There are several ways for you to monitor your front door and improve your home security. One is to put up a WiFi-connected video doorbell that allows you to see who is at the door when somebody rings it – or when somebody is there and does not ring it. Another way is to put up outdoor security cameras.
For people who are debating whether to put up a security camera, or to just replace their current doorbells with video doorbell systems, there are two wonderful products worth looking into: Ring Video Doorbell Pro and Netgear Arlo Pro. Now, which one of these two is better?
Bottom Line Up Front: In general, I lean towards the Ring Video Pro available here because it has a better camera and a better WiFi bandwidth (BIG wins in my book).
However, if you really need extra pluses like a built-in siren or local backup, the Arlo Pro available here would be better for you.
Camera Features Compared
Ring Video Doorbell Pro’s camera gives you a 1080-pixel HD video. It is enabled with two-way communication, allowing you to talk to whoever is at your front door without needing to open the door. The camera comes with a motion detector with customized motion zones. You can specify which areas in your front porch are going to be monitored for movements while ignoring everywhere else. Plus, the Ring Video Pro camera comes with infrared night vision, allowing you to see things even at night or in low-light situations. The camera also has a 160-degree field of view, which means there in not much space for a would-be burglar to hide because it sees pretty much everything in front of it.
Meanwhile, Netgear Arlo Pro gives you 1280 pixels by 720 pixels resolution, with a viewing angle of 130 degrees. It also offers motion detection and two-way communication. You can pan or zoom your Arlo Pro so that you can see more of the area and even see things in better detail. At night, you can see things clearly up to 25 feet because of the LED-based night vision. It can also detect sound, which can trigger an alert.
Who wins? Ring Video Pro.
- The Ring Video Pro has a higher resolution than the Arlo Pro’s 1080p vs. 720p. It also has a wider field of view at 160 degrees compared to Arlo’s 130 degrees.
- Both Ring and Arlo have two-way communication features.
- Arlo has motion sensors and you can change the sensitivity for these sensors to make sure that you do not get a lot of false alarms. The Ring Doorbell Video Pro, however, allows you to configure motion zones that will tell the camera to look out for movements in particular areas and then ignore movements in other areas. This would be very useful if the Ring Video Doorbell Pro’s camera captures a busy street or a high-traffic area. You can exclude these zones from being picked up by the motion detector. What’s more, Ring Video Pro has what it calls human detection, which would ignore movements made by small animals and other non-human objects.
- Remember, though, that Arlo Pro has sound detection, which will trigger an alert when it picks up a sound. You can also pan or zoom the camera. The Ring Video Pro does not have these features.
Overall, Ring Video Pro is equipped with a camera that has a higher resolution and wider field of view, as well as a more advanced motion detector and tools. On top of that, Ring Video Pro’s night vision images look better than Arlo Pro’s. But Arlo is able to alert you when it detects sound, even without sensing movement or seeing a person.
How does the Ring Video Pro compare to the Zmodo Greet? Or the Nest Hello?
Design and dimensions
The Ring Video Pro measures 4.5 inches high and 1.9 inches wide. It has a very slim profile at only .8 inches thick. Ring Video Pro comes with four faceplates: satin nickel, satin black, satin white, and dark bronze. Arlo Pro, on the other hand, measures 2.3 inches by 6.9 inches by 5.0 inches.
Who wins? Ring Video Pro.
Ring Video Pro looks more expensive than it actually is, with great materials used for the doorbell camera and with a variety of color options. Arlo Pro is very plain-looking with its white plastic construction.
Price
You can get the Ring Video Doorbell Pro from the company’s online store at attractive price. Arlo Pro comes in different sets. You can choose anywhere from one to six cameras, and it will come with the hub that the cameras need to function properly.
Wi-Fi band
Arlo Pro uses 2.4 GHz band on your Wi-Fi network, while Ring Video Pro has two bands: 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz. This means that Ring can send video feeds over a less congested band that is also interference free.
Who wins? Ring Video Pro.
No products found.Power source
Arlo Pro is powered by batteries that can last up to six months with normal use. That is equivalent to about five minutes of recordings per day. As such, you can place the Arlo Pro anywhere you like without having to worry about how to wire it. The Arlo Pro uses a 2440 mAh lithium ion battery and you can check whether it is already time to recharge it by looking at the battery level indicator.
You also have the option to plug your Arlo Pro in, so that you do not have to spend or recharge batteries.
Ring Video Pro, on the other hand, needs the wirings of your old doorbell to work. You cannot use batteries with it.
Who wins? When it comes to the power source, it really depends on what you need. Ring Video Pro is a perfect choice if you are replacing your old doorbell with a video doorbell. However, the Arlo Pro is much more flexible as to where you can put it. It does not have to stay near your front door. You can place it anywhere with a better view. And if you want to save on the cost of buying or the hassles of recharging your battery, you can just plug it in.
Weather resistance
The Ring Video Pro is weather-resistant. You can safely place it outside and it will continue working whether it gets too cold or too hot, or when it rains. Operating temperatures for the Ring Video Pro is anywhere from -20.5 degrees Celsius to 48.5 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, Arlo has an operating temperature range of -20 degrees Celsius to 45 degrees Celsius. It has an IP65 water resistance rating.
Who wins? Both the Arlo Pro and the Ring Video Doorbell Pro are weather resistant, but Ring Video Pro has a wider operating temperature range.
Embedded siren
Arlo has a 100-decibel siren that can sound automatically when either sound or movement is detected. Ring Video Pro does not have this feature.
Who wins? Arlo.
Integrations
Arlo Pro works well with other platforms. For one, it can work with Samsung SmartThings. For instance, when you connect the Arlo hub with the SmartThings hub, it will start recording when your water sensor detects some kind of spilling or if your smart lock is opened.
Aside from SmartThings, Arlo also works with IFTTT recipes, as well as with Amazon Alexa and Google Home.
Ring Video Doorbell Pro, on the other hand, has several integrations with other devices such as Wink, Lockstate, Kisi, Kevo, ADT Pulse, and Wemo. It also works with IFTTT, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa.
Who wins? It’s a tie.
Plans
Ring Video Doorbell Pro has two protection plans that allow you to store, review, and share your videos. With the Protect Basic, you pay per year for every camera you own. This plan gives you 60 days of video storage. If you have a lot of cameras, you can choose Protect Plus. This gives you everything you get from the Protect Basic but for an unlimited number of cameras. And you get extended warranty for your products.
With Arlo, you can take your pick from several subscription plans that allow you to store all the recordings you care to store. The Premier subscription gives you 30 days of cloud recordings from up to 10 cameras. Meanwhile, the Elite subscription gives you up to 60 days of recordings for up to 15 cameras.
The good news is that for those who do not want to spend more on their security, Arlo offers the free basic plan, which gives you seven days of cloud storage for up to five cameras.
Who wins? Arlo wins this one with the free plan, allowing you to still have your videos stored on the cloud even if it is only for seven days. This will give you enough time to download your videos if you need them. Ring does not offer a free option, and there is no way for you to store your videos on the cloud even for a short time.
Local backup
Arlo gives you local backup storage, allowing you to hook up a USB drive to your Arlo Pro so that you can store recorded videos there. Ring Video Pro does not have this feature.
Who wins? Arlo.
No products found.Ring Video Doorbell Pro or Arlo Pro: What should you choose?
Ring Video Doorbell Pro and Arlo Pro have different strengths. Ring Video Doorbell Pro takes the place of your current doorbell, while Arlo Pro is made to be a security camera. For some people, this would be enough reason to choose between the two. If you need a video doorbell, go for Ring Video Pro. If you need a security camera, go for an Arlo Pro.
For those who are looking for a way to safeguard their front doors, and would like to easily keep an eye on that area, both the Ring Video Doorbell Pro and the Arlo Pro are up to the task. In this scenario, you need to keep in mind that the Ring Video Pro has a much better camera and camera-related features than the Arlo Pro. And if you want to get an Arlo camera but would like to have the same features you find on the Ring camera, you can choose the Arlo Pro 2, which has custom motion modes, 1080p HD resolutions, and better night vision, just like Ring Video Pro’s camera.
Arlo Pro, however, wins with the features that are not related to the camera itself. For instance, Arlo has a free cloud storage option, sound detection features, and an embedded siren. You also have more flexibility as to power your security camera and where to put it. Lastly, for homeowners who are struggling with their Wi-Fi signals to the front door, you might want to consider Arlo Pro because of the base station can give the camera a steady Wi-Fi signal if it is placed within three feet.
To make it easier, here is who won each of the criteria we have set forth here:
- Camera – Ring Video Doorbell Pro
- Design and dimensions – Ring Video Doorbell Pro
- Price – Tie
- Wi-Fi band– Ring Video Doorbell Pro
- Power source – Arlo Pro
- Weather resistance – Almost a tie, but this one goes to Ring Video Doorbell Pro.
- Embedded siren – Arlo Pro
- Integrations – Tie
- Plans – Arlo Pro
- Local backup – Arlo Pro
Further Read:Â The Ring Alarm Security Review
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