Arlo Q vs Nest Cam Indoor: Pros & Cons and Verdict

People purchase security cameras to strengthen and improve their overall safety levels. There are dozens of security camera manufacturers who claim to sell the most outstanding and reliable devices.

Sadly, not all those companies can be trusted, as it often transpires that the security cameras don’t live up to the hype of the advertisements.

On the bright side, Arlo and Nest are two popular companies that have released several best-selling products. Two of the notable creations are Arlo Q and Nest Cam Indoor.

Nest Cam and Arlo Q are top-notch security cameras with amazing capabilities and unique features.

Arlo Q vs Nest Cam Indoor: Pros & Cons and Verdict

In this comparison article, we’ll be comparing Arlo Q and Nest Cam Indoor. We’ll compare, evaluate and rate the most important aspects of these two security cameras. Lastly, we’ll come up with a reasonable verdict and crown one of these two as the leading product.

1. Installation Process

Firstly, let’s cover the installation process for Arlo Q and Nest Cam. Today, people opt for gadgets that are easy to set up. After all, no one likes wasting time reading manuals and watching dozens of guides.

So, it’s essential for Arlo Q and Nest Cam to have simple installation processes. Otherwise, people will look for alternatives.

Arlo Q

The setup process of Arlo Q is quite simple. It’s a DIY security camera with an intuitive installation. I won’t write a step-by-step guide since Arlo has uploaded this excellent video that perfectly explains how to install your Arlo Q.

So the setup process is pretty simple. It takes around 5 minutes to activate your Arlo Q. If you still have trouble understanding how to activate your security camera, the Arlo package includes a well-written user manual.

As a last resort, you can reach out to the Arlo support team. Their customer care area is well-known for being friendly and informative. I’ve reached out a few times and always got professional answers and tips.

Nest Cam Indoor

Nest Cam is another DIY security camera with a simple installation process. Compared to its competitors, Nest Indoor is the most straightforward DIY camera. To activate your security camera, there are just two simple steps:

1. Pick a spot and plug your Nest Cam in
2. Download the mobile app for iOS or Android and follow the simple instructions

That’s all. Simple as that. You’ll have your Nest Cam up and running in a minute or two. If you somehow get lost, refer to the user manual for further guidance. Alternatively, reach out to Nest’s support/customer care. They’ll help with anything you think is relevant.

2. Design

It’s essential for modern devices to have a beautiful design. Modern smart home shoppers seek gadgets that are both functional and good-looking. If Arlo Q and Nest Cam fail to meet the criteria, people simply won’t want to buy them.

Arlo Q

Arlo Q is a well-built security camera that looks stylish. It’s only available in white and boasts being one of the most attractive indoor security cameras.

As well as looking neat, it’s important to know the dimensions of a security camera. The dimensions of Arlo Q are 4.93 x 5.99 x 4.45 inches, and it weighs 1.27 pounds.

As you can see from the above, the Arlo Q has a diamond shape; in its “inner diamond” of translucent white, there are ten infrared LED lights. Whenever the camera is connected, a blue light shines to let you know that everything is working smoothly.

Nest Cam Indoor

Nest Cam is another beautifully-designed security camera. The dimensions of Nest Cam are 2.9 x 4.5 x 2.9 inches, and it weighs 0.45 pounds.

I own the Nest Cam Indoor. I’m a big fan of the way it looks, and, having talked with other owners, I can say that everyone seems to be in love with its aesthetics. It’s well-built, durable and attractive. Plus, if needed, Nest Cam can easily be camouflaged so that it’s hard to spot.

Nest Cam looks like a traditional security camera. The green light indicates the “connected” status of your Nest Cam Indoor. At its centre is the camera lens, which has a 130-degree field of view.

3. Features

Generally, in order to find out what a security camera is capable of, it’s essential to know its features. Otherwise, we can’t know what to expect from a particular device.

So we need to know what features these devices offer and if there are any meaningful differences between Arlo Q and Nest Cam Indoor. It can be confusing for customers if they buy a device without knowing its exact capabilities.

So, to avoid any uncertainty, we’ve created a detailed chart that shows the features of both security cameras.

ARLO Q	NEST CAM INDOOR
Amazon Alexa/Echo Support	130° Field of View
Live Video 24/7	1080p HD Camera
Free 7-day Cloud Storage	Alerts and Snapshots
1080p HD Video	Talk and Listen
Instant Alerts	Night-Vision
Built-in Microphone	Activity Zones
Web Application	Nest Aware
Enhanced Sound and Motion Detection	Cloud Storage
Night-Vision	24/7 Live Streaming & Recording

Both security cameras have exciting features and are capable devices. The 1080p camera makes both Nest Cam and Arlo Q superior, top-notch products.

The features of both cameras appear to be quite similar, but Arlo Q and Nest Cam do differ in terms of functionality. To adequately differentiate these two security cameras, we need to know how well they perform.

4. Performance

Understanding the performance capabilities is the critical aspect of our comparison article. After all, the performance capability is the defining reason why someone will purchase a security camera. If a camera doesn’t meet a purchaser’s requirements, they will look elsewhere.

Arlo Q Security Camera

The camera capabilities of Arlo Q are outstanding. We tested it, and Arlo Q records quite well, and the quality of the live feed is as good as the downloaded clips. In case you’re interested in how well the security camera records, take a look below.

We get a 130-degree field of view while watching the live feed. If you’d like to take a closer look at what’s happening in the corner of a room, for example, Arlo Q has an 8x zoom feature. The quality will lessen slightly, but you’ll have zero trouble figuring what’s going on.

The night-vision of Arlo Q is flawless. The only problem we’ve encountered was the blurriness when someone briskly passed by.

Suggested Read: Arlo Q vs Arlo Q Plus: Pros & Cons and Verdict

Arlo Q has a powerful motion and sound detection system. Sadly, the security camera can’t tell if it’s triggered by an animal or a human being, but it still does a fantastic job sending reliable alerts. Another cool feature of the security camera is that it allows the owner to set activity zones.

In addition, Arlo Q has a great feature that allows you to create custom modes. For example, we created the following setup:

• Whenever Arlo Q detects activity in the specific activity zone, it’ll send a notification and record a clip so that you can review it later.

The motion sensor is powerful enough to monitor a range of 15 feet. If the motion sensors “over-react” and cause a lot of false alerts, don’t panic; you can simply adjust the sensitivity level so that it becomes more human-movement oriented.

The audio quality of Arlo Q is quite good. While watching the live feed or reviewing old footage, you can hear people having conversations in the main room. If you listen carefully, you might also be able to pick up discussion which is out of shot.

Arlo Q also offers the two-way audio feature, which works pretty well. You need to press the ‘Push-to-Talk’ button for people to hear you when you speak, and you simply release the button when it’s the other person’s turn to talk (i.e. in order to hear them).

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Having seven days of FREE cloud storage is a generous gesture from Arlo, and the feature is available to all security camera owners. Sadly, Arlo doesn’t store seven days of continuous video. It works a bit differently.

Every clip Arlo Q records is stored in the cloud for seven days. As soon as a week has passed, the system automatically removes footage that has reached the seven-day limit; it continues to store new clips until they, too, reach the time limit. If you think that those seven days aren’t enough, you can subscribe to a paid plan that offers more flexibility and storage.

Popular Read: Arlo Q vs Arlo Q Plus: Pros & Cons and Verdict

Alternatively, Arlo Q Plus is a newly released security camera that has a few enhanced features. One of the most significant additions is the built-in MicroSD slot that supports up to 128GB. So if you purchase the second generation Arlo Q, you don’t need to buy cloud storage subscription.

Nest Cam Indoor

To adequately describe the capabilities of Nest Cam, think about it as a game-changer security camera. Nest Cam’s camera capabilities are outstanding, and the 1080p HD camera records in crystal-clear quality.

If you purchase the Nest Aware subscription, Nest Cam instantly becomes a more capable, smart and functional security camera. In case you’re interested in how well it records, I’ve dropped a video that shows the fantastic camera capabilities of Nest.

I’ve had cases when the mobile application lagged when the security camera was set to record in 1080p quality. If something similar happens, switch the quality to 720p, and the lagging will instantly disappear.

Like the Arlo Q, Nest Cam has a 130-degree field of view. It also has a zooming feature (8x) which allows you to monitor everything in detail. Plus, Nest made sure that zooming in doesn’t ruin the quality.

What I like about the Nest Cam is the scheduling feature that sets certain times when the camera should record or turn off so that your privacy is respected.

Like Arlo, Nest Cam has the ‘Talk and Listen’ feature. For example, if you’re out of town or at work and would like to check on someone, you can say ‘hi’ directly from your security camera.

Must Read: Nest Cam vs Arlo Pro: Pros & Cons and Verdict

Nest Aware is the critical aspect of Nest products. By subscribing to this fantastic service, your devices will become smarter and flexible. With Nest Aware, you can create exciting setups such as:

• If your Nest Thermostat is in ‘Away Mode’, Nest Cam will turn on.
• After Nest Protect detects smoke, Nest Cam will start recording to capture everything happening in its field of view so that you can review the footage and find out what triggered the emergency.

Sensitivity levels of Nest Cam might need some adjusting. If you feel that the security camera is sending a lot of false alerts, you can lower the sensitivity level. You can also set motion zones to make Nest Cam more focused and human-movement oriented.

Lastly, Nest Aware has advanced algorithms and a face-detection feature. Although it can’t actually recognise a person standing in front of your camera, it can differentiate humans from animals.

5. Mobile Application

It’s essential for security cameras to have functional mobile applications since we need to use them quite often. We use mobile applications to check, monitor and control our devices. If Nest and Arlo have buggy, messy and glitchy apps, the user experience will be low, and people will start looking for alternative products.

Arlo Q

Arlo’s mobile application is well-known for being strongly-built, intuitive and easy to use. While the app isn’t my favourite, it is clean and well-structured.  I’ve heard of instances of the application previously being buggy and messy. There were cases when Arlo’s app unexpectedly froze, and reloading was the only solution to make it work again.

Luckily, latest updates have solved the majority of the issues, and now Arlo’s mobile application functions pretty well. In case you’re interested how it looks on the inside, I’ve dropped a few pictures below.

We’ve got three main sections – Mode, Devices, and Library:

• Mode – There are three main modes – Armed, Disarmed and Geofencing. For instance, if your security camera is in ‘Armed Mode’, whenever it detects activity, Arlo Q will record a 5-second clip.
• Devices – The section shows all the devices we have connected and their current statuses. If there’s an issue with your device, you can check this section for further guidance.
• Library – You can review all the footages your security camera recorded. You can also manage them and remove the ones you don’t need.

Before we move forward, let’s write a few more words about the geofencing feature of Arlo Q. Geofencing tracks your phone’s location and acts whenever it sees fit. If you unexpectedly leave your house, Arlo will take notice and will activate the ‘Armed Mode’ so that it doesn’t miss any suspicious activity.

Arlo’s mobile application is clean and functional. It’s intuitive and easy to navigate. It may not be a perfect application, but it is surely one of the best on the market.

Nest Cam Indoor

All of Nest devices use the same mobile application. If you own any of Nest’s creations, you’ll know how good the mobile app is. As soon as you get your Nest device and download the mobile app, you get a free Nest Aware subscription so that you can test its abilities and later decide if it’s worth upgrading to a paid one.

In case you’re interested how the mobile application looks on the inside, here are a few pics that’ll give you a brief idea of what to expect from it.

So there’s a dashboard that shows the temperature, humidity, and air quality. We also get to choose modes and the ability to check the latest triggers. In addition to the features already mentioned, there’s a button to view the ‘Live Feed, set ‘Rules’, ‘Vitals’ and ‘Controls’.

As seen in the images above, navigating Nest’s mobile application is simple, and it takes no time to understand what’s where.

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Nest Cam also has the ‘Talk & Listen’ feature. If you’re interested how much the Nest Aware subscription costs, the first month is free, and the cheapest plan is $10/monthly.

6. Advantages and Disadvantages

It’s important to know the advantages and disadvantages of both security cameras to avoid any misunderstandings before purchasing either of these models. Hence we’ve created two charts that list the pros and cons of Arlo Q and Nest Cam Indoor

Arlo Q

PROS	CONS
Flexible Mobile Application	No Local Storage
Sharp Night Vision	No Ethernet
1080p HD Recording	Single-User Mobile Application
Smart Alerts	Difficult Custom Zones Setup
Different Modes
130° Field of View
Motion & Sound Alerts
Activity Zones
Clip History
7 Day FREE Cloud Storage	Purchase Arlo Q

Nest Cam Indoor

PROS	CONS
Easy to Set Up	Limited Notifications
24/7 Live Streaming	Sometimes Runs Hot
Crisp 1080p HD Video	Relies on Nest Aware
Flexible Mobile Application
Nest Aware
130° Field of View
Enhanced Night Vision
Intelligent Alerts
Talk & Listen
Excellent Digital Zoom	Purchase Nest Cam

So those are the main pros and cons of Arlo Q and Nest Cam Indoor. These two security cameras are top-notch products, and, with all those advantages listed above, it’s not surprising that people regard them as industry-leading devices.

7. Support

When people purchase smart devices, quite often they have a hard time understanding “what’s what”. When they fail to find answers on their own, the remaining option is to reach out to the support teams. 

Luckily, Arlo and Nest are well-known for having the best support teams in the industry. I’ve reached out to both, and the representatives were always courteous and professional, providing helpful answers and tips. So don’t hesitate to get in touch with those guys if you ever encounter any problems with your security camera — they will help with anything you think is relevant.

8. Comparison Chart: Nest Cam vs Arlo Q

Lastly, before concluding our article, we’d like to present a detailed chart where we list and compare the most critical aspects of these two security cameras.

NAME OF THE SECURITY CAMERA	NEST CAM INDOOR	ARLO Q
Security Camera Name	Nest Cam Indoor	Arlo Q
Video Quality	1080p HD	1080p HD
Field of View	130°	130°
Mobile Application	Yes	Yes
Night Vision	Yes	Yes
Motion Detection	Yes	Yes
Intelligent Alerts	Yes	Yes
Audio Capabilities	Yes	Yes
Live Stream	Yes	Yes
Third-Party Friendliness	High	Average
Easy to Set Up	Yes	Yes
Notifications on Phone	Yes	Yes
Dimensions Of The Product	2.9 x 4.5 x 2.9 inches	4.93 x 5.99 x 4.45 inches
Problems	Relies on Nest Aware	Buggy Audio Capabilities
Unique Feature	Nest Aware	None
Warranty	1-year	1-year
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So that’s pretty much everything we can include in the chart. Both of these security cameras are top-notch products with incredible features and capabilities. While they share the majority of the features, there’s a difference regarding performance.

The Bottom Line

Nest Cam Indoor is the best security camera on the market. Nest has a 1080p HD camera, sound and motion detection system, two-way audio and Nest Aware. It’s a capable device that can meet your needs and expectations.

If you decide to purchase the Nest Aware subscription, Nest Cam will turn into a security camera that has no match. Nest Aware makes the device more intelligent, fast and functional.

Nest Aware allows you to create customised scenes/setup and offers a lot of flexibility. Compared to its competitors, Nest Aware is way ahead of the competition.

Arlo Q is another functional security camera and is the main competitor of Nest Cam. It works quite well and offers almost the same features as Nest. If you don’t like the idea of paying monthly for the cloud storage, purchasing the Arlo Q Plus is a great decision since it has a built-in MicroSD.

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Lastly, if you’re OK with purchasing the Nest Aware or already own other Nest devices, getting the Nest Cam Indoor is the best decision you can make. Without Nest Aware, Arlo Q seems to be a better option since it can do anything Nest does and costs a bit less too.