I ditched my Ring doorbell for a cheaper Amazon alternative and the battery lasts longer

RING owners are trading in their doorbells for a little-known alternative that shoppers say is cheaper and lasts longer.

Millions of households around the world use Ring, owned by Amazon.

But not everyone realizes that the online retailer also has a budget smart doorbell range called Blink.

It also offers two-way audio, so you can talk to whoever is at the door, as well as HD video – and it even works with Alexa devices.

But the main difference that can save you money is the way videos are stored.

Both Ring and Blink offer a subscription service to back up clips to the cloud.

You can still use both doorbells without saving videos, but it's a handy feature in case you need to go back and watch something.

One obvious difference, however, is that Blink allows users to save motion-sensing video recordings locally to a USB drive.

You will need to purchase a separate Sync Module 2 and own a USB storage device, but this can save you money in the long run.

Even if you choose to go the subscription route, Blink's subscription costs less.

A buyer named Oliver Strong wrote in the Amazon reviews, “So I'm going to start by saying that the short story is that I prefer the Blink system.

Why? Firstly, the Sync module allows me to store data from my Blink doorbell without paying a subscription and the module + doorbell costs the same price as one doorbell doorbell.

“The Blink App has fewer options, but I prefer that.

“Both come with a 30-day free trial of the subscription service.

“The Blink Doorbell's motion detection works better than the Ring, it records more motion and with maximum motion sensitivity on both Ring and Blink apps, but it still doesn't capture everything.

“The video quality is the same. I haven't tested the audio because I'm not interested in using it.”

Ring vs Blink: How much does a subscription cost?

Blink's subscription is cheaper than Ring's.

Blink Basic lets you save videos for one device, which costs £2.50/$3 per month or £24.99/$30 for the year.

Meanwhile, Ring's subscription starts from £3.49/$3.99 per month or £34.99/$39.99 per year.

It's worth noting that Ring's plan offers many more features, such as the option to expand video storage from 30 days to 180 days, as well as the ability to download up to 50 videos at a time.

The other difference between the two is that the Blink wireless device requires two AA batteries.

According to the buyer, AA batteries are easier to replace and last longer.

“The battery is a biggie, the Ring 2nd Gen is rechargeable, you have to take the whole device out and charge it via USB and it's not like you're fast charging your cellphone,” he explained.

“Blink, on the other hand, is 2 AA batteries that you just have to take out, quickly replace and bam, you're up and running again. Plus, the Ring battery seems to run out quite quickly compared to the AA batteries.”

The Blink Video Doorbell has a 4.1 out of five star rating on Amazon with nearly 18,000 reviews.

However, not everyone is sold on the gadget.

Another user named Craig Chew-Moulding gave it three starts due to performance issues.

“Bought as an alternative to a more expensive ring,” he said.

“The doorbell is a piece of cake to set up and install and when it is linked to specific Echos in the home, we no longer miss anyone at the door.

“However, the video functionality, the main reason you buy such a device, is poor.

“When the doorbell rings and you want to connect a two-way call and video, it takes a while for the app screen to load from selecting the phone notification.

“Usually the delivery person or visitor has actually left.”