Ring Video Doorbell 4 vs. Google Nest Doorbell (Battery, 2nd Gen): Which is right for you?
The Ring Video Doorbell 4 is one solid front-door guardian. It’s got plenty of must-have security features, solid Alexa compatibility, and easy integrations with your other Ring hardware.
If you’re looking for excellent surveillance and quick and easy smart automations, look no further than the Google Nest Doorbell. It’s also battery-powered and can be controlled using Google Assistant and Alexa.
Adding avideo doorbellto your property is an excellent way to generate some quick peace of mind without having to invest in a full security system. This isn’t to say that having multiple cameras covering different parts of your home isn’t the ideal surveillance option, but if you can’t afford multiple lenses or don’t want the hassle of all those devices, a video doorbell is a great start.
Made by companies like Ring, Google Nest, Arlo, and a number of third-party developers, video doorbell cameras are easy to install and great at capturing clear and detailed HD footage. Many of these products can also be controlled with popular voice assistants like Alexa andGoogle Assistant. As it stands, two of our favorite battery-powered doorbells you can buy are the Ring Video Doorbell 4 and the Google Nest Doorbell (Battery, 2nd Gen).
Both of these video doorbells are exceptional in more ways than one, but we thought we’d compare them to help you ascertain which is best for your home security needs.
Price, specs, and availability
The Ring Video Doorbell 4 currently sells for $160 through retailers like Best Buy. At one time, it sold for as much as $220, but this was back when the device was still available on Amazon, from which it has since been discontinued.
The Google Nest Doorbell (Battery, 2nd Gen) currently sells for $180 and can be purchased directly through Google, as well as at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.
Design and durability
This part is more personal, with both products looking very different. The Ring’s design is less pleasant, at least in our opinion, despite being easily customizable with faceplates. But there’s more to a video doorbell than just its cosmetics, and criteria like overall durability can be just as important.
Generally speaking, video doorbell manufacturers make devices that can withstand extreme temperatures and certain amounts of water. But when it comes to Ring, official numbers can be harder to come by. For instance, Ring has no official IP rating for its Video Doorbell 4, and digging up an IP rating foranyof the company’s doorbell devices won’t turn up much. Considering the usual location of where these cameras are mounted (outdoors), it’s safe to say that the Ring Video Doorbell 4 meetsat leastthe most requirements for an outdoor camera.
The Google Nest Doorbell (Battery, 2nd Gen) has a much more original design, with four different color options. Its shape is also very futuristic and makes a statement, especially considering it’s one of the first things people see when they visit you. The Nest’s build quality is superior and more durable, too, and the company is far more transparent when it comes to water resistance. According to Google, the official IP rating of the Battery 2nd Gen doorbell is IP54.
Video and sound quality
A smart doorbell is as good as its video quality. The Ring Video Doorbell 4 and the Nest Doorbell offer HD video, allowing you to recognize people and objects clearly. Both also support HDR, which provides better colors, sharper pictures, and night vision thanks to built-in IR lights.
Looking at the exact specifications, the Ring Video Doorbell 4 comes with a slightly higher image quality and a standard 16:9 format. The Nest Doorbell, on the other hand, has a vertical format, which lets you see people from head to toe.
Depending on your needs, the difference in aspect ratio can be a dealbreaker. For example, if you’re planning on using your smart doorbell as a security camera to keep an eye on your front yard, a horizontal format is more useful, as it offers a wider field of view to see more than what’s in front of the sensor. A vertical format (Nest) lets you see what delivery people are carrying and allows you to keep an eye on a package left at your door while you’re away, which the Ring model can’t do.
Notifications
A key aspect of picking the right doorbell is how it notifies you when someone’s at the door and how it doubles as a security camera to detect motion, people, and packages. Both let you know when someone presses the doorbell button but in different ways. Ring does a much better job at doing so on your phone, as it vibrates the same way your handset does when receiving a call, making it hard to miss. The Nest vibrates only once, potentially causing a delivery to go unnoticed.
Luckily, both work with smart speakers, allowing them to double as chimes. Ring lets you buy chimes individually, but you’ll need to grab a Nest speaker to chime with Google’s doorbell. Also, both can automatically show the live feed on a compatiblesmart displayas soon as someone presses the doorbell.
When it comes to using the doorbells as cameras, both offer extensive features, including motion zones, people detection, and even package notifications. The Nest Doorbell can also recognize animals and vehicles, allowing you to set specific notifications for those. If you pay for a Nest Aware membership, the doorbell can even recognize familiar faces and send notifications accordingly. Ring lets you set privacy zones if you need to black out specific zones to avoid filming the street or your neighbors.
Software and features
It’s also important to consider each doorbell’s extra features and whether they’re useful to you. As we’ve seen above, both cameras offer a wide range of features, but they differ slightly when it comes to handling visitors.
For instance, both offer quick or smart replies — allowing the doorbell to play preset messages to make people wait while you answer — but Ring’s implementation doesn’t make much sense. This is because you have to define a preset timer for the message to be played automatically if you don’t pick up within that timeframe. Unfortunately, you can’t manually play them if, for example, you’re stuck in a meeting. And you can only pick one from the list, meaning you can’t use a different one depending on the situation.
Nest has done a better job, as it’s possible to pick from three different preset messages and use the appropriate one according to the situation. However, these can’t be played automatically; you still have to check your notifications to have the doorbell play one of them.
Ring also offers a pre-roll feature, which lets you see what happened the last few seconds before someone rang the doorbell. It’s not a revolutionary feature, but it lets the camera record in low quality while it’s on standby so you can see where someone came from or if they dropped your package before pressing the button.
Battery life and charging
Although both doorbells can be hardwired, they also come with an easy-to-install built-in battery and offer relatively similar battery life, ranging from a month with heavy usage to six months with minimal interaction. However, they have a different philosophy when it comes to charging.
When it comes to the Nest Doorbell, you have to unmount the whole doorbell and plug it into a USB-C cable to give it a charge. This is far from practical, as you’re left without a doorbell for a few hours. Ring ships its Video Doorbell 4 with its removable battery pack, meaning you may easily take it out and swap it with another one you may have. This is particularly convenient if you have other Ring products because you can put one of your camera’s battery packs in the doorbell and continue using it normally.
Subscriptions
Both doorbells can be used with additional subscriptions. Without the Protect membership, Ring’s Video Doorbell 4 offers real-time video, pre-roll, motion-detection notification, and two-way audio. The more advanced features, such as cloud recording, event history, quick replies, smart motion alerts, and advanced notifications with a preview, require a paid subscription that costs $4 a month or $40 a year.
Regarding the Nest Doorbell, most features don’t require a Nest Aware subscription, including activity zones, smart alerts, and three hours of video events. There is also no need to pay for package or person recognition, which is a significant advantage over the Ring Video Doorbell 4. However, you’ll need a paid Nest Aware subscription to save video footage, which costs $6 a month or $60 a year for up to 30 days, or $12 a month or $120 a year for up to 60 days.
Unlike the Ring model, the Nest Doorbell doesn’t let you continuously record video, even when it’s hardwired and used with a Nest Aware subscription (which doesn’t make any sense).
Which one should you buy?
The answer to this question isn’t simple and depends on what you’re looking for. Some might go for the easy solution, thinking that your smart speaker and display ecosystem should determine your choice, but keep in mind these doorbells only act as chimes, and so does your phone.
Here are our recommendations based on potential needs:
The Ring Video Doorbell 4 may not have all the bells and whistles that we love about the Nest Doorbell, but it’s certainly a worthy opponent.
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