Ring video security cameras and the Ring Neighbors app remain fairly popular today. But multiple security breaches in Ring's history have made plenty of people cautious about entrusting their home's security to them. Ring recently improved its internal security practices to protect users better, but given its history, you may want to consider other security companies without all the baggage. Thankfully, the best Ring camera alternatives offer most of the same perks you'd get with Ring, plus some other perks added in.
Best overall
EufyCam 2 - Wireless Home Security Camera
Staff Pick
The EufyCam 2 is a one-time purchase, which means you don't have to subscribe to any cloud storage plans if you don't want to. This two-camera kit comes with a hub with 16GB of EMMC storage so that you can store all of your recordings locally. It even supports person detection without requiring a subscription. Plus, you can still view your camera's live feeds and recordings in the Eufy app or via your Amazon Echo Show or Nest Hub device.
$299 at Amazon $300 at Best Buy
Best Ring Floodlight Cam alternative
Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight - Wireless Security
Arlo is a great brand for replacing the solid Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro — or really any other Ring cam. The Pro 3 Floodlight shoots in a higher-res 2K, wider FOV at 160º, hits about 1,000 lumens brighter when wired but can also be installed wire-free, and even costs slightly less. It will undoubtedly give you the same peace of mind that your yard is protected, especially if you pay for Arlo Smart.
$249 at Amazon $250 at Best Buy
Best Ring Indoor Cam replacement
Wyze Cam v3 - Indoor/Outdoor Video Camera
The Ring Indoor Cam hits 1080p at 140º FOV and supports night vision "false color images" that approximate what someone would look like during daytime. Compared to that, the half-priced Wyze Cam v3 hits only 130º but has a Starlight sensor that supports actual night color vision, costs just over half the price, and has similar features like two-way talk and Alexa/ Google Assistant support. It also has local storage and two weeks of free cloud storage for short clips, though you'll want to subscribe for AI detection.
Wider FOV
Wyze Cam Pan - Indoor Smart Home Camera
The Wyze Cam Pan is a superb value. For under $40, you get a camera that you can remotely turn a full 360 degrees to track people, pets, or other objects, and you can zoom in on those objects as well. No Ring camera can currently rotate like this, making this a unique perk to looking elsewhere. Also cheaper than the Ring Indoor, the Wyze Cam Pan makes your indoor home security a bit more dynamic. It lacks the v3's color night vision but otherwise has the same perks.
Super-affordable indoor alternative
TP-Link Kasa Spot Indoor Camera - HD Security Camera
The TP-Link Kasa Spot Indoor Camera can do a lot of what the Ring Cam Indoor can do at a fraction of the price. Of course, you won't get other companies' AI smarts like person recognition. Still, you do get 1080p video, two-way audio and night vision, activity zone monitoring, compatibility with Amazon's Alexa and the Google Assistant, and Smart Actions where lights turn on in response to motion.
Best high-quality indoor camera
Google Nest Cam IQ Indoor Security Camera
Nest cameras are the best choice if Google Assistant is your preferred virtual buddy. The IQ line can record at 1080p, has night vision, and can differentiate between stationary objects and people. It can even zoom in on someone as they're crossing the room! Unfortunately, Google no longer sells it in its store, but there's still some stock available on some storefronts if you act fast.
Best Ring Stick Up Cam Battery alternative
Blink Outdoor - wireless, weather-resistant HD security camera
While Amazon owns Blink and Ring, the two companies operate independently, and there's no evidence that Blink has the same issues. The Blink Outdoor cam is equally affordable to the Stick Up Cam, with a much longer battery life at two years, plus a local storage option Ring's cam lacks. It only records motion detection but does support two-way audio and records sound when activated.
$100 at Amazon $100 at Best Buy
A better (pricier) outdoor alternative
Nest Cam Outdoor - Weatherproof Outdoor Camera
While we love the 4K Nest Cam IQ Outdoor, it's mostly unavailable today. Your next best bet is the still-excellent Nest Cam Outdoor, which may only shoot in 1080p but has some solid performance specs. It shoots a 130-degree FOV with 8X zoom, has 8 LEDs for night vision mode, doesn't require a hub like many outdoor cams, and obviously works well with Google Assistant. Your Nest Aware subscription for person detection will cover both this and your Nest Cam Indoor.
$199 at Amazon $199 at Best Buy
Best Ring Spotlight Cam alternative
Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight Camera - Wireless Security
For excellent outdoor performance without a full-on floodlight, the Arlo Pro 4 can stand toe-to-toe with the Ring Spotlight Cam. For the same price, you get better resolution (2K vs. 1080p), a 160º FOV, and other similar perks like a built-in siren, bright LEDs for color night mode, and long-lasting battery life. You can even add a solar panel for consistent power, which Ring also offers for its cams, or connect it to an optional hub for local storage.
$200 at Amazon $200 at Best Buy
Night guard
Lorex 1080p WiFi Weatherproof Indoor/Outdoor Security Camera
This camera was released in late 2019 and is the perfect outdoor guardian for your home. It can see up to 50 feet at night at 1080p resolution and has a 129-degree field of view. The camera includes a 32GB microSD card for local video storage, and you can upgrade that as high as 256GB if you wish. It also works with both Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant.
Best Ring Video Doorbell alternative
Arlo Essential Video Doorbell Wire-Free - HD Video
In our Arlo Essential Video Doorbell review, we called this the best option available, including compared to Ring's popular model. It lasts a couple of months per charge unless you hardwire it, has a great 180-degree FOV with a unique 1:1 aspect ratio for clearer footage, delivers great night vision, and has impressive smarts if you pay for a subscription.
$172 at Amazon $172 at Best Buy
Best doorbell alternative for AI detection
Eufy Video Doorbell - Wi-Fi Video Doorbell
Most Eufy cams and doorbells are consistent in what they offer: 2K resolution, AI person and pet detection out of the box without requiring a subscription, wide voice assistant support, and local storage. Available either wired or battery-powered, the Eufy Video Doorbell can stack up to Arlo's and beat Ring's doorbell in our versus breakdown.
Why you should consider the best Ring camera alternatives
In 2019, we learned that Ring employees could access your Ring cameras' security feeds with just your email address and that they did indeed watch some unaware customers. Later that year, we learned the Ring Neighbors app had secret GPS data, allowing anyone to potentially surveil locals' comings and goings. And at the end of 2019, a Ring security breach gave away thousands of customers' data.
By the time 2020 rolled around, Ring faced a class-action lawsuit from dozens of Ring camera owners whose devices had been hacked. The hackers reportedly used two-way audio to threaten some customers' lives, play scary music, talk to people's children, make racial slurs, and generally traumatize folks, according to The Guardian. The lawsuit alleged that Ring support largely did nothing except to blame customers for being hacked and that the Ring security breach, lack of 2FA support, and other exploits all contributed to making these devices unsafe. Since then, Ring has added end-to-end encryption and better account security to its cameras, but some will see this as too little, too late.
Finally, some people dislike how the Amazon-owned Ring partners with thousands of US police departments, giving them security footage without requiring a warrant. It's unclear whether Ring cameras actually lead to arrests, and Ring has recently backed off its policy of letting the police directly email customers to ask for footage. You'll still see police "Requests for Assistance" on your Ring Neighbors app, however.
Other security companies aren't without their breaches and flaws. Eufy recently had its own recent security breach, for instance. But few companies' issues are quite so well-documented or consistent.
Try looking at other brands
All of the above issues naturally have made many feel uncomfortable choosing their devices to secure their homes and personal data. In light of these concerns, many Android Central readers have asked us for alternative smart video camera recommendations.
Our top pick is the EufyCam 2 because it allows for on-device storage, will enable you to view your data remotely, works with all major voice assistants, and doesn't require any additional purchases or subscriptions. Ring just doesn't do local storage as a company, and while a Ring Protect subscription is cheap, free is better. Eufy also sells a reliable Indoor Cam and a Pan & Tilt upgrade — another feature Ring doesn't offer — and other excellent outdoor security cameras with local storage.
Eufy also has had some security issues recently, however. So you may want to turn to Arlo, which has some great alternatives in the Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight or Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight for outdoor protection, plus the Arlo Video Doorbell Essential for covering your front porch. We tried not to fill this list entirely with Arlo picks, but you should check out the other best Arlo cameras to see what we missed here.
We're fans of Nest cameras and are waiting impatiently for the new 2021 Nest cameras that Google announced. Those likely will make the list of best Ring camera alternatives, but until they arrive, you should snap up the current Nest cams while they're still in stock — assuming the high prices don't put you off. If that's the case, Wyze and TP-Link's lower-priced cams should suit your needs better.
Source: androidcentral