I’m looking for an indoor camera to keep an eye on our dog when we’re away—something secure, with no subscription fees, and accessible from our phones. Ideally, I’d go with a camera that’s compatible with Apple HomeKit, but not everyone in my family uses Apple. After learning more about Eufy, I’ve ruled them out, which has made finding the right camera a bit tricky. Since this is our first indoor camera, I want to make sure I choose wisely, especially considering privacy.
What would you recommend?
For those concerned about privacy, all connected cameras should be considered similar to Eufy, although I find Eufy to be less of a concern since they record data locally. Personally, I use Amcrest cameras with Wi-Fi turned off, connected only via Ethernet and accessible locally. I can remotely access my home network through a VPN to view them. Any camera that supports RTSP should function similarly. I have Home Assistant and Frigate set up for recording, but if you don’t need a full NVR system, the cameras alone would still suffice. I’m not an expert in this area, so I hope someone with more knowledge can provide additional insights.
Ensure that the cameras are wired (either via power plugs or POE) rather than battery-operated. I personally use several older POE and Wi-Fi IP cameras (like the Reolink 410W) to monitor my toddler while I’m in the bathroom or cooking. Wi-Fi IP cameras are convenient because they can be easily mounted near power outlets without requiring additional hardware like a POE switch. All my cameras connect to an NVR, but it’s also possible to use them without one, opting for SD card recording or just streaming without any recording.
I have the Ecobee camera for this exact purpose. I use it with HomeKit. 
In order to watch my pet, the best camera of the ones I have tried so far is the Xiami 360. It is inexpensive, I can access it in real time from anywhere from their very convenient App, diferentiates pet/object movement vs. person movement, has surveillance options, night vision and two-way voice (like many other of these cameras), and so on.
I like Reolink. it has AI and vehicle detection. 4 cams with 6tb hard drive is about $600. pretty easy to set up as seen here https://youtu.be/XXpYhUU02G4
now, if u really care about privacy, block it from getting it online. then to view remotely, VPN back into your house. that’s how the pros do it. not easily done by newbies unless you willing to learn on YT
I bought the blink camera system from Costco. Extremely easy to setup and install. Has live feed for free through an app on your smart phone and if you want to record clips you have to pay a subscription. The subscription is like $1-$3 a month so it isn’t to bad.
I would recommend tapo cameras
I was looking at the tapo cameras actually them seem pretty good and inexpensive