Top 5 compared
The best video doorbells
See who’s at the door from your phone, answer the delivery driver from anywhere and know when a package lands on the step.
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The top 5 at a glance
A video doorbell is a doorbell with a camera, a speaker and a microphone, linked over home Wi-Fi to an app on an iPhone or Android phone. When someone rings or walks up, it sends an alert with a live picture, and you can talk through it from anywhere. Battery models go up in minutes; wired ones run on the doorbell wiring a house already has, and some do either.
Recordings are where running costs differ: some save clips to a memory card or a small box indoors with no monthly fee, while others keep video only on a paid cloud plan. The battery life on the box assumes a quiet door, so a busy one empties it sooner. Wi-Fi at 2.4GHz reaches further through walls than 5GHz.
What matters
- A head-to-toe view, so a package on the step stays in frame.
- Where clips are saved, and whether that takes a monthly plan.
- Battery or wired, to suit the doorbell wiring already there.
- Which Wi-Fi band it needs, and a strong signal at the door.
#1AOSU 5MP Video Doorbell with Chime Base (V8S)
$100–$150
- Base storage, no fee
- Up to 180 days per charge
- Battery or doorbell wiring
Clips save to a small base that plugs in indoors, so there’s no memory card to buy and no monthly fee, and the same base rings as the indoor chime. AOSU puts the battery at up to 180 days a charge, and the doorbell can also run off the existing doorbell wiring.
What owners say: Owners found it very simple to install, praise the app and the sharp picture, and many find it good value. Battery and Wi-Fi performance get a mixed verdict.
A closer look: Plug the base in where the chime will be heard and the Wi-Fi is strong. It keeps about 60 days of clips on a loop, and AOSU’s optional cloud plan isn’t needed to use the doorbell. Wired to the old doorbell, it takes 8 to 24 volts.
Best for: Free clip storage
- Video
- 5MP
- Field of view
- 166°
- Power
- Built-in battery or doorbell wiring
- Wi-Fi band
- 2.4 and 5GHz
- Recordings
- Base with 8GB, no fee
- Indoor chime
- In the box (the base)
- Works with
- Alexa, Google
#2BOIFUN 180° Video Doorbell (J7)
$75–$100
- 180° fisheye view
- Up to 120 days per charge
- Two-year warranty
- No wired option
A 180° fisheye lens, the widest view on this list, takes in the step from one side to the other, and BOIFUN’s package alerts use it to flag a drop-off. Alerts, two-way talk and playback from a microSD card work with no subscription, and BOIFUN covers it for two years.
What owners say: Owners had it running in about 15 minutes, found the free app friendly and the picture clear, and many think the cost reasonable. Some report patchy battery life and connection.
A closer look: BOIFUN puts the 5,200mAh battery at up to 120 days, assuming about ten short alerts a day, so a busy door means charging sooner. It joins 2.4GHz Wi-Fi only, so check the signal at the door first, and the microSD card, up to 128GB, is bought separately.
Best for: Widest view
- Video
- 2K
- Field of view
- 180°
- Power
- Built-in battery
- Wi-Fi band
- 2.4GHz only
- Recordings
- microSD (not included) or cloud plan
- Indoor chime
- –
- Works with
- –
#3Ring Wired Doorbell 4K Pro (3rd Gen)
$200–$300
- 4K video, up to 10x zoom
- Dual-band Wi-Fi 6
- Recordings need a Ring plan
4K video with up to 10x zoom brings up a face or a licence plate, and the square 140° view takes in the step as well as the visitor. It runs full time off the doorbell wiring, so it never comes down to charge, and 3D motion detection keeps alerts to the zones you set.
What owners say: Owners praise the clarity of the picture and found swapping it in for an old doorbell surprisingly straightforward. Value, compatibility and the night picture are where reports turn mixed.
A closer look: It needs a doorbell transformer of 16 or 24 volts AC, so check the old doorbell’s wiring before buying, or use Ring’s plug-in adapter, sold separately. Ring recommends an upload speed of at least 15 Mbps for its 4K doorbells, so test the Wi-Fi at the front door first.
Best for: Sharpest video
- Video
- 4K
- Field of view
- 140° across, 140° top to bottom
- Power
- Doorbell wiring only
- Wi-Fi band
- 2.4 and 5GHz (Wi-Fi 6)
- Recordings
- Ring subscription
- Indoor chime
- House chime, wired in
- Works with
- Alexa
#4Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 3rd gen)
$200–$300
- Works on 5GHz Wi-Fi too
- Video history needs a plan
Google’s own doorbell is set up and run in the Google Home app, and it answers to Alexa too. Its square picture shows a visitor head to toe, with the step at their feet. A Google Home Premium plan keeps 30 or 60 days of video, and the higher Advanced plan adds Gemini’s event summaries and video search.
What owners say: The sharp, clear video wins owners over. Its overall quality, the Wi-Fi link and the viewing experience divide them.
A closer look: Setup runs only through the Google Home app with a Google account, not the older Nest app, and new users get a one-month Google Home Premium trial. It needs a doorbell transformer of 16 to 24 volts AC; without one, Google’s Indoor Power Adapter, sold separately, powers it, though the wired chime then stays silent.
Best for: Google Home users
- Video
- 2K HDR
- Field of view
- 166° diagonal
- Power
- Doorbell wiring only
- Wi-Fi band
- 2.4 and 5GHz
- Recordings
- Google Home Premium plan
- Indoor chime
- House chime, wired in
- Works with
- Google Home, Alexa
#5Aqara Doorbell Camera G400 with Chime (wired or PoE)
$100–$150
- HomeKit Secure Video support
- Records 24/7 to microSD
- Dual-band Wi-Fi 6
Built for Apple Home, it records to HomeKit Secure Video with alerts on Apple devices, and it also works with Alexa, Google Assistant and SmartThings. It runs off the existing doorbell wiring or one network cable (PoE), and it can record around the clock to a microSD card of up to 512GB.
What owners say: Owners say it joins Apple HomeKit without a hitch, went in easily and gives a great picture. Reliability, staying online and the app get mixed reviews.
A closer look: HomeKit Secure Video needs an iCloud+ plan and an Apple home hub, and in Apple Home the picture drops to 1200p. A wedge kit in the box angles it toward the path, and the plug-in chime can go in whichever room needs to hear the door.
Best for: Apple Home users
- Video
- 2K (1200p in Apple Home)
- Field of view
- 165°
- Power
- Doorbell wiring or network cable (PoE)
- Wi-Fi band
- 2.4 and 5GHz (Wi-Fi 6)
- Recordings
- microSD (not included) or HomeKit Secure Video
- Indoor chime
- In the box
- Works with
- Apple Home, Alexa, Google, SmartThings
Side by side
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1AOSU V8S 5MP | #2BOIFUN J7 180° | #3Ring Wired 4K Pro | #4Google Nest Doorbell | #5Aqara G400 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | ||||
| Picked Rating | 8.6 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Price | $100–$150 | $75–$100 | $200–$300 | $200–$300 | $100–$150 |
| Video | 5MP | 2K | 4K | 2K HDR | 2K (1200p in Apple Home) |
| Field of view | 166° | 180° | 140° across, 140° top to bottom | 166° diagonal | 165° |
| Power | Built-in battery or doorbell wiring | Built-in battery | Doorbell wiring only | Doorbell wiring only | Doorbell wiring or network cable (PoE) |
| Wi-Fi band | 2.4 and 5GHz | 2.4GHz only | 2.4 and 5GHz (Wi-Fi 6) | 2.4 and 5GHz | 2.4 and 5GHz (Wi-Fi 6) |
| Recordings | Base with 8GB, no fee | microSD (not included) or cloud plan | Ring subscription | Google Home Premium plan | microSD (not included) or HomeKit Secure Video |
| Indoor chime | In the box (the base) | – | House chime, wired in | House chime, wired in | In the box |
| Works with | Alexa, Google | – | Alexa | Google Home, Alexa | Apple Home, Alexa, Google, SmartThings |
| Best for | Free clip storage | Widest view | Sharpest video | Google Home users | Apple Home users |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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