A 4G camera is the right buy when there is no reliable WiFi where the camera must stand; a WiFi camera is the right buy when your router reaches that spot. The rest of the choice comes down to power, running costs and the app.
The one-question test that settles it
Ask whether there is steady WiFi at the exact spot the camera will hang, not at the house. A gate fifty metres from the router is a 4G site even if your home internet is fast.
If you can stand at that spot on your phone and stay connected, a WiFi camera works. If the signal drops, or there is no router at all, a 4G camera on a SIM card is the honest answer.
Where a 4G camera wins
A 4G camera wins on farms, plots, construction sites, rentals and gates beyond your router's reach. It needs a SIM card with data rather than a router, so it works anywhere the cellular network covers.
The V380 PRO 4G Solar CCTV 4MP runs on Safaricom, Airtel, Telkom, Faiba or others, with no WiFi needed, and gives up to 28 hours of backup from solar plus an internal battery. That matters during a run of cloudy days.
The 4G Solar Camera DUAL Lens adds two separate 4MP lenses: one stays aimed at a fixed point such as a gate, the other rotates to track movement across the wider area. It runs on a SIM with roughly 1GB of data a month in typical use.
Where a WiFi camera wins
A WiFi camera wins wherever your router already reaches: inside the house, the shop, the office or under the eaves. It adds no monthly data bundle because it uses internet you already pay for.
The V380 Pro Dual WiFi Solar Camera pairs two 4MP lenses, one fixed and one auto-tracking, with AI human detection to cut false alerts from branches and animals. Its colour night vision reaches 30m and it keeps 24 to 28 hours of backup.
The YIOT WiFi PTZ Bulb Camera 5MP is the indoor option: it screws into a standard E27 socket, pans 355 degrees, auto-tracks, and gives colour night vision up to 10m with two-way audio from the YIOT app. No separate mount or wiring.
Running costs, power and the app compared
A 4G camera carries a monthly data bundle; a WiFi camera does not, beyond the internet you already have. Set that recurring bundle against the cost of extending a network cable or boosting WiFi to a far gate.
Power separates the models more than connectivity does. Kenya Power cuts are the reason many buyers now look at solar and battery models in either camp, since a camera without power records nothing.
- If the site has mains power and WiFi, a bulb or plug-in camera is simple to place.
- If the site has no reliable power, choose solar plus battery in either camp.
- If the site has neither power nor WiFi, a 4G solar model covers both gaps.
- If the site has WiFi but frequent outages, a WiFi solar model keeps running.
Apps are close: the 4G models and the dual WiFi model use the V380 Pro app, while the bulb camera uses the YIOT app. Check you are comfortable with both before buying, especially if you will share access with family or a guard.
Can you mix both in one setup?
Yes. A common arrangement is a WiFi or bulb camera inside the house on your existing internet, plus a 4G solar camera at the gate or boundary where no router reaches.
Manage them as two logins and two job lists: V380 Pro for the 4G and dual-lens units, YIOT for the bulb camera. Avoid two apps for cameras in the same room if you can.
Before you buy, check the socket or mount point, the SIM or WiFi at that exact spot, the night vision distance against the area you need covered, and whether the camera stores to an SD card. If you want to see the full spread first, browse the wireless IP surveillance cameras or the 4G cellular security cameras.
| Feature | YIOT WiFi PTZ Bulb Camera 5MP | V380 PRO 4G Solar CCTV 4MP | 4G Solar Camera DUAL Lens - 4MP CCTV | V380 Pro Dual WiFi Solar Camera - 4MP+4MP PTZ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | ||||
| Price | KSh 2,500 | KSh 6,500 Sold out | KSh 10,000 Sold out | KSh 8,000 Sold out |
| Power Source | AC Adapter | Solar + Battery | Solar + Battery | Solar + Battery |
| Resolution (MP) | 5 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Connectivity | WiFi | 4G | 4G | WiFi |
| Night Vision (m) | 10 | 20 | 20 | 30 |
| Viewing Angle (°) | 360° | 355° | 120° | 355° |
| App | YIOT | V380 App | V380 Pro | V380 Pro |
| Suits | Any room with a standard light socket that needs auto-tracking coverage without drilling for a separate mount | Construction sites, farms and homes without a reliable power or WiFi connection at the camera's location | Gates, entrances and wide outdoor areas needing both a fixed watch point and automatic tracking across… | Gates, entrances and wide outdoor areas needing both a fixed watch point and automatic tracking across… |
| Link | View & Buy | View & Buy | View & Buy | View & Buy |
The decision in one line
WiFi if your router reaches the camera and you want no monthly data; 4G if it does not and you accept a SIM bundle. In both cases, pick a model with battery or solar if outages are frequent.
If you also light the compound at night, it pairs well with a strong handheld torch: read is a 1800-lumen tactical flashlight right for patrols or the Klarus A3 2200-lumen torch guide.
- V380 GSM 4G CCTV Camera 4MP | Outdoor, Two-Way AudioKSh 7,500
- WiFi Nanny Camera with Screen | 1080p, Two-Way VideoKSh 3,000
- V380 PRO Solar CCTV Camera | 1080P WiFi PTZ, App Remote, Night Vision, PIR Motion, IP66KSh 6,500
- V380 Bulb Camera 5MP WiFi | Dual Lens, Full HD 1080pKSh 2,700
- icSee Dual Lens 6MP WiFi Baby Monitor | Color Night VisionKSh 4,000
- 4G Solar Camera with Dual Lens | 4MP, PTZ, IP66KSh 9,000
- 4G SIM Outdoor Bullet CCTV Camera, Colour Night Vision, 30 m, IP66, Two-Way AudioKSh 5,000
- UBOX Solar Dual-Lens Camera 6MP | 360° PTZ, IP65KSh 15,000
Still unsure? Start with the site, not the spec sheet: stand where the camera goes, check WiFi, and let that answer the first question.
See the 4G solar cameraKSh 6,500 · Sold out
Where you would use it
- Farm gate watch A 4G solar camera at a farm gate with no router watches the entrance and keeps 28 hours of backup through cloudy days.
- Shop entrance A WiFi solar camera over a shop door uses the shop's internet and still records during a power cut on its battery.
- Rental room A bulb camera screws into the existing E27 socket in a rental, adding tracking coverage without drilling a mount hole.
- Construction plot A 4G dual lens camera covers a building site with one lens fixed on the gate and one tracking movement.
Frequently asked questions
No. A 4G camera runs on a SIM card with data, so it needs no router at the site. It still needs power, which is why many 4G models pair a solar panel with an internal battery.
A WiFi camera adds no separate data bundle because it uses internet you already pay for. A 4G camera carries a monthly SIM data bundle, roughly 1GB a month in typical use for the dual lens 4G solar model.
Yes, if it has a battery. The V380 Pro Dual WiFi Solar Camera gives 24 to 28 hours of backup from solar plus battery, and the router must stay powered too for the camera to stay online.
The 4G solar models and the V380 Pro Dual WiFi Solar Camera use the V380 Pro app. The YIOT WiFi PTZ Bulb Camera uses the YIOT app.
Match it to the area: the bulb camera reaches 10m, the 4G solar cameras 20m, and the V380 Pro Dual WiFi Solar Camera 30m with colour night vision.
