Best Battery Powered Video Doorbells (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 the best doorbells that can run on battery power alone for those cases where you can’t (or don’t want to) run wires or install a doorbell transformer.
When it comes to battery powered video doorbells I’ve included hyrbid models - those that can use either battery or wired power - because there are some very compelling options in that category that still don’t need to use any wires. Obviously, battery life will be a significant factor here, but I’ve factored in overall performance as well. This is especially important as battery models often suffer in some key areas compared to their wired competitors.
My Testing Methodology
Categories
7Criteria
16Data Points
32See exactly how I test video doorbells and where the scores used for my picks come from.
The 5 Best Video Doorbells Without Subscriptions
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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
Footprint
A doorbell’s footprint may not be a big consideration for most people, but if your optimal spot for a doorbell has limited space due to walls, door frames or other structural features it might mean the difference between an easy install and a pain in the neck.
Wired doorbells always require significantly less space to mount because they don’t have to house an on-board battery, so it’s especially relevant when looking at battery models that can vary in size quite a bit. I note the footprint size of each model in their respective full review pages under the basics section.
Camera Wake Time
In my testing I find the biggest let down for battery powered doorbells is their wake time. Battery models need to ‘sleep’ to conserve battery life when they aren’t actively recording, so when motion is detected, they need to wake up the camera and processor. This can take precious time, and result in parts of the event being missed, or an event being skipped entirely depending on the motion detection settings in effect at the time.
I measure camera wake time by walking across the front of the doorbell at a fixed distance and speed and noting how much of the frame is used up before it starts recording me. Less is better, and wider fields of view tend to help detect motion earlier.
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 almost identical to the wired test results, which is impressive. I’d usually expect to see some loss of performance with camera wake and event capture in particularly, but Ring has impressed on both these counts. The battery score is somewhat misleading here as the comparative 30-day test wasn’t particularly impressive. The full run-down went much further than I would normally expect and delivered exceptional longevity.
The Battery Doorbell plus ends up being a great option for just about any scenario.
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 from long distances and even on the highest settings Eufy’s on-board filtering algorithm eliminates most of the nuisance motion events caused by wind, leaving only legitimate motion that you want to know about.
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 as this model has no wired option. 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. If you need a battery model specifically, you’ll be hard pressed to find a subscription free model with better security credentials and motion detection performance.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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. If you aren’t interested in wiring your doorbell, then this is definitely worth a look.
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
Compare Doorbell Models
Learn More About Video Doorbells
What You Need To Know
Consider your local climate
Going with a battery powered doorbell can be an easy answer if you don’t have wiring already, but if you live in a colder region that sees freezing temperatures then you may be better off getting that wiring done. Rechargeable batteries like those used in these video doorbells do not like cold conditions. Like most chemical reactions, cold slows things down and you’ll see considerably lower battery life. This can be easily half as much as under more temperate conditions, if not more. You may end up having to recharge every week in the worst case.
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.
