Best video doorbells 2026: Top 7 picks for your home security

Who should buy the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus?

If you’ve settled on either Ring or Amazon Alexa as your smart home ecosystem–and that goes double if you own a Ring Alarm or Ring Alarm Pro system–the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is the best mainstream video doorbell you can buy. It’s loaded with features, including package detection and a 1:1 aspect ratio that shows your visitors from head to toe, and it can operate on either battery or low-voltage power if you’re replacing an old-school doorbell.

Ring made significant improvements to video resolution and aspect ratio and added package detection to maintain its position as the best video doorbell for most people. Buying this doorbell camera is a no-brainer if you already own other Ring products, especially if you’re already paying for a Ring Protect subscription.

Ring Battery Doorbell Plus: Further considerations

If your smart home revolves around Google Assistant or Apple HomeKit, it’s best to take a look at our other, more relevant recommendations.

Also, a subscription to Ring Protect is required to unlock the full feature set, including recording. Adding an extra monthly expense might turn some off.

Who should buy the Reolink Battery Doorbell?

If you’re not already deep in the Ring smart home ecosystem, and you’re not an Apple user who’s deep into the Apple Home ecosystem, the Reolink Battery Doorbell is a strong runner-up to our overall favorite doorbell.

This mid-priced video doorbell is loaded with features, including a very high-resolution camera that delivers a head-to-toe view of your visitors along with person, vehicle, and package detection. You won’t need a subscription to store video recordings, provided you spring for a microSD card slot (up to 128GB) or one of Reolink’s network-attached storage devices (starting at $100 for up to 1TB of owner-provided microSD storage).

It can run on either its 7000mAh battery or permanent low-voltage wiring and a transformer if you’re replacing an existing doorbell (voltage specs are 8~24VAC, 5VA-40VA). If your 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network is already crowded, this doorbell can also connect to 5GHz networks. It’s a very good value for the price.

Reolink Battery Doorbell: Further considerations

This doorbell can be used with Amazon Echo and Google Home smart displays, and Reolink has a number of other winning indoor and outdoor home security cameras that can be operated with the same app. Unless you want the security of storing your video in the cloud, we strongly recommend either adding a microSD card to this camera or adding one of Reolink’s network-attached storage devices to your network.

Who should buy the Nest Doorbell (Battery)?

Needless to say, Google Assistant and Nest Aware users will get the most out of the Nest Doorbell (Battery), as will apartment dwellers who lack doorbell wiring and/or have limited installation options. And if you’re dead-set against paying for a subscription, the Nest Doorbell (Battery) does offer on-device people and package detection, although a subscription is required for cloud video storage (there is no local storage option).

Despite its name, Google’s powerful and versatile Nest Doorbell (Battery) can operate on either battery power or your home’s existing low-voltage wiring that powers your current doorbell. This smart home device was supremely easy to install and configure, it delivered crisp and clear video recordings, and it was consistently accurate with its alerts and notifications.

Nest Doorbell (Battery): Further considerations

If you’re firmly in the Alexa or Apple camp of smart speakers and displays, you’ll want to stick with an Alexa- or HomeKit-compatible doorbell.

Also, in order to recharge the battery you’ll need to dismount the doorbell and mount it back on again after charging. It’s a bit inconvenient, but it’s the price you pay for no doorbell wiring.

Who should buy the Tapo D225 Video Doorbell Camera?

If you have a tight budget for a video doorbell and don’t want to pay for a subscription to store video in the cloud, the Tapo D225 Video Doorbell Camera should be on your short list. It offers a long set of features not found on most other low-priced video doorbells, including the ability to discern between people, pets, and packages in its field of view. The inclusion of a remote chime is another benefit that many other manufacturers charge extra for.

This affordable video doorbell delivers a host of appealing features for a very low price, starting with its 2K video resolution and a field of view that captures your visitors from head to toe. The camera can be powered by either its internal battery or low-voltage wiring and a conventional doorbell transformer, with the one downside being that the battery can’t be removed for charging–you must dismount the entire doorbell first.

Tapo D225 Doorbell Camera: Further considerations

Where a lot of manufacturers expect you to pay a subscription fee to unlock their products’ entire feature set, Tapo merely asks that you provide a microSD card for local storage. A cloud-storage subscription is offered, but it’s truly optional.

Also, while this doorbell supports Amazon Alexa and Google Home smart displays, you’ll need to look elsewhere if you’re building your smart home around Apple Home.

Who should buy the Logitech Circle View Doorbell?

In short, the $200 Logitech Circle View Doorbell is aimed at a very specific audience: homeowners with wired doorbells who’ve embraced Apple’s rapidly growing HomeKit smart home ecosystem. This is not a cross-platform product: Android users need not apply; nor is there any support for Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.

That being said, Logitech takes full advantage of what HomeKit has to offer with its Circle View Doorbell, including HomeKit Secure Video, which uses the Apple hardware in your home to process captured video locally, versus uploading it to a server in the cloud that you have no real control over.

Logitech Circle View Doorbell: Further considerations

The Circle View Doorbell also boasts crisp HDR video, terrific night vision performance, and precision motion sensing.

Who should buy the Ring Peephole Camera?

The Ring Peephole Camera is an excellent choice for tenants who want to install a video doorbell without angering their landlord. It’s also a great solution for anyone who lives in an apartment or condo with an entry door that already has a peephole.

The Ring Peephole Cam gives renters the same peace of mind that homeowners enjoy when they install a video doorbell–all you need is a peephole in the door you want to install it in. There’s no need to drill holes for new screws or cables; instead, you simply swap it for your existing door viewer.

Ring Peephole Camera: Further considerations

Just like most other video doorbells, you’ll need a paid subscription to save recordings. However, at under $150, it’s at the lower end of the price range for this type of security product.

The RIng Peephole’s video quality is also sharp with rich, accurate color, and infrared night vision is enabled automatically when ambient lighting dims.