The list of best video doorbells is growing every year as companies and buyers realise how great these gadgets are. What's not to love about a camera on your property that not only adds security but means you’ll never miss visitors, including deliveries, even when you're out and about?
Since these smart video doorbells work with your WiFi, the accompanying app on your phone can help you stay connected. It also means you need to think about more than just the product itself but also about the software backing it – how easy is it to use? How quick are the alerts? How many options do you have to play with?
All that is on top of considering the quality of the smart video doorbell you need, whether it's wired or battery-powered, whether you need a security light too and, of course, how much you're looking to spend. There are also dedicated security models, so if that's what you're concerned about, it's worth checking out our best wireless security camera (opens in new tab) guide.
Cost is a big factor when choosing a video doorbell as this can vary wildly, even beyond the upfront cost. Some devices will let you slot in a memory card so you can store and access video footage after it's happened while others, including big brands like Ring, make you pay a subscription cost for cloud storage. Without that, you lose a lot of features and the security value drops – so longer term costs are worth taking into consideration too.
Whatever you go for, if it's on this list, we think it’s one of the best video doorbells out there, meaning you get high-quality video, night vision, two-way audio via the app and a build quality that is robust enough to live outdoors in nearly any climate.
Best video doorbells
The Ring Video Doorbell 4 is an evolution of the brand’s original video doorbell which started this doorstep digital displaying revolution. As such, it still features that recognizable look - for ease of use but also to ward off would be burglars.
You have the choice of getting this product wired or battery-powered depending on what best suits your home. You can expect high quality 1080p video with a 160-degree field of view and clear two-way audio through the excellent app which works wherever you have an internet connection.
Most features do require a cloud storage subscription, but it's worth it for the ability to control detection areas, to turn on auto responses, see pre-roll of the person approaching your door before pressing the bell, and even a feature that alerts you to the detection of packages at your door. The Amazon Echo integration is also useful, allowing you to have your speaker announce if someone is at the door.
Despite “Essential” being in the name, this is a very capable video doorbell from one of the biggest brands in the game. This means you get excellent 1080p video quality with a 180-degree field of view, clear two-way audio, and it's all packaged up in a very slim and good-looking design.
This doorbell is backed by the excellent Arlo app, which gives you lots of features to play with and uses cloud-based storage for your videos. Plus there is an integration for Alexa, Google Assistant and HomeKit for a wide range of control and alert options.
One really nice feature is that when you miss a ring, the doorbell allows those at your door to leave you a message which you can check when you get round to it. The only downside on this model is that it needs to be hard wired in. That said, you can pay a little more and go for the battery-powered version if that suits you more.
If your video doorbell is mainly there as a way to receive package deliveries while you're away, then this is the model for you. Thanks to a clever dual camera design, the Eufy Video Doorbell Dual not only shows you who is at your door in front of the camera, but also what has been left below it. You can even protect your packages with pre-recorded messages for anyone that approaches while they’re there.
Usefully, this is battery-powered, making it very easy to install, but it also comes with a 16B base station. This allows you to store video footage locally so there isn't a need to pay for a cloud storage subscription to access all the features on offer. This doorbell does work with Alexa and Google Assistant, but not HomeKit, so Apple users may be left wanting.
Nest Hello comes with the most advanced features we've seen in a smart doorbell: facial recognition, people detection and pre-recorded responses you can use to relay information to visitors without answering a call.
Our favorite feature was the pre-recorded responses that inform visitors to leave a package, wait for someone to come to the door or say no-one is available. During our tests, we found that the Nest Hello produced the second-best video quality, only Ring Pro had better video.
Nest Hello has a slim form factor that fits on most door frames and is the only video doorbell we reviewed with a two-year warranty. It's a great option if you have other Nest devices in your smart home but has limited smart home functionality otherwise. If you want to record video, prices start at $5/£4 a month for five days video history (that’s footage recorded 24/7, not clips), and goes up to $30/£24 for 30 days video history.
- Read our Nest Hello review (opens in new tab)
The Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 is a superb option for the most premium features including 1536 x 1536 resolution video and clear two-way audio. But where this stands out from the competition is at night, where the night vision comes in color for a super clear view of who's at your door after dark. That video is also in a 1:1 ratio, meaning you can see the full length of anyone at your door as well as being able to see far enough down to spot packages left.
Being a Ring product, to get use of all the best features you will need to pay for a subscription to the cloud-based storage service – so that's worth factoring into the price. But that extra cost does mean access to useful features like the integration with Alexa, allowing you to have alerts ring through to your Echo device or, in the US, even letting Alexa answer the door for you. Unfortunately, the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 isn’t compatible with HomeKit or Google Assistant at the moment.
Ezviz is fast building a name for itself in the world of home security cameras and its DB1C doorbell does a great job of continuing to show why you should consider this brand.
This wired doorbell offers a low price, comparative to the competition, yet crams in the features. That includes an impressive 180-degree field of view, but vertically. This means you can see a person at your door, head-to-toe, but should also be able to see packages left at your doorstep. Then you can use the clear two-way audio to talk to your delivery person as needed.
If you miss a call then you can review footage but without the need to subscribe to the cloud-storage – which is also available – as this comes with support for up to 128GB microSD cards. There's also a PIR motion sensor so you can be alerted to anyone in an area you select so that this works well as a security system when not being used as a doorbell.
- Read our full Ezviz DB1C video doorbell review (opens in new tab)
What to look for when buying a video doorbell
When someone calls at your door, the video doorbell is only as good as the video and audio available.
In essence, the higher the video resolution, the sharper the footage captured. Some video doorbells feature 720p HD recording, but for those looking for the best clarity will want a video doorbell that can record in 1080p Full HD. While footage recorded in 720p is perfectly adequate, footage at 1080p will have much more detail, making it that much easier to work out what’s going on and who’s visiting your front door.
It’s not just video capture during daylight hours that you need to think about, but night-time as well. Video doorbells handle this in a couple of different ways, with some using motion-activated LEDs to light the area in front of the camera, while others use infrared night vision to see what’s happening. Unlike motion-activated LEDs, infrared night vision sees footage recorded in black and white.
Field of view shouldn’t be ignored either. Some video doorbells like the Ring Video Doorbell 2 features 160-degree viewing angles, which depending where its positioned, will allow you to potentially see your whole porch and driveway. Others feature narrower fields of view, which means you won’t get quite the same ultra-wide coverage.
It’s not just about the picture quality - audio can be just as important when looking for the best video doorbell. Units should have both microphones and speakers built into them, allowing you not only hear what’s being said, but to reply and have a brief conversation, even that’s to simply to tell the FedEx delivery man to leave the package on the porch.
