It was virtually impossible to buy a webcam just a few years ago (in 2020) when the avalanche of video calls made many of us realize just how bad our computers' built-in webcams actually were.
Fortunately, the price spikes and shortages are now (mostly) over, and right now you can quite easily get a great external webcam for a reasonable price. And you're going to want to do so because video conferences and remote work don't appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.
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Why You Should Buy an External Webcam
For anybody with a laptop or desktop that's more than two years old (from 2020 or before), chances are that its built-in webcam isn't very good. That's because up until the pandemic, when people started working remotely and taking more video calls, it just wasn't a high priority for manufacturers. A lot of older computers have a webcam that's capable of capturing a 720p image (or worse), which frankly isn't very good.
Now that we live in a hybrid working world and video conference calls are a common practice, a good webcam has become rather important. Instead of replacing your entire computer to get one with a solid webcam, you can just an external webcam. It's the cheaper option. Plus, many of today's external webcams are higher quality and have unique features than the built-in webcams of new computers.
What to Look for
4K, 2K or 1080p resolution: Most older desktops and laptops have built-in webcams with not-so-great resolution — think 720p or less. So when you upgrade to an external webcam, you typically have the choice of resolution. The higher-resolution webcams are, as you'd expect, more expensive.
Make sure it's compatible with your computer: Not every webcam works with every computer, which is why when researching which to buy you want to make sure it's compatible with your Mac or Windows PC. Some webcams have companion apps that allow you to customize various settings, such as frame rate, resolution, brightness and more. And if these companion apps aren't available on your computer, then you're not going to get the most out of your webcam.
Field of view (FOV): This is simply how much of you — and your background — the webcam captures and keeps in frame. Typically, a webcam's FOV can range from 60 degrees to over 100 degrees. The wider the FOV, the more that the webcam is able to capture. Some webcams allow you to switch between several FOVs, too, which is usually done via companion software.
Built-in microphone and speakers: There are quite a few webcams that are designed as all-in-one solutions, meaning they also come with built-in microphones and speakers. This tends to jack up the price of the webcam and can be unnecessary (and inconvenient) if you already have external speakers or an external microphone that you already use.
The more features, the higher the price: Each webcam is a little different. They have different design features, such as privacy shutters, built-in mic, speakers and lighting. Additionally, there are some webcams that have special features for zoom, pan and tracking. And some have companion software that allows you to adjust things like lighting, ISO, shutter speed and more.
How We Tested
There have been a lot of new webcams released in the last few years (in large part due to the fact that there are more remote workers who need them) and we do our best to test the best and most popular ones. When testing a webcam, we judge a number of things including its ease of use, picture quality, software and features, whether it has an integrated speaker or mic (which can sometimes be a good or not-so-good thing), and its compatibility with various video conferencing apps. Below, you'll find our favorites or 2023. This list will continue to change and be updated as new webcams hit the market.
Dell UltraSharp Webcam
- Resolution: up to 4K (at 24 or 30fps)
- FOV: 65, 78 or 90 degrees
- Connectivity: USB-A (comes with USB-A to USB-C adapter)
- Optimized apps: Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Hangouts, Skype for Business
- Compatibility: Mac or Windows
Dell's UltraSharp Webcam is a true 4K webcam (a rarity) that connects to your computer via USB-C. You can adjust the resolution and the frame rates of the captured video — it can capture 4K at 30fps or 24 fps, and 1080p video at up to 60fps — and it also has some neat AI tricks to keep you in frame and in focus. It's certified to work with most video conferencing apps, including Zoom and Microsoft Teams. The only real downside is that, considering its fairly steep price, it still lacks a built-in mic.
Logitech Brio 500
- Resolution: up to 1080p (at 30fps)
- FOV: 65, 78 or 90 degrees
- Connectivity: USB-C
- Optimized apps: Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Hangouts
- Compatibility: Mac or Windows
Released at the tail-end of 2022, the Logitech Brio 500 is one of the company's newest webcams and it's effectively an updated version of the company's C922 Pro, which was previously one of our favorites. The Brio delivers similar picture quality — 1080p at 30 fps or 720p at 60 fps — but has some nice upgrades. Specifically, it has a new ultra-wide lens and some more advanced autofocusing capabilities to help keep you in frame. But the neatest thing about the Brio 500 is its new cylindrical design, which integrates a rotating privacy shutter that you can manually open and shut as you see fit. It also does come with a built-in microphone, in case you were looking to kill two birds with one stone. All in all, the Brio 500 is a great all-around option for those who don't quite want to dish out the extra cash for a true 4K option.
Insta360 Link
- Resolution: up to 4K (at 24, 25 or 30fps)
- FOV: 67 or 79.5 degrees (fixed)
- Connectivity: USB-C
- Optimized apps: Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Hangouts, Skype
- Compatibility: Mac or Windows
The Insta360 Link is a seriously awesome webcam. It's a 4K camera that rests on a three-axis gimbal, which allows it to pan left and right, up and down, and track your movement so that you stay in focus and in frame. It also has several other AI-based abilities that make it even more versatile. There's a "whiteboard" mode for presentations, a "portrait" mode that gives you a 9:16 crop for better mobile viewing, and there's even an "overhead" mode where the webcam tilts downward and gives a top-down view of your desk.
Logitech Brio 300
- Resolution: 1080p (at 30fps)
- FOV: 70 degrees
- Connectivity: USB-C
- Optimized apps: Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet
- Compatibility: Mac or Windows
The Logitech Brio 300 is one of our new favorite budget-friendly webcams. It's basically half the price of the Logitech Brio 500 (above), but delivers basically the same exact 1080p picture. The difference between the two is that the Brio 300 lacks the same quality built-in microphone and fancy auto-tracking capabilities. Plus it obviously has a different and more compact design, although it still has a really neat privacy shutter that you can manually rotate open and shut.
Logitech 4K Pro
- Resolution: 4K (at 30fps)
- FOV: 65, 78 or 90 degrees
- Connectivity: USB-A
- Optimized apps: Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, Skype
- Compatibility: Mac or Windows
You can think of this as the upgraded version of the (now antiquated) Logitech C920S Pro HD, as it has a similar horizontal design, an L-shaped mounting clip and an attachable privacy cover. The big difference is that it's one of the few webcams that is capable of capturing 4K video. It supports premium features like autofocus, auto light adjustment and motion tracking with high dynamic range. And you can choose between three different-field of-views (65, 78 and 90 degrees) via the companion app. It also has a surprisingly good integrated microphone. The only real downside (but not really considering you can spend a lot more on a webcam) is that it's far from cheap.
Logitech StreamCam
- Resolution: 1080p (at 60fps)
- FOV: 78 degrees
- Connectivity: USB-C
- Optimized apps: N/A
- Compatibility: Mac or Windows
The Logitech StreamCam was released in 2021 making it one of the company's older webcams now. But it's still a great all-around option, especially because it's frequently discounted. The webcam shoots 1080p video (at up to 60fps) and connects to your computer via USB-C. It was designed with streamers in mind as it works with companion software that gives you a lot of customization options; you can adjust the usual features like picture resolution, frame rate, exposure and autofocus, but you can also easily add effects like filers or text overlays. It even comes with two mounts — one that works for your computer or monitor and another that works as a standalone tripod — so you can use it in several different ways.
Dell Pro Webcam
- Resolution: 2K (at 24 or 30 fps)
- FOV: 65 or 79 degrees
- Connectivity: USB-A
- Optimized apps: Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Hangouts, Skype for Business
- Compatibility: Mac or PC
The Dell Pro Webcam is a newer and more budget-friendly version of the company's UltraSharp Webcam (above). It has pretty much the same exact cylindrical design, but it maxes out at 2K (which is still slightly better than 1080p) instead of 4K. The other slight trade-off is that the Pro Webcam rests slightly lower on your monitor and the mounting system isn't quite as adjustable. The good news is that the Pro Cam actually has a built-in microphone — which the UltraSharp Webcam lacks — and it's nowhere near as expensive.
Elgato Facecam
- Resolution: 1080p (at 60fps)
- FOV: 82 degrees
- Connectivity: USB-A
- Optimized apps: Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Hangouts, Skype
- Compatibility: Mac or Windows
The Elgato Facecam is a fan-favorite webcam among streamers because it lacks autofocus (so there's no need to worry about strange autofocus issues) and there's no integrated mic, which is helpful because most streamers use their own external microphone anyway. That said, the Facecam captures an impressive 1080p picture (thanks to its high-quality Sony sensor) and its companion software gives you some DSLR-like controls, like the ability to adjust ISO, exposure and shutter speed.
AnkerWork B600 Video Bar
- Resolution: 2K (at 30fps)
- FOV: 65, 78 or 95 degrees
- Connectivity: USB-C
- Optimized apps: Zoom, Skype, Google Hangout, Microsoft Teams
- Compatibility: Mac or Windows
The AnkerWork B600 Video Bar is unique because it's an all-in-one solution. It's a 2K webcam that packs its own speakers, microphones, glow light and shutter. If you're somebody who already has a good external microphone and speaker system, then you probably need to spend this much on a non-4K webcam. But if you want a device that can solve all your work-from-home needs, this is the package.
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