Smart Home Security

Doorbell Cameras without a Subscription – the 5 best options

Doorbell cameras without a subscription are not a myth. Here are the 5 best devices that have no monthly cost.

Our Top Picks:

Let’s say you are working in your home office or cooking a delicious meal in the kitchen. Someone rings the bell, but you are not expecting anyone. Is it a delivery for something you ordered recently? Well, be quick or some package thief might steal the parcel. Or maybe the kids in the neighborhood have decided on an afternoon game of ding-dong-ditch. While it might have been fun when you were a kid, now it’s just plain annoying. You could install a doorbell camera but the problem is that most of them require a subscription. So we decided to rebel and make a list of the best doorbell cameras without subscription.

Best Overall:

Eufy Wireless Video Doorbell Camera

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What we like:

  • Sharp clarity with 2K resolution – even in low light conditions.
  • Power saving wireless connection
  • Customized activity zone detection.
  • AES-256 data encryption

What needs improvement:

  • No HomeKit support.
  • No expandable storage.
  • Low quality plastic mounting hardware.

You are going to spend money on this once. Might as well get the best of the lot. Eufy has quickly gained a reputation for making well designed doorbell camera products with a host of features that do not require a subscription.

Many cameras advertise 2K resolution but fail in real world usage. Eufy doorbell cameras have consistently been reviewed to stand up to the test. It does have certain issues that need to be worked out though. For instance you can customize the zone for motion detection but this doesn’t always work perfectly resulting in plenty of unwanted footage. And this video now takes up space on the Homebase which inexplicably does not have expandable storage.

Remo+ RemoBell S WiFi Video Doorbell Camera

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What we like:

  • Alexa And Google Home compatible.
  • HD Video and 180-degree view.
  • Low price: $79.
  • Free Cloud Storage (no monthly subscription required).

What could be better:

  • Needs to be connected to existing doorbell wiring.
  • Does not feed video to Google home or Alexa screens.

Doorbell, doorbell on the wall, who’s the sleekest of them all? The answer to that will always be the RemoBell S. Easily attached to the doorframe, the beautifully designed doorbell will add a touch of glamour to your door. The video quality is outstanding, and the 180-degree field-of-view covers a large enough area in front of your apartment. The night vision ensures you have excellent visibility in low light.

Connect it to your WiFi to enable two-walk and live view. If you use Alexa home assistant or speaker, you can activate the doorbell using simple voice commands. The best thing is that there is no monthly subscription to use all the features of the RemoBell S. It records and stores all motion activity on the cloud for 3 days on the free plan. If you choose to keep the activity longer – maybe when you for a holiday – you can buy the paid subscription. 

The doorbell connects directly with your phone or tablet whether it’s Android or iOS. You can use your device to talk to visitors, view and monitor any activity, and receive notifications when motion is detected in the doorbells view.

You may also like:

Kangaroo Smart Doorbell Camera + Indoor Chime

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What we like: 

  • Cheapest doorbell camera with motion detection.
  • Good build quality.
  • Motion detection.

What needs improvement:

  • No HD photo – resolution is 640×480.
  • Snapshot are grainy and blurry.
  • No video, two-way talk, or wide angle view.

A smart doorbell for under $30? And there are no hidden costs either – we checked. Do note though that this is a photo doorbell so there is no video view of your visitors. The fact that it captures a motion-detected snapshot is enough for most people. If you are one of these people, this would be an excellent choice.

This doorbell camera is the definition of does-what-it-says-on-the-tin. The peel-and-stick doorbell comes with a chime and that’s it. The chime is plugged in to any wall socket in your apartment. It will detect motion and send a picture to your phone. The chime will also notify you that there is a visitor at your door. If you are looking for a simple doorbell camera without a subscription and don’t want to spend more than $50, buy this item and you won’t regret it.

It’s wireless so you don’t need any existing wiring. There is a chime included so you don’t need your phone to notify you of visitors. And it sends you a notification when there is movement at the door. The picture quality isn’t great – you will get a grainy and somewhat blurry image of the moving object or person. Since there is no two-way talk or live video, you cannot talk to anyone at the door. It does stick together pictures of continuous motion so you have something more than just a snapshot.

No frills – no nonsense

 If you use it as a cordless doorbell with an additional benefit of receiving a motion-notification on your smartphone then it will not disappoint you. Try to expect anything else from a $30 smart doorbell and you are expecting too much. Some customers have complained that the motion detection is too sensitive even at the highest setting and sends unnecessary notifications to your phone.

The design won’t give your visitors any indication of how low the price is. The sleek lines and premium feel are something you find on a much more expensive device.

The installation is super-easy. You get screws and adhesive stickers for a permanent or temporary installation. The batteries are included in the package and they’re three AA batteries so you don’t have to remove and recharge them. Just swap them out when the doorbell notifies you of its low battery status.

All in all you get a simple doorbell with motion notifications with a snapshot of the view – nothing more, nothing less.

ARLO 2001 Wireless Doorbell Camera

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What we like:

  • Arlo Foresight: See video prior to motion-triggered recording.
  • Multiple viewing options including a head to toe and 180-degree viewing angle.
  • Automated siren trigger
  • HD video quality with HDR for better night vision.

What could be better:

  • Arlo Smart is an optional extra. It gives you better control over your doorbell camera. 

The first thing you notice about this camera is the build quality. It feels heavy in your hand and has a nice slim, sleek design. It has all the features that you expect in a top of the range camera. Some features do require an Arlo Smart subscription but if you are looking for a doorbell camera without a subscription, you will find all the required features built-in and without the need to pay a monthly cost.

The design is simple and aesthetic and blends in with most exterior home designs. We like the wide view of this camera as you can view the visitor from head to toe or a package on the ground with excellent clarity. Another cool feature is Arlo Foresight – it records a few seconds of footage before someone rings the bell giving you enough time to respond. Since it’s meant for outdoor installation, the casing is weatherproof and will stand up to most weather conditions. The charge lasts for months even is very cold weather. If you are looking for a cheaper wired option Arlo 1001 will fit the bill.

Ring Video Doorbell 3

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Contrary to popular belief, you can use Ring doorbell cameras without a subscription. You only require a subscription if you need the extra bells and whistles like 60 day cloud storage for recorded videos and the ability to share videos and photos.

All the other features work without a monthly plan. It’s an excellent video doorbell that has a wide angle HD quality camera view with crisp and clear motion notifications. There are multiple sensitivity levels so you can adjust how many notifications you will receive – try to set the right balance between tree leaves shaking and unwanted visitors at your door. The motion notification is markedly better than the previous generation. You can set privacy zones so you only receive notifications that are useful.

Ring has made some other notable improvements as well. The previous model had a removable battery pack – so you get stuck without a doorbell while the battery is charging. This one has a built-in battery that is useful if you are using it wirelessly. If you have it hard-wired the batteries are redundant. The night vision is also remarkably better.

Some customers have complained that the mounting hardware does not give a snug fit for the doorbell but this seems like a quality-control issue as our test unit had no gaps around the device. It was easy to put together and connect with our WiFi.

What we like:

  • Reliable brand with excellent customer service.
  • Privacy zones for motion detection
  • Superior night vision.

What needs improvement:

  • Delay in notification after motion has been detected
  • No video storage without a subscription.
  • Does not hold well in severe weather.

Questions:

Is there a doorbell camera without a subscription?

5 Best Doorbell Cameras without a Subscription:

Is there a monthly fee for doorbell cameras?

Doorbell cameras usually charge a monthly fee for cloud storage and the ability to share recorded videos and photos. However, most features are available to use without any extra charges.

Final Words

Theres one thing about doorbell cameras without a subscription – you get most of the features anyway. Plus you always have the option of buying the monthly plan for additional cloud storage, sharing, and similar nice-to-have functions.

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