Is There a Monthly Charge for Using Ring Doorbells?

Evan Gower October 15, 2019

Ring products are some of the best modern smart doorbells. Essentially, you get all the features that your regular camera intercom offers, but also an important added feature – being able to access the video camera on the Ring Doorbell device through your smartphone at all times. The device also enables the user to communicate with visitors at their front door using nothing but their smartphone.

Is There a Monthly Charge for Using Ring Doorbells?

But how much does this cost? Well, there isn’t a simple answer to that. For one, there’s a number of Ring Doorbell products available, plus there are different plans to choose from.

Products

Although Ring offers a solid number and type of products, such as security cams, security systems, as well as things like Ring Chime, etc. the focus here is the Ring Doorbell – this company’s flagship product. There are four different Video Doorbell models: Video Doorbell, Video Doorbell 2, Video Doorbell Pro, and Video Doorbell Elite. Each of these models offers gradually better features, in the exact mentioned order.

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1. Video Doorbell

This model is the most basic one and the first edition of the product. It’s been around for a while, which does say a lot about it – even though it’s been upgraded, people still enjoy using the original model. It’s very easy to install (takes about 5 minutes) and offers 720p video resolution on its camera. And it’s the most affordable model.

2. Video Doorbell 2

As you probably expected, Video Doorbell 2 is an improved version of the first edition. As such, it’s more expensive. It brings the 1080p resolution to the table, a quick-release battery, but it still takes about 5 minutes to install. In essence, it’s essentially a sequel to the first model.

3. Video Doorbell Pro

This edition is a bit more serious. For one, it’s an actual hardwired doorbell, which allows it to bring many additional security features to the table. It does, however, take longer to install (about 15 minutes), but this is nothing compared to all the benefits the model includes. It boasts a 1080p resolution and, of course, it’s more expensive than the Video Doorbell 2.

4. Video Doorbell Elite

Now, this one is the best model that you can get your hands on and, again, the most expensive one. It comes with a flush-mounted installation and a PoE, so you probably won’t be able to install it by yourself. It can use Ethernet, which makes the model much more stable. Naturally, the 1080p resolution goes without saying.

Plans

There’s a free plan for each of the mentioned models, as well as any other model in Ring’s stock. The free plan doesn’t allow you to record the videos and access them on personal cloud space. All you get to do is see what’s going on in front of your door and communicate with whoever’s calling. For some people, this is more than enough. Others, however, want to be able to access the recorded videos and get a better guarantee (year-long).

Ring paid plans can be paid on a monthly or on a yearly basis, depending on your preference. There are two main ones: Protect Basic and Protect Plus.

1. Protect Basic

First of all, this plan allows you to use and gain access to recorded videos. The videos are automatically recorded when the Ring Doorbell’s motion sensor is triggered, which can be very useful. Additionally, it enables you to share the recorded videos. However, the number of cameras that you can use on this plan is one. This means that it doesn’t really pay off if you own three or more Ring devices.

When it comes to pricing, Protect Basic costs $3 per month or $30 annually. This is more than a good price for increased safety.

2. Protect Plus

Most importantly, the Protect Plus plan allows you to cover an unlimited number of Ring cameras using a single plan. This may not pay off if you have two cameras, but if you own three or more, it definitely beats getting the Protect Basic plan for each of the cameras. Another cool addition that you get with the Plus plan is the video review option. Naturally, this plan costs more: $10/month or $100/year.

So, Is There a Monthly Charge?

Not necessarily, no. If you want to use the free plan, all you need to do is buy the device and register. For some people, this is more than enough, but others may want to be able to access the recordings. When it comes to paid plans, it all depends on the number of Ring cameras you have. The more entrances you want to secure, the better the chances are that you’re going to go for the Protect Plus plan.

Do you use Ring Doorbell devices? Which ones do you like the best? Does the Protect Plus plan really pay off? Feel free to join the discussion in the comments section below.