The best webcams for streaming and video calls

The best webcam for most people is the Elgato Facecam MK.2: a smooth 1080p at 60 fps with HDR, a fixed-focus lens that never hunts at a desk, and real manual controls. If you only need a camera for meetings, the Logitech Brio 500 is easier, with auto-framing and a field of view you can narrow. The Logitech MX Brio is the premium pick for people who spend the whole day on camera.

One thing before any model: light changes your image more than the camera does.

Light first, then the camera

Every webcam on this list looks good in a well-lit room and worse in a dark one. A small sensor in dim light has to raise its gain, which adds grain and smears motion. Meeting apps also compress your video heavily, so a well-lit 1080p image often looks better on the other end than a dim 4K one.

So if your budget is tight, a decent webcam plus a light in front of you beats a premium webcam in a dark corner. Face a window during the day, and look at the Elgato Key Light further down for evenings and streams.

How we picked

• Frame rate for the job. 30 fps is fine for calls. For streaming, 60 fps makes movement look smoother and matches most game captures.
• Difficult light. Backlit rooms and evening sessions are where cheap cameras fail. We note the HDR and light-correction features of each model.
• Framing and privacy. An adjustable field of view keeps a messy room out of shot, and a built-in privacy shutter beats a piece of tape.
• Connection. USB-C, USB-A and USB 3.0 make a real difference to what you can plug in and to image quality.

Best overall: Elgato Facecam MK.2

The Facecam MK.2 is the webcam we would pick for streaming, and it is just as good for calls. It records up to 1080p at 60 fps, with HDR up to 1080p60, from a 1/2.5 inch Sony STARVIS sensor behind a 24 mm equivalent f/2.4 lens. Over USB 3.0 the video is uncompressed; on a USB 2.0 port it falls back to MJPEG.

The lens is fixed focus, tuned for 30 to 120 cm, so there is no focus hunting when you lean in to read chat. The field of view goes up to 84°. Elgato Camera Hub gives you manual ISO and shutter speed, pan, tilt and zoom, and stores your settings on the camera itself, so they follow you to another computer. A sliding privacy shutter is built in.

Elgato / Webcam

Elgato Facecam MK.2

Setuplify score: 8.4/10

A 1080p60 webcam with HDR, a Sony STARVIS sensor, a built-in privacy shutter and manual exposure controls.

1080p60

$119.99Check priceat Elgato(Affiliate link)

Skip it if you have no microphone: the Facecam has none, so you will need a headset or a desk mic. It also tops out at 1080p, and it ships with a USB-C cable only, so a computer with only USB-A ports needs an adapter that is not included.

Best for video calls: Logitech Brio 500

The Brio 500 is the camera we would put on a home office monitor. It films in 1080p at 30 fps with autofocus, and RightLight 4 with HDR copes with a dim room or a bright window behind you. In Logi Tune you can switch the field of view between 90°, 78° and 65° and turn on RightSight auto-framing, which keeps you centred when you move.

It connects with USB-C, has stereo mics with a range of about 1.2 m, and a privacy shutter slides over the lens. The mount fits laptops and monitors.

Logitech / Webcam

Logitech Brio 500

Setuplify score: 7.9/10

A 1080p USB-C webcam with autofocus, a 90° adjustable field of view, auto-framing and a built-in privacy shutter.

1080p30

$99.99Check priceat Logitech Store(Affiliate link)

Skip it if you stream: 30 fps is its limit, and auto-framing and settings depend on Logi Tune. For 60 fps, take the Facecam MK.2.

Best premium: Logitech MX Brio

The MX Brio is the step up for people whose job happens on camera: sales, teaching, coaching, all-day meetings. Its 8.5 MP Sony STARVIS sensor records 4K at 30 fps or 1080p at 60 fps, and RightLight 5 helps in dim or backlit rooms. The field of view switches between 90°, 78° and 65°, the privacy shutter rotates over the lens, and it connects over USB-C (USB 3.0). Two beamforming mics handle calls, and Logi Options+ or G HUB give you fine control of ISO, shutter speed and white balance.

Logitech / Webcam

Logitech MX Brio

Setuplify score: 8.3/10

A 4K30 webcam with an 8.5 MP Sony STARVIS sensor, adjustable 90/78/65° field of view and a built-in privacy shutter.

4k30

$178.49Check priceat Logitech Store(Affiliate link)

Skip it if your calls are short and your room is bright: the Brio 500 gets you most of the way for less. There is no 4K60 mode either.

Best for people who move: Insta360 Link 2

The Insta360 Link 2 is a webcam on a small two-axis gimbal. AI tracking turns the camera to keep you in frame when you stand up, walk to a whiteboard or lean back, and hand gestures start tracking or zoom. Its 1/2 inch sensor, f/1.8 lens and phase detection autofocus give the cleanest image of this list in a dim room, in 4K at 30 fps or 1080p at 60 fps, with HDR in every mode. Smart Whiteboard, DeskView and a portrait mode for vertical streams are built in, the mics use AI noise cancelling, and the camera flips down for privacy when you stop using it.

Insta360 / Webcam

Insta360 Link 2

Setuplify score: 8.6/10

A 4K webcam on a two-axis gimbal with a 1/2 inch sensor, AI tracking, phase detection autofocus, HDR and AI noise-cancelling mics.

4k30

$199.99Check priceat Amazon(Affiliate link)

Skip it if you sit still: a fixed webcam costs much less. The advanced features want a recent processor and 16 GB of RAM, and 4K stops at 30 fps.

Best 4K for streaming: Elgato Facecam 4K

The Elgato Facecam 4K is the step up from the Facecam MK.2 when your stream or your videos need more detail. A large 1/1.8 inch Sony STARVIS 2 sensor records up to 4K at 60 fps over USB 3.0, with HDR at 30 fps, and a 49 mm thread on the front takes standard lens filters. Camera Hub gives manual ISO and shutter speed, saved in the camera.

Razer's Kiyo V2 Pro is the alternative: 4K60 from a STARVIS 2 sensor, autofocus, AI pan, tilt and zoom framing and a built-in privacy shutter, with manual exposure in Synapse on Windows. The cheaper Kiyo V2 records 4K at 30 fps or 1080p at 60 fps with a 93° lens and AI auto-framing, and adds a stereo mic and a privacy shutter.

Elgato / Webcam

Elgato Facecam 4K

• 4k60

$199.99Setuplify score: 8.8/10

Razer / Webcam

Razer Kiyo V2 Pro

• 4k60

$299.99Setuplify score: 8.5/10

Razer / Webcam

Razer Kiyo V2

• 4k30

$119.99Setuplify score: 8.0/10

Skip them if you mostly do calls: meeting apps compress video so much that 4K rarely shows. The Facecam 4K and the Kiyo V2 Pro have no microphone, the Facecam 4K focus is fixed (30 to 120 cm) and its privacy cap is sold separately, and both Kiyo models need a USB-C port.

Best budget: Logitech C920s Pro HD

The C920s Pro is the no-fuss work webcam that still beats most laptop cameras. It records Full HD at 30 fps through a five-element glass lens with autofocus, and its fixed 78° field of view frames one person at a desk without showing the whole room. Two mics record stereo for calls, and a flip-down shutter covers the lens between meetings.

Logitech / Webcam

Logitech C920s Pro HD Webcam

Setuplify score: 7.5/10

A dependable 1080p30 webcam with autofocus, a 78° field of view and a privacy shutter.

1080p30

$54.99Check priceat Logitech Store(Affiliate link)

Skip it if you often work in low light, where it struggles next to newer models, or if your laptop only has USB-C (it uses a USB-A cable). In France it often costs more than the Brio 500, so compare the two cards before you buy.

Two newer budget cameras are worth comparing. The white Elgato Facecam Neo films 1080p at 60 fps with autofocus and a 77° view, works without drivers on Windows, macOS and iPad, and has a privacy shutter, but its USB-C cable is fixed and no USB-A adapter is included. The Logitech Brio 100 is the cheapest of all: 1080p at 30 fps, fixed focus, a narrow 58° view, a privacy shutter and a USB-A plug.

Elgato / Webcam

Elgato Facecam Neo

• 1080p60

$59.99Setuplify score: 7.6/10

Logitech / Webcam

Logitech Brio 100

• 1080p30

$39.99Setuplify score: 7.0/10

Beyond webcams: a mirrorless camera

If you film yourself for videos as well as streams, a real camera is the next step. The Fujifilm X-S20 has a 26.1 MP APS-C sensor, in-body stabilisation rated at up to 7 stops, and records 6.2K at 30p or 4K up to 60p in 10-bit. Its USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2) port and micro HDMI make it easy to use as a high-quality webcam, and the vari-angle touch screen lets you check framing from in front of the lens.

Skip it if you only need a camera for calls: the price is for the body alone, lenses add a lot, and a webcam does that job with no setup.

The light that improves every webcam

The Elgato Key Light is an edge-lit LED panel that puts out up to 2,800 lumens through a diffuser, so the light on your face is soft rather than harsh. It covers 2900 to 7000 K with a CRI above 94, mounts on a telescopic pole that reaches 125 cm and clamps to desks up to 6 cm thick. You control it over Wi-Fi from your computer or phone, or from a Stream Deck.

Elgato / Light

Elgato Key Light

Setuplify score: 8.5/10

A 2,800-lumen Wi-Fi LED panel on a desk clamp pole, adjustable from 2900 to 7000 K from your computer or phone.

Key light

$179.99Check priceat Elgato(Affiliate link)

For a smaller desk, the Logitech Litra Glow clips on top of the monitor next to the webcam and lights a face at arm's length from a USB cable. Our desk lighting guide covers lamps and light bars for the rest of the room, and our guide to looking and sounding good on video calls puts camera, light and mic in the right order.

Quick summary

• Most people, and streaming: Elgato Facecam MK.2.
• Video calls, home office: Logitech Brio 500.
• On camera all day: Logitech MX Brio.
• You move, teach or present: Insta360 Link 2.
• 4K streaming: Elgato Facecam 4K or Razer Kiyo V2 Pro.
• Tight budget: Logitech C920s Pro HD, Elgato Facecam Neo or Logitech Brio 100.
• Creators who film for video: Fujifilm X-S20.
• First upgrade for any webcam: Elgato Key Light.

To build a full streaming desk, follow our streaming setup guide. For clearer audio on calls, see our work and calls headphones. Browse all webcams, or add one to the Setup Builder.