What Can I Use Instead of a Ring Doorbell?

Ring was once leagues ahead of most of its competitors, but it has been pegged a few steps back by a few controversial issues. From a lack of transparency in its relationship with the law to blaming users for company-preventable security problems, these have been deterrent enough to make even its most loyal customers question their future affiliations with the brand.

Even so, there’s no need to panic because the market is saturated with worthy Ring alternatives. From the top Ring doorbell alternatives to top-notch security cameras and lights, there are acceptable replacement products for those who aren’t too happy with Ring’s current reputation.

Best Alternatives for the Ring Doorbell

The recent controversy surrounding the Ring brand may cast doubt on its ability to provide foolproof security. That should be grounds for opting out of a Ring partnership in favor of the following alternatives:

1. eufy Wi-Fi Video Doorbell

This subscription-free doorbell lets you record videos locally, so data control rests on you and not on eufy. However, eufy still has the say on how you can access these videos, which is on the eufy app for Android or iOS. Streams go straight to your phone from the doorbell.

From a security standpoint, the eufy video doorbell falls short in two-step authentication. It doesn’t have one at all. If that’s enough to give this option a hard pass, feel free to check out other doorbell substitutes not lacking in authentication.

2. Wyze Cam

A budget-friendly indoor camera alternative to the Ring line of doorbells comes in the form of the Wyze cam. There’s a lot to love about this substitute, from its SD card insertion that overrides the cloud reality to the two-step authentication that enhances security by improving motion sensing.

By spending a little more, the Wyze cam also allows you to save more. You can purchase the Wyze Cam Pan for less than the price of a single doorbell unit in case you need to monitor two rooms at once. So, that’s two for the price of one-and-a-half. If you think that isn’t a good deal, we don’t know what is!

3. Nest Security Camera

There are times when subscriptions are a good thing. In the case of the Nest Security Camera, it’s an absolute security game-changer. Your subscription to Nest Aware offers round-the-clock recording and face detection services. In particular, face detection lets you know who’s at the door even when you aren’t actively paying attention.

Security authentication is no less than sublime in the Nest brand. It offers both two-step authentication and IP location checks to ensure the detection of suspicious activity. That said, you would need a Google account to access the latter feature.

4. Reolink Security Camera

One of the best Wi-Fi security cameras offering local storage, the Reolink security cam is another option where most of the data is within the user’s control. While the cam also allows storage through the cloud, no subscription would be required for these options. You can also provide storage by taking advantage of the item’s micro-SD card slot.

The camera is mainly powered by a battery, but it can work in tandem with a rechargeable battery kit or solar panel for even more convenience. Since this option mostly foregoes cloud storage, consider other measures to combat potential theft. The lack of cloud affiliation means that once the camera is stolen, all your video data gets stolen with it.

5. Nest Outdoor Cam

Trusting the cloud to handle your data usually leads to a wealth of benefits. Using your Nest Aware subscription, you get 24-hour recording and regular notifications for packages, general movement, and familiar faces.

As is typical with Nest products, you can leverage two-factor authentication and IP tracking to detect suspicious activity. Again, the latter is only a given when you convert to a Google account. Remember that this isn’t a battery-powered cam, so make sure there’s an outlet close by.

6. SimpliSafe

While not exactly a video doorbell, it does hold some features of a few of Ring’s top-of-the-line doorbell models. It also has a counterpart in Ring that’s more expensive but not nearly as good and feature-filled.

SimpliSafe comes with an entry sensor, yard sign, motion sensor, keypad, base station, and window stickers. Don’t be puzzled about the yard sign and window sticker addition, as these two could be the kit’s most beneficial components.

Burglars tend to back off from homes upon encountering a home security system. SimpliSafe can be classified as that, with its option to connect to an around-the-clock monitoring service. There may be no need to link with a monitoring company and pay monthly fees when you can successfully scare thieves away with this set’s complete set of features.

What To Use Instead of a Ring Doorbell: The Bottomline

Ring is no longer the irreplaceable brand that it used to be. Generally speaking, it’s still good, but its reputation has been marred by some questionable management decisions as of late.

As expected, competitors were quick to take advantage of the oversight, unleashing a band of products worthy of being called counterparts to the ever-popular Ring line of doorbells. The above-mentioned items are some of the best examples, but you should still be able to find others outside of this list that won’t disappoint.