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Until very recently, if you wanted to know who was at the door when the doorbell rang, your best bet was to find a nearby window and try to slyly peek through the curtains without being detected. But with the swift rise of the smart doorbell, quietly sneaking around your own home is thankfully a thing of the past.

A smart doorbell is an internet-connected doorbell that notifies a smartphone or other electronic device of a homeowner when a guest arrives at the entrance of the door. It activates when the guest presses the button of the doorbell or alternatively when the doorbell senses a guest with its built-in motion sensors.

The smart doorbell allows the homeowner using the smartphone app to watch and talk with the guest by using the doorbell’s built-in high definition cameras and microphone.

There are a lot of smart doorbells out there, but I will only be discussing and comparing the 2 major smart doorbells. These are the doorbells everyone talks about, the ones that are widely available for purchase, the Ring Video Doorbell and the Nest Video Doorbell.

Ring Video Doorbell

Nest Video Doorbell

So let’s take a look the two.

I will break down the following in order to give you a better idea of how the two compare:

● Features

● Installation

● Pricing

● Quality

● Pros/Cons

Before we begin the comparison, you should understand that Ring and Nest offer the best options when it comes to equipment and monitoring plans. I’m sure there are other great options on the market, but both of these companies use advanced technology and offer devices that are designed to offer the highest level of security possible, which is why I’m highlighting only these.

Features

Ring starts out with a basic Video doorbell home security system. You can add extra indoor and outdoor cameras, window sensors, door sensors, and home lighting options. These additional devices are added to complete the home automation part of the system.

Nest Video doorbell works with the devices on Google Smart Home platform making it possible to have a fully automated home that can be controlled remotely. Nest basic package is a little on the high side but it includes everything you will need to create an effective layer of security around your home.

Installation

Ring Video doorbell gives you the opportunity to install it yourself. The instructions given are easy to understand making it quite possible to finish the installation as little as an hour. Ring also includes a full selection of tools and accessories for mounting it. You get screws, mini spirit level and a two ended screwdriver.

The installation is pretty simple, if you have an existing powered doorbell, you can easily swap out the old doorbell and replace it with Ring.

Nest also offers a do it yourself installation coupled with a professional installation. But there’s an additional charge if you choose to have a professional set up your system.

Pricing

The initial cost of a Ring system is $199. The Protect Basic Plan starts at $3 a month or $30 a year per camera. The Protect Plus Plan begins at $10 a month or $100 a year and provides service for an unlimited number of cameras.

The Nest Basic equipment package starts at $399. Services range from $19 a month for a 3-year contract or you have the option of month-to-month monitoring for $29. Cellular service fees apply to both packages.

Quality

Ring is easy to use, it has a 720p video capture. It is simple and clear and does a fine job of automating the whole process of adding devices to your network. Ring also has IR LEDs for night vision.

If you’re searching for a smart doorbell with high-quality video then Nest is about the best there is. It has 1600 x 1200 pixel resolution image at 15 frames per second that are always sharp with well-balanced colors. It also copes well with direct sunlight.

Pros

For Ring, we have:

● Smart design

● Easy setup

● Decent quality footage

● Reliable motion detection

● Intuitive mobile app

For Nest, we have:

● Good night vision

● Good and fast app

● Attractive

● Smart add-on features

● Excellent facial recognition

Cons

For Ring, we have:

● More susceptible to theft

● No ring tone options

● Only one month of cloud storage included

For Nest, we have:

● Stringent wiring/power requirements

● Additional subscription is almost a necessity.

I hope this breakdown of features of the Ring and the Nest help you to make an informed decision when choosing a Smart Doorbell. A lot of factors go into any purchase related to your home. Hopefully you feel like you can now go into this particular decision well prepared.