Solar Security Cameras Without a Subscription: Where aosu, Reolink, SOLIOM, and eufy Store Your Clips

Published October 21, 2026. Every storage, solar, and plan detail below comes from the maker’s own product page or support article (aosu, Reolink, SOLIOM, and eufy), checked on October 21, 2026. Nothing here is a hands-on test, and this is not a ranked list. Plans and bundles change, so confirm on the maker page before you buy.

“No subscription” is printed on almost every solar security camera box. It is usually true, but it hides a catch: the camera still has to save clips somewhere. If the place it saves them is a microSD card you have to buy, a base station that only comes in the kit, or a cloud plan, then “no subscription” depends on which box you bought. This page explains where each of four brands actually stores recordings, what keeps working without a paid plan, and the one setup where you really do need to pay monthly: a cellular (4G LTE) camera.

Quick answer

• All four makers sell solar cameras that record without a monthly plan, as long as the camera has local storage: a microSD card, built-in memory, or a base station.
• Check whether the card or base is in the box. aosu says its standalone cameras ship without an SD card, while its kits include an aosuBase with 32GB. Reolink’s Argus 4 Pro and SOLIOM’s S600 also list the microSD card as not included or not built in. eufy’s SoloCam S340 lists 8 GB of built-in eMMC storage.
• Without local storage, there’s nowhere to save clips. aosu says plainly that a standalone camera with no card needs a cloud plan to save events. Live view may still work.
• Cellular cameras need a data plan. That isn’t a cloud subscription, but it is a monthly or yearly bill. SOLIOM lists plans from $19.90/month to $169/year per camera for its 4G models, and Reolink’s Go Plus needs a 4G LTE data SIM you supply.
• None of these battery/solar cameras record 24/7. They record motion events. aosu and eufy say so directly on their product pages.

What “no subscription” actually covers

When a maker says “no monthly fee,” it means the core features run without its paid cloud service. On aosu’s SolarCam D1 Classic Kit, that’s spelled out: motion alerts, live view, playback of locally stored events, clip downloads, pan/tilt, motion tracking, two-way talk, spotlight, and siren all work without a cloud plan (aosu product FAQ). What you usually don’t get without a plan is an off-site copy of your clips, plus some cloud-only extras such as aosu’s cloud Face AI.

Two things still need the internet even without a plan: remote viewing and phone alerts. aosu notes that if home internet drops, the D1 Classic cameras keep saving events to the aosuBase, and you can review them once it reconnects.

Where each brand stores clips without a plan

Brand by brand: the fine print

aosu: kits include storage, standalone cameras don’t

aosu’s own guide, “Do aosu cameras need a subscription?”, is unusually direct. It says most aosu cameras don’t need a paid plan when they have supported local storage, but a standalone camera “may need a compatible microSD card,” and the card is “usually purchased separately.” The D1 Classic Kit FAQ adds that a standalone camera with no card “will need cloud storage to save recorded events.”

The kits avoid that problem. aosu says both the 2-cam and 4-cam D1 Classic kits include an aosuBase with 32GB of storage, and it estimates up to 120 days of motion events on the 2-cam kit and up to 60 days on the 4-cam kit “under typical usage.” Those are aosu’s estimates, not continuous video. When storage fills, the oldest events are overwritten. aosu also warns that an aosuBase bought separately won’t necessarily work with every aosu camera, so match the hub generation to the camera.

For solar, aosu says the D1 Classic’s integrated panel is designed to keep the camera charged with about 2 hours of direct sun a day under typical use. If you want the version with the hub included, here’s the aosu SolarCam D1 Classic Kit on aosu’s store.

Reolink: microSD or Home Hub, but read the 4G exception

The Argus 4 Pro page says “No Monthly Fees For Local Storage.” It takes a microSD card up to 512GB (FAT32, Class 10 or faster), and Reolink’s FAQ says the camera does not come with one. It also works with the Reolink Home Hub, which stores footage from several cameras. The listed solar accessory is the Reolink Solar Panel 2 (6W).

The Reolink Home Hub takes up to two 1TB microSD cards, but Reolink says it doesn’t work with its 4G cameras or 2MP battery cameras. So if you’re buying a cellular Reolink for a site with no Wi-Fi, plan on a microSD card in the camera, not a hub.

The Reolink Go Plus is that cellular model. Clips save to a microSD card up to 128GB. Reolink says it works with “major 4G LTE data-only SIM cards,” names T-Mobile prepaid data, Mint Mobile, and FreedomPop, and says it does not support 5G. It pairs with a 3W Reolink solar panel. If you are weighing 4G trail cameras instead, see our Vosker vs Spypoint vs Tactacam comparison.

SOLIOM: base-station kits vs 4G cameras

SOLIOM’s Wi-Fi SH801 system stores encrypted clips on the SOLIOM Base. The product page lists a built-in 32GB card in the base, expandable to 128GB, and a detachable 3W solar panel per camera. SOLIOM says the 32GB card “supports up to 2 months of loop recording.” That’s its estimate. It also says the camera records only when an event is detected.

SOLIOM’s 4G cameras are different. The S600 4G page says to insert a SIM card and a microSD card (up to 128GB, not included). It ships with a 300MB, 7-day trial SIM and lists AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon prepaid SIMs as supported. The S800C 4G page lists data plans for SOLIOM’s prepaid SIM from $19.90/month to $169/year per camera and says the camera is “designed for use in US cities only.” Both 4G pages also offer Soliom Cloud with a 30-day trial.

For the S600 and S800 head to head, see our Soliom S600 vs S800 comparison.

eufy: built-in storage on the SoloCam S340

eufy’s SoloCam S340 spec table lists “Monthly Fee: No” and “Local Storage: Built-In 8 GB EMMC,” so you don’t need a card to start. It also works with the HomeBase S380, which eufy says adds the base’s storage and more on-device AI (familiar faces, pet detection). The panel is an adjustable, removable 2.2W unit, and the camera is 2.4GHz Wi-Fi only. eufy’s FAQ says battery cameras aren’t capable of 24/7 recording, even with HomeBase 3.

When a subscription (or data plan) is actually worth it

• The camera is easy to reach or steal. If the clips live on a card inside the camera, a thief can take the camera and the evidence together. aosu makes the same point about microSD storage. A base station inside the house or a cloud copy fixes that.
• There’s no Wi-Fi at the site. A barn, gate, cabin, or job site needs a cellular camera, and that means paying for data whether or not you add cloud storage. Price the data plan, not just the camera.
• You want a feature that only runs in the cloud. aosu lists cloud Face AI as part of aosuProtect+. Its aosuCortex hub does face recognition locally on supported systems.
• You won’t download important clips. Local storage loops and overwrites the oldest events when it fills.

Buying checklist

• Find the exact model and bundle. Is a card, base station, or built-in memory listed in the box contents?
• If a microSD card is needed, check the maximum size and format the maker lists (for example, Reolink lists FAT32, Class 10 or faster for the Argus 4 Pro).
• If you’re buying a hub separately, check the maker’s compatibility list. Reolink’s Home Hub excludes its 4G cameras, and aosu says hub generations aren’t interchangeable.
• For a cellular camera, list the supported carriers and the monthly or yearly data cost.
• Check the Wi-Fi band. The eufy S340 and aosu D1 Classic list 2.4GHz.
• For solar, check how much direct sun the maker says the panel needs, and where you can mount it. Our guide to NEMA and IP ratings explains the weatherproof ratings on camera spec sheets.

Frequently asked questions

Do solar security cameras work without a subscription?

Yes, as long as the camera has local storage. Each maker covered here sells solar cameras that save clips to a microSD card, built-in memory, or a base station without a monthly plan. Without any local storage, there’s nowhere to save the clips.

Does a 4G solar camera need a monthly plan?

It needs cellular data. SOLIOM lists $19.90/month to $169/year per camera for its prepaid SIM plans, and Reolink’s Go Plus uses a 4G LTE data-only SIM from a carrier you choose. Cloud storage is separate and optional on both.

Can I record 24/7 on a solar camera without a plan?

Not on the battery/solar models covered here. aosu and eufy both say their battery cameras record motion events, not continuous video, and SOLIOM’s SH801 page says the camera records only when an event is detected.

What happens to my clips when local storage fills up?

aosu says its systems loop-record, replacing the oldest events with new ones, and SOLIOM describes loop recording on its base. Download clips you want to keep.

Related reads

• Reolink vs Soliom vs Ring solar security cameras
• Soliom S600 vs S800 compared
• Vosker vs Spypoint vs Tactacam: 4G LTE solar cameras
• Battery backup for your router and modem
• Understanding NEMA and IP ratings