Build a DIY Home Security System with Raspberry Pi (Under $150)

Commercial home security systems want $15-40/month for cloud recording, and they stop working the moment you cancel. Ring, Arlo, Nest — they all hold your footage hostage behind a subscription. A Raspberry Pi-based security system costs under $150 in hardware, stores everything locally, sends instant alerts to your phone, and never charges you a monthly fee. Here's how to build one. What You'll Build By the end of this guide, you'll have a security system that: Captures video from 1-4 cameras with motion detection Sends push notifications with snapshot images to your phone when motion is detected Records 24/7 or motion-triggered clips to a local drive Provides a web interface accessible from any device on your network Optionally exposes a secure remote feed through a VPN or Tailscale tunnel Costs nothing beyond the initial hardware investment No cloud. No subscription. No company watching your footage. Hardware Shopping List Component Recommended Model Price Raspberry Pi Pi 5 (4GB) $60