What’s the Best Front Door Security Camera?
Video doorbells are easily the best front door security camera. These small devices not only record activity, they immediately notify you of activity at your front door and they allow you to communicate back and forth with whoever is at your front door (whether you’re home or not).
But of all the video doorbell options out there, which is the “best”?
RAC’s professional recommendation is the SkyBell video doorbell.
Why? Because it outperforms almost every alternative video doorbell on the market.
Plus, the SkyBell video doorbell has one particular feature that makes it much more appealing than most other options: free video cloud storage for the lifetime of the product.
To help you decide which video doorbell is right for you, we’ll compare the 3 most popular video doorbells:
- Google’s Nest
- Amazon’s Ring
- Skybell
Want a professional’s insight on the video surveillance products your home needs? Just contact Richmond Alarm today and we’ll send a sales representative over for a free in-home inspection and advice.
SkyBell vs Nest vs Ring: Which video doorbell is best?
| Features | SkyBell | Ring | Nest |
|---|---|---|---|
Motion-Activated? | YES | YES | YES |
Remote Control? | YES | YES | YES |
2-Way Communication | YES | YES | YES |
Video Recording? | YES | YES | YES |
Night Vision? | YES | YES | YES |
Face Recognition? | NO | NO | YES |
Compatible w/ Other Smart Products? | YES | Only with Alexa, Amazon Products and limited brands | Only compatible with Google Smart products |
Cost for Video Cloud Storage? | FREE | $30/year | $50/year |
As you can see, the 3 video doorbells really only differ in 3 main categories:
1. Facial recognition software
Google’s video doorbell, Nest Hello, proves a tad smarter than the Ring or SkyBell when it comes to detecting certain faces. This feature allows you to tag certain people who are frequently at your front door as a “familiar” face vs a stranger.
However, this service requires a Nest subscription, which costs $10/month.
Another thing to keep in mind is that both Ring and SkyBell (as well as most other video doorbell brands) are expected to provide upgraded models with similar face recognition features in the near future.
2. Smart product compatibility
This is another feature where SkyBell beats both Ring and Nest. Unlike Ring and Nest, SkyBell is compatible with almost any security and home automation products out there. It’s high compatibility rate makes SkyBell a great option for homeowners who already have a lot of smart home products or plan to install home automation products in the future.
3. Cost for video cloud storage
SkyBell video doorbell offers free video cloud storage, which provides huge value to homeowners who need to store and review video recordings. We’ll explain more about this feature below…
Though these products have similar traits in common, the one difference between them is having a licensed professional with Richmond Alarm Company professionally install your new Skybell.
Where SkyBell beats the others: FREE cloud storage
Once you install the SkyBell video doorbell and start using it to capture interactions/events at your front door, you can rely on free video storage throughout the lifetime of the product.
While Nest charges $50/year for unlimited cloud storage and Ring offers $20/year for unlimited cloud storage, SkyBell offers free cloud storage. Per their website, SkyBell offers up 7 days of cloud storage (see below).
A video doorbell is no substitute for a monitored home security system
Keep in mind that at the end of the day, a video doorbell is a single smart home device that offers limited protection.
Think about it—if you were a thief, how would you rob your own home? Would a video doorbell stop you from exploring other unarmed entrances and/or windows? Video doorbells watch for activity at the front door but leave the rest of your homes’ doors and windows vulnerable.
No amount of free video cloud storage compares to the protection of a complete home security system backed by 24/7 monitoring. That’s why we always suggest that homeowners pair their video doorbell with an armed and monitored home security system.
Have more security camera/video surveillance questions? Ask our Virginia security pros
Richmond Alarm has provided high-quality home security products and services to Virginia homeowners for 70+ years. Whether you’re interested in installing the SkyBell video doorbell or have questions about other video surveillance products, we can help.