batter as long as other hardware lasts).
* **E42 Solocam PTZ** – 4K PTZ without the extras. Solar + battery + optional wired 24/7.
* **S3 Pro** – Great night vision, no PTZ, requires HomeBase, built-in solar, supports wired 24/7.
* **E30 Solocam** – 2K budget version of the E42.
*(Eufy model numbers repeat—“Solocam” vs. “Floodlight Cam” vs. “Indoor Cam” matters more.)*
**Indoors:**
Only battery options without built-in solar are **S210 (2C)** which is 1080p and **S220 (2C Pro)** which is 2K.
**Doorbells:**
* **E340** – Best overall (dual cams + package detection). Can be finicky but still my pick.
* **C31** – Battery + wired + 24/7 but no package detection.
* **C30** – Skip due to sealed battery.
* New dual-cam likely next year, maybe wait if you can.
**Get a 3-year warranty** (Amazon/B&H).
**Eufy Pros:** Works exceptionally well, when it works. Great hardware, well-designed, durable, strong community.
**Eufy Cons:** Firmware hiccups, spotty support, QC issues, weak smart-home integration, AI is hit-or-miss.
# Tapo
Good cameras but mostly **wired**. Only one 4K battery/solar cam. Snapshot mode when idle. New base station supports large 2.5" drives.
**Pros:** Best integrations (Alexa/Google/SmartThings), deep settings (resolution + FPS, UPnP), great automation.
**Cons:** Support is worse than Eufy, random connection issues, some cams feel cheap.
**Overall:**
**Eufy** = best hardware + battery/solar options.
**Tapo** = best smart-home integration + automation.
\*\*\*summarized using AI. I type a lot :)
Good Luck!
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