6 Best Video Doorbells
Best Video Doorbells Main Takeaways
- Google Nest doorbells work seamlessly with Google Assistant and are our top pick overall.
- Arlo’s 2K video doorbell offers the best video quality.
- For those seeking a budget-friendly option, Blink offers an affordable doorbell and subscription.
- Ring offers many different doorbell models, but the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is our favorite battery-powered option because it’s reasonably priced and has a removable battery for easy charging.
A video doorbell is a great way to add a layer of security to your home. Not only can you view the footage live, but you can also get notifications when someone is at your door. Plus, most video doorbells allow you to save video recordings, which can be helpful if someone is trespassing or breaking in.
With so many options, it can be hard to decide which one to buy. Keep reading to find our best video doorbell camera picks.
Why Trust Us?
We evaluated the most important specifications, features and prices of popular video doorbells, including:
- Price
- Subscription requirements
- Features
- Video quality
- Usability
For more information, read our full methodology.
Our Top Picks for the Best Video Doorbells of 2024
- Arlo Video Doorbell 2K: Best Video Quality
- Blink Video Doorbell: Best Video Doorbell for Your Budget
- Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera: Best Video Doorbell for Apple HomeKit Users
- Google Nest Video Doorbell: Best Video Doorbell Overall
- Ring Battery Doorbell Plus: Best Battery-Powered Video Doorbell
- Ring Peephole Video Doorbell: Best Video Doorbell for Apartment Dwellers
Best Video Doorbell Reviews
This site does not include all companies or all available offers. The companies below are listed in alphabetical order.
- High video quality and wide field of view
- Offers security packages with 24/7 monitoring and personal safety features
- Save by bundling products
- Only one color option
- Many features require a subscription
- Price:
- $129.99
- Subscription:
- Arlo Secure ($7.99 to $12.99 per month), Arlo Secure Plus ($17.99 per month) or Arlo Safe and Secure Pro ($24.99 per month)
- Power setup:
- Hardwired or battery-powered
- Key features:
- Night vision, two-way talking and cloud storage
- Smart home integrations:
- Works with Alexa, Google Assistant and IFTTT
- Professional security options:
- Compatible with the Arlo Security System and the Arlo Safe and Secure Pro subscription for professional monitoring
Arlo’s 2K video doorbell offers an impressive 180-degree diagonal field of view and 1944 x 1944 video resolution. This is the widest view and highest resolution we found available among many of the popular doorbell brands. It can provide clear images during the day and at night.
You will need a monthly subscription to get the most out of your Arlo camera. For instance, saving videos requires a subscription — without one, you can only view your camera live.
This doorbell may also be a great option for those who want to create a complete home security system, especially because Arlo offers bundling discounts on its devices. You can choose from many other products, such as outdoor sirens, indoor and outdoor home security cameras, smart locks, smart displays, door sensors and more. Additionally, the Arlo Safe and Secure Pro subscription package comes with 24/7 professional monitoring that can send emergency professionals to your home when needed.
If you like Arlo’s offerings but want a cheaper option, you can opt for Arlo’s HD doorbell model for $80. It has lower video quality, but retains most of the features of the 2K version.
- Cheaper than many other video doorbells
- Subscription is affordable
- Can be wired to your home or battery-powered
- Fewer features than other doorbell cameras
- Doesn’t offer professional monitoring
- Price:
- $59.99
- Subscription:
- Blink Basic ($3 per month or $30 per year for one device) or Blink Plus ($10 per month or $100 per year for multiple devices)
- Power setup:
- Hardwired or battery-powered
- Key features:
- Night vision, two-way talking and cloud storage
- Smart home integrations:
- Works with Alexa
- Professional security options:
- No professional monitoring plan through Blink
Blink is the best affordable video doorbell option at only $60. Plus, it offers an affordable subscription option, starting at just $3 per month or $30 if you pay yearly. If you don’t want to pay for a subscription for cloud storage, you can get the Sync Module 2 device and a USB flash drive to save videos locally.
Blink doorbells work for most doors because they can be wired or battery-powered. However, they’re only compatible with AA 1.5 volt Lithium non-rechargeable batteries.
A downside to Blink is that it lacks some of the features other, more expensive doorbell cameras have, such as package alerts and other AI detection as well as professional security monitoring. It also has a slightly smaller field of view at 135 degrees horizontal and 80 degrees vertical. However, we think it’s a good value if you’re on a tight budget.
- Works with Apple HomeKit
- Produces a clear picture (even in low light)
- Smart Detection technology uses AI for accurate notifications
- No battery-powered option
- Doesn’t work with Google Assistant
- Price:
- $159.99
- Subscription:
- Standard ($5 per month or $50 per year) or Complete ($10 per month or $90 per year)
- Power setup:
- Hardwired
- Key features:
- Night vision, two-way talking and cloud storage
- Smart home integrations:
- Works with Alexa and Apple HomeKit
- Professional security options:
- Professional monitoring with the Complete Ecobee Smart Security plan
The Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera is a great wired video doorbell for Apple HomeKit users. The device has advanced technology features to enhance your doorbell experience, such as package detection and Smart Detection, which uses intelligence and radar verification to give users fewer false alerts.
Another feature we like is Smart Focus, which keeps people in focus on your video. The technology automatically zooms and pans the footage as needed to follow the visitor so you don’t miss anything.
Ecobee’s doorbell has a 175-degree vertical field of view, so you can get a head-to-toe picture and even see packages placed right up against your door. Overall, it’s a great video doorbell option, but it only comes in a hardwired version.
- Sleek design and many color options
- Compatible with ADT home security
- Works seamlessly with Google smart home systems
- Can detect familiar faces
- Lower resolution than some other cameras
- Battery isn’t removable for charging
- Price:
- $179.99
- Subscription:
- Nest Aware ($8 per month or $80 per year) or Nest Aware Plus ($15 per month or $150 per year)
- Power setup:
- Hardwired or battery-powered
- Key features:
- Night vision, two-way talking, cloud storage, intelligent alerts and theft replacement guarantee
- Smart home integrations:
- Works with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa
- Professional security options:
- ADT + Google home security partnership
We think the Google Nest doorbells are the best overall option available for most people, especially Google Home users. They’re packed with great features that many other doorbells don’t have. For one, they offer intelligent alerts that can detect sound and animals and even recognize different people through facial recognition. Plus, Google has a partnership with ADT to offer an ADT home security package that works with Nest devices.
You can choose between a hardwired doorbell or one that’s battery-powered. This means the Google Nest doorbell will work for most people. However, we consider the battery a significant downside because you cannot remove it from the doorbell for charging. Instead, you must remove the whole doorbell from its door mount when it needs to charge.
We found the Google Home app very easy to use. It houses controls for all your Google smart home devices, from cameras to thermostats, lighting, door locks and more. However, if you use a different smart home system, you might want to consider a different option that works better with your existing technology.
- Has a removable battery pack for easy charging
- Works well with Alexa devices
- Produces high-resolution videos
- Many features require a subscription
- Smaller field of view than some other options
- Price:
- $149.99
- Subscription:
- Ring Protect Basic ($4.99 per month or $49.99 per year), Ring Protect Plus ($10 per month or $100 per year) or Ring Protect Pro ($20 per month or $200 per year)
- Power setup:
- Battery-powered
- Key features:
- Night vision, two-way talking and cloud storage or local storage with Ring Edge
- Smart home integrations:
- Works with Alexa
- Professional security options:
- Compatible with Ring home security systems and Ring Protect Pro plan for professional monitoring
The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus has an advantage over many other battery-powered doorbells on the market: you can remove the battery for charging. This is an ideal option because you can purchase extra rechargeable batteries to swap out when you need to charge them so you never go without camera coverage. Otherwise, your doorbell camera will be out of commission while it charges.
The Battery Doorbell Plus features a 150-degree horizontal and 150-degree vertical field of view as well as 1536p HD video resolution. It’s equipped with night vision to capture clear videos in the dark.
Since Amazon owns Ring, this doorbell works great with Alexa products. You can view alerts and video footage on an Amazon Echo Show. Additionally, we consider the Ring mobile app easy to use. In addition to controlling your camera, the app also has a Neighbors feature that allows you to post and view content from other users in your area. Users often post about suspicious visitors, missing pets and more.
- Easy to install and remove
- Has a removable battery pack
- Detects knocking, doorbell ringing and motion
- Not compatible with all door sizes
- Unusual placement for a doorbell
- Price:
- $129.99
- Subscription:
- Ring Protect Basic ($4.99 per month or $49.99 per year), Ring Protect Plus ($10 per month or $100 per year) or Ring Protect Pro ($20 per month or $200 per year)
- Power setup:
- Battery-powered
- Key features:
- Night vision, two-way talking and cloud storage or local storage with Ring Edge
- Smart home integrations:
- Works with Alexa
- Professional security options:
- Compatible with Ring home security systems and Ring Protect Pro plan for professional monitoring
The Ring Peephole Video Doorbell is a unique option that attaches to the existing peephole in your door. It still gives you a physical peephole, but also has a camera so you can view live video from your phone and save recordings. Since it’s easy to install and remove, it’s a great wireless video doorbell for apartment dwellers.
Before buying this ring video doorbell, ensure it will work with your door. It’s compatible with standard size peepholes that measure ½ of an inch to 9/16 of an inch wide, and doors that are about 1.3 inches to 2.2 inches thick.
One slight downside we noticed is that since it goes on your door’s peephole, it’s located in the center of your door. This isn’t the usual spot for a doorbell, so some people may not recognize it. However, the device also detects when someone knocks on the door.
As mentioned in the review above, we find the Ring app easy to use. If you have multiple cameras, switching between devices in the app is easy. You may consider getting a Ring Protect Plan to access most of your camera’s features.
Video Doorbell Guide
Video doorbells can offer homeowners and apartment dwellers peace of mind. They’re an easy security measure you can often install yourself. Here’s more information about how they work and how to choose the right one for your home.
How do video doorbells work?
A smart video doorbell is essentially a security camera and doorbell built into one device. It can detect motion at your front door and capture video footage. Doorbell cameras are convenient because they can send a notification to your phone when the camera identifies motion or when someone rings the bell.
Most video doorbells connect easily to your Wi-Fi network and store video history in the cloud, but some models also offer local storage.
How to choose a video doorbell
Before choosing a video doorbell, consider the following factors:
- Price: High-quality video doorbells usually range in price from about $60 to $200 or more. You may be able to find a cheaper one online, but it likely won’t have the same features, video quality and security.
- Subscription requirements: Most video doorbells require a subscription to record and save videos. However, subscriptions vary by device manufacturer. You can often save money on your subscription by paying yearly instead of monthly. Before buying a doorbell, review the company’s subscription requirements and cost.
- Power setup: Video doorbells can either be battery-powered or hardwired. If you already have a hardwired doorbell in your home, you may be able to easily replace it with a hardwired video doorbell. If not, you can hire an electrician to install a hardwired system, or opt for a battery-powered doorbell.
- Video quality: Video quality is important when choosing a video doorbell. You want to ensure you can see people clearly and identify who is at your door if necessary. When shopping for a doorbell, consider video resolution and field of view — the area the camera can see.
- Audio features: An important audio feature to look for is two-way audio, which allows you to talk to someone at your door through your camera’s speaker.
- Night vision: Make sure the doorbell you choose has night vision so it can still pick up people when it’s dark outside.
- Video storage: Recordings are usually stored on a cloud (typically requiring a subscription). However, some doorbells have local storage on a microSD card in the doorbell or the option to buy another device that enables local storage.
- Smart home integrations: Not all doorbells work with all smart home platforms. If you already have smart home devices, make sure to choose a doorbell that works well with your system.
- Security system integrations: You may want professional monitoring. Many brands (but not all) offer security subscription services.
- Mobile app: Video doorbells are controlled from a mobile app on your smartphone. Make sure the app has good reviews and is easy to use.
- Data: Ensure your data will be safe on the video doorbell you choose. Be wary of cheap doorbell options that may be easily hacked.
How We Chose the Best Video Doorbells
To come up with our list of the best video doorbells, we looked at the factors that matter most to homeowners:
- Price: Since many cameras offer similar features, price is an important factor to consider. We highlighted products at a range of prices.
- Subscriptions: Most video doorbells require subscriptions to access the best features, like saving video clips or receiving professional monitoring. We looked into each company's subscription options and their costs.
- Video quality: Having a camera that produces clear videos day and night is important. Video quality and field of view were a top factor we considered when choosing the best video doorbells.
- Integrations: We considered smart home system integrations and security system options.
- Features: Some video doorbells stand out for their extra features, such as alerts powered by artificial intelligence or two-way talking. Other essentials include motion detection, motion alerts and night vision.
- Ease of use: It’s important to have an easy installation process and easy-to-use app.
Summary of the Best Video Doorbells of 2024
- Arlo Video Doorbell 2K: Best Video Quality
- Blink Video Doorbell: Best Video Doorbell for Your Budget
- Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera: Best Video Doorbell for Apple HomeKit Users
- Google Nest Video Doorbell: Best Video Doorbell Overall
- Ring Battery Doorbell Plus: Best Battery-Powered Video Doorbell
- Ring Peephole Video Doorbell: Best Video Doorbell for Apartment Dwellers