If you want to stop porch pirates and package thieves, one of the best video doorbells could be the answer. If someone's at your door, a smart doorbell can alert you to their presence, and let you see and talk to them through your smartphone. In these times of social distancing, it's also a handy feature if you want to talk to a visitor, but want to keep your door closed.
1. The quick list
2. Best overall
3. Best value
4. Best subscription-free doorbell
5. Best Ring video doorbell
6. Best wired-only video doorbell
7. Best for apartments
8. Best for HomeKit
9. Other video doorbells we like
10. How to choose a video doorbell
11. Privacy issues
12. Frequently asked questions
13. How we test
Smart video doorbells are also helpful for those with mobility issues. So, for example, if you can't get to your front door easily or quickly, you can use your smartphone to tell your visitor to wait until you get to the front door.
From Ring to Nest, we've tested dozens of video doorbells to bring you what we think are the best. For a deeper dive between the top two brands, be sure to check out our comparison of Ring vs. Nest video doorbells, as well as our best Ring Video doorbells page, which examines every Ring video doorbell in depth.
The quick list
Best overall
This video doorbell offers a nearly head-to-toe view, as well as person, package, and vehicle detection. And, it also offers three hours of video storage without a subscription.
Best value
A great deal for under $100. It has a head-to-toe field of view and comes with a wireless chime. However, you'll need a subscription to get person and package detection.
No subscription needed
This video doorbell has two cameras, so you can clearly see when there's a package at your door. Even better - there's no subscription fees for extra features like package detection.
Best Ring video doorbell
Ring's $99 video doorbell is its least expensive model with package detection, though it lacks head-to-toe video. You'll also need a subscription to use all its features.
Best wired-only
This doorbell has head-to-toe video, package detection, and a host of other features to give you a better idea of who's lurking around your front door.
Best for apartments
This clever video doorbell replaces your peephole with a camera, so you can be alerted to whoever comes to your apartment door. And, it's easily removed for when you move.
Best for HomeKit
There aren't many options for Apple HomeKit users; this is your best bet. It offers a great view of your front porch area and has animal, vehicle, and person detection. Sadly, there's no package detection.
Head-to-toe video
The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is the company's first battery-powered model that offers head-to-toe video and package detection. Plus, it has a removable battery.
Wireless package detection
This video doorbell also has an expansive view, person/package/animal detection, and works either wired or on battery power. It's a good option if you're into Arlo's other security cameras.
The best video doorbell
The Nest Doorbell (battery) gets almost everything right. Its 3:4 vertical aspect ratio means you can see more of your front door; it can work either wired or on battery power alone, and it has a lot of great features, such as the ability to recognize familiar faces, packages, animals, and vehicles.
Even better is that the camera also offers some of those features for free, as well as three hours of rolling video storage — things that used to require a subscription. If you want longer storage, you can still sign up for Nest Aware, which starts at $6/month.
Read our full Nest Doorbell (battery) review.
Best video doorbell value
The Wyze Video Doorbell Pro is the best video doorbell under $100; while it's not perfect, it offers a lot for the money. You get a doorbell that can be wired or run on battery power alone, an included electronic chime, and package detection. We also liked that the Wyze's camera has a 150 x 150-degree field of view, which means you see as much vertically as you do horizontally — this also means you see more of your front stoop.
However, to use package detection, as well as save recordings, you'll need a Wyze Cam Plus subscription, which at $1.99 per month is cheaper than the competition. Also, you need to remove the entire unit when you need to recharge its battery — which means you'll be without a doorbell for an hour or so. The Wyze Video Doorbell Pro doesn't look as nice as some of the other models, but for $89 — which includes a wireless chime — it's something we can overlook.
Read our full Wyze Video Doorbell Pro review.
Best subscription-free video doorbell
Package theft is an all-too-common problem, and the best video doorbells have adapted with cameras that can better see more of your front porch. The Eufy Video Doorbell Dual takes things one step further, with a second camera that points directly downward, giving you the clearest view possible. What's more, it also comes with package detection, so you'll get an alert when something gets dropped off. In our tests, it worked flawlessly.
Even better: You get all this without needing to pay a monthly subscription fee, which is a rarity among the best video doorbells. We also liked that the Eufy saved video to a local, secure base, so that it can continue to record video even if your internet connection goes down. Yes, the Eufy costs more upfront, but it could save you money in the long-term.
Read our full Eufy Video Doorbell Dual review.
Best Ring video doorbell
If you want to go with Ring, the Ring Video Doorbell (2nd generation) is the best option for most people. It costs less than $100, has a 1080p camera, as well as improved night vision and better motion-tracking capabilities. 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. Plus, Ring offers very affordable video storage plans starting at $30 a year. Ring also added package detection for this model, bringing its feature set more in line with the competition.
Read our full Ring Video Doorbell (2nd gen) review.
Best wired-only video doorbell
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 $3/month or $30/year) if you want to get the most out of the video doorbell.
Read our full Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 review.
Best video doorbell for apartments
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.
Best Homekit-compatible video doorbell
If you're an Apple HomeKit user, you don't have many choices when it comes to video doorbells. The Logitech Circle View is one of the few options, and fortunately, it's pretty good. We liked its 3:4 aspect ratio, which shows more of our front porch, as well as its sharp video quality both day and night. It also has very secure cloud storage and it can identify people by face if they're in your iCloud photos.
However, the setup process — which is done entirely in the Home app on your iPhone — could be easier. And, the cloud storage plan ($2.99/month for 10 days of video storage) isn't as generous as other companies. But, if you're on HomeKit, this is one of your best — and only — options.
Read our full Logitech Circle View Doorbell review.
Other video doorbells we like
The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is only the second of Ring's video doorbells that offers a head-to-toe view of your front door — and is the first battery-powered model to do so. And, it's one of the few Ring doorbells with package detection, so you'll know when there's a delivery at your door.
The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus delivered a sharp and clear image, and visitors could hear us clearly. We also liked that its battery was removable, so that we didn't need to take the entire unit off our door when it needed a recharge. Our only real issue was that the package detection could be a bit spotty at times. Otherwise, we came away impressed with all it could do.
Read our full Ring Battery Doorbell Plus review.
Arlo makes some of the best home security cameras, so it should be no surprise that the Arlo Essential Wireless Video doorbell is one of the best video doorbells, too. It delivered high-quality video and audio both day and night — though not as good as the Nest — and features both person and package detection. Arlo's video doorbell also works with Alexa and Google Assistant, so can receive notifications on smart speakers, and livestream video from the doorbell to an Amazon Echo Show or Google Nest Hub smart display.
Arlo's app has a ton of features, but some of them, such as motion sensitivity, are difficult to find. And, for most of the smarter features, including video storage, you need to sign up for a subscription. But, if you have Arlo's security cameras, its video doorbell will make an excellent addition, as you can add up to five cameras for $10 a month.
Read our full Arlo Essential Wireless Video Doorbell review.
The Eufy 2K Video Doorbell records good-quality video over a 150-degree field of view. While you can sign up for cloud storage (which starts at $30/year for 30 days of storage), the Eufy 2K also has a microSD card slot, so you can save footage locally, too.
However, the Eufy 2K Video Doorbell has a few drawbacks: It's a wired-only device, only supports one user (so you can't share it with family members), and has limited smart-home interoperability. But for around $150, it's not a bad deal.
Read our full Eufy 2K Video Doorbell review.
How to choose the best video doorbell
Battery vs. Wired
Video doorbells come in one of two varieties: Wired or battery powered (Some, like the Ring Video Doorbell 4 and the Nest Doorbell (battery) can do both). If you're replacing a traditional doorbell, a wired video doorbell makes the most sense; you just have to make sure that there's enough power going to the doorbell. Typically, there will be an 16-24V transformer providing power, which should be enough for most video doorbells.
If you're planning to install a video doorbell where there is no existing wiring, buying a battery-powered model is far easier (and cheaper) than hiring an electrician. Just remember that a battery-powered video doorbell will have to be recharged occasionally. Some, such as the Ring Video Doorbell 4, have a replaceable battery, so there's no downtime while you're juicing it back up. Some companies also sell solar panels that can help keep the video doorbell's battery charged.
Doorbell placement
Your choice of doorbells will also depend on whether you're replacing an existing doorbell or installing a doorbell where there isn't one already. In general, though, you want the doorbell to be about 4 feet off the ground, so it's high enough to see everything well, but not too high so that its button is hard to push for shorter individuals.
Field of View
Do you want a narrow view of just the person at the door, or do you want to see everything around your entryway? Some video doorbells will offer a wide, landscape view, while others have a portrait orientation; the latter is especially useful for seeing packages dropped off close to your door.
Video Resolution
The higher the resolution, the sharper the image, which will make it easier to identify people at your door. Most video doorbells now have at least a resolution of 1080p, but it's also worth checking the framerate of the video - the higher the number, the clearer the video should be.
Package, person, and animal detection
It's good to know more than just that there's something at your door; better video doorbells can tell you if a person is approaching, if there's an animal, or if a package has been left at your doorstep. Only a few video doorbells — including the Nest Doorbell (battery), the Arlo Video Doorbell, the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2, and the Ring Video Doorbell (2nd gen) — offer this feature.
Audio
When the first video doorbells came on the market, they had what's called "half-duplex" audio. That means that when someone is speaking, the other person has to wait until they can be heard. Newer video doorbells now have "full duplex" audio, so you can carry on a conversation as if the person were right in front of you.
Night Mode
The video doorbells we tested take different approaches to capturing video at night. The August Doorbell cam uses motion-activated LEDs to light the area in front of the camera, so it can capture colors a little better. Ring's doorbells use infrared night vision to see in the dark, but the result is monochrome video.
Local vs. Cloud Storage
Video doorbells will store recorded video in a few ways. The two most popular are cloud storage and locally on the video doorbell itself (some models will store video locally, but on a base station in your home). There are advantages and disadvantages to both: If a video doorbell uses cloud storage, then it won't save video if your Internet connection goes down. If a video doorbell has local storage, if someone steals your doorbell, then they can potentially see all your footage.
Subscription fees
Like the best home security cameras, many video doorbells require that you sign up for a monthly or yearly subscription if you want to use cloud storage or access all of the doorbell's features (such as package detection). Typically, a subscription will start at around $3/month; for more details, check out our guide to security camera storage plans compared.
Design
Aesthetics may be a concern. After all, you're bolting this thing to the front of your house! The Ring Pro looks the most like a traditional doorbell, and Ring even includes four faceplates, so you can choose which matches your house's trim or paint one exactly the shade you like.
Video doorbells vs. security cameras
Video doorbells don't necessarily make the best home security cameras. While the apps let you choose to receive motion alerts as well as doorbell alerts, motion-triggered events often resulted in video of a person or car just exiting the frame.
A dedicated home security camera may be a better choice if you're looking for actual security, because you can position such a camera in more places. And when you get a motion alert, you can back up the video and see what happened before the alert came in.
Privacy and law enforcement issues
In most cases, companies that make video doorbells will not share video with law enforcement unless compelled to do so by court order. However, some companies — most notably Ring and Nest — have policies where they will share video without an owner's consent and without their knowledge, if the company deems the incident to be time-sensitive.
If you do not want your video shared without your consent, you have several options. Arlo and Wyze stated that they do not provide user data without a warrant or court order. Video doorbells that use Apple's iCloud to store video — such as the Logitech Circle View — and Eufy's cameras store user footage through end-to-end encryption, so they cannot even provide user footage to law enforcement even if they wanted to.
Additionally, you can set up end-to-end encryption on Ring video doorbells, though by enabling this feature, you will disable a number of other Ring camera features.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to install a video doorbell?
Most video doorbells are designed to be self-installed. However, you can hire an electrician to install a video doorbell; costs will vary by region and the complexity of your setup, but we would estimate that it should cost no more than around $200. Some video doorbell companies have partnerships with professional installers. For instance, Ring has partnered with On Tech, which charges $129 to install a Ring video doorbell.
What is the voltage of a video doorbell?
Most wired video doorbells are designed to work on a 16-24 volt circuit — the same as traditional doorbells. Typically, the wires leading to your doorbell will provide the appropriate amount of electricity. If you're unsure, you can use a volt meter to determine if too much or too little power is going to the doorbell.
Can a video doorbell be stolen?
Sadly, yes. Thieves or vandals could rip a video doorbell off your door. However, many video doorbells have measures to help prevent this. For instance, many require you to use a security screw to keep it in place, which requires a special screwdriver provided by the manufacturer.
How we test video doorbells
To test video doorbells, we self-install the devices on houses and tested in real-world conditions with friends and family ringing the bells day and night.
To start, we evaluate the ease with which the video doorbell can be installed. This includes the physical installation — are the instructions clear? Are all the necessary tools included? — as well as the process of connecting the video doorbell to our home Wi-Fi network, and to the app itself.
Nest, we examine the video doorbell app itself. How many features does it have compared to the competition? How easy are those features to set up and configure? For instance, many video doorbells let you adjust their sensitivity, so you're not bombarded with notifications every time a car drives by your house.
Of course, we also look at video and audio quality, both during the day and during the night. Is it easy to recognize a person's facial features while they're moving? How clearly can we hear them, and how clearly can they hear us? And, how quickly does the camera start recording video once it senses movement?
Many video doorbells also require a subscription to access features and save video recordings. We factor in the cost of the subscription, as well as what you get for the price. (Our guide to the best security camera storage plans breaks everything down in detail).
We also factor in interoperability and compatibility with other smart home devices and security systems. For a video doorbell to be truly part of a smart home, it has to be able to talk to your other smart home devices.
For more details on our reviews process, please check out the Tom's Guide How We Test page.
More from Tom's Guide
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