YI Cameras Review (Including Kami)

After spending a few days testing Kami and YI cameras, we understand why most of them are so inexpensive—and it's not all good news. If you need a cheap security camera that streams good video quality to a mobile app and records to a microSD card, YI is more than enough to meet your needs. But you should look elsewhere—like Wyze—if you want affordable cloud storage and robust customer support.

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In general, YI cameras are good for folks looking to spend as little money as possible. Let's dive into why they work well for basic recording, where they can improve, and some differences between the models in our review.

For most people, the core features are probably enough to seal the deal, and we can't fault YI and Kami for nailing the basics:

• Built-in Wi-Fi and mobile app (actually two apps—both the Kami Home and YI Home app work with all of the cameras)—the app is great for adjusting settings and watching videos from your cameras.
• The 1080p video resolution looks sharp day and night. It holds up well to most other camera brands but lags behind Arlo, Nest Cam, and Reolink.
• There's a microSD card slot for local recording without a cloud storage plan (except on the doorbell camera).
• Two-way audio allows you to use a camera as an intercom through the app.
• Motion-activated recording with person detection, sound detection, and adjustable sensitivity allows you to customize what and when the camera records and sends you motion alerts (except on the Kami Wire-Free Outdoor Camera, which has fewer options).
• Basic smart home integration with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant allows you to watch camera feeds on compatible smart displays.

If you don't have much experience with security cameras, YI seems like a great deal—the perfect impulse buy. But they lose a lot of luster with the cloud storage and customer support resources.

Kami Cloud is expensive for what you get and is one of the least competitive cloud storage plans on the market. Exorbitant Cloud subscription fees are how YI can afford to sell its cameras for less than any other brand—including some Wyze models:

• The Free plan limits clips to six seconds and stores them for up to 24 hours. The clips are long enough to figure out what's happening on-screen but don't capture much detail, thanks to a mandatory cooldown between recordings. This also limits how often you get notifications.
• The Entry plan costs about $5 a month for a single camera, whereas competitors like Arlo, Wyze, Ring cost $3 a month or less for the same benefits and more than seven days of video history.
• Recording multiple cameras on a single plan kicks in on the Standard plan, which costs a whopping $12 a month and limits you to five total cameras. By comparison, Reolink's five-camera plans start at $5 a month, Nest and Ring record unlimited cameras at $6 and $10 a month, respectively, and Arlo's five-camera plans start at $10 a month. In every case, Kami Cloud is more expensive (even if you score a discounted annual plan in the YI app).
• The emergency service on the Plus plan uses Noonlight monitoring to put you in touch with first responders, similar to a home security system. Unfortunately, it costs two to three times more than matching options from Arlo and Wyze.

If you want to contact a real person for customer service, you have two options: visit the YI Community forum or pay for a cloud plan to unlock phone support. (It's not worth it.) The YI Community should be your first stop if you have a question about your camera since you can connect with YI Technology representatives and other customers on any topic.

You might want to familiarize yourself with the mobile app's FAQ section and save the manual that comes with your IP camera because they're essentially the only official resources worth using. Both explain how to set up the cameras and offer some troubleshooting tips but in a better format than you'll find in the Kami Help Center.

Sure, the Help Center covers all of the same topics, but it's disorganized and doesn't add much depth. We like that the resources don't beat around the bush, but they mostly feel like an afterthought compared to the app and manual.

There's also a support chatbot in the app and when you select Customer Support on the Kami website. The bot doesn't accept any questions beyond the ones it presents you. This makes it useful for looking up quick answers about some common issues but not for anything else.

There aren't many differences between the YI cameras in our review, but here are some things to keep in mind when buying.

• Smart detection: Most of the cameras come with smart detection (people and sounds) except the Kami Wire-Free Outdoor Camera. Some cameras have face detection and recognition (Kami Mini, Kami Doorbell Camera, and YI Dome Camera).
• Privacy mode: Some of the pan-tilt cameras (YI Dome Camera) have a privacy mode that physically hides the lens to prevent it from recording video in a room.
• Batteries vs. wired: The Kami Wire-Free Outdoor Camera and the Kami Doorbell camera use rechargeable batteries, while the other cameras require a power cable.
• Weather protection: Three cameras have built-in weather protection so you can use them outside your home: Kami Wire-Free Outdoor Camera, Kami Doorbell Camera, and YI Outdoor Security Camera.

Still, you might consider the Kami Wire-Free Outdoor Camera if you already have other YI/Kami cameras and want a wire-free option with more installation flexibility (without relying on another camera brand).

• KamiBaby: While any YI camera can function as a baby monitor, the KamiBaby has specific tools to help you watch over your baby, like sensors for temperature, humidity, crying, and breathing patterns. Like other baby monitors, it has lullabies and a night light you can use for your baby.

Utilitarian is the best word to describe YI and Kami security cameras. The cameras perform their video recording task well and for a cheap enough price—most folks probably won't care about the expensive cloud storage and limited customer support. But, considering their price isn't too far off of Wyze's superior cameras, it's hard to recommend them as a better option.

YI Dome Camera: affordable pan-tilt camera with a physical privacy shutter to protect your personal space

Kami Wire-Free Outdoor Camera: record outdoor video in your yard without power cables

YI Outdoor Security Camera: cheap wired camera that works outdoors or for garages and carports with less weather protection than the rest of your home

YI 1080p Home Camera: a fly on the wall at home when you're on vacation

Kami Doorbell Camera: a decent alternative to Ring—we didn't say it was better

Check out our Wyze cameras review for a budget security camera brand that's similar but sticks the landing better than YI. You can also compare it with other rivals in our cheap security camera review.

The general lack of information and minimal customer service resources for YI and Kami cameras makes them nearly impossible to research. Still, we scraped together whatever we could find to write our comparison. Stop by our ranking methodology to find out more about how we test and review products.

• YI Dome Camera Review
• YI Home Camera Review
• Kami Smart Security Review
• Cove Home Security System Review
• Best Cheap Security Cameras under $50
• The 10 Best Wireless Security Cameras
• Best Video Doorbell Cameras