By hs_pfroum
Effective home security does not require spending hundreds of pounds. In 2026, a well-chosen setup of under £100 can cover your most critical entry points, send real-time phone alerts, and provide recorded footage without any monthly subscription. Here is how to build the best budget home security setup for 2026.
The Core Principle: Cover Entry Points First
Before buying anything, identify the two or three positions that matter most. For most homes this means: the front door, the back door, and one outdoor area (driveway, side gate, or garden). Spending £100 well on those three positions is more effective than spreading £100 across five mediocre devices.
Best Budget Picks Under £100
Option 1: One Camera + One Alarm (£60–£90)
Combine a Reolink E1 Outdoor indoor/outdoor camera (around £30–£35) with a Yale Easy Fit Alarm (around £35–£50). This gives you visual coverage of one key area plus an audible deterrent on your main entry door. Both work without subscriptions. The Reolink stores to microSD, the Yale alarm triggers a local siren and sends app alerts.
Option 2: Blink Outdoor Camera + Blink Sync Module (£65–£80)
Two Blink Outdoor cameras plus a Sync Module 2 for local USB storage comes in at around £65–£80 depending on sales and bundles. This gives you two outdoor camera positions with free local storage, person detection, and two-year battery life on the cameras. Works with Alexa. No subscription needed for recordings.
Option 3: Ring Video Doorbell (basic) (£49–£59)
The basic Ring Video Doorbell covers your front door with 1080p video, two-way audio, and motion alerts. Without a Ring Protect subscription it still provides live view and motion notifications — just no saved recordings. For under £60, it is the easiest front-door upgrade available and integrates with Ring Alarm if you expand later. See all video doorbell options here.
Free Improvements That Cost Nothing
Some of the most effective security improvements cost nothing. Ensuring all door locks are fully engaged at night, adding a door chain or additional bolt to vulnerable doors, and trimming back large hedges near entry points all improve security meaningfully. Motion-sensor lights (available from £10–£20 at hardware stores) deter more intruders than many camera systems. Read our home security blind spots guide for the most common overlooked issues.
When to Spend More
A budget setup is a starting point. If you have a larger property, a garage, or an exposed rear garden, expanding to a full system makes sense over time. Most of the budget systems above are part of expandable ecosystems — adding more Blink cameras, Ring devices, or Yale sensors is straightforward. Explore full alarm system options when you are ready to expand. Read our DIY vs professional installation guide to understand what to expect as your setup grows.
