The Best Webcams Tried and Tested in 2024: HD, QHD, and 4K-Ready Picks

If you work remotely, you’ll know how important a good webcam is. The best webcams capture video and audio in stunning high quality, and almost certainly represent an upgrade over the webcam built into your work laptop (or, heaven forbid, the front-facing camera on your phone). If you want to look and sound your best in a company meeting or livestream, a top-notch webcam is a no-brainer.

Many now come with nifty features such as automatic reframing – keeping you in the picture at all times – and autofocus, and a few will even give you total control of the image via a companion app. You don’t need to spend a fortune, either: the best budget webcams offer many of these things at reasonable prices.

We test dozens of webcams each year, assessing low-light performance, audio quality, build quality, and much more. Our buying guide at the bottom of the page covers everything you need to know about buying a webcam; alternatively, skip to our mini reviews to see the results of our tests – and our favorite webcams.

Best webcam: At a glance

How we test webcams

Each webcam goes through a series of tests to assess build quality and design, stability, and flexibility when in use, and most important of all, the picture quality of the feed each webcam displays.

To make sure our tests are fair, we assess each webcam under the same conditions. This is a combination of different lighting conditions: well lit (with lighting behind and in front of the reviewer), backlit (with bright light only from behind the reviewer, besides the lighting from their monitor/laptop), and low light (with no lighting besides that from the reviewer’s monitor/laptop).

We compare all webcams to others by simultaneously showing feeds of different models on our laptop or PC screens using the OBS software. This way, we can get a more accurate assessment of what the visual differences are between the various webcams that we test at Expert Reviews.

We’ll also dive into all the additional features and/or software that each webcam offers, though this will inevitably vary depending on the model.

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The best webcams you can buy in 2024

1. Logitech C270: Best budget webcam

Price when reviewed: $21 | Check price at Amazon

If you’re looking for a simple, inexpensive upgrade, we found Logitech’s entry-level webcam hard to beat. It’s light, sitting on either a laptop lid or monitor by way of an easy-to-use mount, and it supports 720p recordings and video calls, either using Skype and Google Hangouts or Logitech’s own more obscure VID HD app.

Logitech’s RightLight technology means you can get decent-quality video even in low light conditions, too. Sound quality isn’t quite so brilliant, but it was good enough for us to be heard without fault across calls and conferencing, and the built-in microphone also reduces some background noise. This might be one of Logitech’s most affordable webcams, but it has the same software as its more expensive stablemates, giving you pan, tilt, and zoom controls, motion detection, and face tracking.

Key specs – Resolution: 720p; Autofocus: No; Audio: Built-in microphone with noise reduction; Mount type: Clip stand, Cable length: 5ft

2. Logitech StreamCam: Best webcam for streamers

Price when reviewed: $140 | Check price at Amazon

The StreamCam is perfect for content creators: it comes bundled with Logitech’s handy Capture software, which makes YouTuber tricks such as live streaming while sharing your screen incredibly easy. We found a lot to like in its selection of extra features, including auto framing, image stabilization, and the ability to tweak the color balance and brightness of the image. It captures video at 1080p and a smooth 60 frames per second, which is perfect for aspiring streamers.

It’s a brilliant camera for standard video calls, too, with sharp image quality, good audio via integrated stereo microphones, decent natural colors, and excellent overall build quality. The only slight gripe we have is that the cable is a little on the short side – though it does connect via USB-C, which is a rare treat as far as we’re concerned.

Key specs – Resolution: 1080p at 60fps; Autofocus: Yes; Audio: Dual microphones; Mount type: Clip/tripod attachment; Cable length: 5ft

3. Insta360 Link: Best tracking webcam

Price when reviewed: $180 | Check price at B&H

While the Insta360 Link is an accomplished webcam in its own right, it stood out in our testing by offering something most other webcams don’t – motorized tracking. With a full three-axis gimbal, it was able to lock onto and follow our faces as we moved around by panning, tilting, and zooming automatically. It can also zoom in on whiteboards and flip charts as well as record in top-down and portrait orientations. You can imagine how useful this functionality is for virtual meetings or video demonstrations.

Better yet, it packs the largest imaging sensor we’ve seen in a webcam, producing exceptionally clean 4K images, even in low-light environments. Its onboard microphones aren’t the best we’ve seen and it carries a hefty price tag, but for the most demanding remote workers, the Link’s flexibility is unrivaled.

Key specs – Resolution: 4K at 30fps, 1080p at 60fps; Autofocus: Yes; Audio: Dual microphones; Mount type: Built-in with tripod thread; Cable length: 5ft

4. Dell UltraSharp Webcam: Best webcam for 4K video

Price when reviewed: $165 | Check price at Amazon

If you want a webcam that records the absolute crispest 4K video possible, the Dell UltraSharp Webcam is our pick. Those extra pixels allow you to crop more closely without sacrificing image quality, which is a boon for anyone with streaming ambitions.

We enjoyed fine-tuning the color balance with its accompanying software, as well as zooming in, out, and panning around the scene manually. But it worked surprisingly well simply leaving the camera’s AI capabilities to track your face.

That’s not the only feature we like. Another particularly appealing aspect of the Dell UltraSharp Webcam is that it supports Windows 10’s Hello facial login, so you can sit down at your PC and log in without having to type in your password.

The one odd thing about the UltraSharp is that it doesn’t come with a built-in microphone, though that shouldn’t be a problem if you already use a headset or USB microphone on video calls.

Key specs – Resolution: 4K at 30fps, 1080p at 30fps, 720p at 60fps; Autofocus: Yes; Audio: None; Mount type: Monitor stand, tripod adapter; Cable length: 6.5ft

5. Razer Kiyo Pro: Best webcam for low light

Price when reviewed: $108 | Check price at Amazon

If poor lighting is a bit of an issue, then the Razer Kiyo Pro could be just the ticket to give your conference calls or Twitch streams a much-needed shot in the arm. Despite lacking the 4K resolution of the Logitech Brio, the Kiyo Pro’s 1080p HDR video excelled in our tests, with well-balanced colors and accurately judged exposure in all manner of lighting conditions.

It also supports a wide 103-degree field of view, which can be cropped to either 90 or 80 degrees in the camera’s settings. The Kiyo Pro’s Z-shaped mount is thoughtfully designed, too, supporting monitors up to 2.3in in thickness, and the webcam can also be placed on a desk with a reasonable degree of adjustability. Our only complaint is that the webcam’s autofocus is a bit on the slow side.

Key specs – Resolution: 1080p at 30fps (HDR), 1080p at 60fps (SDR); Autofocus: Yes; Audio: Omnidirectional microphones; Mount type: Detachable Z-shaped stand; Cable length: 5ft

How to choose the best webcam for you

Webcam resolutions, prices, and who they are for

Webcams start at around $10 for a basic HD (720p) webcam, with prices rising to over $160 for the most feature-rich 4K cameras around.

Here’s our guide to the four major resolution types. As a rule of thumb, remote workers won’t need anything more than 1080p (full HD).

Does a high resolution guarantee good image quality?

• High resolution alone doesn’t guarantee good image quality. Webcams vary massively in their ability to capture colors and handle lighting conditions depending on other factors including sensor and lens quality.
• Frame rate (fps) is also important, as this will dictate how smooth your video looks. The minimum frame rate we recommend is 30fps, but should you be shooting some active on-camera action, such as as an online workout instructor, then consider a 60fps webcam instead.
• A good webcam provides a bright, clear picture with lifelike colors, while a bad one may be hampered by visual noise, blockiness, darkness, and/or oversaturated colors despite having the same number of pixels.

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Are all webcams suitable for both laptop and desktop use?

• Some webcams are designed for use on a table or desktop, while others attach to PC monitors and laptop lids. This will impact the size, weight, cord length, and mounting options for a particular webcam.
• Desktop webcams require a stable position and may also need a longer cable for flexible camera placement. A tripod mount can be useful if you need the camera at head height.
• A portable, lightweight design with a shorter cable is preferable for laptops, while those looking to attach a webcam to their monitor need to ensure the camera has an appropriate clip or grip to attach to often quite chunky surfaces.
• In every case, suitable tilt adjustment for keeping your face in view – or to move the webcam wherever you want to show, such as down towards your desk – is extremely important.

What other features should you look out for?

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