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Reviewed / Eufy / Blink / Reolink / TP-Link
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Reviewed / Eufy / Blink / Reolink / TP-Link
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Google’s first battery-powered doorbell is beautiful, smart, and versatile enough for any front door. Read More
Ring's Video Doorbell Wired is the brands smallest, most affordable doorbell. It works with Alexa and features custom motion zones. Read More
This dual-camera doorbell captures the entirety of your front stoop and can hold three months' worth of local storage. Easy to install and weatherproof. Read More
Prepare to get a great value with this video doorbell. Setup is one of the easiest we've seen; it runs on batteries and has a 150-degree field of view. Read More
This doorbell connects to the Reolink hub and stores footage locally. As for quality, it is IP65 weather-resistant and has a 2K head-to-toe camera. Read More
Video doorbells are one of the least expensive—and thus, most popular—ways to start turning your home into a smarter one.
Easy to install and use, they let you see who’s at your front (or back) door, whether you’re home or not. All support two-way audio, allowing you to converse with the visitor and potentially leave drop-off instructions if it’s a courier or food delivery person. They needn’t know if you’re inside the home, at work, or halfway around the world.
Since there’s an embedded camera, it’s both a deterrent to a porch pirate and provides video evidence in the event of package swiping.
“Thanks, Captain Obvious,” you’re thinking. Yes, most of you are already aware of this. But not all video doorbells are created equal.
Many, for example, require a subscription fee to access previously recorded videos, but not all video doorbells charge for this feature. Some may require an indoor chime in the event someone is home without the companion app on a smartphone. Some are wired, others are wireless, and a handful let you choose between the two.
What’s more, cameras vary in resolution, low-light performance, and their field of view. Video doorbells often feature AI capabilities, including package detection, person detection, vehicle recognition, and even facial recognition.
Speaking of AI, there are often extras like “smart scrubbing” through hours of video to show you precisely what you’re looking for.
To help you whittle down your options when considering your first (or next) video doorbell, we’ve done all the testing so you don’t have to. Here, we’ve highlighted some of the best options available, tailored to your budget and desired features. Our favorite pick that will satisfy most people: Google Nest Doorbell (available at Amazon for $165.99) . People looking for a less expensive doorbell may want to consider the Ring Video Doorbell Wired (available at Amazon), our Best Value pick.
The Nest Doorbell (battery) is a wireless video doorbell that records up to three hours of event history without a paid subscription fee—a first for Google smart doorbells.
The Ring Video Doorbell Wired records in 1080p HD video with a 155-degree horizontal field of view.
Fantastic video
Loud and clear audio
Alexa Greetings
No support for Apple HomeKit
Extra features aren't worth it
Multiple installation methods
Two cameras
Free intelligent alerts
Large size
Hub required (included)
Poor smart display integration
Incredible video quality
24/7 recording
Free storage
False alerts
No two-factor authentication
Sleek design
Versatile power options
Chime works well
Battery life may not be great
Video recording limits
Included chime is required
Timely and accurate smart alerts
Head-to-toe view
Advanced features
iOS only
Doesn't work with Alexa/Google
While most of the doorbells we tested recorded video in 1080p, some were 2K doorbells. However, resolution isn’t the only factor that determines video quality. Factors such as night vision should be considered when choosing a video doorbell.
For the most part, you don't need any other smart home devices or technologies to use smart doorbells—just your smartphone and the doorbell’s app. However, most of these video doorbells will play nicely with other smart home devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home speakers, so check to see which are most compatible with the system you're using. Smart speakers can make announcements when someone rings your doorbell and display a live stream of your front door camera.
If you want to save your videos on the cloud, a separate storage subscription cost may be necessary. Most video doorbells allow you to turn them on and off from the app, controlling when they record and upload video to the cloud. You can look for a doorbell that stores videos locally. However, that will limit your storage capacity more than using a cloud-based system.
Most smart video doorbells can be easily installed using the existing wires your home may already have for an everyday doorbell. If you don't have a wired setup, then purchasing a battery-powered smart video doorbell will be the way to go.
It’s essential to create a strong, unique password for your video doorbell app. Additionally, it's crucial to look for other important security features, such as two-factor authentication and end-to-end video encryption. Two-factor authentication, available on many smart video doorbells, sends a code to your mobile device when you—or someone else—tries to log into your account so you can verify it’s really you. End-to-end video encryption offers a layer of protection that can help prevent others from viewing your saved and stored videos. When using a video doorbell with assistants, you can regularly delete your voice recordings and mute the mic when not in use to help protect your privacy.
Whether or not companies need permission to share video recordings with law enforcement depends on your setup and the access that the companies themselves have.
In short, however, it’s unlikely that a company needs your permission to share data if that data is stored on the company’s servers. Opting for local storage ensures you are the only one who can access your doorbell video.
Ring operates the Neighbors community service, which allows police to directly ask users if they can access footage, through the Request for Assistance feature. Typically, this involves users within a certain distance of an incident receiving that request.
To find the best video doorbells, we put top models through a series of hands-on tests, considering video and audio quality, as well as other key features.
Because video doorbells double as home security cameras, picture clarity was measured in multiple settings. We also tested the apps in terms of connectivity, time to start streaming, storage options, and ease of use. We also made sure they were weatherproof.
When it came to audio testing, almost all of the doorbells performed well, but some stood out. The same, not surprisingly, applied to the “rain” test, where we simulated inclement weather using a spray bottle. But our other tests revealed variances that helped us determine which doorbells were worth your time and which wouldn’t deliver great results.
Along with Reviewed and USA TODAY, Marc has been a freelance journalist for more than 20 publications, is a 16-time author (including Apple Watch For Dummies and Game Design: Secrets of the Sages), hosts the syndicated Tech It Out radio (and podcast), and is host of Tech Impact television show (on Bloomberg TV and FOX Business).
Based in Toronto, Marc specializes in consumer electronics, games and apps, smart home innovations, automotive tech, and future trends.
Rachel Murphy is Reviewed's home editor. She holds a journalism degree from the University of Central Florida. Prior to joining the team, she worked as a freelance writer for publications like Insider and Mashable, and as an associate editorial producer for Good Morning America. Aside from smart home tech, her interests include food, travel, parenting, and home renovation. You can usually find her sipping on coffee at any time of the day.
Christian de Looper is a consumer tech journalist with over a decade of experience. De Looper has covered all areas of the consumer tech industry, from smartphones to smart homes — and has attended all of the major trade shows, including CES.
De Looper has always been interested in consumer technology, but his love for gadgets and electronics blossomed into a full-blown passion when he started writing about it while completing his degree in audio production.
Since then, he has written for many of the top tech publications, including Digital Trends, Tom’s Guide, TechRadar, and many more. He loves getting his hands on all of the latest gadgets, but when he’s not reviewing tech, he can be found hanging out with his family or producing music.
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