If you want to provide an extra layer of protection for your home, WiFi enabled smart video doorbells can be a godsend. The question: Which one is right for you? In an increasingly crowded marketplace, it isn’t easy to choose. Today I’m going to evaluate two, the DoorBird WiFi Video Doorbell and the Ring Smart Doorbell.
In what follows I talk about the key features of both the DoorBird and Ring Smart Doorbells, go over their pros and cons, and then end by analysing which doorbell represents the better buy. Before we get to that, though, let’s look at the main selling points for each:
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Main Differences Between Doorbird vs Ring WiFi Doorbell
The Main Differences Between Doorbird vs Ring WiFi Doorbell are:
- Doorbird is larger and less discrete, whereas Ring WiFi Doorbell is way more affordable.
- Doorbird let you open the door remotely, whereas Ring WiFi Doorbell includes a wireless doorbell camera.
- Doorbird is dual powered, whereas Ring WiFi Doorbell allows you to see a live video stream if the alarm gets triggered.
Overview of the DoorBird and Ring WiFi Video Doorbells
DoorBird WiFi Video Doorbell
See Who is Ringing Your Doorbell: Use DoorBird’s smart motion detection to see and communicate with anyone who comes to your door. Now you don’t have to arrange your life around a delivery schedule.
You’ll always know when your delivery arrives whether you’re in the backyard or halfway around the world.
Can Open Your Front Door Remotely: With the DoorBird you can open your front door from anywhere in the world! Of course you’ll need an electric door opener, one you can connect to the DoorBird. After this, though, you’ll be able to open your front door using the DoorBird’s App. Very cool!
NOTE: You can check out my full video doorbell review of the Doorbird here.
Ring WiFi Video Doorbell
Ring bills it’s doorbell as caller ID for your front door, providing simple, affordable, security for your home.
See Who is Ringing Your Doorbell: On vacation? No problem! With Ring, It’s just like you’re at home. Use the wide-angled HD video, smart motion detection, and cloud video recording features of the Ring to see who is at your front door.
Monitor Your Property: Curious what goes on while you’re not home? The Ring’s built-in motion sensors detect activity on your property.
If they sense anything, you’ll be sent an alert. After an alert is triggered you’ll be able to view a live video stream, or (I’ll have more to say about this later) view the recorded video from the cloud.
NOTE: You can check out my full take on the Ring Doorbell here.
Key Features to Consider
Motion Sensor
Both the DoorBird and Ring have motion sensors and will alert homeowners to the presence of anyone or anything passing within range of the door bell. Not only that, both doorbells have two-way audio so you can speak with anyone who approaches the door.
The similarities, though, end there. While both doorbells will send you a live video stream after an alert goes off only the Ring, for $3 a month or $30 a year, will let you save the video recording in the cloud.
High Definition Video
For both doorbells, the live video quality in the daytime was clear and the colors sharp. Recorded video looked as good as the live feed. The black-and-white night vision video was sharp as well and good to around 20 feet. However, neither doorbell had on-demand recording.
Night Safety
Both the DoorBird and Ring are equipped with night vision. Ever been nervous about opening the door at night for a stranger? When I peer through the peephole in my own door I often can’t quite make out who is standing there.
To ask them what they want I have to open the door or they won’t be able to hear me. Of course I use the chain door lock so—theoretically—whoever it is couldn’t push the door open and enter, but it’s still not the best situation.
Both doorbells allow you to stay safely indoors and, using an app, address whoever is on the other side. Visitors don’t even have to know you’re at home!
From my comparison, I would say that—while the Ring had good night vision—the DoorBird excelled in this area. But, that said, the Ring did perfectly fine. No complaints.
Two-Way Audio
Traditional security systems only alert you after someone has invaded your home. With both DoorBird and Ring, you get to stop the burglar before they enter your home. You have the ability to talk to anyone on your property and tell them they’re on camera.
As previously noted, the Ring is the only doorbell that gives you the ability to save your video, something you’d probably want to do if you saw someone breaking in! Also, only the Ring has noise cancellation.
Setup
Neither doorbell is excessively difficult to setup, though the Ring was very easy. I mounted and synced the Ring to my Wi-Fi network in minutes. Also, Ring provides you with installation videos galore. A definite plus.
The DoorBird was a bit more difficult to set up, and configuring the App seemed excessively complicated, but it wasn’t a big deal.
A definite plus for the Ring, though, is that you have the option of not wiring it in. Its internal battery (after you charge it, mine came 80% charged) will last for a year. When it begins to run low the app will notify you.
At that point you take the unit from the wall and recharge it, a process which the manufacturer says shouldn’t take more than 10 hours.
Since you can access all of the Ring’s features over WiFi it can be installed on any surface regardless of wiring: wood, stucco and even cement. If you do decide to wire it into your home’s existing doorbell then when someone comes calling your internal home chimes will go off. A nice touch.
Pros and Cons
DoorBird WiFi Video Doorbell
- PRO – Weatherproof: Operates in any weather from -4 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. It meets the IP54 specification for protection against contact, protection against dust deposits and protection from water that’s projected from a nozzle.
- PRO – 720p Live Video: The DoorBird has sharp HD video combined with good night vision for 25 feet and a wide, 180 degree, field of view. The night vision was also clear for about 25 feet and of excellent quality.
- PRO – Two Way Audio: The audio was clean and the volume good. I had no trouble understanding what visitors were saying.
- CON – No Cloud Video Storage: The DoorBird has no online storage which means there is no way to record live video streams.
- CON – No Internal Battery: In order for the doorbell to work it must be wired up to the house.
- CON – Much Larger than the Ring: The DoorBird (3 x 1.4 x 6.2 inches) is extremely large when compared with the Ring (0.9 x 2.4 x 5 inches) potentially making it more difficult to mount.
- CON – More Expensive: The DoorBird is over $100 more expensive than the Ring. You can check this listing for the latest pricing on the Doorbird.
- CON – Setup Can be Difficult: The DoorBird uses its own power supply. This power supply is plugged inside your home and you have to connect it to the DoorBird located outside. If you’re comfortable tinkering with your home’s wiring and don’t mind drilling a couple of holes in your walls then everything’s good.
Ring Smart Doorbell
- PRO – Two Options For Power: You can place the Ring anywhere! It’s rechargeable battery allows you to install the Ring even if there is no wiring—or if you’d just rather not deal with it. This is convenient if you’re renting and don’t want a wired doorbell.
- PRO – Lifetime Purchase Protection: If your doorbell gets stolen, no problem! The folks at Ring will replace it for free.
- PRO – Costs Less: At the time of writing, the Ring Video Doorbell costs about $150 less than the DoorBird.
- PRO – You Can Record Video: Whenever the Ring detects motion or whenever anyone presses the doorbell, the App will notify you and you’ll have the opportunity to view the live stream. But …
- CON – Monthly Charge For Recording Videos: If you want to take advantage of this feature—of being able to save your video—you’ll have to pay a monthly fee for the privilege ($3 a month or $30 a year). But keep in mind that at least one can record video.
Comparison: DoorBird vs Ring
Here is a side-by-side comparison of both smart products to help you determine which is the best fit for your budget and lifestyle.
| DoorBird | Ring | |
| Price | For the latest prices and discounts, check here | For the latest prices and discounts, check here |
| Saves Videos to the Cloud | No | Yes |
| Dual Powered | No | Yes |
| Opens Door Remotely | Yes | No |
| Night Vision | Yes | Yes |
| Two Way Audio | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless Doorbell Camera | No | Yes |
DoorBird or Ring: Which is the Better Value?
DoorBird is similar to the Ring in that it sends live 720p video to your iOS or Android devices when someone rings the bell or trips the motion sensors. Also, both WiFi doorbells enable you to communicate with late night visitors without having to open the door.
On the other hand, the DoorBird is very large, much larger than the Ring, can’t record video and costs significantly more.
In Short: If you don’t want a large video doorbell or you want to save a live video stream and don’t mind paying for the privilege, then the Ring is the WiFi video doorbell for you.
Still not sure? Here are some other Smart Home Devices to consider:
This review seems very biased against the Doorbird. They offer cloud recording, with both free and paid pricing plans. They also have an open API so you can record to your own computer / cloud or home surveillance system such as Blue Iris. Better integration with the home automation markets. You don’t have to rely on batteries! You don’t have to rely on wifi signal (the less traffic on your wifi network the better). Night vision is way better, as it uses more LEDs. They have more faceplate and mounting options, etc… Reading this article would really steer people away from the Doorbird, when in fact it is the better option. Well worth paying more.
Thanks for adding your input, Emma. I’ll be taking another look at this comparison in light of your comments. At the time, I did like the Ring better but it’s worth revisiting now.