No, you do not need a Blink subscription if you have local storage. One of the advantages of Blink security cameras is that they offer a viable local storage solution that doesn't require a subscription. Blink provides free cloud storage for two hours of recorded video clips, which can be useful for short-term viewing of recent events. However, if you have local storage set up, such as an external hard drive or a USB flash drive connected to a Blink Sync Module 2, you can save and store your footage locally without relying on the cloud.