With affordable prices and increased compatibility, there's never been a better time to invest in a smart home ecosystem. While many lament subscription-based smart home products, there are plenty of viable alternatives that cut out recurring charges altogether. It's easy to find offline, subscription-free home security cameras that put the user in control of how they're used. In fact, I've been using one such camera for the past two years—the TP-Link Tapo C125.

On paper, the Tapo C125 is an excellent security camera. It retails for under $50, supports local recording with a microSD card slot, and integrates with the Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and Apple HomeKit ecosystems. Despite all the apparent benefits, I've been underwhelmed by the Tapo and HomeKit security camera experience, so I'm

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