Best Video Doorbells For Apartments (2025 Update)
I’ve been using and testing video doorbells since the very first smart model, the DoorBot in 2013. My video doorbell reviews are based on a comprehensive performance testing methodology that stresses every model to the limit to determine exactly what it can and can’t deliver. I’m not interested in feels or opinions. Just hard data and facts.
Using this test data, I’ve selected video doorbells that give the best performance, features, or price and are well suited to installation in shared living spaces.
When it comes to apartment installations, you’ll need a doorbell that provides good privacy controls like privacy zones to block parts of the image from being recorded, and audio recording controls to avoid bugging your neighbors. You’ll likely also need models that have no-drill mounting options so you won’t need to drill holes in the common areas of the building.
In many cases you won’t have doorbell wires to make use of, so I’ve focused on battery powered models in my selections. Even if you have wiring available, you still probably won’t have the option to drill the extra holes required for mounting a video doorbell, so a no-drill battery model may still be the way to go.
My Testing Methodology
Categories
7Criteria
16Data Points
32See exactly how I test video doorbells and where the scores used for my picks come from.
My 5 Best Video Doorbells For Apartments
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Best Overall |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price Bracket | |||||
| Price Bracket | $$$$ | $$ | $$$$$ | $ | $$$$$ |
| Subscription for | |||||
| Subscription for | Most Functions | Rich Notifications | Face Detection | ||
| Battery Life | |||||
| Battery Life | 102 days | TBC | 78 days | 98 days | 74 days |
| Removable? | |||||
| Removable? | |||||
| Storage | |||||
| Storage | Cloud | MicroSD (32 inc) | Internal (8GB) | MicroSD (512GB) | Cloud |
What To Look For
Field Of View
How much you can see through your doorbell is an important factor for any installation, but for apartments it’s especially relevant given you’ll most often have only a limited view to begin. With corridors and landings being your only viewable area, the field of view of the camera can make a big difference to how useful that view will be.
A typical security camera field of view in the 100-degree range will only really show you what is directly in front of your door. A wide-angle lens, on the other hand, will provide a view down the corridor to either side. This mitigates the issue of someone standing to the side to avoid being seen in the same way as a conventional fisheye peephole would.
You’ll also want to consider vertical field of view to maximize the amount of floor area you can see. Again, this help avoid blind spots, and also ensures you can capture any objects left on the floor outside.
Mounting Options
Assuming that your building doesn’t look kindly on drilling holes in the walls of the common area outside your apartment, you’ll need an option for mounting that is non-destructive. These options are referred to as ‘no-drill mounts’ and come in two flavors: Adhesive mounting, or a clamp system.
Adhesive mounts use a stick-on pad to attach the mounting plate to the wall or door. The adhesive used is supposedly non-destructive in that it can be easily cleaned off when no longer required, but realistically your mileage will vary, especially after being left in place for a long period of time. This type of mount will be your only first-party option, and some doorbells come with an adhesive pad for this purpose. Other’s sell these as an optional extra.
Clamp mounts use a secure box to hold the doorbell and a clamp that fits around the end of your front door, secured in place from the inside using a rotating handle on a threaded rod. These options can have the added benefit of providing a more secure, theft-proof enclosure for your doorbell as they’re typically full enclosed with security screws where an adhesive option could be forced off by a determined attacker.
Battery Life
An obvious key consideration point for this category of doorbells, it’s not as big a differentiator as you might expect. In my testing I’ll see a fairly common trend for battery doorbells to lose about 1% a day on average, with some variation due to environmental conditions and the number of events recorded. This means most doorbell models will run for between 70 and 90 days under my test conditions.
I highlight this last point because the test conditions necessitate using the maximum settings for motion detection, sensitivity/range, and smart alerting features. This is to ensure the other performance factors are measured fairly and I can see what the doorbell is actually capable of throughout the test cycle. Under normal usage scenarios you would most likely turn down some of these settings, which will give you more time between charges.
The battery score is based on the amount of charge used during my 30-day testing cycle. This is generally a good indicator of how well a doorbell model uses its available battery capacity because each doorbell I test will go through the same amount of activity in that time frame, which gives me a baseline for comparing models. Not all batteries are created equal though, and sometimes the battery will last considerably longer (or shorter) than the initial 30 days would suggest. Therefore, it’s important to also look at my Time To Dead (TTD) result to see how long a particular model actually lasted.
Best Overall
Key Features
Field of View: 150°
Aspec Ratio: 1:1
Connectivity: Dual Band Wi-Fi
Storage: Cloud storage for 180 days
Battery Test: 102 days
Learn about the scoring methodology
Pros
✔ Best in class notification speed✔ Superb audio quality
✔ Excellent security features
Cons
✘ Fisheye lens limits zoom detail✘ Package detection lacks reliability
✘ Subscription is required
The Verdict
The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus delivers very fast motion detection and notification response, near perfect audio quality, and differentiates people from other motion very well. Coupled with a very wide-angle lens, this makes it an ideal choice for security monitoring all the approaches to your door and allows for fast response to any activity thanks to fast alert delivery times and quickly starting up the live view.
Ring achieves very good test scores in most categories including thumbnail effectiveness on rich notifications, camera wake up speed and motion detection accuracy. The few places where this model falls short are around video clarity as a result of the wide field-of-view and package detection accuracy. This latter feature is markedly better than previous Ring doorbells due to the improve vertical field of view but still needs some work in identifying packages in less ideal lighting conditions.
Performance on battery power was impressive even though the battery score is somewhat misleading here as the comparative 30-day test wasn’t anything to write home about. The full run-down test went much further than I would normally expect and delivered exceptional longevity. This is bolstered by a common removable battery pack that can be accessed from the front. A unique security screw holds both the cover and battery to the chassis, so it’s perfectly secure, but is by far the easiest to deal with when it comes time to recharge.
For apartments, you’ll benefit from an extra wide field of view in all directions. Ring fully supports setting privacy zones to avoid recording into your neighbors’ doors, and you can disable both audio recording, and live view completely if you need to temporarily.
Ring offers a first-party adhesive mount, and there are many third-party clamp mounts options available, like this one.
Read my Full Review
Type: Hybrid video doorbell
Ongoing Fees: Required for most features (see what you get with and without paying)
Performance Scores
| Data Point | ||
|---|---|---|
| Video Quality | 8.0 | 7.4 |
| Night Vision Quality | 5.8 | 6.8 |
| Dynamic Range | 4.6 | 5.8 |
| Two-Way Talk | 9.6 | 7.5 |
| Recorded Audio | 10.0 | 8.2 |
| Notification Delay | 10.0 | 7.8 |
| Thumbnail Effectiveness | 7.3 | 7.0 |
| Missed Events | 9.8 | 9.5 |
| Camera Wake Delay | 9.7 | 8.0 |
| Event Capture | 8.0 | 6.2 |
| Package Monitoring | 6.0 | 6.3 |
| Smart Detection | 7.0 | 7.7 |
| Live View Response | 8.5 | 8.2 |
| Privacy Features | 10.0 | 8.2 |
| App Usability | 9.3 | 7.3 |
| Battery Performance | 6.0 | 6.6 |
| After 30 days | ||
| Time To Dead |
Best For Motion Detection Accuracy
Key Features
Field of View: 130°
Aspec Ratio: 16:9
Connectivity: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi
Storage: 32GB MicroSD included (optional Eufy Homebase)
Battery Test: TBC
Learn about the scoring methodology
Best For
✔ Excellent motion detection and filtering✔ Excellent video quality
✔ Very fast live stream access
Cons
✘ Slow notification delivery speeds✘ No package detection features
✘ Below average battery life
The Verdict
The C30 is a well-built, high performing addition at the budget end of Eufy’s doorbell range. As with other Eufy models the motion detection and video performance are excellent, with superb clarity in day and night conditions. Motion is captured reliably even from further out, so you’ll get the most of the of the 130-degree field of view. The regular rectangular aspect ratio won’t give you much visibility of the floor, however.
Night vision is equally impressive in terms of clarity but could use a bit more infra-red illumination given the long distance that motion can be recorded. This can easily be beyond the illuminated range making details harder to make out. Audio quality is acceptable, but a mixed bag. Recorded audio is quite good, but two-way talk suffers from a muffled microphone pickup that limits the usable range for conversation somewhat.
Eufy provides a polished and mature app with a bevy of useful tweaks and customization options, but smart features are limited to human detection only on this model, so if you want something more proactive around package security, you’ll need to look at other options. You’ll also need to consider battery life. My testing showed the battery will hold up well enough on the highest settings, but it’s fairly average in terms of overall run time. More conservative motion settings would increase this, of course.
Overall Eufy has a solid offering with the C30 in this price bracket that covers most video doorbell needs and the Eufy app provides for both privacy zone and audio recording control to prevent any issues with the other residents.
A generic Eufy third-party adhesive mount can be used with this model.
Read my Full Review
Type: Battery video doorbell
Ongoing Fees: None required (cloud storage optional)
Performance Data
| Data Point | ||
|---|---|---|
| Video Quality | 9.4 | 7.4 |
| Night Vision Quality | 8.7 | 6.8 |
| Dynamic Range | 5.0 | 5.8 |
| Two-Way Talk | 7.3 | 7.5 |
| Recorded Audio | 6.8 | 8.2 |
| Notification Delay | 6.7 | 7.8 |
| Thumbnail Effectiveness | 6.0 | 7.0 |
| Missed Events | 9.8 | 9.5 |
| Camera Wake Delay | 9.8 | 8.0 |
| Event Capture | 9.7 | 6.2 |
| Package Monitoring | N/A | 6.3 |
| Smart Detection | 7.0 | 7.7 |
| Live View Response | 9.2 | 8.2 |
| Privacy Features | 9.4 | 8.2 |
| App Usability | 6.4 | 7.3 |
| Battery Performance | 6.3 | 6.6 |
| After 30 days | ||
| Time To Dead |
Best For Package Security
Key Features
Field of View: 120°
Aspec Ratio: 4:3
Connectivity: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi
Storage: Internal 8GB (homebase optional)
Battery Test: 78 days
Learn about the scoring methodology
Best For
✔ Good Video and audio quality✔ Simple setup with internal memory built in
✔ Easy charging with removable battery pack
Cons
✘ Camera wake up can be slow✘ Video playback lacks good controls
✘ Thumbnail often misses cause of event
The Verdict
Video Doorbells often force a compromise on features due to installation limitations on power, chime support, or storage. The Eufy E340 avoids this by providing a wealth of options both in installation and software configuration to meet just about any use case.
With a removable, rechargeable battery pack, you’ll be able to buy a spare and swap quickly when the time to charge arrives. This isn’t as easy to access as the Ring option but still minimizes down time for your doorbell and makes sure you won’t miss anything.
Onboard storage memory is a nice inclusion as it means you don’t need to mess with memory cards, but you can still opt for a Eufy Homebase if you want more storage capacity for recordings. Eufy has stepped up here and delivered a combination of features that overcomes the limitations of their previous models and exceeds the flexibility of most of the competition.
The E340 scores very well on video quality, motion detection, battery life, and package monitoring capabilities, and is a standout performer if securing deliveries is your main goal. Eufy’s Delivery Guard features are uniquely useful and are considerably boosted by the dedicated package monitoring camera and LED spotlights.
My primary issue with the E340 is the notification performance. Notifications when using thumbnails (which I consider essential for useful notifications) are quite slow to arrive. You will get them reliably, but not always in time to act on them. Nonetheless, the E340 is a great all-round performer that delivers a solid, reliable user experience that can be tailored to your specific needs. If privacy, local storage, package security, and no subscription fees are you focus, you can’t go wrong with this one.
A good clamp mount is available specifically for this model.
Read my Full Review
Type: Hybrid video doorbell
Ongoing Fees: None required (cloud storage optional)
Performance Data
| Data Point | ||
|---|---|---|
| Video Quality | 8.4 | 7.4 |
| Night Vision Quality | 6.6 | 6.8 |
| Dynamic Range | 7.5 | 5.8 |
| Two-Way Talk | 7.4 | 7.5 |
| Recorded Audio | 8.9 | 8.2 |
| Notification Delay | 7.1 | 7.8 |
| Thumbnail Effectiveness | 5.0 | 7.0 |
| Missed Events | 9.1 | 9.5 |
| Camera Wake Delay | 6.8 | 8.0 |
| Event Capture | 6.8 | 6.2 |
| Package Monitoring | 8.7 | 6.3 |
| Smart Detection | 6.8 | 7.7 |
| Live View Response | 9.5 | 8.2 |
| Privacy Features | 7.5 | 8.2 |
| App Usability | 6.4 | 7.3 |
| Battery Performance | 8.0 | 6.6 |
| After 30 days | ||
| Time To Dead |
Best For Smart Features
Key Features
Field of View: 100°
Aspec Ratio: 3:4
Connectivity: Dual Band Wi-Fi
Storage: Cloud (3 hours free)
Battery Test: 74 days
Learn about the scoring methodology
Best For
✔ Amazing smart detection of all object types✔ Very reliable motion detection
✔ Excellent audio quality
Cons
✘ Lowest camera spec in it's price range✘ Doesn't detect motion well at longer distances
✘ Video playback can be slow
The Verdict
The Google Nest (Battery) doorbell presents an interesting compromise on features and performance, a compromise that it really shouldn’t have for the price. On the one hand Google delivers some of the best smart motion detection I’ve seen with a full range of object detection types, including familiar faces, and rock-solid reliable package detection, and good audio recording control.
On the other hand, you get the lowest spec camera of any doorbell I’ve tested. It’s as if Google hasn’t bothered revisiting this hardware since the very first model from years ago. Video resolution is part of this, resulting in far lower image clarity then the competition, but also faring poorly with dynamic range in shadows and low light. Notifications can also be a bit slow, making it less useful for timely security responses, and there is no privacy zone feature, so if you have concerns about recording things you shouldn’t, go for another option.
Other aspects of the Google Nest package are fairly positive, however. My testing found the audio quality to be very good, notifications to be reliable, and the overall app experience largely positive. While it is specifically intended for battery use, you have the option of wired power and the use of wired chimes as well, and the mounting hardware inspires far more confidence than most doorbells.
Overall, it’s a good doorbell package if you aren’t concerned about super high-quality video or policing the front yard. A Nest Aware subscription gets you face recognition and allows you to keep recordings for up to 30 days. Unlike other subscription doorbells you can still review events from the last 3 hours without a subscription. You also get to the rest of the object and package alerting features, making this a viable option.
There is a good adhesive mount option from Wasserstein for the Google Nest.
Read my Full Review
Type: Hybrid video doorbell (battery or wired)
Ongoing Fees: Required for more than 3 hours of video retention and for face recognition
Performance Data
| Data Point | ||
|---|---|---|
| Video Quality | 5.0 | 7.4 |
| Night Vision Quality | 5.1 | 6.8 |
| Dynamic Range | 3.3 | 5.8 |
| Two-Way Talk | 8.8 | 7.5 |
| Recorded Audio | 10.0 | 8.2 |
| Notification Delay | 7.8 | 7.8 |
| Thumbnail Effectiveness | 8.7 | 7.0 |
| Missed Events | 9.8 | 9.5 |
| Camera Wake Delay | 7.1 | 8.0 |
| Event Capture | 4.6 | 6.2 |
| Package Monitoring | 8.8 | 6.3 |
| Smart Detection | 10.0 | 7.7 |
| Live View Response | 8.0 | 8.2 |
| Privacy Features | 8.1 | 8.2 |
| App Usability | 6.4 | 7.3 |
| Battery Performance | 6.0 | 6.6 |
| After 30 days | ||
| Time To Dead |
Looking for a doorbell on a budget?
Many of my top picks are in the mid to high price range simply because, well, you get what you pay for. While these models will generally have more features and better performance, if you’re on a budget and just need something to cover the basics there are obviously options at the lower end of the market as well.
Many cheap models are simply not worth bothering with, but I’ve picked the best option in this category if price is the major decision point for you. Just be sure to read my verdict below so you know the limitations up front.
Key Features
Field of View: 135°
Aspec Ratio: 16:9
Connectivity: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi
Storage: MicroSD up to 512GB
Battery Test: 98 days
Learn about the scoring methodology
Best For
✔ Wide field of view with good motion detection✔ Lots of alert customization options
✔ Excellent battery life
Cons
✘ Camera quality is lacking for it's spec✘ No package detection features
✘ Requires subscription for rich notifications
The Verdict
The Tapo D210 video doorbell offers an impressive range of smart detection features, good privacy controls, and very impressive motion detection accuracy. The range of customization features rivals that of the most expensive doorbell brands while delivering an app experience better than most.
My testing found the doorbell could identify people and vehicles immediately and consistently, even at the edge of the wide field of view lens and, with the optional subscription plan, delivered rich thumbnails of those events reliably in a usable time frame. The battery performed well under heavy load, and you can expect above average run time with typical sensitivity settings.
Video and audio quality was somewhat disappointing, however, with the 2K camera suffering from significant compression artifacts and the audio pickup diminished by a low-quality stream and consistent low-level distortion. These factors don’t take away from the typical doorbell use case but do have an impact when using the device for more general surveillance and security purposes.
In spite of those shortcomings, the D210 comes with an excellent set of features for the price and delivers performance that, for the most part, gives me little cause for concern. For apartment users, you get privacy zones and audio recording control, and a good 135-dgree field of view, although the 16:9 aspect ratio makes this no good for seeing anything on the ground.
A third-party clamp mount solution if available for this model.
Read my Full Review
Type: Battery video doorbell with chime
Ongoing Fees: Required for rich notifications (thumbnails) and optional cloud storage
Performance Data
| Data Point | ||
|---|---|---|
| Video Quality | 6.4 | 7.4 |
| Night Vision Quality | 6.0 | 6.8 |
| Dynamic Range | 3.8 | 5.8 |
| Two-Way Talk | 6.0 | 7.5 |
| Recorded Audio | 7.9 | 8.2 |
| Notification Delay | 9.1 | 7.8 |
| Thumbnail Effectiveness | 9.7 | 7.0 |
| Missed Events | 10.0 | 9.5 |
| Camera Wake Delay | 7.8 | 8.0 |
| Event Capture | 4.7 | 6.2 |
| Package Monitoring | N/A | 6.3 |
| Smart Detection | 9.9 | 7.7 |
| Live View Response | 8.4 | 8.2 |
| Privacy Features | 9.4 | 8.2 |
| App Usability | 7.1 | 7.3 |
| Battery Performance | 7.5 | 6.6 |
| After 30 days | ||
| Time To Dead |
See More Doorbell Reviews
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Learn More About Video Doorbells
Common Questions
Does your building have rules about cameras in common areas?
Generally, you are allowed to install video doorbells outside apartments provided they aren’t going to violate the privacy of another resident. Some buildings may have specific rules you’ll need to follow, so be sure to check your lease and local by-laws before buying.
Privacy features can help with these concerns by limiting the area that the doorbell camera will record, and providing the option to disable audio recording. Privacy zones enable you to mark areas of the image you don’t want captured. These areas will be covered with a black rectangle so that nothing in that region can be seen by the camera.
How do you charge a battery-powered doorbell?
In the vast majority of cases, the doorbell will need to be removed from its mounting bracket and taken inside to plug in. The charging port is usually a USB-C port on the side or rear of the unit, and any USB-C cable can be used. Charging will take several hours, so you’ll be without a doorbell for the duration.
To mitigate this outage, some doorbells use removable battery packs. By buying a spare battery pack from the manufacturer you can have a charged spare ready to swap out when needed. You may still have to remove the doorbell from the mount to do this, but you’ll be back online in a couple of minutes instead of hours.
Ring doorbells use a different case design that allows the front panel of the doorbell to be removed (once the security screw is taken out). This allows for very easy battery changes as you leave the doorbell in place. Indeed, this design negates the need for a mounting bracket at all and allows the doorbell to be screwed directly to the wall for extra strength.
Why pay for a doorbell subscription?
It is certainly possible to get very good functionality in a video doorbell without paying a monthly fee, but it is increasingly common for doorbell brands to paywall certain useful features like smart detection and rich notifications. This is frustrating as these are important and useful features and missing out on them degrades the utility of your investment considerably.
For not much more than the fee these features command, you could opt for a full-service subscription. With the right choice of brand, you can get real value from these (but you need to be very selective) and get superior performance, more storage, and various benefits like theft protection and extended warranties.
