Ring Doorbell Comparison: Which One Should You Buy?

After hours of research and hands-on testing, we bring you our honest take on the Ring doorbell series.
Best overall
Ring Doorbell Plus
4 out of 5 stars
4
  • pro
    Battery or wired
  • pro
    Head-to-toe view
  • pro
    1536p video
Best value
Ring Video Doorbell (2nd gen)
Ring Video Doorbell
4 out of 5 stars
4
  • pro
    Battery or wired
  • pro
    150º view
  • pro
    Renter-friendly
Best for budgets
Ring Video Doorbell Wired
3.8 out of 5 stars
3.75
  • con
    Wired only
  • pro
    155º view
  • pro
    Super affordable
Best video quality
Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 product image
Ring Video Doorbell Pro
3.8 out of 5 stars
3.75
  • pro
    Battery or wired
  • pro
    150º view
  • pro
    Excellent resolution
Best for new construction
Ring Elite Doorbell product images
Ring Video Doorbell Elite
3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5
  • con
    Wired only
  • pro
    160º view
  • pro
    Pro install recommended

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With 20+ years in tech journalism, Alina blends safety expertise with her passion for simplifying technology. Alina is also trained as a first responder and worked as a volunteer firefighter. Kasey is a trained Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) member, expert writer in emergency preparedness and security, and the mother of four kids.

Of all the Ring security video doorbells I tried out—from the original to the Elite—my top pick is the Ring Video Doorbell Plus. It’s easy to install, easy to use, and under $150. But a different Ring doorbell might be a better choice for you based on your budget and expectations.



Compare Ring doorbells

Doorbell
Best for
Price
Power source
Installation type
Video quality
Field of view
Learn more
Best overallBattery, wiredDIY1536p150°
Best value

Battery, wired

DIY

1080p

150º

Best for budgetsWired onlyDIY1080p155°
Best video quality

Wired only

DIY

1536p

150º

Best for new construction

Wired (Power over Ethernet)

Professional recommended

1080p

160º

*Amazon.com list price as of publish date. Read full disclaimer.

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Ring video doorbell reviews

1. Ring Doorbell Plus: Best overall

Best overall
Ring Doorbell Plus
$179.99
pro Dual power options
pro Head-to-toe view
pro Better quality video

Amazon.com list price as of publish date. Read full disclaimer.

The newly released Ring Doorbell Plus is the middle-ground when it comes to Ring's video doorbell selection. It has better quality video than the Ring Video Doorbell or the Elite. It lacks some features of the higher priced video doorbells, though, like Pre-Roll, Bird's Eye Zones, Bird's Eye View, and Dual-Band Wi-fi.

Why would you choose this Ring doorbell camera over others? Well, if video quality is important to you, but you don't really care about Pre-Roll, Bird's Eye Zones, Bird's Eye View, and Dual-Band Wi-fi, getting this model can save you hundreds of dollars.

It also has a special head-to-toe view that ensures that the whole person is in the video.

2. Ring Video Doorbell: Best value

Best value
Ring Video Doorbell (2nd gen)
Ring Video Doorbell
$99.99
pro 1080p HD video
pro Custom motion zones
pro Easy installation

Amazon.com list price as of publish date. Read full disclaimer.

The Ring Video Doorbell is what you would call the base model of the Ring lineup. It's the original, but the company has mad quite a few updates to it over the years.

One big improvement in this new version is crisp 1080p video quality and a more polished design. But it still doesn't have a removable battery. Charging the battery on this Ring is a bit of a hassle (since you have to pretty much take the whole doorbell off). But if you hardwire it to your old doorbell, you won’t have to worry about the battery dying.

It also lacks the fancy Pre-Roll feature that captures video from before motion events, which is the higher-priced versions' biggest draw.

If you still want a Ring doorbell but you’re on a budget, those little concessions are worth the over $200 you save on the purchase price compared to the Elite.

But just because it’s budget-friendly doesn’t mean it’s without perks. The Ring Video Doorbell still has a bunch of the other bells and whistles we enjoy with pricier versions, including custom motion zones, motion-activated alerts, and a wide 150º field of view.

3. Ring Video Doorbell Wired: Best for budgets

Best for budgets
Ring Video Doorbell Wired
$49.99
pro Night vision
pro Two-way talk
pro Motion alerts

Amazon.com list price as of 10/08/2021 at 4:46 p.m. (MT). Read full disclaimer.

The Ring Video Doorbell Wired costs just under $65, making it the most affordable Ring doorbell to date. But there's a catch: you can only use this version if you already have existing doorbell wiring. There's no battery pack.

Even though it's not a wireless camera, it still has all the perks you expect from a video doorbell: two-way audio, motion alerts, 1080p recording, and a Wi-Fi connection.

4. Ring Video Doorbell Pro: Best video quality

Best video quality
Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 product image
Ring Video Doorbell Pro
$229.99
pro Slender design
pro Two-way talk
pro Motion detection

Amazon.com list price as of publish date. Read full disclaimer.

The Ring Video Doorbell Pro is the device for people who want a subtler, sleeker video doorbell to greet their visitors. It is narrower than its bulkier cousins and has a profile that resembles a standard doorbell. The lack of bulk is because there’s no battery, which means you have to hardwire it to your old doorbell.

It has 1536p resolution, which is higher quality than other Ring doorbell cameras, and it still manages to fit a motion detector and two-way audio into its space-saving design.

What sets it apart from its competitors is the additional features in the app:

  • Bird's Eye Zones: This feature allows you to map out your detection to only get alerts about specific areas.
  • Bird's Eye View: An aerial view or "bird's eye view" of motion events that tracks a visitor's path.
  • Dual-Band Wi-fi: The doorbell works with 2.4GHz and 5GHz.

5. Ring Video Doorbell Elite: Best for new construction

Best for new construction
Ring Elite Doorbell product images
Ring Video Doorbell Elite
$349.99
pro Ethernet connection
pro Two-way talk
pro Motion alerts

Amazon.com list price as of publish date. Read full disclaimer.

The Ring Video Doorbell Elite is Ring’s top-of-the-line option with a top-of-the-line price to match. It’s hardwired to your ethernet connection, so you never have to worry about its proximity to Wi-Fi.

But since most homes probably don’t have an ethernet cable running to the doorbell box, the Elite is a better fit for new construction.

Ring recommends professional installation for this device due to the required ethernet connection and because it’s flush-mounted to your outer wall. On the plus side, the flush-mount design makes it a lot less bulky after installation than other Ring video doorbell models.

6. Ring Peephole Cam: Best for peepholes

Best for peepholes
Ring Elite Doorbell product images
Ring Peephole Cam
$129.99
pro Installs into peephole in minutes
pro Two-way talk
pro Motion alerts

Amazon.com list price as of publish date. Read full disclaimer.

Want to just upgrade your peephole? Ring has you covered with the Ring Peephole Cam. For a little under $130, you can turn your boring peephole into one that records footage that you can check whether you're at home or not. It even lets you speak to people at your door, just like the doorbell cameras.

With 1080p video, battery power, and knock detection, this little gadget is a great alternative to Ring's doorbell cameras.

Bell
Ring plans and pricing update

Ring has changed its monthly subscription plans. Here are the nuts and bolts:

  • Ring Basic: $4.99/mo.
  • Ring Standard: $9.99/mo.
  • Ring Premium: $19.99/mo.
  • Professional monitoring: $10/mo. add-on (cannot add to Basic plan)
  • Virtual Guard: $99/mo. add-on (cannot add to Basic plan)


You can still get live video, real-time alerts, and keypad arming/disarming (for Ring Alarm) without a monthly subscription. We’re working to test and learn more about the changes, but we wanted to let you know while we work on updating our articles.

Which Ring doorbell should I buy?

The Ring Video Doorbell Plus  is the most advanced Ring doorbell model with a not-so-heavy price. from our perspective it's the perfect balance.

What to expect with Ring video doorbells

Before we go into the nitty-gritty details, here are six things every Ring Video Doorbell has in common:

  1. A video camera
  2. Motion detection
  3. A doorbell
  4. Two-way audio
  5. Night vision
  6. A live video feed from the Ring app

Learn more about how Ring doorbells work.

Notepad
How many Ring doorbells are there?

If you include both wired and battery versions, Ring has seven different doorbells that it is actively selling (there are older and discontinued Ring doorbells still out there on Amazon, so beware!)

It’s important to note that different Ring doorbell versions target specific needs beyond what a single model could handle, like a doorbell for an apartment or a less bulky size.

Installation

A big difference between Ring doorbells is installation. Pretty much anyone can install the battery versions, .since they require only a few screws. The wired and the Elite, may be out of your skillset. If you’re on the handy side and feel comfortable with simple wiring (or are willing to learn to hardwire a Ring doorbell), then you might consider doing it yourself. With Elite, you'll definitely need a pro.

Need help with set up? Check out our step-by-step guide to installing a Ring doorbell or our Ring doorbell troubleshooting guide.

Notepad
Laggy Ring app

Overall, we’ve found the Ring app to be a little bit on the slow side. The app gives you access to your live camera feed, but since it’s a bit laggy, we recommend adding a subscription to Ring Standard (only around $10 a month) so you can use cloud storage and review feeds later.

Field of view 

Depending on the area at your front door, choosing the wrong field of view could limit how useful your video doorbell is. If your front door is recessed, like many apartment doors, then a flat-mounted doorbell with a narrower field of view is fine.

But if you have a larger front porch or area you want your camera to cover, you might want to consider Ring doorbell options with mounting wedges. You can always buy wedges separately, too.

Power source 

With the exception of the Peephole Cam, all other Ring doorbells have a hardwire option so you never have to worry about changing a battery.

If you do decide to go the battery-powered route, we recommend purchasing an extra battery for power while the other is charging.

Internet connection 

Finally, think about internet speeds. For a fast, reliable connection, the Ring Elite is your best bet since it works with ethernet rather than Wi-Fi.

Bell
Wi-Fi extender

If you want to go the Wi-Fi route (as most DIYers do), remember that you may need a Wi-Fi extender, depending on how far your front door is from your router.

Ring Doorbell FAQ

Ring video doorbells use standard motion detection with passive infrared (PIR) sensors. PIR sensors have the benefit of using less power than more advanced motion sensors, so they’re ideal for saving battery life on battery-powered devices like the Ring Video Doorbell.

Since Ring hit the market, many other companies have gotten in on the doorbell cam action:

The Nest Hello even has high-tech features like facial recognition and prerecorded messages you can use for visitors when you’re not available to answer the door.

Check out our other video doorbell reviews to learn more.

A Ring Protect subscription gives you various features (like cloud access to camera footage and professional monitoring), depending on your plan. You'll need Ring Protect Pro for 24/7 professional monitoring on a Ring Alarm system.

Ring Protect has recently changed its monthly subscription plans. Here they are and the costs:

  • Ring Basic: $4.99/mo.
  • Ring Standard: $9.99/mo.
  • Ring Premium: $19.99/mo.
  • Professional monitoring: $10/mo. add-on (cannot add to Basic plan)
  • Virtual Guard: $99/mo. add-on (cannot add to Basic plan)

Ring has had trouble with some privacy issues with people gaining unauthorized access to customers’ camera feeds which put a microscope on the company’s privacy policies. But the company is working to improve privacy for its customers in a number of ways:

  • It's added end-to-end encryption on wired doorbells that users can turn on in the lastest version of the Ring app.
  • It added a Control Center to the Ring app so customers can easily adjust privacy settings.
  • It now requires two-factor authentication on all user accounts for additional security.

Wired Ring doorbell models with a battery will still function when the power’s out:

  • Ring Video Doorbell (Gen 1 and Gen 2)
  • Ring Video Doorbell 2
  • Ring Video Doorbell 3
  • Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus
  • Ring Video Doorbell 4

But even if they work, your Wi-Fi probably won’t. The Ring Wired, Ring Pro, Ring Pro 2, and Ring Elite don’t have a backup battery.

Ring discontinued the Peephole Cam in April 2021. And then they recently brought it back for around $130. You can get it on Ring.com or on Amazon.

Read answers to more Ring FAQs.

How we reviewed Ring doorbells

As a Ring Doorbell user, I’ve probably spent dozens of hours over the last few years using my Ring, and despite the sluggish app, I’m a happy customer.

To compare Ring doorbells and learn more about the other Ring video doorbell products, I spent about hours combing the Ring website, researching each device, and trying them out in my own home.

I also watched about half a dozen installation videos and talked with a security pro to better understand the ins and outs of installing each.

Our full methodology gives more info on how we evaluate products.

Related articles on SafeWise


Disclaimers

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Safewise.com utilizes paid Amazon links.

Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided “as is” and is subject to change or removal at any time.

Alina Bradford
Written by
Alina is a safety and security expert with over 25 years of experience. She has contributed her insights to CNET, CBS, Digital Trends, MTV, Top Ten Reviews, and many others. After testing thousands of devices, apps, services, and more, her goal is to make safety and security gadgets less mystifying one article at a time. In the early 2000s, Alina worked as a volunteer firefighter, earning her first responder certification and paving the way to her current career. Plus, she has tested hundreds of pieces of security and safety equipment over the years. Places published: CBS, MTV, CVS, Rachael Ray, eBay, Reader’s Digest, ConsumerAffairs, and more. Certifications: Fire Service Training, Oklahoma State University. Awards: Received the Experience Leader certificate from Authority, putting her “in the top 25% among the thousands of professional content creators analyzed by Authory for the Fall 2023 audit.” You can view more of Alina's work at alinabradford.com.

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