The Best 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.
I’ve selected the best doorbell models overall based on this test data alone so you can be sure there’s no brand bias, quid-pro-quo or other nonsense influencing my picks.
The doorbells in this guide are those with the highest overall score. This means you can expect good performance in most functions on all of these models, but there will still be significant variations in capability and features, even with some deficiencies. Obviously, I’ll be sure to call those out in each case.
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 Best Scoring Video Doorbells
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Best Overall |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price Bracket | |||||
| Price Bracket | $$ | $$$ | $$$$ | $$$$$ | $ |
| Subscription | |||||
| Subscription | |||||
| Battery Life | |||||
| Battery Life | Wired | 87 days | 102 days | 78 days | Wired |
| Storage | |||||
| Storage | Up to 256GB | 10 day iCloud | 180 day Cloud | 8GB | Up to 256GB |
What To Look For
Power Source
Doorbells come with two basic power supply options - battery or hard wired. Hybrid models can use both methods and are quite common. Going with battery power makes for a super easy install as they don’t require any wiring at all. This also makes them more flexible in terms of location. That said, in many cases using a hard wired supply is going to give you better performance and reliability. Pure wired doorbells will also tend to be cheaper and smaller as there is no battery to accommodate.
These considerations are largely the same as for smart home security cameras. I have a tech guide on the choice of wired or wireless power that covers this in more detail.
Field Of View
The field of view (and to a lesser extent, the aspect ratio) of the camera could be a factor. Most doorbells use an intermediate field of view between 90 and 120 degrees which gives good coverage around the doorbell but doesn’t cover the wider area.
Those that have a wider field are useful if you want to cover approaches from the sides or over a wider front yard area. These tend to be more ‘fish-eyed’ wide angle lenses. The downside with going for a wider field of view is that you necessarily lose some detail in the scene simply because it has a larger area within the same number of pixels.
Detection Capabilities
Regardless of which doorbell you choose, you’ll want a minimum of person (aka human) detection capability that works well. This is an incredibly useful feature that greatly helps reduce unwanted notification spam and ensures that the alerts you do get are worth looking at.
You’ll also want to pay attention to package detection capabilities if keeping an eye on deliveries is high on your priority list. Not all doorbells have this, and many of those that do don’t do it very well.
Best Video Doorbell Overall
Key Features
Field of View: 130°
Aspec Ratio: 4:3
Connectivity: Dual Band Wi-Fi
Storage: Up to 256GB local, FTP, or NVR
Battery Test: N/A
Learn about the scoring methodology
Pros
✔ Superb day and night camera clarity✔ Very accurate person detection
✔ Generous preroll video ensures entire event is recorded
Cons
✘ Rich notifications only with subscription✘ App can be a bit unfriendly and needs polish
✘ No package detection features
The Verdict
The Reolink WiFi Doorbell Camera delivers in all the ways that matter for a security-focused doorbell. Superb video quality, reliable notifications that capture the right details, highly accurate person detection, and a long pre-roll video buffer that ensures everything that happens is captured - before and after motion is detected.
My tests didn’t uncover much of concern at all with this doorbell. Rich notifications could be a little faster, and the audio quality isn’t a perfect as some big brand consumer models, but it’s still very good. The most egregious omission is package detection - there is none - and the need for a subscription to get rich notifications. This requirement is odd, since you don’t really get anything else of value for your money, and setting up the account linking to the doorbell is way more painful that it should be for a feature that most other doorbells provide automatically.
On the other hand, Reolink has included a much asked for feature with little fanfare: continuous recording. When using a MicroSD card you can configure time periods where the camera will record non-stop if you so choose, and you can mix and match this with motion detection, person detection or visitor alerts depending on time of day.
Providing you can provide the doorbell with wired power, either with a doorbell transformer or the included plug-in power pack, the Reolink WiFi Doorbell offers excellent performance at a very affordable price point. If you don’t mind forgoing package detection, you’ll get better security coverage than any doorbell I’ve tested to date.
Read my Full Review
Type: Wired video doorbell
Ongoing Fees: Optional USD 3.50/mnth for rich notifications and 30 days of cloud storage.
Performance Data
| Data Point | ||
|---|---|---|
| Video Quality | 10.0 | 7.8 |
| Night Vision Quality | 9.6 | 6.9 |
| Dynamic Range | 7.9 | 6.7 |
| Two-Way Talk | 7.1 | 7.6 |
| App Audibility | ||
| Outdoor Audibility | ||
| Recorded Audio | 8.9 | 9.0 |
| Notification Delay | 8.9 | 7.5 |
| Thumbnail Average | ||
| Doorbell Average | ||
| Text-only Average | ||
| Thumbnail Effectiveness | 10.0 | 6.9 |
| Day Success | ||
| Night Success | ||
| Missed Events | 10.0 | 9.3 |
| Day Misses | ||
| Night Misses | ||
| Camera Wake Delay | 10.0 | 8.1 |
| Frame Remaining Day | ||
| Frame Remaining Night | ||
| Event Capture | 10.0 | 5.8 |
| Record Start Day | ||
| Record Start Night | ||
| Package Monitoring | N/A | 5.6 |
| Package Features | ||
| Detection Success | ||
| Smart Detection | 7.0 | 6.9 |
| Smart Features | ||
| Day Accuracy | ||
| Night Accuracy | ||
| Live View Response | 9.5 | 8.6 |
| Live View Time | ||
| Doorbell Ring Response | ||
| Privacy Features | 6.9 | 8.2 |
| App Usability | 5.7 | 7.8 |
| Battery Performance | N/A | 7.9 |
| After 30 days | ||
| Time To Dead |
Best HomeKit Doorbell
Key Features
Field of View: 160°
Aspec Ratio: 16:9
Connectivity: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi
Storage: Up to 512GB in hub, 10 days iCloud on plan
Battery Test: 87 days
Learn about the scoring methodology
Pros
✔ Excels on wired power when used with HomeKit✔ Clear video with good dynamic range
✔ Super fast live view streaming
Cons
✘ Package detection can miss sometimes✘ Can overheat in direct sunlight
✘ Slow to wake camera on battery power
The Verdict
The Aqara G4 on it’s own delivers a solid doorbell experience with a well-designed app, high audio and video quality (even at 1080p) and accurate person detection. As a standalone device it falls short on notification speed, detection range, and a lack of package detection features. That all changes when used with Apple Home, however.
The G4 supports full HomeKit Secure Video functionality, and it’s unique in that it can do so on battery power as well as wired. Aqara deviates from the norm in another way here, opting for 6 AA batteries instead of the usual rechargeable battery pack. Battery life is decent but still leaves HomeKit users with relatively short detection range and clipped event recording thanks to somewhat slow camera wake up.
On wired power, the G4 really shines. HomeKit delivers faster notifications and allows playback and live view right from the notification itself. My testing found the addition of HomeKit’s pre-roll recording completely resolved the detection range issues, and the always on camera was quick to detect and capture all events with a near perfect score. HomeKit also augments the G4’s basic smart features with vehicle, animal, facial recognition, and package detection that hits about 75% accuracy.
Read my Full Review
Type: Hybrid video doorbell
Ongoing Fees: None with Aqara app, paid iCloud plan required for HomeKit Secure Video
Performance Data
| Data Point | ||
|---|---|---|
| Video Quality | 7.2 | 7.8 |
| Night Vision Quality | 8.0 | 6.9 |
| Dynamic Range | 7.5 | 6.7 |
| Two-Way Talk | 7.1 | 7.6 |
| App Audibility | ||
| Outdoor Audibility | ||
| Recorded Audio | 10.0 | 9.0 |
| Notification Delay | 8.4 | 7.5 |
| Thumbnail Average | ||
| Doorbell Average | ||
| Text-only Average | ||
| Thumbnail Effectiveness | 8.7 | 6.9 |
| Day Success | ||
| Night Success | ||
| Missed Events | 9.0 | 9.3 |
| Day Misses | ||
| Night Misses | ||
| Camera Wake Delay | 10.0 | 8.1 |
| Frame Remaining Day | ||
| Frame Remaining Night | ||
| Event Capture | 9.8 | 5.8 |
| Record Start Day | ||
| Record Start Night | ||
| Package Monitoring | 4.8 | 5.6 |
| Package Features | ||
| Detection Success | ||
| Smart Detection | 10.0 | 6.9 |
| Smart Features | ||
| Day Accuracy | ||
| Night Accuracy | ||
| Live View Response | 8.3 | 8.6 |
| Live View Time | ||
| Doorbell Ring Response | ||
| Privacy Features | 7.5 | 8.2 |
| App Usability | 7.9 | 7.8 |
| Battery Performance | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| After 30 days | ||
| Time To Dead |
Best Battery Doorbell
Key Features
Field of View: 150°
Aspec Ratio: 1:1
Connectivity: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi
Storage: 180 days cloud
Battery Test: 102 days
Learn about the scoring methodology
Pros
✔ Fastest rich notifications in the market✔ Superb audio quality for recording and chat
✔ Easy access removable battery pack
Cons
✘ Obvious fisheye lens effect✘ Package detection lacks reliability
✘ Subscription required to be worthwhile
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 improved vertical aspect ratio 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 test score is misleading as it reflects a steeper drop in the first 30 days, but this levelled out and ended up achieving the longest battery life of any doorbell I’ve tested. 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: Starting at USD 4.99 for a single device
Performance Data
| Data Point | ||
|---|---|---|
| Video Quality | 8.0 | 7.8 |
| Night Vision Quality | 5.6 | 6.9 |
| Dynamic Range | 4.6 | 6.7 |
| Two-Way Talk | 9.6 | 7.6 |
| App Audibility | ||
| Outdoor Audibility | ||
| Recorded Audio | 10.0 | 9.0 |
| Notification Delay | 10.0 | 7.5 |
| Thumbnail Average | ||
| Doorbell Average | ||
| Text-only Average | ||
| Thumbnail Effectiveness | 7.3 | 6.9 |
| Day Success | ||
| Night Success | ||
| Missed Events | 9.8 | 9.3 |
| Day Misses | ||
| Night Misses | ||
| Camera Wake Delay | 9.7 | 8.1 |
| Frame Remaining Day | ||
| Frame Remaining Night | ||
| Event Capture | 8.0 | 5.8 |
| Record Start Day | ||
| Record Start Night | ||
| Package Monitoring | 6.0 | 5.6 |
| Package Features | ||
| Detection Success | ||
| Smart Detection | 7.0 | 6.9 |
| Smart Features | ||
| Day Accuracy | ||
| Night Accuracy | ||
| Live View Response | 8.5 | 8.6 |
| Live View Time | ||
| Doorbell Ring Response | ||
| Privacy Features | 10.0 | 8.2 |
| App Usability | 9.3 | 7.8 |
| Battery Performance | 6.0 | 7.9 |
| 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 or Ethernet
Storage: 8GB internal or 16GB on Homebase (optional)
Battery Test: 78 days
Learn about the scoring methodology
Best For
✔ Dual camera package detection and monitoring✔ Easy recharging with removable battery
✔ Installation options for any scenario
Cons
✘ Slow camera wake time on battery power✘ Can miss some smart detection events
✘ Some audio glitches
The Verdict
With a removable, rechargeable battery pack, internal storage memory, support for various wired power options, optional Homebase integration and onboard AI processing, the E340 provides options for just about any situation. 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
Performance Data
| Data Point | ||
|---|---|---|
| Video Quality | 8.4 | 7.8 |
| Night Vision Quality | 6.6 | 6.9 |
| Dynamic Range | 7.5 | 6.7 |
| Two-Way Talk | 7.4 | 7.6 |
| App Audibility | ||
| Outdoor Audibility | ||
| Recorded Audio | 8.9 | 9.0 |
| Notification Delay | 7.1 | 7.5 |
| Thumbnail Average | ||
| Doorbell Average | ||
| Text-only Average | ||
| Thumbnail Effectiveness | 5.0 | 6.9 |
| Day Success | ||
| Night Success | ||
| Missed Events | 9.4 | 9.3 |
| Day Misses | ||
| Night Misses | ||
| Camera Wake Delay | 6.6 | 8.1 |
| Frame Remaining Day | ||
| Frame Remaining Night | ||
| Event Capture | 6.8 | 5.8 |
| Record Start Day | ||
| Record Start Night | ||
| Package Monitoring | 8.7 | 5.6 |
| Package Features | ||
| Detection Success | ||
| Smart Detection | 6.8 | 6.9 |
| Smart Features | ||
| Day Accuracy | ||
| Night Accuracy | ||
| Live View Response | 9.5 | 8.6 |
| Live View Time | ||
| Doorbell Ring Response | ||
| Privacy Features | 7.5 | 8.2 |
| App Usability | 6.4 | 7.8 |
| Battery Performance | 8.0 | 7.9 |
| 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: 108°
Aspec Ratio: 4:3
Connectivity: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi
Storage: Up to 256GB on MicroSD
Battery Test: N/A
Learn about the scoring methodology
Best For
✔ High quality video recording✔ Very accurate, long range motion detection
✔ Local storage with continuous recording
Cons
✘ Only delivers text notifications✘ No package detection features
✘ No battery option, wired only
The Verdict
The WUUK Wired Smart Doorbell 2K (model Y0110) delivers fast, accurate motion detection, super crisp video images, and subscription-free local storage at an incredible price. It’s also one of the few video doorbells that offer continuous 24/7 recording without needing to be part of a full CCTV setup.
My tests produced excellent video clarity results from the 2K camera during both day and night conditions, and the onboard smart object detection works extremely well to differentiate people from background movement to ensure you only get notified when it’s important. With pre-roll recording you’ll get the full motion event every time, even at longer ranges and the sensitivity of the motion sensor resulted in virtually no missed events at all. Notifications of these events is also very fast, so you’ll be able to respond in a timely manner.
There are several issues holding this model back from being truly great. Audio quality in both two-way talk and on recorded clips suffers from some light distortion and low frequency response. It is usable out to medium range for holding conversations but falls short of more expensive offerings. You’ll get no rich notifications at all, only basic text alerts so you’ll need to open the app every time to see what’s going on. You’ll also not have much in the way of privacy controls, and the app is a bit less polished than other options.
The lack of a battery option means you’ll need to wired this one in. There’s plenty of cases where that isn’t an option, but the performance and features on offer are incredible for the price, and from a security perspective the ability to capture everything on a local memory card could well make up for that.
Read my Full Review
Type: Wired video doorbell
Ongoing Fees: None
Performance Data
| Data Point | ||
|---|---|---|
| Video Quality | 8.9 | 7.8 |
| Night Vision Quality | 9.6 | 6.9 |
| Dynamic Range | 5.6 | 6.7 |
| Two-Way Talk | 6.6 | 7.6 |
| App Audibility | ||
| Outdoor Audibility | ||
| Recorded Audio | 5.6 | 9.0 |
| Notification Delay | 10.0 | 7.5 |
| Thumbnail Average | ||
| Doorbell Average | ||
| Text-only Average | ||
| Thumbnail Effectiveness | 0.0 | 6.9 |
| Day Success | ||
| Night Success | ||
| Missed Events | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| Day Misses | ||
| Night Misses | ||
| Camera Wake Delay | 9.6 | 8.1 |
| Frame Remaining Day | ||
| Frame Remaining Night | ||
| Event Capture | 9.9 | 5.8 |
| Record Start Day | ||
| Record Start Night | ||
| Package Monitoring | N/A | 5.6 |
| Package Features | ||
| Detection Success | ||
| Smart Detection | 9.8 | 6.9 |
| Smart Features | ||
| Day Accuracy | ||
| Night Accuracy | ||
| Live View Response | 7.5 | 8.6 |
| Live View Time | ||
| Doorbell Ring Response | ||
| Privacy Features | 6.9 | 8.2 |
| App Usability | 6.4 | 7.8 |
| Battery Performance | N/A | 7.9 |
| After 30 days | ||
| Time To Dead |
See More Doorbell Reviews
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Learn More About Video Doorbells
What You Need To Know
Video Resolution
Video doorbell brands like to tout their camera specs. 2K, 5MP, and so forth. These raw numbers don’t actually equate to video quality. The lens they pair the camera sensor with, plus the compression they use in their streaming and recording systems have a bigger effect on what you’ll actually see. I see this all the time in my testing process, with something like a Ring doorbell camera operating at only 1080p producing a sharper image than some cheap ‘2K’ doorbells.
The problem is that you have no way of gauging this before making a choice. There’s no spec of online sample you can really compare apples-to-apples with. The sample videos I provide are also made under repeatable conditions but can still be subject to further compression loss by YouTube. That’s why I use a consistent test process to evaluate the actual clarity using eye test charts that produces a comparable score.
Doorbell Chimes
If you have a wired doorbell chime you’re hoping to use with your new video doorbell, you’ll need to choose carefully. Obviously, battery models won’t be able to use it, but some wired models also don’t support wired chimes. This is due to their higher power requirements over a basic dumb doorbell which can be impacted by the drain of the chime.
Even when choosing a model that supports wired chimes, some are easier to install than others and may require additional hardware, wiring, or adapters to work with your chime. In most cases the wiring is fairly simple, but catching those exceptions is important. The best bet is to check the brand’s support pages on wiring a chime to see what is involved before pulling the trigger.
Installation Location and Weather
Most video doorbells will now come with a specific weather rating. This is normally given as an Ingress Protection rating (aka IP rating) which is a standardized test score for both water and dust penetration. This rating gives you the best peace of mind if you’re going to need the doorbell to hold up under rain and snow.
Some brands don’t provide this score and may say something like ‘weather resistant’. This isn’t helpful since it doesn’t really mean anything verifiable. If you’re installing under cover then it won’t matter, but if you need true weather resistance look for an IP rating with the last number at 5 or above.
Subscription Fees
Everything is a subscription these days it seems. Thankfully there are plenty of good video doorbells that don’t need one, and in fact a number of brands have figured out that NOT having a subscription is a selling point. You do need to be careful though, because some of these brands still lock important features (like rich notifications) behind a paywall anyway.
If there are subscription free options, why pay one? There are a few good reasons to spring for ongoing fees in some cases. If the performance score for something important to you is better on a subscription model, you want cloud storage to keep your recordings safe from disasters or theft, or you have (or want to build) an investment in a comprehensive security system from that brand.
It’s also a bit of a hedge against being left with an abandoned product. If the company has a revenue stream from existing customers, they’re more likely to be a long term option than one that just sells products and moves on to the next thing.
