Which Ring Video Doorbell is best for you? All seven models compared

Yahoo

18-02-2025

Did you know there are seven different models of Ring Video Doorbell currently available to buy? It was a surprise to us, we must admit, and what's even more surprising is how three models look identical to each other, yet there's a 100 per cent price difference between the more affordable and the most expensive.
Away from those, which are all battery powered, you'll find the entry-level wired model, a 'Pro' wired model, the ethernet-powered 'Doorbell Elite', which is simultaneously the oldest and most expensive Ring doorbell, and finally the Ring Peephole Camera.
Having plenty of choice is a good thing, but knowing exactly which model of Ring Video Doorbell to buy can be tricky. Our expert guide will make things as simple as possible. Let's start with a rundown of the complete (and sometimes confusingly named) Ring Video Doorbell range in 2025.
Battery Video Doorbell: £99.99, Ring.com
Battery Video Doorbell Plus: £129.99, Ring.com
Battery Video Doorbell Pro: £199.99, Ring.com
Video Doorbell Wired: £49.99, Ring.com
Wired Video Doorbell Pro: £199.99, Ring.com
Video Doorbell Elite: £349.99, Ring.com
Peephole Camera: £119.99, Ring.com
Ring's three battery-powered doorbells all look the same and have very similar names. Yet the cheapest (called Battery Video Doorbell) costs £99.99, the mid-range model (Battery Video Doorbell Plus) is £129.99 and the most expensive (Battery Video Doorbell Pro) is £199.99. So why is such a big difference between three visually identical video doorbells?
It's all about the features. All three work just like any other cloud-based video doorbell. A visitor presses the button and, almost immediately, your smartphone buzzes with a notification from the Ring app. Respond to this and, wherever you are in the world, you'll be presented with a video call between you and your visitor.
All three also act as security cameras, triggered by nearby movement and ready to upload recorded footage to Ring's cloud storage service. Footage is quick and easy to download from there, onto your phone, but doing so requires a monthly subscription. Ring doorbells still work as notification and live-streaming machines without a subscription, but no footage is saved unless you pay.
All three can be installed with a bit of DIY know-how, and they also all have the option of colour or greyscale night vision. The Plus and Pro models record HD video at a resolution of 2048 x 1536, while the base model uses the slightly lower resolution of 1440 x 1440.
These doorbells are all battery-powered and, every few months, that battery needs charging. The battery of the Plus and Pro models can be removed quickly, so if you buy a spare battery you can swap that one in while the other charges. The base model has an integrated battery, so you have to take the doorbell down and charge it, making it unusable until the battery is full again and the doorbell is ready to be put back into place. All three work with Ring's solar panel (£49.99, Ring.com) giving them a constant source of power and negating the need for charging.
The base model also misses out on interchangeable face plates, which can be purchased and fitted to change the colour of the Plus and Pro versions.
Only the Pro model gets access to Colour Pre-Roll, where a few seconds of footage is recorded and saved from before a visitor pressed the doorbell button, or from before the camera spots nearby motion.
Also unique to the pricier Pro model is 3D Motion Detection which uses radar tech and satellite imagery to create a birds-eye view of the route a visitor (or trespasser) took across your property. For example, this can show how someone loitered around your car, or peered through the shed window. This tech can also be used to create more accurate motion detection zones, up to nine metres from the doorbell. Lastly, the Pro model benefits from noise cancellation and improved audio quality.
The Pro model is technically the best battery-powered Ring Video Doorbell, owing to it having the most features. However, it is also the most expensive, so unless you really need the radar-powered 3D motion tech and noise cancellation, we recommend you save £70 and go for the Plus model instead.
The base model, while the most affordable, misses out on our recommendation because it doesn't have a removable battery, so can't be used with a spare while the other charges.
Wireless doorbells might be simpler to install, but wired models benefit from never running out of charge. Filling the battery of a Ring doorbell can take several hours, so unless you have a spare battery that means you'll be without a doorbell for that time.
At the time of writing in early 2025, Ring offers four models of wired doorbell in the UK. This range includes the cheapest Ring doorbell of any kind, simply called the Video Doorbell Wired. Priced at £49.99, it records video in Full HD resolution and has a microphone and speaker for two-way audio. There's night vision too, and it acts as a security camera by alerting you via the Ring app and recording a segment of footage when motion is detected nearby.
Like other models, this Ring doorbell has interchangeable faceplates to change its colour, and it benefits from a feature called Advanced Pre-Roll, where it saves a few seconds of footage taken before a visitor presses the button, or nearby motion is detected. However, it misses out on the wider lenses of other Ring models, so doesn't offer a head-to-toe view of visitors, and can't be used to see if a package has been left on your doorstep. This Ring can be powered from your existing doorbell wiring, bypassing your existing chime.
The next model is called the Wired Video Doorbell Pro (£199.99), and it's available with or without Ring's plug adapter, which gives the doorbell power from a regular wall socket instead of a preinstalled chime. Naturally, you're unlikely to have a wall socket on the outside of your front door, but the option is there for customers who want to run a regular power cable into the home. The other model is technically identical, except for it being powered from your existing doorbell wiring, or from mains power via the included DIN rail transformer.
This doorbell records video at 1536p HD resolution and has colour night vision (plus regular grayscale night vision, if you prefer). It also has Advanced Pre-Roll to capture footage from before motion is detected. Unlike the £50 base model, this doorbell has a wide enough lens to record visitors head-to-toe. It also benefits from interchangeable faceplates, 3D motion detection with radar, and Ring's Audio+ tech with noise cancellation.
Next, we have the Video Doorbell Elite. Despite being the most expensive Ring doorbell at £349.99, it is also the oldest and lacks some of the features of Ring's newer Pro models. That said, the benefit here is how the Elite is powered over ethernet (or your existing doorbell wiring) and it can be mounted flush to the wall, creating a seamless and more secure installation. Since its internet connection can also be via ethernet, this is a good option if you want to install a doorbell outside of Wi-Fi range, such as at a driveway gate.
Another perk is that several interchangeable faceplates are included in the box, instead of being sold separately. The colour options are called Satin Nickel, Pearl White, Venetian and Satin Black.
It records at 1080p Full HD and uses a microphone and speaker for two-way audio, just like all other Ring doorbells, and it has infrared night vision too. Unlike its other doorbells, Ring recommends customers hire a professional to install the Elite. Two ethernet cables (measuring 1m and 9m) are included in the box, or you can use a longer one if required, along with a power-over-internet (PoE) injector.
The £120 Ring Peephole Camera is specially designed for doors with peepholes measuring between 12 and 14 mm in diameter, and the door thickness must be between 34 and 55 mm. It can be installed without any tools, so is a good option for renters, and the result is a security camera and doorbell that still lets you use the peephole.
There's a button for visitors to press, but uniquely this doorbell also has knock detection, so if someone knocks you'll still be notified via the Ring app in the usual way. Powered by a removable battery, the camera records in 1080p Full HD resolution, and there are customisable motion zones and privacy settings to make sure it only records what you want it to.
The Independent is committed to providing unbiased reviews and expert shopping advice across a range of home improvement products. Our team of experts has spent years testing and rating the latest smart home tech in our homes, gardens and under real-world conditions, so you can be sure our verdicts are authentic and based on personal experience with each product featured. When it comes to smart video doorbells, our expert testers consider everything from camera quality and ease of setup to ongoing subscription costs.
My recommendation for most people is the Battery Video Doorbell Plus. It's good value: not the cheapest in the range, but not the most expensive either. It has all of the major Ring features, plus a quick-release battery that the entry-level wireless model misses out on.
I've also chosen this one because the additional features of the Pro, while presenting a clever use of radar technology, don't justify the extra expense in my opinion. The £70 saving in buying the Plus instead of the Pro could be spent on a chime and a spare battery, or put towards a Ring Home subscription.