Three Ring doorbell alternatives that let you save videos for FREE
PEOPLE are up in arms about Ring's upcoming subscription price hike and are considering ditching the device for good.
The Amazon-owned company announced that its cloud storage plan will increase by 43 percent next month.
From March 11, customers will pay £4.99 per month or £49.99 per year for a Basic Ring subscription – up from £3.49 and £34.99 currently.
Money-saving expert Martin Lewis, 51, has revealed a trick that can hold the current price for another year – see full instructions below.
But others are thinking of going for a new smart doorbell instead.
Ring doesn't allow users to save videos to a local hard drive, but there are some alternatives that do.
In the long run, this can save you money as you no longer have to subscribe to the cloud to back up video footage.
Here are a few worth considering: The Sun hasn't reviewed any of these, but we've shared some buyer reviews on each.
AOSU wireless doorbell camera
4
The AOSU wireless doorbell camera comes with a bell that also allows users to connect an SD card to save the footage locally.
It features a 2K resolution and a battery life of up to 120 days.
And Alexa or Google Assistant owners can link it to their account to see who's at the door from the device screens.
“In my opinion it is so much better than a bell doorbell, the local storage plus a bell really makes it worth the money,” one buyer wrote.
“No more monthly/yearly subscriptions to keep my video events.”
Flashing video doorbell
4
The inclusion of Blink is somewhat ironic because, like Ring, it too is owned by Amazon.
The difference is that Blink allows users to store videos with a “Sync Module”.
Use the Blink app or a computer and you can view saved clips.
The Blink video doorbell works both wired and battery powered.
If you choose battery power, it uses two AAs.
“A close call between the Blink system and the Ring system, but we preferred the option to save on the memory stick,” one buyer wrote.
“Excellent system and definitely recommended.”
TP LINK Tapo
4
The TP-LINK Tapo D230S1 2K WiFi Video Doorbell is another Ring alternative that lets you save clips locally.
You just need your own memory card to fit in and the recordings are saved for you.
Despite not being an Amazon product, you can still use Alexa with it.
TP-LINK claims that the device's battery offers a lifespan of 180 days.
The video quality is 2K resolution.
“Great quality photos,” said one user.
“There is no subscription required as you can record to an SD card that is inserted into the hub.
“You can't set parameters to trigger recording like a Ring doorbell, so if you live on a busy road, motion will be detected regularly,”
All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have changed since then.
Always do your own research before making a purchase.
Trick to keep Ring's current subscription price
There's a trick that allows you to keep current Ring Doorbell subscription costs for another year before they increase on March 11.
If you cancel today, you will receive a prorated refund for the remainder of your subscription; it is also fine-free.
You can then take out an annual subscription before March 11 for the current price of £34.99. After that it goes up to £49.99.
However, he does warn that this step may result in the loss of saved videos, so check this first and consider your options.
Follow these instructions to cancel your Ring subscription:
- Go to Ring.com and log in to your account
- Search for Protect Plan at the top and click on it
- Find your subscription and click Cancel Subscription
- Click Continue
- Choose between canceling immediately or at the end of the billing cycle. You need to click on the first one to take advantage of the above trick
- Click Cancel Ring Protect to confirm