Shelly Camera: Shelly's First Subscription-Free Security Camera

Shelly Group has unveiled the Shelly Camera, its first smart security camera, at IFA Berlin 2026 — and its headline feature is that it doesn't need a subscription to work. The compact indoor camera records Full HD 1080p video across a 110° horizontal and 70° vertical field of view, with black-and-white night vision for low-light coverage, and carries an MSRP of £37.90 / €39.90 / $49.99. Unlike Ring or Nest cameras, which typically require a paid cloud plan to record and review footage, the Shelly Camera lets you livestream for free, record locally to a microSD card, or add Shelly's own cloud storage as an optional extra. Every purchase includes three months of that cloud storage at no cost. The caveat: this is a brand-new product line for a company that's built its reputation on switches and sensors rather than cameras, so real-world reliability and long-term software support are still unproven.

What does the Shelly Camera cost and what's in the box?

The Shelly Camera carries an MSRP of £37.90 in the UK, €39.90 in the EU, and $49.99 in the US, undercutting most subscription-based rivals like Ring's Indoor Cam on upfront price alone. It ships in black or white finishes, is powered over USB-C via a two-metre cable, and comes with a mounting plate for shelf, desk, wall or ceiling placement. A microSD card isn't included, so anyone planning to record locally will need to buy one separately.

Do you need a subscription to use the Shelly Camera?

No — the Shelly Camera is designed to work fully without a subscription. Shelly offers three ways to use it: live view only with no recording at all, local recording to a microSD card you supply yourself, or optional cloud recording through Shelly Cloud. Motion detection and automations run locally too, so core features don't stop working if you never pay Shelly anything beyond the purchase price. That's a meaningful difference from cameras like Ring, where continuous recording and cloud video history sit behind a mandatory Ring Protect subscription once the free trial ends.

How much does the optional Shelly Premium plan cost?

For anyone who does want cloud storage, Shelly Premium costs €3.99 a month for one camera, with additional tiers covering three, six or ten cameras for multi-camera households or small businesses. Premium also unlocks extra automation features on top of storage. Because every Shelly Camera purchase bundles three months of Shelly Cloud free, new buyers get to try the cloud tier before deciding whether the ongoing cost is worth it — a lower-commitment structure than rivals that charge from day one or lock advanced features behind a plan entirely.

How does the Shelly Camera fit into the wider smart home ecosystem?

The camera slots directly into Shelly's existing smart home and building automation range, working alongside the company's relays, sensors and lighting products — so a motion event from the camera can trigger a Shelly smart plug or lighting scene without routing through a third-party hub. It also supports Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Samsung SmartThings, plus more technical integrations via Home Assistant, Frigate NVR, MQTT and WebRTC, extending the local-control approach Shelly is already known for with devices like the Shelly Flood S Gen4 leak sensor.

Who is the Shelly Camera aimed at?

Shelly is positioning the camera for homes, apartments, offices and small businesses that want reliable monitoring without ongoing costs or handing footage to a third-party cloud by default. That makes it a natural budget alternative to subscription-first indoor cameras for renters, small landlords or anyone already invested in Shelly's ecosystem. It's available soon through Shelly.com and Shelly's network of authorised distributors and resellers, with a two-year manufacturer's warranty.

Shelly's other IFA announcement is ThreadLink, a free firmware that would move Gen4 relays onto Thread.