Everything is getting more expensive nowadays, from your supermarket shop to mobile and broadband prices, nothing is safe from inflation. Not even your trusty video doorbell subscription, with the recent news that Ring is increasing its subscription costs from £2.50 per month to £4.99. That’s almost a 50-percent increase!
Let’s be honest, the fact that some doorbells require a monthly subscription is a crazy concept in itself – imagine trying to explain that to yourself ten years ago.
And, it’s not just Ring, from Google and Arlo, most of the models in our best video doorbells guide require a monthly fee to unlock all of the features.
If you’ve had enough of monthly fees and price increases, we’ve collected the best subscription-free video doorbells. They offer all of the smart features you would hope for, such as two-way audio, instant notifications, and high-res video capture, but don’t require any money after your initial purchase.
EZVIZ DB2 2K Wireless Video Doorbell
Stuff Verdict
This subscription-free doorbell saves footage to an SD card as an affordable storage solution
Pros
Portrait videoSD card slot means no need for WiFi hubHigh resolution
Cons
No swappable batteriesEZVIZ app could be better
EZVIZ 2K Wireless Video Doorbell specsDimensions150 × 58 × 32 mmMax video resolution2544 × 1888Field of view100°Battery life115 daysNight visionInfrared Night Vision up to 5mPackage detectionNoWeather resistanceIP65StorageMicro SD card up to 256GBWi-Fi2.4 GHzChimeIncluded
This wireless 2K doorbell from EZVIZ is fully battery-powered, can be set up anywhere in minutes, and best of all, there’s no subscription needed to use it. EZVIZ replaces costly cloud storage with local microSD card storage. It supports cards of up to 256GB, which can be inserted into the indoor chime for enhanced data protection.
The DB2 can run up to 115 days on one full charge, which is maximized by its energy-saving mode, and is fully weather-proof to withstand any extreme conditions the UK weather can throw at it.
Get an instant notification in the EZVIZ App when someone rings your doorbell, and start a video call to let friends know if it’s a good time to visit or tell the postman to place your parcel in the usual spot. The DB2 has a wide viewing angle so you can see visitors from head to toe, it intelligently detects human movements (rather than pets or trees), and also features night vision of up to 5 metres.
The DB2 is also hard to tamper with, with a loud alarm and mobile alert sent out if the doorbell is forcibly removed.
Eufy Security Video Doorbell Wireless S210
Stuff Verdict
Hate the idea of a monthly subscription? This is the video doorbell for you, storing encrypted clips locally on the bundled base station
Pros
No monthly subscriptionSharp, high resolutionPortrait videoSlim design
Cons
No HDRVoice chat is a little delayed
Eufy Video Doorbell 2K specsDimensions139.7 x 5.3 x 2.8 mmMax video resolution2560×1920Field of view160°Battery lifeup to six monthsNight visionYesPackage detectionNoWeather resistanceIP65StorageLocal (with included hub)Wi-Fi2.4GhzChimeIncluded
Just like EZVIZ, Eufy believes in one-time buying, so you won’t find any of its doorbells’ features locked behind a monthly subscription. That includes the Video Doorbell 2K – a wireless porch-watcher with a sharp Sony sensor. Instead of stashing video history in the cloud, it stores encrypted clips locally on the bundled base station.
Rather than shooting horizontally, the Eufy Video Doorbell 2K frames a 4:3 portion of your doorstep. Translation? You’ll see visitors top-to-toe, rather than cut off at the knee. And you’ll see them well, thanks to the 2560×1920 pixel resolution – comfortably the highest in this list.
You get most of the smarts you’d expect as standard: activity zones, human recognition and motion detection, with real-time alerts sent to your smartphone. The only major omission is package detection. For that, you’ll want the twin-camera Eufy Video Doorbell Dual, which comes equipped with a second lower lens for eyeballing deliveries.
Don’t want to miss a ding? Use the HomeBase as a chime, or deploy an Amazon Echo device instead. You can also check in with Google Assistant.
Blink Video Doorbell + Sync Module 2
Stuff Verdict
Looking for the best cheap video doorbell? You’ll want the Blink Video Doorbell
Pros
Affordable priceAmazing battery lifeNo subscription required with Sync Module 2
Cons
Video isn’t the bestYou’re still giving money to AmazonNo Google Home support
Blink Video Doorbell specsDimensions130 x 42 x 34 mmMax video resolution1080pField of view135°Battery lifeup to two yearsNight visionYesPackage detectionNoWeather resistanceIP54StorageLocal (with optional hub), cloud (paid)Wi-Fi2.4GhzChimeNo
Watching your costs? Blink’s video doorbell is one of the cheapest options out there, but it requires you to accept several sacrifices. The video is shot at 1080p, with infrared for action after dark. So far, so fine. But the 80° vertical angle is too narrow to include your doorstep, so there is no package detection here.
With a simple plastic shell, Blink’s budget bell is relatively compact. That’s largely thanks to the power source: it runs on AA cells instead of a rechargeable brick, making replacement a cinch.
You need the optional Sync Module 2 to view a live feed or engage two-way audio on demand. Otherwise, you have to wait until someone pushes your button. That Sync Module is also required for local video storage. Without it, you’ll need a Blink Subscription Plan to save clips to the cloud – which is exactly what we’re trying to avoid here.
Like a wireless chime? You’ll have to use a Blink Mini camera or connect to an Echo device via an Alexa skill. No such luck for other smart speakers: there’s no HomeKit, Google Home or IFTTT support.
