Some of the latest dashboard cameras support connectivity to the cloud. This means that you can connect to the dash cam with your smart phone, and watch live video from your car remotely. Other cool features include receiving an alert when the camera detects an impact to your car, GPS tracking, and many more.
Setting this up can be challenging, since you need a permanent internet connection in your car. This is one of the more complicated dash cam setups.
In this article, we will show you exactly how cloud connectivity works, what hardware is needed, what prices you can expect, and most importantly: Which dash cams do this, and what are the differences between them?
Links to vendors are affiliate links, and we may get a commission if you decide to buy one of the items featured below. Proceeds from affiliate links go fully toward maintaining and updating this site.
Contents
Advantages Of Connecting Your Dash Cam To The Cloud
Our Favorite Cloud Dash Cams For Live Streaming
Technical Requirements
Cost Analysis
Possible Downsides
Comparison Of Cloud Accounts By Each Brand
The 4 Best Cloud-Capable Dash Cams Of 2025
Advantages Of Connecting Your Dash Cam To The Cloud
Would you like to receive a notification to your phone when someone bumps into your parked car?
How about checking the video feed from your dash cam while you’re away?
If this sounds appealing, then this article is for you. The most important cloud features are:
- Viewing live video from your car on your smart phone
- Receiving alerts when an impact to your car is detected
- Backing up dash cam footage to the cloud
- Tracking you car via GPS
Additionally, the more high-end models also offer features such as geo-fencing, fleet management for business owners, voice communication, and more (see below).
Our Favorite Cloud Dash Cams For Live Streaming
 |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Thinkware U3000 | BlackVue DR970X Plus | Vantrue E1 Pro | Garmin Mini 2 |
| Approx. Price | $460 → Amazon | $320 → Amazon | $150 → Amazon | $130 → Amazon |
| Front resolution | 4K | 4K | 4K | 1080p |
| Rear resolution | 1440p | 1080p | - | - |
| Video quality | Good | Good | Good | Fair |
| Note | Radar parking mode | Best cloud | Best value | Supports multi-cam network |
Scroll right if the table is wider than your screen. Links to vendors are affiliate links.
We will have a more detailed look at each of these dashboard cameras toward the end of this article. But first, let’s see what else is required (apart form the dash cam itself) to stream video from your car:
Technical Requirements
You need a permanent internet connection in your car to connect a dash cam to the cloud. So, you want to have a portable Wi-Fi hot spot or an LTE module in the car.
You will also need a power supply for the dash camera, so that it can record while the car’s engine is off. This can be either a hard-wiring kit (with low-voltage cutoff), or a battery pack.
Our article about parking mode goes into more detail about using a hard-wiring kit vs. a battery pack. The gist of it is that a battery pack is a more expensive solution, but it also protects your car’s battery better.
Let’s do an estimate how much connecting your dash cam to the cloud will cost in total:
Cost Analysis
How much do you need to invest to connect your dash cam to the cloud?
Here’s an overview, with approximate prices:
One-Time Costs
- The dash cam itself (price: $130-$500+)
- Power supply: hard-wiring kit (~$20) or battery pack ($210-$400)
- Portable Wi-Fi hot spot ($30+) or LTE module (for Vantrue cams, ~$130)
Recurring Costs
- A cloud account: Some providers offer free accounts. Paid plans go from $4-16 per month.
- SIM card for the hot spot (data plans start around $5/gigabyte)
Possible Downsides
Of course, all data that you put on the internet can potentially get hacked. So if you’re very privacy conscious, you might want to take this into consideration before connecting your dash cam to the cloud.
Comparison Of Cloud Accounts By Each Brand
BlackVue
BlackVue’s cloud has been around the longest, and consequently, it supports more features than its competitors.
A free BlackVue account lets you use the following cloud features:
Up to 10 minutes of live streaming per day; one camera supported; 5 GB cloud storage; event notifications; two-way voice communication; live GPS; live event auto upload.
If you want to stream more than 10 minutes per day, or you’re going to use multiple dash cams, you will need a paid account. Paid accounts are available from $4/month upwards. They give you additional features such as unlimited live streaming, GPS tracking, geo-fencing, and even fleet management for up to 999 dash cams (click here for full details).
Compatible dash cams: BlackVue DR970X Plus, DR970X, DR900X, DR770X, DR750X, DR900S, DR750S, and DR650S series
Thinkware
Thinkware’s cloud account is free. There is no paid version (hooray!).
They will let you live stream 300 minutes of video per month. This averages to 10 minutes per day, so it’s similar to BlackVue’s free quota.
There’s no limit to the number of dash cams you can connect to the free Thinkware cloud account.
Other features on the free Thinkware account: Event notifications; live GPS; 520MB of cloud storage; geo-fencing (receive an alert when the vehicle leaves a pre-determined area).
Compatible dash cams: Thinkware U3000, U1000, Q800PRO, F800PRO. Only the U3000 and U1000 can live stream video though.
Garmin
Garmin’s cloud account is called “Garmin Vault”. There’s a free version, but it only allows you to store video for 24 hours and does not include live streaming or event notifications. Also, it does not work with newer Garmin cams like the Mini 3.
To store video for longer than 24 hours, and to enable live streaming and notifications, you need a paid subscription. $10 per month gets you 7 days of storage. For $20 per month, you can store your video for 30 days.
Compatible dash cams: Garmin 47, 57, 67W, Mini2, Mini 3, Live, X110, X210, X310
Nexar
Nexar’s cloud is free for the first year after you purchase one of their dash cams, and after that there’s a monthly fee. You get unlimited cloud storage, and if you have a Nexar Beam 2 camera, you can also live stream video over the internet. The older Nexar dash cams (Beam and Pro Dual) don’t support live streaming.
Here’s a breakdown of features and costs, depending on the camera you have:
- $2/month
- Cloud storage
- Automatic event upload
Note that these two dash cams can’t connect to the internet on their own, so the cloud connection will only work when your phone is within Wi-Fi range of the dash cam.
- $10/month
- Cloud storage
- Automatic event upload
- Live remote view
- Incident alert to phone
- GPS tracking
- Find your car
Unlike the above mentioned Nexar cams, the Beam 2 has an LTE module. Thus, it can connect to the Nexar cloud by itself.
Nextbase
For the sake of completeness, we are including the Nextbase cloud here, even though they don’t allow remote video streaming. Nextbase’s free cloud account gives you unlimited storage during 30 days, and the option to share your files (e.g. with your insurance company).
Compatible dash cams: Nextbase 322GW, 422GW, 522GW, 622GW
Vantrue
Vantrue’s cloud is free, and (as of 2025) still relatively new. Therefore, it may not (yet) be quite as fast and reliable as the cloud solutions offered by some of the original providers, such as BlackVue and Thinkware.
Unlike other brands, Vantrue dash cams don’t work with a generic mobile hot spot. Instead, to connect to the Vantrue cloud, you’ll an LTE module (called Vantrue LT01) and a SIM card with a data plan.
Features supported:
- Live video streaming to phone
- Alerts to phone
- 2GB storage to backup parking mode recordings. When storage is full, starts overwriting the oldest files
- Change camera settings
- Hot spot for up to 5 devices through the dash cam’s conneciton
- Change camera settings
- Geo-fencing
- Vehicle tracking
- Remote camera wake-up, regardless of whether it is in parking mode or not
Compatible dash cams: Vantrue E1 Pro, E360, N2X, S1 Pro.
Side-By-Side Comparison Of Cloud Account Features
| BlackVue | Thinkware | Garmin | Nexar | Vantrue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live Stream Video | 10 min/day | 300 min/month | unlimited | Beam 2 only | unlimited |
| Event Notificactions | free | free | free | Beam 2 only | free |
| Cloud Storage | 5GB | 520MB | 24h | unlimited | 2GB |
| Live GPS | free | free | - | Beam 2 only | free |
| Geo-Fencing | paid only | free | - | - | free |
| 2-way Voice Communication | free | - | - | - | free |
| Auto Event Upload | free | - | - | supported | free |
| GPS Tracking | paid only | - | - | - | free |
| Email Notifiactions | paid only | - | - | - | - |
| Multi Live View | paid only | - | - | - | - |
The 4 Best Cloud-Capable Dash Cams Of 2025
BlackVue DR970X-2CH Plus
Price: Amazon US / CA / UK – more countries & vendors (ad)
Front resolution: 4K
Rear resolution: 1080p
Video quality: Very good (front), good (rear)
Max Storage: 512 GB (15+ hours)
Pros: Elegant and stealthy design, highly reliable, most advanced cloud features
Cons: High price, no CPL filter available
Extras: GPS, time-lapse and buffered parking modes, overheat protection, optional LTE module
Read our full review of the BlackVue DR970X-2CH Plus
BlackVue have been making cloud-compatible dash cams since 2015. They were the first dash cam company ever to offer cloud connectivity. As a result, they have quite a large number of cloud-capable dash cams. The latest model is the BlackVue DR970X-2CH Plus, which was released in early 2024. It records 4K to the front and 1080p to the rear.
Compared to the Thinkware U3000, forward video quality is about the same, but rear video quality is noticeably better. All in all, you could say that both the front and the rear camera of the DR970X Plus record decent video, while the U3000 has a weaker rear cam.
The DR970X Plus supports time-lapse and buffered parking modes.
BlackVue’s cloud infrastructure is second to none. They offer all the features that Garmin and Thinkware have, plus 2-way voice calls, and (with the paid account) other options such as managing fleets of up to 999 vehicles.
There a three ways to connect the DR970X Plus to the cloud: First, you can go the traditional way and use a third-party access point. This is probably the cheapest option.
The second option is to get BlackVue’s external LTE module, which connects to the camera’s USB port. The LTE module costs around $100 currently.
And third, there is also a version of the DR970X Plus with an integrated LTE module. This camera is called BlackVue DR970X-2CH LTE Plus.
If you use the second or third option, you can connect up to 4 other devices to the Wi-Fi network. The dash cam will then serve as an internet router.
Thinkware U3000
Price: Amazon US / CA / UK – more countries & vendors (ad)
Front resolution: 4K
Rear resolution: 1440p
Video quality: Very good (front), fair (rear)
Max Storage: 256 GB (8.3 hours)
Pros: Best forward video quality, radar-assisted parking mode, OBD-II power cable and CPL filter included
Cons: Radar parking mode incompatible with cloud
Extras: GPS, overheat protection, driver alerts, parking modes: Simple, time-lapse, buffered
Read our full review of the Thinkware U3000
The Thinkware U3000 was released in 2023. It records 4K video with the front camera, and 1440p (2K) video with the rear camera. Forward video quality is very good during the day, and good at night. Rear video quality is fair, both at day and at night.
The U3000 is the only dashboard camera on the market that comes with built-in radar. This can be used in parking mode to reduce power consumption by an order of magnitude, allowing for much longer run times when parked. (The older Thinkware U1000 also supports a radar module, but it is external and costs extra.)
When used in conjunction with a Thinkware iVolt Xtra battery pack (available separately), the U3000 can run for up to 40 days in radar-assisted parking mode.
Unfortunately, the camera’s low-power parking modes are incompatible with its cloud functions. When connected to the cloud, the U3000 supports buffered and time-lapse parking modes only.
Thinkware’s cloud account is free of charge. Its supported features include live video streaming, event notifications, geo-fencing (receive an alert when the vehicle leaves a specified area), and vehicle location.
A nice little detail: The U3000 comes with an OBD-II power cable, so you don’t need to purchase the hard-wiring kit separately. A free CPL filter is also included in the box.
Garmin Mini 2
Price: Amazon US / CA / UK – more countries & vendors (ad)
Video resolution: 1080p
Video quality: Fair (good at day, average at night)
Max Storage: 512 GB (about 75 hours)
Pros: Very small and stealthy, low price
Cons: Limited night video quality
Extras: Voice control, simple parking mode, overheat protection, can set up a network of up to 4 compatible Garmin dash cams
Read our full review of the Garmin Mini 2
This is not only the cheapest cloud capable dash cam currently available, it is also one of the smallest dash cam that we have encountered so far. Measuring only 31 x 53 x 29mm (that’s 1.22 x 2.09 x 1.14 inches), the Garmin Mini 2 is barely noticeable behind your wind shield.
The only dash cam that is even smaller is the Garmin Mini 3. Unfortunately, it only works with a paid cloud subscription (from $10/month), while the Mini 2 has a free option.
To connect to the cloud, enable Parking Guard and make sure you have a power supply and an active internet connection in your car. You can then live-stream video to your phone using the free Garmin Drive app.
A unique Garmin feature: You can install up to 4 Garmin cameras in your car (a front and a rear camera for example), and join them together in a network. If you pair them all with your smart phone, you can create multi-picture videos.
Vantrue E1 Pro
Price: Amazon US / CA – AliExpress – more countries & vendors (ad)
Video resolution: 4K
Video quality: Good (Very good at day, fair at night)
Max Storage: 1 TB (66 hours)
Pros: Higher resolution than Mini 2, small size, low price
Cons: Vantrue cloud relatively new — may be slower or less reliable than others (but evolving)
Extras: GPS, voice control, CPL filter included, parking modes: Buffered, simple, time-lapse, collision
The Vantrue E1 Pro measures 50 x 44 x 44 mm, so it is only slightly larger than the Garmin 2. Unlike the other dash cams featured in this article, it comes with a 1.5″ screen with 3 tiny buttons on the back. Thus, you can review footage and change settings directly on the device if required.
This is a 1-channel dash cam, with no option for a rear camera. It records at 4K reslution, and video quality is good — comparable to the BlackVue DR970X and Thinkware U3000, and noticeably better than the Garmin Mini 2. The E1 Pro is the only dash cam currently to support 1TB memory cards, which is enough for about 66 hours of video footage.
As mentioned above, Vantrue’s cloud is still relatively new as of mid 2025. Some users have complained about reliability issues. Vantrue are actively working on improving their cloud coverage though, so we expect reliability and transmission speed to improve over time.
Conclusion
So which cloud dash cam is best for you?
It really depends on your budget. If your funds ares limited, we recommend a Vantrue or a Garmin.
Vantrue’s dash cams especially are a lot more affordable than some of the more high-end brands, and record good video reliably. However, their LTE module costs about $100 more than a simple hot spot.
Garmin dash cams, on the other hand, while reliably, generally suffer from lower video quality. We have also observed a high return rate.
If money isn’t an issue, BlackVue’s cloud has been around the longest. It is the fastest dash cam cloud around, and very reliable. Thinkware were the company to offer cloud connectivity, and quality wise, they are the runner-up.
Both BlackVue and Thinkware are high-end brands, so expect to pay around $400-$550 for the dash cam alone.