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The doorbell can work with your existing chime (although, oddly, not if you enable 24/7 recording) but also comes with a plug-in chime. If you don’t wire it, you’ll have to remove it to charge, but the large battery can last up to eight months. The downside is that it is a huge, chunky doorbell, which may not meet the spousal approval factor for a good-looking doorbell.
Another neat feature of the Tapo is doorbell calling. When someone rings your doorbell, the alert comes in like a phone call, making it less likely that you’ll miss it. This is something first offered on Arlo buzzers, and Ring says it’s bringing it to its line.
As Tapo also offers a wide range of smart home products — including security cameras, smart lights, and robot vacuum cleaners — you can tie your doorbell into smart home routines.
If you have lots of devices, the Tapo app can get a bit cluttered. But it’s easy enough to use and packed with features, including quick replies, a privacy mode that turns the camera off, and the ability to schedule notifications, set detection zones, and specify the type of alert you want to get from each one (e.g., only notify me if you see people in this zone and packages in this zone).
a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin [&>a]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-white”>More expensive, but more flexible
Video quality: 1536 x 1536p, HDR / Smart alerts: Person, package ($) Aspect ratio: 1:1 / Field of view: 150 degrees horizontal, 150 degrees vertical / Power options: Wired / Wi-Fi: 2.4GHz and 5GHz / Storage: Cloud and local (with Ring Alarm Pro) / Subscription fee: $4.99 a month / Works with: Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings
The Ring Pro 2 — previously my top pick — is the best-wired doorbell camera that works with Amazon Alexa and integrates with Ring Alarm and other Ring cameras. It’s more expensive than the Nest Wired — which also works with Alexa — but its video is higher quality and much brighter.
It has an ideal square aspect ratio for a full front porch view, speedy notifications, and impressively accurate motion detection using three separate sensors — radar, video analysis, and passive infrared. It also has a nice slim design and multiple faceplate options to fit your decor.
But there’s no free video recording, no option for 24/7 recording (yet), and the smart alerts are limited to people and packages. However, you can now search for things like vehicles and animals after the fact with Ring’s new Smart Video Search feature. This makes tracking down my cat or checking which delivery driver came by a little easier.
The Ring Pro 2 also works with Samsung SmartThings, and while it doesn’t support Apple Home, it can be integrated with extra hardware. There’s no support for Google Home.
A true wired doorbell, while the Ring Pro 2 is one of the most responsive doorbells I’ve tested, delivering notifications immediately. It also has the best range and connectivity, and built-in, full-color preroll helps ensure you don’t miss any crucial action.
The Pro 2 has good color night vision, dual-band Wi-Fi, and smart responses (which let your doorbell talk to your visitor for you). The Ring app is best in class, and there are pages of settings you can tinker with. Plus, the timeline view for scrolling through your recordings is very good.
The Pro 2 will work with your existing doorbell chime, plus Ring sells a plug-in Chime and Chime Wi-Fi extender that can help boost connectivity while providing a selection of fun doorbell tones.
As with most doorbell cameras, the Pro 2 can use Echo smart speakers to announce when someone is at the door. As a Ring doorbell, it can also automatically pull up a live feed of your front door on an Echo Show or Fire TV-enabled television when someone presses the doorbell.
The downside is that the Pro 2 is expensive. Its subscription fee starts at $4.99 a month (or $49.99 a year). This adds recorded footage, smart alerts, and an extra six seconds of preroll video, which, in lieu of 24/7 recording, provides plenty of time around motion events to catch all the action.
The Pro works with Ring Edge for local storage and video processing, plus the option of cellular backup. But you need a Ring Alarm Pro and Ring Home Premium subscription for this, which costs $20 a month and no longer includes professional monitoring of your alarm (that’s now a $10 add-on).
Ring recently announced it is finally bringing 24/7 recording to its wired cameras, and that feature will be included in the $20-a-month plan. While this isn’t coming to the wired doorbells at launch, Ring has said the feature will expand to more devices soon.
Note: Ring recently changed its subscription plans from Ring Protect to Ring Home. The changes went into effect on November 5th, 2024. See more details here.
Video quality: 1080p, 8x zoom, color and IR night vision / Smart Alerts: Person, package Aspect ratio: 3:4 portrait / Field of view: 187 degrees diagonal / Power options: Wired / Wi-Fi: 2.4GHz, 5GHz / Storage: Cloud / Subscription fee: $5 a month or $50 a year / Works with: Amazon Alexa, Apple Home
The Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera is a great wired doorbell camera and the only one that can use an Ecobee thermostat as a video intercom — a neat feature. It sends fast, accurate alerts for people and packages, and thanks to radar detection and computer vision motion detection, it never once sent me a false alert.
The Ecobee has a comprehensive 187-degree diagonal field of view that lets you see top to bottom and side to side and offers decent 1080p HD video. A subscription is required for viewing recorded video, $5 a month / $50 a year, but alerts for people and packages are free. A newer feature is the ability to control your Yale or August Wi-Fi-enabled door lock directly from the Ecobee app, so you can more easily unlock the door for someone from afar.
One quirk is that while the Ecobee records all motion (if you subscribe), it only alerts you if it sees people or packages. This does cut down on the number of alerts you get, but I’d like the option to turn motion alerts on, mainly so I can know when my dog has gotten out and is sitting at my front door (especially because there are no animal or vehicle alerts). The doorbell does record all motion events for up to two minutes, so you can go back and view them, but you won’t get notified.
The Ecobee works with Apple Home and can ring a HomePod as a chime (as well as your existing chime), plus pull up a live view on your Apple TV. But it doesn’t support HomeKit Secure Video, so you have to pay Ecobee’s subscription fee if you want recorded videos. It also works with Amazon Alexa, but there’s no Google Home integration. If you have an Ecobee thermostat in a convenient location, this is an excellent option.
a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin [&>a]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-white”>Best wired doorbell camera for Apple HomeKit Secure Video
Video quality: 1080p, HDR, 5x zoom / Smart Alerts: Person, packages, facial recognition Aspect ratio: 3:4 / Field of view: 178 degrees vertical, 140 degrees horizontal / Power options: Wired / Wi-Fi: 2.4GHz and 5GHz / Storage: Cloud / Subscription fee: 99 cents a month, iCloud / Works with: Apple Home
The new Wemo Video Doorbell is the best doorbell that works with HomeKit Secure Video, an Apple Home feature that stores recorded video in your personal iCloud account, so you don’t have to pay any additional subscription fee. You do need an iCloud Plus plan (starting at 99 cents per month) and an Apple Home Hub in order to view any captured clips.
The Wemo doorbell is fast and secure. It has decent HD video quality (Apple Home doesn’t support anything higher than 1080p), HDR, and a circular view that shows the whole porch (although with a rather discombobulating fish-eye effect). But it’s better than the other wired HomeKit option, the Logitech Circle View.
The Wemo is easier to install than the Logitech. Both share the same simple software setup. (The Wemo relies entirely on the Apple Home app, so there’s no compatibility with the Wemo app or any other smart home platform). Thanks to HKSV, the doorbell recognizes multiple motion events (people, packages, animals, and vehicles) and can also identify faces and announce who is at the door on a connected HomePod or HomePod Mini. However, there’s no option for 24/7 recording.
While daytime footage was good, night vision wasn’t, and I had some issues with it missing motion events and sending false alerts for people due to its reliance on pixel-based motion detection (others use PIR and radar detection). However, the Wemo was very, very quick, with the speed from a button push to a notification to pulling up the live video being under five seconds. It’s even quicker if you use the interactive notification on your device (through which you can talk to the visitor). And that speed makes up for some of its failings.
All things considered, it’s the best choice for a wired doorbell that’s compatible with HomeKit Secure Video. However, Ecobee’s video doorbell is a better wired Apple Home option overall, if you don’t mind paying a subscription fee.
a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin [&>a]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-white”>Best battery-powered doorbell camera for Apple HomeKit Secure Video
Video quality: 1080p / Smart Alerts: Person, facial recognition and person, facial recognition, packages with HSV, / Aspect ratio: 16:9 / Field of view: 162 degrees horizontal / Power options: Wired or battery / Wi-Fi: 2.4GHz / Storage: Cloud and local / Subscription fee: Seven days of free cloud storage or 99 cents a month with iCloud / Works with: Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home
If you don’t have the option of wiring and/or you really want 24/7 video recording, then Aqara’s G4 is a good option for Apple Home users. It’s the only battery-powered doorbell that’s compatible with Apple Home, and it works with HomeKit Secure Video.
It runs on six standard AA batteries and can be hardwired to support 24/7 video recording (through Aqara’s app, though, not in Apple Home). It’s jam-packed with features, but it’s probably best suited for those who live in apartments as its landscape aspect ratio means it can’t really see packages at the doorstep, and it’s not very weather-resistant.
At $120, it’s the least expensive HomeKit option and pairs with the Aqara U100 smart lock (which also works with Apple Home and Home Key) for a nice, fully Apple Home-compatible setup on your front door. As a bonus, you can easily unlock the door from the same screen as viewing your doorbell footage.
Downsides include a 16:9 aspect ratio (a problem if you want to see packages on your porch), no HDR imaging, which delivers pretty bad video quality, and a finicky chime box that has to be plugged in inside and near the doorbell. That chime also houses a microSD card, which is required for 24/7 recording. Unfortunately, the G4 can’t ring an existing electronic chime, but the chime box is plenty loud, and you can customize the heck out of the sounds.
The G4 shares all the same HKSV features as the Wemo, including smart alerts for people, packages, animals, and vehicles, facial recognition, and the option to announce who is at the door on a connected HomePod or HomePod Mini (you need an Apple Home hub to use this in HomeKit).
It responded just as fast as the Wemo to doorbell rings and motion alerts, but I had some connectivity issues. Plus, occasionally, I got an overheating warning while testing in May 2024 — and that was before the heatwave we experienced in South Carolina this summer.
A benefit over Wemo and the other HomeKit Secure Video options is that Aqara has its own app, which has a ton of innovative features, including custom ringtones for different people, a voice changer, and the option to have your smart home devices react depending on who is at the front door.
The Aqara app adds access to 24/7 video, a nice feature to have, especially for free. But the implementation is spotty, and video quality is not great, but it will do in a pinch.
The Aqara doorbell works with Google Home and Amazon Alexa, unlike the Wemo, which can only be set up through the Apple Home app.
a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin [&>a]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-white”>Other doorbell cameras I’ve tested
- The Reolink Video Doorbell (starting at $99) is a wired version of Reolink’s battery model mentioned above. It’s worth considering if you can use Power over Ethernet (there’s also a Wi-Fi version). There’s also the option of dual-band Wi-Fi, local storage to a microSD card or FTP server, and 24/7 recording with compatible hardware. I tested the black Wi-Fi version ($109.99), which streams good 2K video but only supports person detection (which is fairly inaccurate) and has a more horizontal field of view. The white model has package detection and a more vertical field of view. The battery Reolink adds animal and vehicle alerts and has a better field of view, so it’s the better choice unless you want PoE.
- The Tapo D210 ($59.99) is a battery-powered doorbell with a similar design to the D225, but there’s no wiring option, so it can’t record 24/7. It does have free local recording with a microSD card and free alerts for people, pets, and vehicles, but there’s no package detection. Its rectangular 16:9 aspect ratio shows less of my porch, and it’s only available in white. While it has a few more features than the similarly priced Blink, it is very big and bulky, has a shorter battery life, and can’t be wired to trickle-charge or ring your existing chime (it does come with a plug-in chime).
- The Ring Battery Doorbell ($99.99) suffers badly from the back-of-the-head problem common with battery-powered buzzers. Other than that, it’s a fine basic buzzer, but it doesn’t have removable batteries. While the redesigned quick-release system makes it easier to remove the doorbell to charge, the Plus is worth the extra money for the added convenience and better video resolution. The one thing the standard Ring has going for it is its slim profile, which makes it a good option if you want something more discreet.
- The Google Nest Doorbell (battery) is worth considering if you are in a Google household and can’t wire your doorbell, but it is big and bulky. Plus, you have to remove it to charge. Specs and price-wise, it’s the same as my top pick, the Nest Doorbell (wired), but it can’t record 24/7, which the wired Nest can. It’s also twice the size of the wired model.
- The Eufy Video Doorbell Dual is a previous pick that doesn’t require any monthly fees and records footage locally. But at $250, it’s very expensive, and there are now better, cheaper options. It’s still great thanks to its dual camera feature that lets you see your porch and your visitor with a wide view, plus free smart alerts, including facial recognition and a neat uncollected package alert. It’s worth considering if you already have a Eufy HomeBase. You can read my full review here.
- The Wyze Video Doorbell Pro is a battery buzzer with impressive features for its price, and if you hardwire it, you get preroll video. However, a five-minute cooldown period between recordings, unless you pay for a subscription, is an inexcusable amount of time that negates its offer of “free recording.” Plus, Wyze has had some major security issues in the past.
- The Ring Video Doorbell Wired is a budget buzzer at just $60, but it won’t work with your existing chime and doesn’t draw the same amount of power from those wires as the Ring Pro 2, making it generally less reliable. Without HDR, its video quality is spotty.
- The Netatmo Smart Video Doorbell has some interesting features, including entirely local storage (to an included microSD card) and free person recognition. It also works with Apple Home (but not HomeKit Secure Video), but a weirdly narrow field of view and poor video quality let it down — not to mention the $300 price tag and recent lack of availability.
- The Logitech Circle View Wired is another Apple HomeKit Secure video option I tested, which, while fast, is expensive, only works with Apple Home, and frequently dropped off my Wi-Fi network.
- There are now doorbells built into smart door locks. I’ve tested the Lockly Vision Elite and the Eufy Security S330 Video Smart Lock, and both are very expensive and work better as door locks than doorbells. But if you have a specific need for this device (e.g., you have nowhere else to put a doorbell camera), then they are useful for at least seeing up the nose of whoever is at your door, if not much beyond that.
- The Arlo Video Doorbell (wired / wireless) is the second generation of the excellent Arlo Essential wired that was a former pick in this guide. (It’s been discontinued, but you can still find it on Amazon). It doesn’t have the option of wiring only; instead, it’s a battery doorbell you can wire to trickle-charge the battery. You can choose between a 1080p ($79.99) or 2K ($129.99) resolution, and it has a 180-degree field of view and an integrated siren. This price gives the Blink a run for its money with the added option of vehicle, animal, and package alerts. But these features now require a paid subscription of a whopping $18 a month, and there’s no local storage or 24/7 recording. Arlo has recently introduced some interesting new AI-powered features (including facial recognition) that I’m currently testing. Plus, the doorbell integrates neatly with Arlo’s security system. If you have that and other Arlo cameras and are paying the $25 monthly fee for professional monitoring, you get all the smart alerts and recorded video for a better value. It does work with both Google Home and Amazon Alexa but not Apple Home.
- The $60 Kasa Smart Doorbell (KD110) from TP-Link comes with a plug-in chime, 2K video quality, free person detection, and the option of local storage to a microSD card. It’s a wired doorbell with a 160-degree viewing angle and works with Amazon Alexa and Google Home.
- I plan to test several subscription-free doorbells from Eufy, including the Eufy Doorbell E3340, C210, and S220.
a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin [&>a]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-white”>FAQ: Smart doorbell cameras
A subscription generally covers cloud storage, processing, and smart notifications and is essentially a convenience fee. It’s arguably the easiest way to ensure you can see videos of your visitors and get alerts for specific things like people, packages, and pets.
If you don’t want to pay monthly but do want to see recorded video, you’ll likely need to buy additional hardware (like a hub or microSD card) and/or spend some time setting up your own local storage solution. Local storage is also a good option if you don’t like the idea of a company storing your video for you. In most cases, you’ll lose some features, such as rich notifications, but you’ll keep full control over your footage.
If you choose a subscription, your videos will be stored in the company’s cloud. All the companies whose products we recommend here say they protect your footage by encrypting it “in transit and at rest.” They then process it in the cloud to provide features like smart alerts. Some — such as Ring — offer the more secure option of end-to-end encryption, where there is no processing as the company has no access to your footage at all.
The simplest and cheapest solution is to just use a video doorbell for a live view and not record any footage or audio. While you can’t check back to see a visitor, you can still monitor your front door through alerts. All our picks allow you to do that without a subscription, and some offer smart alerts for free.
Wired video doorbells use existing doorbell wiring attached to a doorbell transformer and chime box to provide continuous power, so they don’t need to be recharged. Most won’t work when the power goes out, but some have small batteries to keep them going for a few minutes in the event of a power outage. If you don’t have existing wiring, you can use an AC power adapter (Ring and Nest sell their own; you can also find generic ones).
Battery-powered doorbells, also known as wireless doorbells, are powered by a rechargeable battery. Because they don’t have continuous power, they have to wake up first when they detect motion before starting to record. This often results in a clip only catching the back of the person’s head as they walk away, which is not super helpful if you’re concerned about porch pirates. True wired doorbells don’t have this problem, and most will reliably catch all the action.
Many doorbells that advertise themselves as wireless and run on a battery can also be hard-wired to your existing doorbell wiring. But these are not “true” wired doorbells. Your home’s electrical power isn’t powering them. Instead, in almost all cases (Blink being the only exception), the battery is being “trickle charged” by the power from the doorbell wiring. This means that without any extra features, they simply don’t react as quickly as true wired doorbells. It’s science, people.
Aspect ratio is arguably more important than video resolution when it comes to video doorbells. This spec tells you what shape of video you will get, whether it’s top-to-bottom or side-to-side, whether you’ll see your doorstep and the whole of the visitor or just a head-and-shoulders shot. Common aspect ratios include 4:3, 3:4, 16:9, and 1:1.
Aspect ratios are always written with the horizontal number first. If the first number is smaller than the second number, then the image will be taller than it is wide, or “portrait orientation.” If the first number is larger than the second (as in 16:9), then the image will be wider than it is tall, or “landscape orientation.” If both numbers are the same, as in 1:1, it will be a square view.
My recommendation is to go for a square view when possible, but if you have a wide porch area — and would like to see people approaching from the left or right, as well as straight on — a 4:3 or 16:9 might suit you better.
Battery-powered doorbells are easy to install and generally just require screwing the mounting bracket to the area around your door. Some come with the option of tape strips, so you don’t even need to get out the screwdriver.
Wired doorbells require a bit more effort. And while you can choose to pay around $100 for a professional to install it, if you have existing doorbell wiring, it’s a simple job.
I’ve written a step-by-step guide to installing Ring video doorbells, but, in general, the steps for any wired doorbell involve the following:
Turn off the power to your doorbell wiring.
Locate your indoor chime and connect the chime power connector that came with the doorbell (this helps to facilitate power to the new doorbell).
Remove your old doorbell.
Attach the mount for your new doorbell using screws or double-sided tape (some have the option of an angled wedge to get a better view of the person in front of the door).
Attach the doorbell wires to the connector screws on the doorbell.
Attach the doorbell to the mount, either with screws or by snapping it on.
Turn the power back on.
Pro tip: Before installing any doorbell, download the manufacturer’s app and check the instructions — some cameras need to be paired to the app before mounting.
Photos by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
Update, January 3rd: Updated to reflect current pricing and availability.
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