Privacy and local control

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a smart home work without the cloud?

Yes, but the hardware has to be chosen for it. Devices that pair to a local hub over Zigbee, Z-Wave, or Thread and run their automations on that hub keep working with the internet unplugged. Wi-Fi products that talk only to a vendor's app usually stop working, so the cloud dependency is decided at purchase time, not in the settings.

Which smart cameras do not upload video to the cloud?

Cameras that record to a microSD card or to internal storage keep footage on the device, and cameras with RTSP support let you stream to a recorder, a NAS, or a mini PC you control. Every camera listed on this page offers at least one of those, which is why some of the best selling cloud only models do not appear here.

Do I need a NAS or a mini PC for a private smart home?

Not to start. A hub with a radio dongle is enough for local automations and local sensor data. A NAS or mini PC becomes worth it when you want continuous camera recording without a subscription, longer history than a memory card holds, or a controller powerful enough to run detection on your own hardware.

Are Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Thread more private than Wi-Fi devices?

In practice, yes. Those devices have no direct internet connection: they talk only to your hub, which decides what leaves the house. A Wi-Fi device connects to the internet by itself and typically reaches the vendor's servers on its own, so privacy depends entirely on what that vendor does with the data.

Does keeping everything local mean losing remote access?

No. Remote access and cloud storage are separate choices. A local setup can still be reached from your phone through your own router, using a VPN or a private tunnel, so you see your cameras and control your devices from anywhere while the data itself never sits on someone else's server.