Ring vs Ring Plus Video Doorbell Comparison

Why Choose Ring Video Doorbells?

When it comes to video doorbells, you might call Ring an overachiever. After all, this is the company that invented doorbell cameras. It doesn’t come as a surprise that they have eight different models. Most home security companies – ADT, SimpliSafe, even Vivint – offer one. That’s why we decided to compare Ring’s two most popular models.

Before we get into it, a bit of explanation about how Ring labels its products is in order, just to keep things straight as we go.

First, Ring offers three doorbell tiers, each one identified by its suffix (or lack thereof, as the case may be).

• The Ring (no suffix) is the entry-level version of the doorbell.
• The Ring Plus is the mid-tier version.
• The Ring Pro is the flagship version.

You should also know that each of these versions comes in a choice of wired or battery-powered. Don’t worry, there’s not much difference between wired and battery-powered in terms of features, and when it’s relevant, we make sure to let you know. For now, though, let’s call the no-suffix version the Ring and the Plus version the Ring Plus.

Now that’s sorted – onward!

Ring Vs. Ring Plus: The Basics

It’s pretty simple to bottom-line these two devices. As you would expect, the Ring Plus comes with more features than the Ring. It also comes with a higher price tag.

There’s a lot that goes into the bottom line, though. For instance, just what extra features do you get if you’re willing to pay the Ring’s Plus’s higher price? Are those features worth the money? And just what is the Ring missing exactly? Sure, you’re saving, but will the Ring keep you safe? If you want answers to those questions, we’re going to have to dig a little deeper.

Expert Examined

From Joshua Lee, Active-duty Police Sergeant

“From a law enforcement perspective, I am now expecting to see doorbell video footage on most of our calls for service. They are so common now that one of the first things I instruct officers to do is canvas the area looking for doorbells and video cameras. Most of the time, the officers can find some type of video footage of the suspect. As a police officer, I see countless videos of possible suspects walking up to someone's door, looking at the doorbell camera, and then walking away without attempting to do anything. Doorbell cameras are a great way to easily deter crimes.” Read more about Joshua Lee →

Ring vs Ring Plus: Features and Similarities

The Ring Plus definitely packs more features and technologies than the Ring, but you might be surprised by how much they share in common.

• Reliability: First up, both the Ring and the Ring Plus are durable, reliable devices. Quality home security equipment has a certain weight and heft. Our tests backed up that initial evaluation. There were no glitches, and both cameras stood up nicely to a couple of fierce thunderstorms that passed through our area while we were conducting our tests.
• Choice of Models: Both of these cameras came in two different models: wired and wireless. We know – more choices to make, right? Still, it gives you more options when you’re trying to decide which setup is right for you. You don’t want to try wiring a video doorbell, for instance, if you don’t have existing wiring to work with.
• DIY Installation:Speaking of wiring, both video doorbells are easy to install. If you’re going wireless, installation is a matter of turning a couple of screws. And while wired versions of these devices do require you to twist a couple of wires, installing ours only took about 40 minutes following the step-by-step instructions on the Ring app.

Ring Doorbell Setup

• Motion Detection: Virtually all cameras use motion detection to trigger alerts and video recording. The real question is just how smart a device’s motion detection is. Both the Ring and the Ring Plus include custom sensitivity settings and detection zones. The neighbor’s cat likes to doze on our porch, but we used these settings to pretty much eliminate false alerts.
• App Integration:All of Ring’s products use the same Ring Always Home app, which we’re big fans of. It offers all the functionality we look for like customizable notifications and a simple event history with an easy-to-use interface.

• High-Quality Video: These two devices aren’t just similar in terms of basic operation. They also both provide high-quality video feeds. There are cameras on the market with higher resolution, but the 1080p HD you get with the Ring and the Ring Plus is more than enough to provide you with crystal-clear images.

Ring Doorbell Motion Detection

• Field of View: Likewise, both cameras provide a wide field-of-view so you can be certain you won’t miss any potential threats. There are some slight differences between them, but not much. Both of these cameras provide between 150 and 160-degree viewing angles. Unless you come across a video doorbell that rotates, you’re not going to do much better than those numbers.
• Night Vision: Video doorbells go on the outside of your home. Duh, right? That means you probably want them to have solid night vision capabilities. Again, both the Ring and the Ring Plus fit the bill. Whether you’re looking to catch midnight porch pirates or welcome guests over for an evening soiree, both video doorbells provide night vision that’s almost as good as their daytime video feeds.
• Two-Way Communication: Ring’s two-way communication for both video doorbells (also called two-way talk) allowed us to speak with visitors at our door using nothing but our smartphone. Most doorbell cameras include this feature these days, but it’s still worth mentioning.
• No Local Recording: Unfortunately, Ring cameras don’t come with local storage options. It's one of the advantages Lorex has over Ring. DVR/ NVR and SD card options mean free Lorex recordings. To record footage on our Ring doorbell, we had to subscribe to their cloud storage plan, which starts at $4.99 per month.
• Lighting: Neither Ring Video Doorbell offers a built-in LED light, despite both offering color night vision. The color night vision works by capturing ambient light, unlike the Ring Spotlight Cam and Ring Floodlight Cam, which both have built-in lights. We found the doorbell’s color night vision to work well when a nearby street light was on, but in total darkness, it struggles to see more than a few feet.
• Smart Alerts: Although it requires a Ring Home subscription, both the Ring Video Doorbell and Ring Video Doorbell Plus offer smart alerts. That means they can tell you whether it’s a person, pet, or package at your front door instead of just that a motion was detected.
• Reasonably Priced: Even though the Ring Video Doorbell Plus costs a bit more, we still find that both models offer great value compared to other video doorbells. For example, the Ring Plus costs $150, whereas SimpliSafe’s video doorbell starts at $169.

Expert Examined

From Joshua Lee, Active-duty Police Sergeant

“I once responded to a call where an unknown male wearing a black mask was walking up to doors and then walking away. We stopped the male who had burglary tools in his backpack. He later admitted that he was looking for a home to burglarize but did not expect to see all the cameras.”

Ring Doorbell Pro

Differences Between Ring and Ring Plus

If these two devices worked exactly the same, you’d buy the Ring every time. It’s cheaper. The fact is, though, that the Ring Plus costs more because it comes with more. Here’s a quick rundown of the key differences between these two devices.

• Size: Noticeable video doorbells can be a good thing. Studies show that surveillance cameras are an effective crime deterrent.1 The Ring Video Doorbell’s larger size makes sure criminals know they’re being watched. It can take away from the clean look of your home, though.
• Battery Charging: If you opt for the battery version of the Ring Video Doorbell, take note that the battery is not removable. You need to plug in the doorbell itself, which can be inconvenient if you don’t have an outlet near your door. The Doorbell Plus has a removable battery, so you can pop it out and bring it inside when it needs to be charged.
• Motion Sensor: According to Ring specs, these two Ring cameras rely on the same basic motion detection system, Advanced Motion Detection with Customizable Motion Zones. In our tests, we found the Plus version of this system to be more reliable. Along the same lines, our research uncovered a few complaints about the Ring Video Doorbell lagging and, in some cases, failing to recognize motion altogether.
• Wired Version: Surprisingly, Ring does not offer a wired version of its Video Doorbell Plus. It’s only available battery-powered. That matters because Ring’s wired versions cost less and have a smaller profile. That said, the installation is more complicated.
• Cost: The security device with the most features is also going to cost more. After all, you get what you pay for. Ring Plus beats the Ring Video Doorbell in most categories, but the latter gets to shine when it comes to price. The price difference between Ring and Ring Plus versions can be up to $100.

Ring Video Doorbell

Ring vs Ring Plus: Cost Breakdown

One of these cameras is more expensive than the other. One useful way of comparing them is to talk about exactly what you get for your money with each one.

That’s easier said than done. The thing is, these two doorbells come in multiple different models. For instance, the Ring Video Doorbell comes in wired and wireless versions. Wired will cost you $49.99. Wireless, $99.99. The Video Doorbell Plus, on the other hand, costs $149.99, and you’ll pay that no matter which version you choose.
So let’s start with the easiest question first: What do you get for the extra $50 the Video Doorbell Plus costs?

• A slimmer profile
• Sharper color night vision
• A choice of faceplate designs
• Dual-band Wi-Fi for faster streaming

Below are the latest costs of Ring’s different doorbells, including the Ring Video Doorbell and Ring Plus. And if you want to explore these devices further, have a look at our Ring Doorbell pricing guide. We’ve broken things down by power source.

Ring Video Doorbell Breakdown

Additional Cost Considerations

You can always self-monitor your Ring cameras for free if you don’t need a cloud storage plan. You get real-time alerts any time they detect motion, and you can check live footage. Storage for one camera costs $4.99 a month. Storage for unlimited cameras costs $9.99 a month.

We recommend signing up for a 24/7 professional monitoring plan. With one of these plans, you can be sure someone is watching your house day and night, and you don’t have to do it yourself. It costs $10 per month when added to the Ring Home Standard or Premium plan, which also includes cloud storage for unlimited cameras.

Ultimately, though, you’ll pay the same prices no matter which video doorbell you select.

Next, installation. Both the Ring Video Doorbell and the Ring Video Doorbell Plus are designed for DIY installation. They’re really easy to install, especially if you choose the battery power option. More importantly, you won’t need to pay a technician to come to your house. That’s the advantage of modern, DIY security products: They’re inexpensive because there are no installation costs tied to them.

How They Work

Ring video doorbells can be powerful tools in your security arsenal. Keep in mind, though, that they aren’t complete home security systems. They only monitor one small portion of your property, your front porch. That’s an important place to monitor. Still, they can’t tell you if someone tries to raise a window in your house or decides to see if your back door is unlocked.

In addition, Ring video doorbells by themselves only watch your door; they can’t do anything about what they see. They’ll notify you if they spot suspicious activity, but you have to take action yourself. It’s up to you to pull up live-stream footage, evaluate the situation, and decide what to do. As we mentioned, you can invest in cloud storage so you can view saved footage. Or, you can invest in 24/7 professional monitoring for as little as $20 a month.

All Ring doorbell cameras work the same way, and based on our tests, just a Ring doorbell camera might not be enough to protect an entire home. I’d recommend looking at Ring’s security systems, the Ring Alarm and Ring Alarm Plus. In addition to protecting your home with sensors, Ring’s security system works in conjunction with Ring cameras. You can even have the security system professionally monitored, something you can’t do with a Ring video doorbell or security camera.

Do Your Homework

When it comes to protecting your home and keeping yourself informed, you should never settle for less than the best. That is why you should always have clear expectations in mind about what exactly you want your surveillance system to accomplish. There are so many options out there with a lot of different features to sort through. Just be sure that you install and set up your system correctly so that there is no room for avoidable failure.

Are Video Doorbells Worth the Cost?

A great video doorbell is a crucial component of any complete home security system. Just knowing who is on the other side of your front door makes you considerably safer. The fact is, most home invaders still use this entry. Do you need cameras for your backyard and the sides of your house? Sure, if you can afford them. It makes sense, though, to start with a video doorbell.

In fact, these devices don’t just deter burglars. Your porch is where delivery services place your packages, and video doorbells allow you to keep an eye on them until you can get home and bring them in. Video doorbells can prevent anyone from loitering on your porch or in your yard. They can even hel

In short, a video doorbell is a great way to improve the security of your home, whether as a stand-alone device or as an addition to a pre-existing security system. Ring has user-friendly equipment and interfaces that can be easily installed and integrated. This comparison should have you well on your way to choosing which of the two Ring models is right for you.

Ring Doorbell vs Ring Plus: So Which is Better?

Our recommendation? The Ring Plus comes with a better field-of-view, a hardwired connection that makes it simpler and more reliable to operate, and better night vision that makes use of built-in LEDs. Plus all of that is contained in a smaller package. Yes, it’s $50 more than the Ring Doorbell, but if you can afford that price, the extras are absolutely worth it.

Of course, we understand budget restrictions. We have them ourselves. There’s nothing wrong with the $99.99 Ring Battery Doorbell. In fact, even the $49.99 Ring Video Doorbell Wired is a handy device. Let’s face it, a video doorbell with fewer features is always going to be better than no video doorbell at all. The fact is, we’ve used the Ring (2nd Gen) for a while with few problems. So keep it in your back pocket as an option! Either way, Ring offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on their products, so this should take the edge off your purchase, allowing you to find the doorbell cam that’s right for you and your household.

But if you’re still looking for something with a little more functionality, have a look at our guide to the best doorbell cameras on the market.