The best video doorbells of 2025: Expert tested

Jan 30, 2025 - 05:00

0 2

The best video doorbells of 2025: Expert tested

1,0002,0003,0004,0005,0006,0007,0008,0009,00010,000

Sqft of Lab Space

ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.

When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.

ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.

ZDNET's reviewers spend weeks to months testing each product or service on this list, using them for both everyday tasks to more performance-intensive work. We aim to give you a view into how each option could fit into your life and workflow, and the pros and cons of their various features.

Video doorbells have recently become a powerful yet discreet addition to home security, offering both real-time monitoring and instant alerts of front door activity at all times. A security camera that doubles as a doorbell not only enhances safety and deters would-be intruders but also provides valuable footage of visitors and events at your doorstep.

Also: The best smart home devices you can buy

What is the best video doorbell right now?

ZDNET's pick for the best video doorbell right now is the Eufy Security E340, a dual-camera video doorbell that can detect motion, people, packages, vehicles, and animals. This doorbell can be paired with a HomeBase S380 for local storage, so you don't pay monthly subscription fees. It has 2K resolution and color night vision, and a camera pointed to the ground to detect and alert of package activity.

The best video doorbells of 2025

The Eufy Security E340 video doorbell is my favorite option for a video doorbell because of how reliable it is and because I never have to worry about monthly subscriptions to access my video history. You can use a microSD card of up to 128GB or a HomeBase 3 for local storage.

It's a rechargeable video doorbell, which makes for easy installation, as my home's doorbell wiring wasn't functional when I moved in. The Eufy Security E340 features a 120-degree field of view, color night vision, and package, person, vehicle, and animal detection. When paired with the HomeBase 3, you can also get human recognition, which lets you see if a stranger is at your door or if it's someone you know.

Review: I invested in a no-fees video doorbell, and it's paying off for my smart home

With two separate cameras, the E340 video doorbell simultaneously captures whoever approaches your door and any packages they might have dropped off. When a package arrives, the Eufy Security app alerts me that it was delivered. I can then view the video history to see who dropped it off or go to the live feed and tap on the package to see what time it was delivered.

The doorbell then tracks who approaches your door when a package is there and can sound an alarm if someone tries to grab it. When someone picks up the package, the doorbell also sends you a mobile notification to let you know.

Eufy Security Video Doorbell E340 specs: Resolution: 2048 x 1536 main camera, 1600 x 1200 bottom camera | Field of view: 120 degrees field of view | Detection type: Package, person, vehicle, and animal detection - Human recognition | Installation: Wireless, battery-powered | Night Vision: Color | Works with: Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa | Monthly subscription: None with local storage | Price: $120 (limited time deal)

Show Expert Take Show less

The Blink Video Doorbell is one of the most cost-effective devices. It offers great value and the option of bypassing recurring fees.

Blink is focused on great value with simplicity. The Blink Doorbell gives users flexibility with power and installation options: it can run on two AA batteries or connect to existing doorbell wiring. It also lets users skip the monthly fees for cloud storage by adding a Sync Module 2 and a USB flash drive for local storage.

The doorbell is lightweight, simple to install, and very responsive, especially when paired with Amazon Alexa through an existing Echo device.

Show Expert Take Show less

When choosing the best video doorbells right now, the Lorex 4K Wired Video Doorbell was a no-brainer. This was the first 4K-resolution video doorbell available on the market, offering a detailed and crisp 9:16 image that gives you a head-to-toe view of your front door.

Review: Better than Ring? This video doorbell has all the benefits and no monthly fees

This doorbell can be installed wired using your home's existing doorbell wiring. However, one of its best features is the included 32GB microSD card, which means you can rely on local storage for your footage and forget about subscription fees. You can expand the doorbell's local memory by swapping the microSD card to 256GB.

The Lorex 4K Wired Video Doorbell is one of the best resolution security cameras I've tested, especially thanks to the dual-band Wi-Fi support.

Lorex 4K Wired Video Doorbell specs: Resolution: 2160 x 3840 camera | Field of view: 150 degrees | Detection type: Person, package, animal, vehicle detection | Night Vision: Color and IR | Installation: Wired | Works with: Google Home, Amazon Alexa | Monthly subscription: None, preinstalled 32GB microSD (up to 256GB) | Price: $200

Show Expert Take Show less

The Ring Battery Doorbell Pro is Amazon's latest premium battery-powered video doorbell, with robust construction and exclusive features. The Pro-level battery doorbell boasts 1536p resolution for a head-to-toe view, support for Bird' s-Eye View, and 3D Motion detection for advanced motion tracking and reduced false alerts.

This video doorbell features improved two-way communication via Audio+ and dual-band Wi-Fi support. Its battery-powered nature makes it very easy to install. The battery is also removable, so you can just pop it out of the doorbell to recharge it instead of having to remove the whole thing. This is particularly useful if you keep a second battery pack on standby to swap out the dead battery.

Review: Why I recommend the Ring Battery Doorbell Pro even though I'm not a fan of subscriptions

While the Ring Battery Doorbell Pro has excellent video quality, a Ring Home subscription is required to unlock the device's full functionality, like the abovementioned Bird's Eye View and 3D Motion Detection. This doorbell is also $230, which isn't cheap, but it's often discounted during big sales events, like Amazon Prime Day.

The Battery Doorbell Pro is perfect for users who prioritize premium build quality and advanced motion detection and don't mind a subscription fee.

Show Expert Take Show less

The Google Nest Doorbell is another one of my favorite video doorbells on the market. It captures clear footage that looks highly detailed, even in low light conditions, supports two-way audio, and can differentiate between people, packages, animals, and vehicles.

It's available in a wired and a battery-powered version, each sold separately. I've tested the battery Google Nest Doorbell, and you can install it wherever you need extra surveillance. I also like that you don't have to pay for a subscription to get the information about what is at your door, whether a vehicle or a person was detected.

Google offers a Nest Aware subscription for cloud storage, which lets you access up to 60 days of video event history, but the Google Nest Doorbell stores up to one hour of event recordings on the device.

Google Nest Doorbell specs: Resolution: 960 x 1280 camera | Field of view: 145 degrees | Detection type: Person, package, animal, vehicle detection | Night Vision: Color | Installation: Wired and battery model sold separately | Works with: Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Nest devices | Monthly subscription: Nest Aware starts at $8/monthly | Price: $180

Show Expert Take Show less

The best video doorbell right now is the Eufy Security E340 as it's the most efficient combination of affordability, quality, and reliability. This video doorbell is one of the smartest security cameras you can get, especially when paired with the HomeBase 3, which enables person recognition and access to other Beta features.

But that doesn't mean that the Eufy Security E340 video doorbell is the best one for your home. We break down the specifics so you can choose the best video doorbell for your lifestyle:

Best video doorbells	Price	Video resolution	Field of view	Installation	Detection	Subscription
Eufy Security E340	$180	2048 x 1536	120 degrees	Wired, Battery	Package, person, vehicle, and animal detection	None (microSD or HomeBase 3)
Blink	$60	1920 x 1080	135 degrees	Wired, Battery	Motion	None with Sync Module or Blink Subscription Plan
Lorex 4K Wi-Fi Wired	$200	2160 x 3840	150 degrees	Wired	Package, person, vehicle, and animal detection	None (microSD)
Ring Battery Pro	$230	1536 x 1536	150 degrees	Battery	Package, person, motion detection	Ring Home
Google Nest Doorbell	$180	960 x 1280	145 degrees	Wired or Battery	Package, person, vehicle, and animal detection	Nest Aware

Choosing the best video doorbell for your home means weighing the pros and cons of each device while considering what you need, how you'll use the doorbell, and what you don't want in one. If you want a reliable video doorbell and don't mind monthly fees, you can't go wrong with a Ring or a Google Nest Doorbell.

If a monthly subscription plan is not in your budget, then the Lorex, Blink, or Eufy video doorbells are probably better suited for your needs. Here's how to help you decide which video doorbell is best for you:

Choose this video doorbell...	If you want...
Eufy Security E340	A subscription-free video doorbell with package protection and the versatility of a wired or battery installation.
Blink Video Doorbell	A video doorbell on a budget, where your low startup cost is maintained with no monthly fees.
Lorex 4K Wired Doorbell	One of the best resolution video doorbells with a wired installation and no monthly fees.
Ring Battery Doorbell Pro	A high-end video doorbell to fit in with a rounded Ring ecosystem of security cameras.
Google Nest Doorbell	A reliable and inexpensive video doorbell that's perfect for a Google ecosystem.

I've kept different factors in mind when choosing the best video doorbells on the market right now. These factors are also the ones that help me research and test when I'm reviewing one of these devices, and they can also help you narrow down your options:

Reliability: False alerts are a nuisance, along with video doorbells and security cameras, so you want to ensure that the device you purchase for yourself isn't prone to them. This is one of the factors I test with video doorbells, as I've had my phone's battery depleted from a camera's constant stream of false alerts.
Installation: Whether you live in an apartment or a house, you'll want to decide the installation type for your video doorbell. This will narrow down your list of options considerably. If you have functional existing doorbell wiring, you can use that to install a wired doorbell. But if your wiring doesn't work, you don't want to deal with it, or you want to install the doorbell somewhere without wiring, you'd need a battery doorbell.
Video quality: Doorbell resolutions range from potato-quality 480p to full 4K. Higher resolution provides more detail, which makes it easier to identify people and objects.

Subscriptions: Many smart home users don't like paying an extra monthly fee for their devices, but others don't mind and prefer the peace of mind of getting the extra features a subscription offers. Whichever camp you're on, you must check the video doorbell options you'd prefer to see which ones require a subscription and which don't.
Additional features: Look for any extra features that matter to you, like two-way audio to communicate with visitors, quick replies, facial recognition, and activity zones. These can often help prevent false alarms and enhance customization.

Yes, most of the time. The video doorbells included in this article range in ease of installation. If you choose a wireless video doorbell for your home, you won't have to tinker with wiring to get it installed.

However, wired video doorbells that integrate with existing doorbell wiring require the installer to have at least some basic knowledge and experience with electrical wiring. Installing a wired video doorbell will be easy if you've ever installed an outlet or light switch.

Depending on the video doorbell you choose, it will use local or cloud storage.

With local storage, your video doorbell will only record and store a set amount of footage using its internal storage, a drive, or that of a hub, like the HomeBase in the Eufy Security video doorbell or the Sync Module 2 plus a USB drive in the Blink video doorbell. Local storage also typically means you won't have to pay for a subscription to access your saved footage.

Cloud-based storage is more advanced and theoretically allows for endless recording. This method only works with video doorbells connecting to a smart home or Wi-Fi network. But remember that cloud-based storage doorbell video cameras usually incur a monthly fee for storage space.