Credit:
Reviewed / Rachel Murphy
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Credit:
Reviewed / Rachel Murphy
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This is the best video doorbell to safeguard your home with as it offers great home security features including continuous recording. Read More
Ring's Video Doorbell Wired is the brands smallest, most affordable doorbell. It works with Alexa and features custom motion zones. Read More
Google’s first battery-powered doorbell is beautiful, smart, and versatile enough for any front door. Read More
The Eufy Video Doorbell Dual has two high-powered cameras to combat porch pirates. It works with Alexa/Google Assistant and has free local storage. Read More
The Wemo Smart Video Doorbell offers a large field of view and great security features, as long as you’re all Apple. Read More
With the best video doorbell, you can see who’s there without getting up, keep an eye out for porch pirates, or make sure the delivery person leaves your package while you’re away.
With useful features like live video that streams to your smartphone, two-way audio, and timely motion detection alerts, a smart video doorbell can be an integral part of your home security system. Currently, the Nest Doorbell (wired 2nd gen) (available at Amazon) is our best video doorbell winner thanks to its stellar spread of free intelligent alerts, supreme accuracy, and reliability.
Looking for something cheaper? The Ring Video Doorbell Wired (available at Amazon) is packed with value. However, we've tested many great video doorbells below to ensure you find the best one for your home.
The second-gen Nest video doorbell (wired) is the best video doorbell you can buy.
The Ring Video Doorbell Wired records in 1080p HD video with a 155-degree horizontal field of view.
The Nest Doorbell (battery) is a wireless video doorbell that records up to three hours of event history without a paid subscription fee—a first for Google smart doorbells.
This two-camera doorbell from Eufy is the best video doorbell for package deliveries.
The Wemo Smart Video Doorbell is the best doorbell for HomeKit.
Works with Alexa
Quick Replies
Color Pre-Roll clips
Large footprint
No Siri or Google Assistant support
Fantastic video
Loud and clear audio
Alexa Greetings
No support for Apple HomeKit
Extra features aren't worth it
Works with Alexa and Google Assistant
Dual install methods
Large, clear view
Questionable battery life
Boring design
Must use included chime
Incredible video quality
24/7 recording
Free storage
False alerts
No two-factor authentication
Sleek design
Versatile power options
Chime works well
Battery life may not be great
Video recording limits
Included chime is required
Dual-installation methods
Works with Amazon Alexa
Subscription not required
Some performance issues
So-so build quality and design
Extra hardware may be needed
Timely and accurate smart alerts
Head-to-toe view
Advanced features
iOS only
Doesn't work with Alexa/Google
Hi, I’m Rachel Murphy, Reviewed’s home editor. I live in a smart home that’s full of smart home devices like cameras, plugs, speakers, and an oven. During my tenure at Reviewed, I’ve tested smart mini projectors, smart water leak detectors, and other gadgets that can be controlled remotely or via smart assistants such as Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Siri.
e put each doorbell through a series of in-depth, hands-on tests to fully understand each one’s capabilities, features, and downsides.
We considered audio and video quality, of course, since video doorbells double as home security cameras, measuring how clear the picture was in multiple settings. We also tested the apps in terms of connectivity, time to start streaming, storage options, and ease of use. We also made sure they were weatherproof.
When it came to audio testing, almost all of the doorbells passed with flying colors, but as you’ll read below, some excelled. The same, not surprisingly, went for the “rain” test, where we simulated inclement weather with a spray bottle. But our other tests revealed variances that helped us determine which doorbells were worth your time and which wouldn’t deliver as good of a result.
Most smart video doorbells should easily be installed using the existing wires your home may already have for an everyday doorbell. If you don't have a wiring setup, then purchasing a smart video doorbell that's battery-powered will be the way to go. For the most part, you don't need any other smart home devices or technologies to use smart doorbells—just your smartphone and the doorbell’s app.
However, most of these video doorbells will play nicely with other smart home devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home speakers, so check to see which are most compatible with the system you're using. Smart speakers can make announcements when someone rings your doorbell and display a live stream of your front door camera. If you want to save your videos, a separate storage subscription cost may be necessary.
Whether or not companies need permission to share recordings with law enforcement depends on your setup and the access that the companies themselves have. In short, however, it’s unlikely that a company needs your permission to share data, if that data is stored on the company’s servers. This is a good reason to opt for local storage, ensuring that you are the only one who can access your doorbell video.
In the case of Ring, which operates the Neighbors community service, police can directly ask users if they can access footage, through the Request for Assistance feature. Usually, this will involve users within a certain distance of an incident receiving that request.
Even your video doorbell needs security. So, what should you look for? Features like two-factor authentication, end-to-end encryption, and local storage are all things to consider before investing in a smart video doorbell camera setup.
Two-factor authentication, which sends a code to your mobile device to verify it’s really you, is available on many smart video doorbells and is something to seek out and activate. That way, if someone tries to hack into your account, you will receive an alert and can quickly take care of the problem.
Another thing to consider is how your videos are used and stored. Most video doorbells allow you to turn them on and off from the app to control when they're recording and uploading video to the cloud. Look for end-to-end encryption for storing videos. The encryption offers a layer of protection that can help prevent unwanted eyeballs from viewing your saved and stored videos.
Make sure to create a strong password unique to your app. Data breaches feel like the norm as of late, making it all the more important not to reuse passwords across multiple websites and apps.
Finally, when using any device with assistants like Alexa, Google, and Siri, you can help protect your privacy by regularly deleting your voice recordings and muting the mic when not in use.
Looking for more privacy tips? Read our guide to securing your smart home.
Rachel Murphy is Reviewed's home editor. She holds a journalism degree from the University of Central Florida. Prior to joining the team, she worked as a freelance writer for publications like Insider and Mashable, and as an associate editorial producer for Good Morning America. Aside from smart home tech, her interests include food, travel, parenting, and home renovation. You can usually find her sipping on coffee at any time of the day.
Originally from Australia, Christian has long had a passion for gadgets and consumer electronics. Christian has experience reviewing products in all areas of the consumer tech world, and is dedicated to helping people find the best products for their lifestyle.
Nick Woodard is a tech journalist specializing in all things related to home theater and A/V. His background includes a solid foundation as a sports writer for multiple daily newspapers, and he enjoys hiking and mountain biking in his spare time.
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