Best Ring doorbell: Which Ring Video Doorbell should you buy?

Ring Video Doorbell vs. Ring 3 vs. Ring Pro 2

Ring video doorbells are among some of the best video doorbells for a variety of reasons: They deliver excellent image quality, are easy to install, and fit a variety of needs and door types.

However, Ring currently offers seven video doorbells — four wired models and three battery-powered models, ranging from $59 to $349 — so picking the best Ring video doorbell for you can be tricky. 

Having reviewed nearly all of Ring's video doorbells, we can offer a comprehensive comparison of all of them, so you can make the most informed buying decision possible. We've compared all devices to help you decide which one is best for you.

Best overall

Ring Battery Doorbell Plus installed on a door frameEditor's Choice

(Image credit: Kelly Woo/Tom's Guide)
Best Ring video doorbell for most people

Specifications

Video Resolution: 1536p
Field of View: 150 x 150 degrees
Works with: Alexa
Size: 5.1 x 2.4 x 1.1 inches
Wired/Battery: Yes/Yes
Removable battery: Yes
Package detection: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Expansive vertical view
+
1536p HD video
+
Easy to install and use

Reasons to avoid

-
Package alerts can be spotty 

The Ring Battery  Doorbell Plus takes the best features from the company's other products and puts them all into one device. Like the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2, its camera has a 150 x 150-degree field of view, so you can see more of what's happening around your front door. It has package detection too, so you'll know when a delivery has been dropped off.

Like the Ring Video Doorbell 4, its battery can be removed, so there's little downtime when you need to recharge it, and the faceplate can also be swapped out to match your decor, or for a seasonal boost. And, like Ring's other video doorbells, it's also easy to install. 

Read our full Ring Battery Doorbell Plus review.

Best value

best video doorbells: Ring Video Doorbell (2nd generation)best value awards badge

Ring Video Doorbell (2nd generation) (Image credit: Future)
The best Ring doorbell for most people

Specifications

Video Resolution: 1080p
Field of View: 160 degrees (horiz)
Works with: Alexa, Google Assistant, Nest, IFTTT
Size: 5.05 x 2.50 x 1.08 inches
Wired/Battery: Yes/Yes
Removable battery: No
Package detection: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Package detection
+
Customizable motion zones
+
Good-quality video
+
Works wired or battery powered

Reasons to avoid

-
No pre-roll feature
-
Battery not removable

The Ring Video Doorbell (2nd generation) is the best option for most people. It has a 1080p camera, as well as improved night vision and better motion-tracking capabilities. And while it's not the least expensive model, it's still the best video doorbell for those on a budget.

Like the Ring Video Doorbell 3 and 4, we like that you can use this model either wired or on battery power alone, and you can create custom motion zones, and also see what's going on in your neighborhood. Ring also added package detection for this model, bringing its feature set more in line with the competition. However, be aware that unlike the Ring Video Doorbell 3 and 4, this model does not have a removable battery. So, if you need to recharge it, you'll have to remove it from your front door temporarily. 

Read our full Ring Video Doorbell (2nd gen) review.

Best wired video doorbell

Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2

RIng Video Doorbell Pro 2 (Image credit: Ring)
Head to toe video and package detection

Specifications

Video Resolution: 1536 x 1536
Field of View: 150 x 150 degrees
Works with: Alexa, Google Home, IFTTT
Size: 4 x 1.8 x 0.88 inches
Wired/Battery: Yes/No
Removable battery: n/a
Package detection: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Shows more of front porch than other Ring cameras
+
Great video quality
+
Slim design

Reasons to avoid

-
Wired only

The Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 is the first from the company that has a square aspect ratio, which means the video is as tall as it is wide. What that means is that it can show much more of your front stoop than other Ring doorbells — so you're more likely to see when a package has been dropped off. Better yet, Ring added package detection, so you know when something arrives. It also has customizable motion zones and a new "radar" feature that helps cut down on unwanted notifications. 

The Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 delivered excellent video quality, was very responsive, and wasn't too hard to install. Just know that it's not battery-operated, and you'll also need to subscribe to a Ring Protect plan (starting at $4/month or $40/year) if you want to get the most out of the video doorbell. 

Read our full Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 review.

Best for apartments

Ring Door View Cam

(Image credit: Ring)
Best for apartment dwellers

Specifications

Video Resolution: 1080p
Field of View: 155° horizontal, 90° vertical
Works with: Alexa, Google Home, IFTTT
Size (Indoor): 2.3 x 4.4 x 1.2 inches
Size (outdoor): 3.8 x 1.9 x 0.78 inches
Wired/Battery: No/Yes
Removable battery: Yes
Package detection: No

Reasons to buy

+
Simple to install, replacing an existing peephole viewer
+
Good video quality
+
Works with Alexa

Reasons to avoid

-
Needs to be recharged every month, depending on use
-
Storm door can block night view

If you're looking for a video doorbell, but rent an apartment or live some place where you can't install a traditional video doorbell, the Ring Peephole Cam is your best alternative. This device replaces your traditional peephole with a camera that can record visitors coming to your door. It proved to be such a popular model that Ring brought it back in 2023 after discontinuing it in 2022 — and now it's at a lower price of $129.

We found the Ring Peephole Cam was easy to install, and recorded very good 1080p video. However, if you have a storm door, the camera's video will be partially obscured, especially at night, when it reflects off the glass of the door. And, because the Peephole Cam is battery-powered only, you may find yourself recharging it more often than the advertised 20-40 days. Good thing spare batteries are just $30. 

Read our full Ring Peephole Cam review.

Cheapest Ring doorbell

Best video doorbells

Ring Video Doorbell Wired  (Image credit: Future)
The cheapest Ring video doorbell — with some compromises

Specifications

Camera resolution: 1080p
Field of view: 155° horizontal, 90° vertical
Audio: Two-Way Talk with Noise Cancellation
Night Vision: IR LEDs
Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n @ 2.4GHz
Size: 3.9 x 1.8 x 0.8 inches
Wired/Battery: Yes/No
Removable battery: n/a
Package detection: No

Reasons to buy

+
Inexpensive
+
Good video quality
+
Small

Reasons to avoid

-
Does not work with existing door chimes
-
Requires purchase of Ring Chime if you want to hear a ring

The low price of the Ring Video Doorbell Wired — just $60 — is very tempting for those looking for a budget video doorbell from a reputable brand. However, there are a few caveats that will make the total cost a bit higher. That's because this video doorbell does not work with your existing doorbell chime, so you'll need to tack on an extra $20 or so to purchase a Ring Chime if you want to hear the familiar ding-dong in your home. (You can also use an Amazon Echo Dot or some other Alexa-enabled smart speaker for this purpose, too)

Otherwise, the Ring Video Doorbell Wired works well, produces a quality image, and has a slim profile. Just be mindful that with its low price come several restrictions.

Read our full Ring Video Doorbell Wired review

Ring Video Doorbells: Specs compared

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Row 0 - Cell 0 Ring Video Doorbell WiredRing Video Doorbell (2nd gen)Ring Battery Doorbell PlusRing Video Doorbell Pro 2
Price$64.99$99.99$179.99$249.99
Size3.9 x 1.8 x 0.8 in4.98 x 2.4 x 1.1 in5.1 x 2.4 x 1.1 in4 x 1.8 x 0.88 in
Resolution1080p1080p1536 x 15361536 x 1536
WiringHardwiredBattery or hardwiredBattery or hardwiredHardwired
Field of View155 degrees horizontal, 90 degrees vertical155 degrees horizontal, 90 degrees vertical150 degrees (horiz and vert)150 degrees (horiz and vert)
Wi-Fi2.4GHz2.4Ghz2.4 GHz2.4, 5GHz
Pre-rollYesNoNoYes
Removable batteryNoNoYesn/a
Package detectionNoYesYesYes

Best Ring doorbell: Prices compared

The least expensive Ring video doorbell is the $59.99 Ring Video Doorbell Wired. However, it can't trigger your home's chime box, so you'll need to purchase the Ring Chime ($29) or Ring Chime Pro ($49) if you want to hear when someone rings the doorbell. (You can also use an Amazon Echo Dot, too.)

Next up is the $99 Ring Video Doorbell (2nd Gen), one of just four of Ring's models that has package detection. It can be hardwired or run off battery power, but its battery is nonremovable, so you'll have to take the whole unit off your door to recharge it.

In the mid-tier are the Ring Peephole Cam ($129.99) and the Ring Video Doorbell Pro ($179). 

At the top end of things are the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 at $249.99, and the Ring Video Doorbell Elite ($349); the latter uses Power over Ethernet, and requires a bit more installation know-how than the rest of the company's models.  

Regardless of the video doorbell you choose, you'll also have to pay for cloud storage if you want to save footage to the cloud, as well as use other features such as package detection and Home and Away. Cloud storage is $4 per month (or $40 per year) for 60 days for a single Ring camera (which can include a video doorbell or security camera). If you have multiple Ring cameras, you'll pay $10 per month, or $100 per year. Here's how Ring compares to other security camera cloud storage plans.

How to pick the best Ring video doorbell

Design

All of Ring's video doorbells are relatively similar in design; they're all black and gray, with a camera at the top and an illuminated button beneath. The Ring Doorbell Wired, the Doorbell Pro, and the Doorbell Pro 2 are much smaller and thinner (as they don't need to accommodate a battery).

The Doorbell Plus and Pro both come with interchangeable face plates as well as angled wedges, making it easier to match your home's decor, as well as angle the camera towards your door. You must purchase these accessories separately if you buy the Ring Video Doorbell (2nd gen).

Additionally, the Ring Battery Plus and Peephole cams have removable batteries, so if you're running them on battery power alone, you can swap out the batteries and not have any downtime. The Ring Video Doorbell (2nd gen) has a nonremovable battery, so if you want to recharge it, you have to take the doorbell off your door.

Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2

The view from the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 (Image credit: Future)

Video

Apart from whether you want a wired or battery-powered model, the next big decision is how much of your front porch you want to see.

The Ring Video Doorbell (2nd gen), Ring Video Doorbell Wired, Peephole Cam, and Video Doorbell Pro have a horizontal field of view of 155 to 160 degrees, and a vertical field of view of 90 degrees. Like a picture taken with your camera, you're able to see a lot more horizontally than vertically.

The Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 and the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus have a 1536 x 1536 resolution and a 150-degree field of view both horizontally and vertically. This means that while the image isn't as wide as Ring's other video doorbells, it's taller, so you can see closer to the front stoop — where packages are most likely to be dropped.

The Peephole Cam's video and audio quality was also excellent, but for one thing. If you have a storm door, it will cause the Peephole Cam's motion detection to stop working.

Motion Detection

All of Ring's video doorbells have motion detection; when the device detects movement, it sends an alert to your smartphone. You can customize how far the sensors stretch. If you have the Wired or the Pro 2, you can draw the zones yourself.

Pre-Roll

The Video Doorbell Pro 2 has what Ring calls a Pre-roll feature, which helps you get a better look at who's approaching. In effect, the cameras are always recording a continuous 4-second looping video; in the event motion is detected and recorded, it will then add those four seconds to the start of the video. 

Package Detection

The Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2, the Video Doorbell (2nd gen), and the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus are the only Ring video doorbells that have package detection, so they can alert you when a delivery has arrived at your door.

Wi-Fi connectivity

While all of Ring's video doorbells work over Wi-Fi, the Pro, Pro 2 and the Video Doorbell 4 are the only doorbells that support 5.0GHz connections, which allow for faster and more reliable connectivity.

In most other features, the three doorbells are on a par with each other. They all offer two-way communication, which you can use to greet your guests, or scare off burglars, and infrared night vision. They all work with Alexa, SmartThings and IFTTT, and you can watch the doorbells' footage and communicate with guests using the Echo Show, as well as all generations of the Fire TV. Unfortunately, Ring does not work with Google Assistant/Home devices.

MORE: Which Security Camera Has the Best Storage Plan?

As a bonus, you can connect them with a number of smart locks from Kevo, Yale, and August. This will allow you to unlock your door — and let your guest in — directly from the Ring app.

Ring video doorbell: Installation

Of all of Ring's video doorbells, the Ring Peephole Cam sports the simplest design and simplest setup. The device consists of two pieces: one that sits on the outside of the door, and one that you look through from the inside, connected through the peephole. It doesn't require any tools or permanent modifications, and should take only a few minutes.

MORE: How to Install the Ring Video Doorbell

Ring Video Doorbell 2

Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 (Image credit: Amazon)

The other three devices are a bit more complicated to install, but you can (in theory) set them all up yourself. 

The Ring Video Doorbell and Ring Battery Doorbell Plus can be battery-powered, meaning they'll still work when the electricity's out — provided your internet connection is still up. This also means that you can mount them anywhere, and don't have to worry about connecting them to an existing doorbell's wires.

The Ring Pro 2, Ring Pro, and the Ring Doorbell Wired are slightly more complicated, as they require hardwiring. You'll need to upgrade your transformer if your old doorbell isn't getting 16-24 volts of power. You'll also need to install a Pro Power kit (basically a small battery included with the device) in your home’s chime box.

Ring Video Doorbell vs. Ring 3 vs. Ring Pro 2

Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 installation

More from Tom's Guide

Mike Prospero
U.S. Editor-in-Chief, Tom's Guide

Michael A. Prospero is the U.S. Editor-in-Chief for Tom’s Guide. He oversees all evergreen content and oversees the Homes, Smart Home, and Fitness/Wearables categories for the site. In his spare time, he also tests out the latest drones, electric scooters, and smart home gadgets, such as video doorbells. Before his tenure at Tom's Guide, he was the Reviews Editor for Laptop Magazine, a reporter at Fast Company, the Times of Trenton, and, many eons back, an intern at George magazine. He received his undergraduate degree from Boston College, where he worked on the campus newspaper The Heights, and then attended the Columbia University school of Journalism. When he’s not testing out the latest running watch, electric scooter, or skiing or training for a marathon, he’s probably using the latest sous vide machine, smoker, or pizza oven, to the delight — or chagrin — of his family.

  • MoonManMSP
    One thing not mentioned in this article is the PRO’s far superior night vision. Not to mention the fact that though the 3 plus and the pro both have interchangeable faceplates, the pro objectively looks far more high end. The plus and other non-pro models look like a cheap hunk of plastic in comparison. If you have your doorbell on your door trim I would recommend the pro, or if you are in a high end home, or care about night vision.
    Reply
  • BEAUFORD_SAVAGE
    Buy the one that goes DING-DONG. Thats what doorbells do.
    Reply