As an early adopter of the video doorbell, Andre Kazimierski has noticed a big difference with the newer version he wired to his home in Chicago recently. “There’s less lag in general, and less of a delay when talking to people through it,” he says of the Ring model that replaced the company’s earliest doorbell. “With the better video quality, I can see more clearly, and I no longer get as many annoying false alerts,” he says. When it comes to smart technology, faster and better are often good enough reasons to upgrade.
Of all the elements within a DIY home security system, video doorbells have changed the most in the nearly 10 years since they hit the market. Improved lenses offer crisper definition, a wider field of view, and aspect ratios that can show visitors head to toe. Image quality is a big reason why early adopters trade up. “I’m able to see visitors clearly now,” says Scottsdale, AZ, homeowner Larry Snider of his new video doorbell. “I’m easily able to recognize faces, read license plates, and capture other details that I used to struggle with.”
The software is smarter, too. Modern AI distinguishes between humans walking up to your door and ringing the bell or delivering a package and a car passing by your house. That means fewer false alarms—and faster notifications. Whether a video doorbell is your first step toward a more elaborate home security system or you’re just tired of the grainy footage from your current camera, here’s what the new crop of video doorbells has to offer.
Video Doorbell Standard Features
Some video doorbells offer upgrades, like two cameras, but a handful of user-friendly features makes up the backbone of every system.
Two-way talk
A microphone in the video doorbell means the homeowner, using a smartphone, tablet, or smart display, can converse with someone ringing the bell. Compared with earlier versions, better microphones make these conversations easier to understand with less lag time between responses. With a paid subscription, some doorbells allow visitors to leave a video voicemail if no one answers, which then appears on your smartphone as a notification.
24/7 viewing
You can check to see what’s going on outside your door at any time, from anywhere, as long as your mobile device has a cellular or Wi-Fi connection. You can also zoom in on the video, which can be helpful to confirm a package is still on your porch or to see faces and read shirt logos.
All video doorbells have the ability to capture images at night, whether you have a porch light on or not. Basic cameras offer black-and-white night vision while the better ones show images in color on your smartphone. The lenses on the latest generation of updated video doorbells have improved night-vision clarity, and the images are adequate even without supplemental light.
Basic notifications
When a video doorbell detects movement, it sends a notification to your phone that you can tap to see a live view or a recorded clip. Unfortunately, it doesn’t necessarily distinguish between a person ringing the bell or delivering a package and a car in the driveway or a kid riding a bike on the sidewalk. You’ll simply receive a tappable note that says motion was detected at the front door. That kind of general notification can have you fussing with your phone often and even ignoring it as the doorbell cries wolf.
Smart-home integration
Nearly every smart doorbell works with at least one of the big smart-home ecosystems: Google Home, Amazon’s Alexa, or Apple Home. But a practical benefit of integration—answering the door using a virtual assistant—relies on having a screen that shows you who rang. Without a Nest Hub, an Echo Show, or an Apple TV or the like, you’ll likely answer the doorbell on your smartphone. Integration can be helpful, however, if you want to control devices from a variety of companies from a single app.
Record and save
Doorbells save footage on a memory card (usually in the chime), or in the cloud. More rely on cloud storage, for which you are often charged a fee, starting at around $4 per month. Onboard storage is typically free and limited only by the size of the internal memory or an optional memory card.
Wired vs Wireless Video Doorbell Systems
Most manufacturers offer models that run off a home’s existing wiring and ones with a removable and rechargeable battery—some can be installed both ways. The choice comes down to convenience and wiring compatibility.
Wired video doorbell systems
Wired doorbells tend to be about an inch shorter, which might look better on some trim. Existing wiring needs to have a transformer providing the proper voltage, which can be an issue in older homes. But a wired doorbell’s chime still works even if the wireless network goes down, though if that happens, you won’t be able to use the device’s camera. And you don’t have to worry about the battery dying while you’re away from home. Some doorbells, like Google’s Nest, offer 24/7 video recording only on wired devices. Installation can be a challenge for a wiring newbie or if you can’t locate the transformer or chime.
Battery-powered video doorbell systems
Easier to install, these doorbells rely on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that lasts about six months with typical usage (though some models marketed as battery-powered are hybrids that can also be hardwired). In most cases, you will need to remove the camera’s battery, or the doorbell itself, using a small screwdriver or a hex key, and then bring it inside the house to charge it through a USB cable. Some wireless doorbells can work with an existing chime, but many brands offer a plug-in version that works with any outlet for more flexibility when it comes to placement.
Check the Signal
The success of any video doorbell relies on a strong wireless network signal reaching your front door. Before buying, run a speed test from your smartphone’s browser while standing outside the front door at a time when everyone is home and using the Wi-Fi. “You need a minimum of 5 megabits per second for a single high-definition camera,” says Eric Widner, general manager of LOUD Security Systems in Kennesaw, GA.
“The slower your Internet’s speed and bandwidth are, the lower the quality of the image will be and the more likely you are to experience delays.” If you test speeds at the front door while nobody is home, “you may not have the same success at five o’clock when your kids are home from school and playing games or streaming movies.”
Upgrading the Doorbell on an Old House
Powering a modern doorbell with old wiring can be tricky. Here’s what you need to know:
Any existing wired doorbell is a system of three parts: the button by the door, the chime (usually near the front door), and the transformer, often near the circuit panel. If the existing doorbell is broken, troubleshooting it can be complicated without tools like a toner or a multimeter, making a case for going battery-powered. If the existing system works, confirm that the transformer is 16 to 24 volts by checking the side of the device or testing it with a multimeter.
If the transformer is underpowered, a plug-in converter can bring power from any nearby outlet to the doorbell with a wire, though that’s not always the best-looking option. The last and most involved option is rewiring the doorbell, though this can require fishing new wiring from the basement up to the doorbell and possibly replacing the chime and transformer, and may be best left to a pro.
Ongoing Fees for Video Doorbell Systems
Out of the box, video doorbells provide a live feed of the front door, but unless you plan to watch it all day, you’ll need a few features that make living with the device easier. Often, you’ll have to pay for a subscription, which can start at around $4 a month, for better performance. Free and paid features vary, so visit product websites before you buy. Here’s an overview.
Rich notifications
A basic notification doesn’t tell you much beyond something moved near your front door, which then invites you to click through to a live feed. Rich notifications can tell you that a package has been delivered or a person is waiting at the door, and, in some cases, can rely on facial recognition to identify exactly who that person is (once you’ve assigned names to the faces in the app).
When evaluating doorbells, it pays to understand which brands charge for rich notifications since basic ones can be frustratingly vague. Some companies, like Arlo, offer rich notifications as part of a 30-day trial period, after which you’ll have to pay for a subscription to keep the feature.
Zones
With the swipe of a finger in the app, you can customize zones in the camera’s field of view. This is helpful if you live close to a street or a sidewalk and don’t want passing cars or neighbors walking the dog to trigger an alert. Some brands charge for this feature as part of a subscription, but with others, including Google and Ring, it’s free.
Storage
Keeping video clips of events is an important feature, and most brands charge for this service. Some subscriptions will store video clips for anywhere from 14 to 180 days on a cloud server, while others, such as Google, will keep the past 3 hours accessible for free. If you don’t want to pay for cloud access, look for a system that stores the footage locally on a hub or chime inside the house, like Eufy’s.
Lens and Video Quality
Lens and video quality are two areas in which doorbell cameras have made big improvements. Initially, they focused on a 16:9 wide-screen ratio, which captures a lot of space to the left and right of someone at your door, but might cut off their head, their feet, or a package left behind. Manufacturers have moved to an aspect ratio that makes it easier to see a person head to toe, usually a 1:1 ratio or slightly wider (4:3) or taller (3:4).
This is especially useful when viewing on a smartphone; its aspect ratio now matches your doorbell’s without you having to rotate the phone into landscape mode. But it can lessen how much horizontal footage you capture. While more vertically oriented ratios have made it easier to see the doormat, they still often miss a package, unless it’s set some distance away from the door. The best solution for this: a doorbell that comes with a second lens aimed roughly 45 degrees toward the ground.
Horizontal field of view
While 180 degrees was common with early cameras, current models slim that down so the video feed is less distorted on a smartphone held vertically. You can adjust the horizontal field of view, which averages about 122 degrees, with a wedge (inset), included with most products. The plastic shim can tilt the camera left or right up to 20 degrees; aftermarket options can adjust it up to 55 degrees.
Vertical field of view
This is less commonly listed—and some websites list only the diagonal field of view as it appears on-screen—but it’s important, as it speaks to how much of a person the camera captures. Also averaging about 122 degrees, it has grown in an effort to deliver an aspect ratio closer to 1:1 or 3:4. Aftermarket wedge options can tilt the camera down as much as 20 degrees to see the doormat, or package-delivery, area.
Comparing Video Doorbell Systems
These cameras may look similar, but it’s their specifications and which features require a subscription that can set one apart from the field.
Google Nest Doorbell (Wired)
$180; store.google .com
- Basics: Will send rich notifications and store an event history of the past 3 hours in the cloud, without an added fee.
- Pros: Minimalist design in four colors; easy setup through the Google Home app.
- Cons: Night vision is black and white.
- Specs: 1280p resolution; 145° diagonal field of view (FOV); 3:4 aspect ratio.
- Subscriptions: Saves events for 30 days for $8 a month or up to 60 days with up to 10 days of 24/7 recording for $15 a month. In an emergency, the service will make it easier for you to call 911 through the app.
Arlo Essential Wired Video Doorbell
$130; arlo.com
- Basics: Works with just about every smart home assistant with an Arlo accessory base station.
- Pros: Detailed 12× zoom; comes with 30 days of free event storage and rich notifications.
- Cons: After 30 days you need to pay for rich notifications and event storage.
- Specs: 1536p resolution; 130° horizontal and 130° vertical FOV; 1:1 aspect ratio.
- Subscriptions: For $4.99 a month, Arlo Secure sends rich notifications and holds events in the cloud for 30 days. For $18 a month, Secure Plus adds calling emergency services.
Ring Battery Doorbell Plus
$180; ring.com
- Basics: Holds events for up to 180 days in the cloud; will play prerecorded messages when someone presses the bell, so you can tell delivery people to leave packages.
- Pros: A robust social community of app users can alert you to suspicious activity in the neighborhood.
- Cons: Need to pay for a subscription to see any event history.
- Specs: 1536p; 150° horizontal and 150° vertical FOV; 1:1 aspect ratio.
- Subscriptions: Ring Protect saves video and sends rich notifications for $3.99 a month; $20 a month adds calling emergency services.
Eufy S330 Video Doorbell (Battery-Powered Kit)
$260; us.eufy.com
- Basics: Doorbell has a second camera that looks at the ground, doing a better job of seeing delivered packages.
- Pros: The included hub (shown) acts as the chime; stores up to 90 days of footage for free.
- Cons: It’s big—61⁄2 by 2 inches—and its glossy black finish may not suit every house.
- Specs: 2000p (front camera), 1080p (package camera); 120° horizontal and 90° vertical FOV (front camera), 95° horizontal and 75° vertical FOV (package camera); 4:3 aspect ratio.
- Subscriptions: Eufy’s team will monitor alerts for $10 a month.
Roku Video Doorbell & Chime SE
$80; roku.com
- Basics: At 3 by 11⁄2 inches, this doorbell from Roku (which owns This Old House) fits on the narrowest of door trims.
- Pros: Included chime plugs into any outlet; color night vision; included wedge kit helps maximize field of view; can view real- time footage on the Roku Smart Home mobile app or a Roku TV or player.
- Cons: Requires a subscription to save video event history in the cloud.
- Specs: 1080p; 88° horizontal and 120° vertical FOV; 4:3 aspect ratio.
- Subscriptions: Store video clips for up to 14 days and get rich notifications for $3.99 a month.
Video Doorbells Can Connect You To Emergency Services
With the right subscription service, a video doorbell can connect you with the police or call them for you. Most video doorbell manufacturers offer a top-tier subscription plan that acts as a con- duit in an emergency. Plans that involve monitoring start at $8 per month. Some are basic, like Google’s Nest Aware, which allows you to contact the 911 call center closest to your home if you notice suspicious activity while on vacation.
Other services have teams that monitor for alerts 24/7, like a traditional alarm company. With brands like Ring and Eufy, if they detect an alarm, they will try to contact you first. If no one picks up, they dis- patch the police on your behalf. The service can help reduce homeowners insurance.