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Video chat is big right now. Everyone is teleconferencing, and many companies are completely rethinking their stances on working from home. You still want to look your best in a video meeting, and that goes beyond showering and getting dressed. What you really need is a decent webcam.
If you have a laptop, you already have a webcam. It probably isn’t a very good one, though. Small lenses, skewed colors, awkward exposure, and grainy indoor video are just some of the problems with might experience with cheap, built-in webcams. A good dedicated webcam will solve those problems, and give you the flexibility to aim it wherever you want without wrestling with your laptop. It’s a worthwhile investment if you’re planning to spend a lot of time on calls, recording vlogs, or doing anything else with video.
Here are our top picks for webcams, along with what you should know when shopping for them.
The Best Webcam Deals This Week*
*Deals are selected by our commerce team
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Dell Pro Webcam
Best Overall
Why We Picked It
The Dell Pro Webcam offers strong performance for its reasonable price. Its 2K resolution makes it sharper than most others on this list and it’s not nearly as expensive as 4K models. The microphone works pretty well, too, which is a distinct advantage over the mic-free Dell Ultrasharp Webcam.
Who It’s For
This is our default recommendation for anyone who wants sharper-than-1080p picture quality for under $100. The Dell Pro Webcam can’t stand up to 4K webcams in terms of detail capture, but it’s still sufficient for most people.
PROS
- Sharp 2K video
- Clear audio
CONS
- Noisier than it should be for the resolution
- Sluggish auto framing
Logitech StreamCam
Best for Vertical Video
Why We Picked It
The Logitech Streamcam is a few years old, but it’s still competitive with more recent models. This 1080p, 60fps camera records in both a horizontal and vertical orientation, so it’s just as useful for TikTok as video calls. Otherwise, dual microphones capture fairly clear audio and the Logitech Capture app provides useful software support.
Who It’s For
This is an ideal option if you are just starting out with recording or streaming content because it saves you from having to immediately buy a separate mic. It’s a little pricey for a 1080p webcam, but the companion software and vertical recording features add significant value.
PROS
- Crisp, smooth video.
- Lots of recording options.
- Includes screen and tripod mounts.
CONS
- Expensive.
- Logitech Capture software doesn’t stream.
Razer Kiyo Pro
Best for Low Light
Why We Picked It
The Razer Kiyo Pro is one of the most expensive cameras on this list, but it offers great low-light performance, strong microphones, and a generous 103-degree field of view. Razer’s software can feel a bit bloated, but it offers plenty of options for fine-tuning the exposure if you don’t want to rely on default settings.
Who It’s For
If you don’t have good light, the Kiyo Pro can pick up enough light from your monitor to provide a well-exposed, sharp picture.
PROS
- Sharp video for 1080p
- Good exposure even in low light
- Crisp, clear microphone
CONS
- Expensive
- Bloated Razer software
Anker PowerConf C300
Best for Groups
Why We Picked It
The Anker PowerConf 300 has the widest lens out of all the cameras on this list at 115 degrees. That makes it ideal for getting everyone from a small conference room in the frame at once. It doesn’t particularly excel at video, but it handles awkward lighting well and picks up voices fairly clearly.
Who It’s For
The Anker PowerConf 300 works well for groups of individuals who all need to be on camera simultaneously, as well as for small businesses that don’t want to break the bank on a fancier videoconferencing solution.
PROS
- Very wide angle is good for groups
- Strong low-light performance
- Solid microphone
CONS
- Angle can be too wide for a single person
Creative Live! Cam Sync 1080p V2
Best Ultra-Affordable Webcam
Why We Picked It
The 1080p Live! Cam Sync V2 won’t impress anyone with its specs or performance, but it’s still an excellent choice that offers better quality than your laptop’s built-in webcam. Creative also sells a 4K Live! Cam Sync V3 for about $10 more, but we haven’t tested that model yet.
Who It’s For
If you want to save money on your webcam upgrade, this is your best bet. It’s not quite suitable for streaming or recording, but it works just fine for video calls.
PROS
- Relatively inexpensive
- Bright picture
- Loud, clear sound
- Built-in privacy filter
CONS
- Noisy video
- Audio isn’t particularly clean or crisp
Poly Studio P5
Best Sub-$100 Webcam
Why We Picked It
The midrange Poly Studio P5 comes in above the price of the Creative Live! Cam Sync V2, but below that of the Dell Pro Webcam. Clean mic quality and a relatively sharp picture are highlights.
Who It’s For
The Poly Studio P5 is a strong value and a good choice for people who want a better-than-budget experience. Like the aforementioned Creative model, it’s better for standard video calls than content creation, but that might be all you need it for.
PROS
- Crisp, clear audio
- Strong low-light performance
- Physical privacy cover
- USB port for headset dongles
CONS
- Picture is a bit soft
- Monitor clip has limited adjustments
Dell UltraSharp Webcam
Best 4K Webcam
Why We Picked It
With an aluminum body and 4K resolution, this is the sleekest and sharpest webcam on our list. It’s quite expensive, however, and because it doesn’t come with a microphone, you need to factor in the cost of a headset or a USB mic.
Who It’s For
If you want the highest-resolution video capture possible from a standalone webcam, you won’t find a better option. The excellent picture quality might even make up for the lack of a mic if video is most important to you.
PROS
- Excellent image quality
- Sleek metal design
CONS
- Exposure can be finicky; works best with a dedicated light
- No microphone
Buying Guide: The Best Webcams for 2023
What Webcam Frame Rate and Resolution Do You Need?
A webcam can only get as sharp as its sensor can resolve pixels. 1080p is a fairly standard resolution for a decent webcam, but if you really want to up your picture quality (or be able to crop your frame and keep it sharp), a 4K webcam is what we recommend. 2K QHD (2,560 by 1,440) is a rare but flexible middle ground between those two. Stay away from 720p models if you can; they offer the softest image quality.
The frame rate affects how smooth your video looks. A 60fps webcam presents you in a much more realistic and natural way than a 30fps webcam, so be sure to pay close attention to that spec before buying.
What Kind of Lens Does Your Webcam Need?
The lens on a webcam is just as important as the sensor, and generally bigger is better. It determines how much light reaches the camera sensor, which affects how you look in less-than-ideal lighting scenarios. This is known as the aperture size, and most cameras express this value as f/(number). The lower the number, the wider the aperture and the more light that comes through. Webcams don’t often advertise their aperture sizes, but they generally range from f/2.0 to f/2.8.
Should You Choose a Webcam With a Wide or Narrow Field of View?
The lens also determines the camera’s field of view, which is important for framing. If you want to capture only your face and cut out your messy bedroom, get something with a narrow field of view (or a high enough resolution that you can crop the frame). If you want to record an entire conference room, make sure a webcam has a wide field of view. Typically, these ranges fall between 65 and 90 degrees, with 78 degrees serving as a common middle ground.
Does Your Webcam Need Autofocus?
Most inexpensive webcams are fixed-focus. That means they don’t have lenses that flutter to keep you in focus or are simply set to capture you within a wide enough range that you show up clearly. This behavior is fine if you sit directly in front of the camera a few feet away, but it’s easy to get out of that sweet spot of focus (especially if you want to show something up close).
More expensive webcams typically have an autofocus system, which means their lenses adjust to make sure you’re clear at any distance from the camera. This is obviously preferable because you don’t have to worry about being just the right distance away from the camera.
Some higher-resolution cameras have what’s called AI autofocus, which combines autofocus with digital zoom to center the frame around your face as you move around within the camera’s field of view. This is a handy feature, but it can’t replace properly framing the shot.
The Best Webcam Lighting
Even the best webcams struggle in a dark room. If you want a clear, sharp picture, you need good lighting. Overhead lights and sunlight are helpful, but rarely consistent. Some webcams, like the Razer Kiyo, have a built-in ring light, but otherwise, an adjustable fill light, like the Logitech Litra Glow, works reliably.
Logitech Litra Glow
(Credit: Logitech)
Are Webcam Microphones Good Enough?
You aren’t going to get amazing sound from your webcam’s mic or mics. Sometimes you can find a webcam with a mic that sounds pretty good, but the acoustics of your room and the simple distance between the webcam and your mouth means there’s a limit to how clear your voice sounds.
Recommended by Our Editors
With that in mind, some high-end webcams like the Dell UltraSharp Webcam and Elgato Facecam Pro forego microphones entirely. These webcams focus on video quality and assume that you have a dedicated USB mic or gaming headset with a boom mic; either provides better sound than any webcam mic. We recommend using a USB mic or headset if you’re serious about recording, streaming, or any video calls that might be recorded for future use. They’re an extra expense on top of the webcam itself, though.
Can You Use Your DSLR or Mirrorless Camera as a Webcam?
Canon EOS M6 Mark II
(Credit: Jim Fisher)
Do you have a mirrorless or SLR camera? Good news! You can use it to (potentially) get far better picture quality than any consumer webcam. Our guide to setting up your digital camera as a webcam walks you through all the requisite steps for recording and streaming from your favorite camera.
How to Turn Your Smartphone Into a Webcam
Droidcam
(Credit: Droidcam)
Alternatively, if your phone has a good camera, you can try using it as a webcam. Check out our guide to turning your phone into a webcam with free software.
Are Cheap, No-Name Webcams on Amazon Worth Buying?
Cheap, no-name webcams
(Credit: Will Greenwald)
There’s no shortage of cheap, no-name webcams available on Amazon. We bought six of them ranging in price from $13 to $59. Here’s how they fare against pricier cameras from Logitech and Razer. When it comes to webcams, do you get what you pay for?
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