I’ve never had a video doorbell before, but I’ll be moving soon and need one because I’m disabled and can’t always get to the door. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Ring compared to other brands? I’ve heard concerns about privacy with Ring—how accurate are those? Any advice is appreciated!
Ring is great, but keep in mind it’s 100% cloud-based, and many features require a subscription. Privacy concerns seem overblown for doorbells, as they only capture what’s already visible to anyone passing by. Alternatives include Arlo, Tapo, TP-Link, and Eufy. I use Ring for outdoor cameras and another brand for indoor ones.
I don’t recommend Ring. It’s getting more expensive and less reliable. I’ve removed all Ring devices from my setup.
Ring has gone downhill since Amazon bought it. The cost of their service has doubled, and only a few cameras support their new 24/7 recording feature, which requires expensive hardware upgrades. The camera quality is also subpar compared to newer options. I’m replacing my entire Ring system.
Ring has worked great for me.
I switched to Ring from Frontpoint, and it’s been much better—easier to set up, better cameras, and a more user-friendly app.
I just got a Ring doorbell and floodlight camera, and I’m happy with them so far.
Not worth it. I wouldn’t choose Ring.
I don’t recommend Ring. The cameras aren’t great, and the monthly fees are high. Look into options with local storage, like Eufy or Aqara G4. They’re cheaper, offer better resolution, and store data on an SD card rather than in the cloud.
@Clyde
Thanks! I saw Blink has local storage too. Any thoughts on privacy with Eufy or Aqara G4? I’m cautious after a bad experience with a device that wanted access to everything on my phone.
Dan said:
@Clyde
Thanks! I saw Blink has local storage too. Any thoughts on privacy with Eufy or Aqara G4? I’m cautious after a bad experience with a device that wanted access to everything on my phone.
Avoid Blink; it’s also owned by Amazon. Eufy and Aqara store data locally, so your videos won’t be uploaded to the cloud. This keeps your data private.
@Clyde
That’s good to know! Do the apps for Eufy or Aqara require full phone access to work?
Dan said:
@Clyde
That’s good to know! Do the apps for Eufy or Aqara require full phone access to work?
I don’t own either, but I doubt they’d require access to everything. They might ask for specific permissions like saving videos to your gallery.
Some people criticize Ring over privacy, mainly because they share recorded videos with police departments. I don’t mind this. I use Ring devices at two homes and like them. They integrate well with my Echo and FireTV, the picture quality is good for identifying visitors, and I don’t need high-resolution video or local storage. I think the negativity mostly stems from their price increases, but I’m happy with the service.