An IP camera, or Internet Protocol camera, is a digital video camera that receives control data and sends image data via an IP network. Surveillance is the everyday use of IP cameras, but unlike analog closed-circuit television cameras, they do not require a local recording device, only a local area network. Most IP cameras are webcams, but the term IP camera usually applies to those directly accessed over a network connection, usually used for surveillance.

A few IP cameras require the support of a central network video recorder (NVR) to handle the recording, video, and alarm management. Others can operate in a decentralized manner with no NVR needed, as the camera can record directly to any local or remote storage media.