After poring over tech specs and hundreds of customer reviews, we chose the Vivint Video Doorbell as our top smart home pick.
Best Video Doorbells in 2022
Doorbell installation
Before deciding on a wireless video doorbell cam, check out your current doorbell setup. You’ll need to know the voltage and whether you have a wired doorbell chime or not. If you don’t already have a doorbell, you’ll need to look for a battery-powered model. They aren’t as common, but products like Ring have two power options that work with wires or batteries.
Reviews: Best smart doorbell cameras
1.Vivint Video Doorbell: Smart home pick
Smart home pick
The Vivint Video Doorbell Pro is great for deterring package thieves, thanks to its package detection and Smart Sentry features. We also like the simplicity of its app.
It offers easy monitoring customization, a 180° field of view, and high audio quality for its two-way talk.
Plus, installation is effortless since the pros do it for you. Vivint professional installation costs $99 for a whole home security system package, but the installation is free if you just buy the doorbell.
If you don't mind the higher price, this is an ideal pick.
Pros
Extra-wide field of view
Smart package-theft deterrent
Effortless install
Great audio quality 
Cons
720p video quality
High price Check out our in-depth Vivint video doorbell review for more information.
2. SimpliSafe Video Doorbell: Reader's favorite brand
Reader favorite
The SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro has a lower price tag than the average doorbell camera, but it doesn't offer as many features as pricier devices. It's a good fit if you already have a SimpliSafe security system.
Its resolution wows at 1080p, but the field of view is only 162°. The SimpliSafe app lets you monitor your doorbell for free, but for video recordings, you'll need a cloud storage plan.
SimpliSafe also offers professional monitoring for its security system customers, and with the Interactive Monitoring Plan, you can monitor your SimpliSafe Video Doorbell camera with the security system.
Pros
User-friendly app
Human motion detection
Affordable cloud storage
Compatibility with most wiring Cons
Audio delays
So-so night vision
Limited features Check out our in-depth SimplisSafe video doorbell review for more information.
3. Ring Video Doorbell (2nd Gen): Best overall
Budget pick
The Ring Video Doorbell boasts 1080p resolution, a 155° field of vision, noise cancelation, night vision, and customization options through the Ring app. Its flexible power options, theft protection, and low price make it a fitting choice for renters and first-time homeowners alike.
At $99, you won’t need two month’s salary for this Ring. This doorbell cam is budget conscious and environmentally friendly. You can power your new smart doorbell camera with existing doorbell wiring, a backup battery, or even a solar charger (for a little extra).
Pros
Suitable for renters and homeowners
Affordable for all budgets
Equipped with a wide angle lens Cons
Required subscription for video history Check out our Ring doorbell cameras guide for more information.
Ring has new doorbells
Ring recently released two new models: the Ring Video Doorbell 3 and Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus. We plan to test these models and add them to our Ring doorbell review in a future update. We still recommend the original Ring Video Doorbell for most people because the price is hard to beat.
4. ADT Video Doorbell: Pro-monitoring pick
Pro monitoring pick
The ADT Video Doorbell Camera offers two-way talk, an 180° field of view, PIR motion-sensing technology, and night vision. When it detects motion, or when the doorbell button is pressed, you’ll get a notification from the ADT Control app.
On the app, you can access all of your cameras, answer your door, and arm/disarm your security system to let people in. It’s handy if you have people who need to access your home when you’re not there, like dog walkers or house cleaners.
Pros
Two-way talk
180° field of view
Rechargeable battery
PIR sensors Cons
720p video Check out our in-depth ADT cameras guide for more information.
5. Frontpoint Video Doorbell: Whole-property pick
Whole-property pick
The Frontpoint Doorbell Camera offers basic night vision and two-way audio to talk to visitors.
Unfortunately, the 720p video doesn't provide as much detail as 1080p doorbells from other brands. Detail matters when you want to identify the facial features and vehicles of porch pirates.
The Doorbell Camera is also a little harder to install. But, even if the Frontpoint Doorbell Camera doesn't compare well to other video doorbells, it's still good enough for most folks.
Pros
180° field of view
Weather resistant Cons
720p resolution
Basic features Check out our in-depth Frontpoint cameras guide for more information.
6. Eufy Video Doorbell: Best for privacy
Best Privacy Features
If privacy is a concern for you and your family, the Eufy smart doorbell is worth a look.
The Eufy Video Doorbell is the only smart video doorbell on our list that doesn’t send footage over the web. Its 4 GB of local storage gives you access to 30 days of footage without a subscription or broadcasting a feed on the internet. This wired doorbell requires existing doorbell wires. However, a battery-powered option is also available.
Local storage keeps your live video private and hidden from prying eyes. This feature is notable because internet-connected security cameras like Ring and Nest have come under fire for privacy concerns.
Pros
Local storage
No subscription required
Person alerts Cons
Person alerts can send false notifications Check out our in-depth Eufy home security review for more information.
Why try a wireless doorbell?
Wireless doorbell cameras are a great intro to smart home devices. They send push notifications when they detect motion, record video day or night, and have two-way audio for talking with guests at your door.
Whether your neighbor or mail carrier presses the doorbell, you’ll be able to tell the difference.
Our approach
To find out which smart doorbells are best, we pored over technical specs and thousands of customer reviews. We compared features, price, reputation, reliability, and customer satisfaction.
After we narrowed it down to the best of the best, we pitted them against one another—looking for video quality, response time, customization options, ease of installation, and any extra costs required. We also spoke with customers who own these video doorbells.
Finally, we put our favorite smart doorbells in order and broke down all the details to help you make the right purchase. Learn more about how we reviewed smart video doorbells and other products in our full methodology.
Doorbell cameras FAQ
No. Whether through a paid subscription or local video storage, most doorbell cameras allow access to your past footage. Having a record of your visitors can help you identify any suspicious characters who stop by.
Video recordings of an incident boost your chances of finding the suspects who stole packages, vandalized your home, or attempted to break in.
Doorbell cameras can record as little as three hours to as much as 60 days. The amount of memory you need for footage depends on how often you check your doorbell app.
Video doorbells have been around long enough to include HD video. Look for a video doorbell camera with at least a resolution of 720p and a 120° field of vision.
Two-way audio is a standard feature in doorbell cameras because it’s crucial. This feature allows you to have a conversation with visitors on your doorstep whether you’re home or not.
We also like pre-recorded messages and noise cancellation. Pre-recorded messages are a lot like voicemail for your wireless doorbell camera—an automatic message that plays when you can’t answer the door.
Noise cancellation is also a helpful feature to look for because it boosts the audio quality and makes it easier to understand what the other person is saying.
The typical field of vision for humans is around 100° laterally.1 If you want a camera that shows your doorstep the way you see it, look for a field of view with at least 120°.
The Ring, Eufy, and Nest Hello doorbell cameras all have a field of view of 160° and up.
We recommend the Ring Video Doorbell as the best overall pick—its low price and high value is too hard to pass up. That said, the Google Nest Hello doorbell is a good pick for loaded extra features.
To learn more about how Ring and Nest compare, take a peek at our article on that very topic.
Related articles on SafeWise
Sources
- Robert H. Spector, The National Center for Biotechnology Information, “The History, Physical, and Laboratory Examinations 3rd edition. Chapter 116, Visual Fields,” 1990. Accessed June 24, 2021.
- Katie Schoolov, CNBC, “With Package Theft at an All-Time High, Amazon and Others are Fighting Back,” January 2020. Accessed June 24, 2021.
- C+R Research, “2019 Package Theft Statistics Report.” Accessed June 24, 2021.
- FBI, Unified Crime Reporting, “2019 Crime in the United States, Larceny-Theft,” October 2020. Accessed June 24, 2021.
Disclaimers
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