There are so many smart home security cameras that are offered by different companies. Some smart wireless cameras are very expensive, some require monthly subscription while there are others which are affordable and do not require any subscription. You must be wondering ‘Ring, Nest or Arlo’ which smart doorbell camera to buy? We are reviewing some of the best smart home security cameras that will get the job done.
#1 Wyze Cam
Wyze cam is a very affordable home security camera. For under $50 you can get a 1080p camera with WiFi, Alexa support and with free 14 days of cloud storage. When you compare Wyze cam with other expensive security cameras, you will get blown away with its features and video quality.
It’s made up of plastic which may or may not break if dropped. It’s water resistant and clear picture quality. Once we installed it in our home it worked just like any other latest security camera.
It’s surveillance system is well equipped with two contact sensors, a motion sensor and a hub. You can set Wyze cam easily with its easy to install and operate app. Just download the app, add your camera to it, scan the QR code and it gets connected. You can install and scan it in less than three minutes which is much faster than other cameras you will find on the market.
To add the sensors you need to plug the hub into the back of the camera which is really another cool feature to count on. Follow the instructions in the app and it starts working.
After adding sensors you can make your own rules, schedules and other useful things to automate your home. For example at 2 p.m you want to turn off the motion sensors and while leaving for work you can turn on the camera. To give other expensive cameras a competition Wyze Cam is our kind of home security product that comes under $50. You cannot find any other affordable camera for the same price.
#2 Ring Pro
Ring offers many different doorbell systems to ensure the home security system at your home. There are different ring video doorbell cameras such as battery powered model, ring video doorbell 3 which is wireless, video doorbell 3 plus, video doorbell Pro and others. You are going to get one which you need somehow. They pretty much try to serve the home security needs of every one.
Ring Pro is the ring’s best doorbell offering so far. It captures video in great quality and detailing. No matter how much someone hides, his face is going to be captured. Its features include, two way audio, motion activated sensors and custom settings. You can set up your privacy settings, see someone from your phone or any gadget and talk to him without going to the door.
Ring Pro gives you best quality media in 1080p because it comes with quick response time and dynamics range.
Response time means when someone comes to your door and the time camera takes to recognize him and notify you. It requires wiring but you can also use batteries. When someone walks to your door Ring Pro needs to wake up and recognize the person. Since it’s wired in so it keeps constantly looking and searching things happening all around.
Since it has good dynamic range which means when it is dark outside it can still capture the face clearly even if the lights are out.
Ring Doorbell Subscription Plans
Free
Ring offers cloud plans for all their cameras–basic and plus plan. You can still use the free version of it. For free you can get motion activated notifications, realtime view and live feeds. You can also get the feature of talk and lifetime theft protection. So if someone steals it you can still claim it from the company.
Basic
If you choose a basic plan you can access video history, video saving and also HQ snaps if you want to see and all other necessary features. All these features in the basic plan come for just $3 a month or $30 a year.
Plus
Ring Pro plus plan is a professional 24/7 video feed monitoring security system, extended warranty and 10% off on different products. You can enjoy all other features which you have seen. The plus subscription is $10/month or $100/year for all of your Ring cameras.
#3 Google Nest Hello
Nest Hello is one of the most advanced video doorbells as it has facial recognition feature which also makes it quite an expensive one. Its features include HD night vision, 24/7 video feed, good fieldview which is the new feature among the video doorbell home security systems. It can tell the difference between a person and a thing, it records profiles of the visitors due to its facial recognition feature. You can talk to the visitors, you can play pre-recorded messages and plenty of other useful features.
Pre-recorded message feature is very helpful when you are not home or near your device. Someone from your home like Alexa or any device can answer it. Its HDR and wide-angle-view makes it superb in its domain.
It’s a wired doorbell which requires a chime box and the right transformer. So Nest’s Hello, technically, is not for every home. It’s installation requires all these things which makes it suitable for a select class of people.
For American the price is $229 and if you are in Canada it’s $299 which makes it expensive in the spectrum of doorbells. It works on Mesh Technology so if your net connection is low and losing signals, they can use this technology to connect with other nest devices and amplify the signals.
But if you can afford all that you get great features for an outdoor security camera. To use facial recognition you require a Nest Aware subscription plan. So if you already subscribed to Nest Ecosystem this one’s for you.
#4 Arlo Pro 3
Arlo’s Pro 3 camera system is one of a kind as compared to other doorbell systems. It’s very pricey, wireless, 1080p video feed, indoor/outdoor, rechargeable batteries, 2 way audio system and has smart siren.
It costs more than $300 which makes it a very expensive video doorbell camera system. It comes with free cloud storage and is hands down the best outdoor security system. The batteries are rechargeable and they last for months. This camera can also be hardwired if you want to.
It records footage in 4K which is also another great feature for a doorbell and you can zoom in to see the footage clearly. It’s night vision is much clearer than other cameras due to 4K sensor.
It can perform two way communication and you can record the messages to be played by Alexa if you are not home.
You can also record the video clips and share with others on social media. To do that you need to install the base station to your router. The router requires a stable internet connection and has an alarm that rings at 100 dB.
Arlo requires monthly subscription but the free pan provides you live streaming notification and 7 days cloud storage.
Premium Plan provides 2K footage, 30 day video history, package person detection activity zone, call a friend in emergency for $3 a month for a single camera or $10 a month for 5 cameras.
Elite plan gives you the same features except the footage in 4K for $5 a month for a single camera or $15 for all of your cameras.
#5 Skybell
Skybell has different models. It’s features also pretty much define its uniqueness. It has a slim vision doorbell version. Skybell company manufactures only doorbells. There is no monthly subscription.
You get 7 free video storage on the cloud and download it before it disappears. It’s very easy to install as compared to other premium doorbell security systems. There is a sensor for motion detection, it provides excellent image quality and you can also plug it with a USB.
The good thing is it’s once an amount to spend on it. You get free video storage, instant notification and much more than just a doorbell with a camera. It’s night vision is also phenomenal and generally its 4K footage can capture someone walking on the sidewalk which is actually not the area around your door.
Skybell is the most responsive doorbell security camera on earth.
Arlo Pro 3 Vs Nest Vs Ring
Nest’s Hello can be considered a better doorbell camera as Arlo requires its base station for storing data. But then it’s the base station which provides you an alarm and add external hard drive to download the footage instead of taking it out to the cloud.
Arlo is highly compatible with Amazon Echo and Google Home whereas Ring works only with Echo and the Nest only works with Google Home.
The magnetic back of this camera allows us to mount it easily and make a really unique set up. Arlo Pro 3 is an advanced camera but its priciness makes it less affordable which is not a problem with Nest or Ring comparatively in this price range. Its cloud service is also more expensive than all other outdoor security cameras’.
Out of all three popular doorbell security cameras Ring seems to be the only camera which provides affordability and advanced security. Ring has more camera options that you can tweak. For general doorbell solutions Ring Pro is much more suitable which serves many purposes. Ring products also offer flat sales due to their affiliation with Amazon.
Frequently Asked Questions About Smart Doorbell Security Cameras
How Do Doorbell Wireless Cameras Work?
The outdoor wireless cameras work to transmit videos either on a cloud or your installed server where all these videos are transmitted to be stored.
Can Smart Wireless Cameras Be Hacked?
Yes, technically, they can be hacked. As a password and a username is used to operate them. But there are protocols if the data gets transmitted to a subscribed service which may not be accessed by the hacker.
Do Outdoor Cameras Work Without Internet?
These cameras don’t work without the internet. They need the internet to transmit media which would not be possible otherwise.
