TP-Link Tapo review: A DIY security system for smart home builders

TP-Link Tapo hardware

As outlined earlier, Tapo hardware spans security cameras, sensors and detectors, plus other smart home devices like plugs, lights, switches, a door lock and even robotic vacuum cleaners. In this sense, Tapo’s offering is closer to Eufy than Yale or Simplisafe, in that this is a modular smart home kit with some elements of an alarm, rather than a fully-fledged security system.

Arguably Tapo’s most important product is the H500 Smart HomeBase. This acts as a hub for all of your Tapo devices to connect to, as well as an expandable storage centre for security camera recordings, a way of adding artificial intelligence to your cameras, and a stand for your iPad or Android tablet, which then becomes a control centre for your entire system. On top of all that, the H500 has support for Matter, the smart home connectivity standard that helps it work with devices from other manufacturers

For now though, I’ll start with the C660 camera. Priced at £179.99, this is a solar-powered outdoor security camera with motorised pan and tilt, which means it can move up, down and side-to-side to follow a subject, such as a trespasser walking through your garden. It’s a bulky camera, and not the most attractive I’ve ever seen, but the 4K footage it produces is fantastic. I also like how it reliably spots and follows movement, and how the solar panel kept the battery at 100 percent during my testing, even with changeable weather and just a couple hours of direct sunlight each day.

The camera’s colour night vision is aided by an LED spotlight (or there’s regular infrared, too), and its speaker doubles as a siren. So while Tapo doesn’t offer a dedicated external alarm, cameras like the C660 can help fulfil that role.

Pair this – and other Tapo cameras – to the aforementioned H500 Smart HomeBase, and you’ll start to build a more complete home security system. The H500 has 16GB of integrated storage for camera recordings, but this can be expanded to up to 16TB by inserting a compatible hard drive or solid-state drive. It also has a speaker that works as a siren, Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity, and a tablet stand.

Tapo’s tablet app turns your iPad Android into a security camera monitor and home control system. Here, you can view live video streams from four cameras at once (although it can connect to 16 in total), and control smart home devices like switches, plugs, lights and more. It works with Tapo products, but thanks to Matter compatibility, it connects with devices from other companies too.

Once everything’s set up in the Tapo app (not the work of a moment, admittedly), you can switch between system statuses – like Home, Away and Sleep – with a single tap, basically turning your iPad into an alarm controller. The H500 also adds AI features to some Tapo cameras, like person and vehicle detection, for more accurate alerts and fewer recordings triggered by other types of movement. The H500 works very well – though it does run rather warm, so be mindful about what surface you place it on – and grants a second life to any older tablet you might have relegated to a drawer.

I’ve also reviewed the Tapo D235, pictured above, which you can read more about in our guide to the best video doorbells of 2025. I gave the doorbell 4.5 stars and praised its wide, 180-degree lens, inclusion of a chime in the box, and Tapo’s subscription-free approach to home security and video storage. That said, a microSD card is not included, and it’s quite large compared to other battery-powered doorbells.

TP-Link Tapo software

I’ve already spoken about how Tapo’s tablet app, together with the H500 hub, breathes new life into any old tablet you might have lying around. It’s a smart and cost-effective way to add a touchscreen control centre and security camera monitor to your system – and something Ring, Yale and Simplisafe all miss out on. They have their own apps, but none are a patch on how Tapo’s works with the H500.

Tapo’s phone app works much like those from other security systems. You can set schedules, use face recognition to help separate strangers from family members, and the app will automatically stitch together footage taken of the same person from multiple cameras.

Notifications come through quickly and the app opens speedily too, showing a live camera feed just a couple of seconds after the alert landed on your phone. Like Eufy, Tapo’s various security, smart home and cleaning products are all handily accessible from the same app.

TP-Link Tapo smart home features

Like many other home security systems, Tapo works with Alexa and Google Home, meaning you can control Tapo devices by speaking to your voice assistant of choice.

But where TP-Link takes things further is with support for Matter, a platform with the goal of ensuring all smart home devices can communicate with each other, regardless of which company they come from. The goal is to create a system where every Matter-compatible product can be controlled by, or interact with, every other. It isn’t perfect just yet – entire product categories, like security cameras, alarms and video doorbells, are still missing from the Matter standard – but it’s a start.

This means the H500 Smart HomeBase has the potential to become a control hub for lights, switches, thermostats, window blinds, curtains, door locks, sensors, robot vacuums, entertainment devices and more. Matter is still a work-in-progress for now, but if it succeeds in unifying the smart home industry, it could give TP-Link Tapo the edge over its rivals.

TP-Link Tapo subscription plan

Tapo’s smart home and security products provide full functionality with zero monthly fee. Each camera can either save footage to a microSD card (not included), or send recordings to the H500.

That said, Tapo offers cloud storage for those who might want it. Called Tapo Care, this starts with the Basic tier at £2.49 a month for one camera, rising to £8.99 for five cameras. This stores video clips in the cloud for seven days and enables rich notifications, where alerts on your phone lock screen include a screenshot from your camera.

Above this, there’s the Premium tier, which increases cloud access for each clip from seven to 30 days and costs from £2.99 per camera per month, to £9.99 for 10 cameras. Cloud storage is a nice-to-have, but far from a necessity, especially when the H500 can be upgraded to have masses of local storage – up to 16TB.

The verdict: TP-Link Tapo home security system

Although not a traditional home alarm system, like those from Yale, Verisure and Simplisafe, TP-Link Tapo is a good option for those who want smarter, more configurable security. It lacks a physical keypad and dedicated external siren, but with the new H500 Tapo turns your iPad into a command centre for your entire home. The system can also be given an enormous amount of local storage, with no need to pay a subscription for extra features.

I found the C660 camera to work very well, while the door sensor and motion detector work just like any other. They combine, with the H500 and a Tapo doorbell, to create the foundations of both a domestic security system and a smart home automation platform.

For those who want high-quality 4K security cameras, masses of local storage and the opportunity to build a Matter-based smart home system – all controlled by a tablet – Tapo is just what you’re looking for.