Best webcams in 2024: Top webcams for laptops or desktops based on our tests

Laptop Mag has been testing the best webcams for years now and comparing them to the built-in webcams in the best laptops. While there are some notable exceptions, most laptop cameras churn out blurry, grainy, off-color imagery by comparison. 

It's never a good feeling to buy a brand new laptop and then when you need to take a photo, join a conference call, or hop on a video chat with some friends you look like you're coming from a 1950s television broadcast. The simple answer is an external webcam, and no matter what your use case or setup, we have a perfect option for you.

Whether you are just looking to spruce up your business calls, become a professional streamer, or find a good cheap webcam, there is something on this page for you. The Logitech HD Webcam C920 remains an easy recommendation for its excellent mix of quality and affordability, making it the best webcam for most users, but there are several other great choices available. From the incredible Insta360 Link webcam with its built-in gimbal and sizeable image sensor to the tiny 4K Opal Tadpole.

Working remotely or hybrid is the new norm for many in the world, Laptop Mag is a blended workforce, and having the best webcam possible improves your ability to clearly communicate and share ideas. 

So, without further ado, here are the best webcams of 2024. 

The Quick List

Best overall

The $60 Logitech HD Webcam C920 was an easy favorite. Images that we took with the 1080p camera were sharp, color-accurate and crystal clear. The C920's 78-degree field of view could comfortably fit two people in the frame for a teleconference. Software that comes with the C920 lets you implement filters, adjust the angle, use the webcam as a security camera and take photos to save to your hard drive.

This is by far the best webcam out there, and there’s no way any reasonable person could return to the terrible webcams that would be attached to a standard laptop. The Logitech HD Webcam C920 absolute decimates the competition, and once you try it, it’s unlikely you’ll regret it. Additionally, it’s great value. $60 for a webcam isn’t a considerably steep price to pay for a future of crisp and clear images.

See our Logitech HD Webcam C920 review.

Best premium webcam

While the first entry in this list balances quality and affordability, the Insta360 Link is the right choice for anyone with a considerable budget. It'll cost you $300, but it offers 4K resolution, a solid pair of noise-cancelling microphones and great low-light performance.

But what makes this webcam stand out in particular is that the camera is mounted on a gimbal that will actually move to follow you. Other webcams will simply zoom and crop the image when following the user, which results in quality degradation that the Insta360 Link does not suffer from. Its ability to follow the user with its AI Tracking setting is impressive, featuring a privacy mode and the ability to switch from a desktop-view to a top-down mode depending on the method in which its been mounted.

See our full InstaLink 360 review.

Best travel webcam

Sure your laptop's webcam is probably terrible, most are, but are you really going to bring a big external webcam with you everywhere? As a remote worker, I've been faced with this decision many times and I virtually never take one with me and just make do with subpar image quality. The Opal Tadpole webcam is finally the solution to this issue that so many frequent travelers have been waiting for.

The Opal Tadpole will remind you of the old clip-on iPod Shuffle and it is as dead simple to use as the Shuffle too with plug-and-play using the built-in USB-C cable. Opal Camera does sell a $25 "yoyo" travel case that can fully secure the Tadpole, but its cable also can be used to just loop it on your bag. It's so small you will never notice it in your bag, but you'll be thrilled you have it when you see the crisp clear image on your video call instead of the noisy garbled mess of your built-in webcam.

If you don't ever travel then by all means go with another option on this list like the Insta360 Link webcam above. You'll get more features and a better overall image thanks to a larger sensor, but when it comes to a travel-friendly go-anywhere webcam with quality that will blow your laptop webcam away, the Opal Tadpole is it.

See our full Opal Tadpole review

Best midrange webcam

Anker’s PowerConf C200 2k webcam is stylish, sturdy, affordable ($69.99), and comes with a physical shutter to keep the creeps out. What’s wonderfully disturbing about this Anker webcam is that it is on a par or superior to many of the far pricier webcams I have reviewed in the past two years.

The Anker PowerConf C200 is a bargain, that delivers high-quality images, and video for a fraction of the cost of many other webcams and conference cams. For $69.99 you’re getting a webcam that delivers crisp images that are color accurate in normal and low-light conditions with super-fast autofocus. 

See our full Anker PowerConf C200 review

Best 4K webcam

If you're looking to prioritize a quality 4K image, the Logitech MX Brio 4K is the way to go. It'll cost you $200, but if you're willing to dish out the extra money, it's a level up from the more affordable options thanks to its 8.5MP Sony STARVIS CMOS sensor. Not only will this yield a better image in good lighting, but if you don't always have perfect control of your lighting it will hold up better than the competition in less than ideal lighting conditions.

While the AI tracking from Logitech is not bad, we would still recommend something like the Insta360 Link or the Nexigo N970P if tracking movement is a high priority for you. The built-in mic could also be better, but again it should be an improvement over your laptop mic, just not as good as a dedicated mic.

See our full Logitech MX Brio 4K webcam review.

Best AI tracking

The Nexigo N970P ($199) is an excellent webcam for video conferencing that won’t break the bank. It comes with features you see in much more expensive business conference cameras, and if you’re a streamer looking to step up your streaming quality, it's a solid option. If you’re a small business owner on a budget but don’t want your video meetings to look cheap, the N970P is definitely for you.   

With the versatile 90-degree wide-angle that you can pan, tilt, and zoom in (thanks to the handy remote control), users are given many options to get the most out of the Nexigo N970P. If you’re in the market for a new webcam or office conference camera, the Nexigo is an option you need to take a serious look at.

See our full Nexigo N970P 4K webcam review

Best built-in mic

The Logitech Webcam C930e is the enterprise version of the C920. It's more expensive at $106, but that may be what a premium business is willing to pay for the best noise-canceling microphone we found in our camera testing. Talking, keyboard clicking and even videos played in the same room were muted on the C930e. The C930e should certainly be worth it for those not interested in purchasing a microphone.

The images were a bit oversaturated, but otherwise just as clear and detailed as on its cheaper sibling, and with a wider viewing angle of 90 degrees. However, if you're using your own mic or headset, most people — and businesses — will be fine with the C920 at the lesser price. The C930e also has no photo or video capturing software, which is strange, considering its less-expensive alternative does.

See our full Logitech Webcam C930e review. 

How to find the right webcam

Primarily, what’s most important about the specifications of a webcam are how crisp the image and video quality is. Combine this with the price of the product, and you have a basic checklist as to what’s most important in your webcam. However, there are a few other things to consider. 

Perhaps you want your webcam to come with incredible software that allows you to do cool streaming things with the click of a button. Something like that would make the Logitech StreamCam a perfect choice. If you're in need of something high-end with a ton of excellent features like a noise-cancelling microphone and AI Tracking, the Insta360 Link is a great pick.

Alternatively, cheap and high quality might be your desire, so the Logitech HD Webcam C920 ($60) could definitely be worth it for those needing a solid camera. The C930e is also quite good, but it’s far more expensive than the C920, coming in at $100.

If you’re looking to spend a bit of extra cash for a Razer Kiyo, you could find yourself with a $100 webcam that’s excellent for streaming. If you’re willing to take your money spending even further, you could invest in a Logitech Brio 4K Pro Webcam for $200. Although it’s expensive, it’s incredible image quality could more than make up for it if you’re interested in professional streaming. The Razer Kiyo Pro occupies a similar space, and although it's not 4K, the HDR is nothing to scoff at.

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