Three smart locks with built-in cameras are getting all the attention right now. Eufy FamiLock S3 Max, Lockly Vision Elite, and myQ Secure View.
They’re all expensive. They all promise to replace your doorbell and your lock with one device. But the fine print is where things get ugly.
I spent real time with all three. Here’s what I found.
Best Smart Lock with Camera 2026: How They Stack Up
| Eufy FamiLock S3 Max | Lockly Vision Elite | myQ Secure View | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$400 | ~$500 | ~$250-300 |
| Subscription | None | None | $14.99/month required |
| Video Quality | 2K, solid daylight, weak low light | 2K, motion detection is spotty | 2K HDR, AI detection included |
| Battery Life | ~4 months | Decent, not published | Decent, not published |
| Best Unlock Method | Palm vein (unique) | Fingerprint (reliable) | Face recognition (no hands) |
| Ecosystem | Matter, Alexa, Google | Alexa, Google | Vivint, Ring, Alarm.com only |
| Privacy History | Eufy/Anker 2022 scandal | Clean | Clean |
| Standout Feature | Interior peephole screen | Randomized keypad | Garage coordination |
| Main Drawback | Trust issues, software bugs | $500 for an okay camera | Forced sub, closed ecosystem |
Eufy FamiLock S3 Max: The Feature King
The FamiLock S3 Max is the most ambitious of the three.
It has a 2K camera, a 4-inch interior display that replaces your peephole, palm vein scanning, fingerprint, keypad, app, voice control, and Matter support. PCMag called it “the smartest lock we’ve tested.”
You don’t pay monthly. Eufy is explicit: no subscription required. Local storage handles your video clips. No subscription alone puts it ahead.
The catch?
The privacy history is real. Eufy, owned by Anker, was caught uploading facial recognition data without disclosure back in 2022. Reddit users still bring it up.
Another bug: the camera stops recording while the door is unlocked, even with that setting disabled.
Battery life is the other issue. Plan on recharging every 4 months or so. Not terrible. But worse than a lock without a camera.
Lockly Vision Elite: a Great Lock
At $500, the Vision Elite is the most expensive of the three. And it shows in the lock quality, if not the camera.
The Lockly as a lock is exceptional. The fingerprint scanner is consistently fast. The keypad uses a randomized layout so nobody can guess your code from fingerprint smudges.
As a camera, it’s disappointing.
The Verge put it bluntly:
“It’s an excellent smart lock, but only an okay video doorbell. Its motion detection is spotty, and there’s no people or package detection.”
The installation is the most complicated of the three.
PCWorld reported the Vision Elite requires four wires. Two pairs use identical connectors. That makes it easy to wire wrong.
No subscription is a genuine win here. But $500 is a lot to pay for a great lock with an only-okay camera.
MyQ Secure View: The Subscription Trap
The myQ Secure View is the newest of the three and the cheapest upfront. It starts around $250-300.
On paper this looks good. 2K HDR video, face recognition, fingerprint, PIN, and app control.
AI detects people, vehicles, animals, and packages. The Verge reported it can lock your door and close your garage when it spots a stranger.
What they don’t lead with is this. Video access requires a subscription. Not optional. Required.
PCMag reported pricing starts at $14.99 monthly or $149.99 yearly.
Without it, you’re not reviewing your video history.
The closed ecosystem is the bigger problem.
It only integrates with other subscription-based security services, including Vivint, Ring, and Alarm.com. It doesn’t work with Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, or Google Home.
If you’re already in the Chamberlain ecosystem, this might make sense. For everyone else, a mandatory subscription plus a closed ecosystem is a bad combination.
The Honest Verdict
None of these is perfect.
The Eufy is the most feature-rich and has no subscription. But the company has a trust problem.
The Lockly is the best lock of the three, but the worst camera.
The myQ has the best video AI, but locks you into a subscription and a closed ecosystem you didn’t choose.
If I had to put money on one today: Eufy FamiLock S3 Max. No subscription matters more than people like to admit.
The privacy issues are real, but they haven’t repeated since 2022. The feature set is genuinely ahead.
If you won’t touch Eufy: Lockly Vision Elite. It’s the best lock of the three. If you want a lock with a camera more than you want a camera with a lock, this is it.
Skip the myQ unless you’re already in the Chamberlain garage ecosystem. The mandatory subscription is a hard sell when the other two don’t require it.
What matters most to you: no subscription, best lock quality, or best camera AI?
