Best video doorbells of 2024 – the best doorbell cameras to secure your property and keep your house in check

While some purists still love the classic ding-dong of a traditional doorbell, it’s fair to say that video doorbells are more popular than ever. After all, the best video doorbells give you the chance to see who’s at your door and even communicate with them without the need to be at home.

Yes, with the help of this nifty addition to the smart security world, houseproud homeowners are now using video doorbells alongside the best security cameras and alarms to protect their homes, keep their families safe, and control the arrival of packages anywhere in the world.

But with so many different video doorbells on the market, all offering different features, it can be hard to know which one to choose. That’s why we’ve put together the ultimate guide on the best video doorbells, comparing all of the top specs and outlining any potential niggles to help you buy the right option for you.

Quick list

Best video doorbell overall

Google bought Nest, so it now features as part of its line-up for smart home products. So if you own a Thermostat, Home or Nest Wi-Fi, then this is an excellent addition to that ecosystem which is all run through one app. That means Google Assistant integration for door alerts on your Google Home speaker, which also means Google smarts.

As such, this doorbell is clever enough to recognise faces. That means you can have it alert you only when you want to know a particular person, say when your child gets home late. Thanks to the HD video with HDR, this is clear to see, which we found meant you got a clear image even when sunlight was in the background or when in night vision mode.

The look is super minimal, and the easy installation process goes along with that. But it's backed by robust 128-bit encryption, so you don't need to worry about security. You can also rest easy on recharging as this only comes in a hardwired version. That can make installation challenging if you don't already have a doorbell wired in. But it means you can get the video to record constantly for you to scroll back through, for up to three hours at a time, without worrying about battery life. But, of course, you'll have to pay if you want to store video for the longer term.

Best Ring doorbell

Yes, it's a Ring doorbell appearing again early on in this list. That's because Ring specialises in what it does, and it does it well. But there are different models to suit different needs, and in this case, it's for those who don't want to faff with a battery and would like a lot of options.

One thing we found in testing video doorbells is that they're only as good as their notifications. Yes, you could use it at its most basic, only responding to the doorbell press, but if you want to be secure too then, motion detection is essential. That's why this model excels, as it uses smart sensors and an app that lets you set zones to only be alerted when you need to be.

The design is also of appeal here with a super slim finish and long single black glass central unit to give a more premium look to the front of the house. There are interchangeable plates, too, so you can pick the look that fits. Even wiring this in is easy with an adapter included and all the tools and instructions to get you up and running quickly.

The price is the only downside here, although we did find audio quality could vary with it less clear sometimes, but that was likely our Wi-Fi in those cases.

Best budget

After conquering the video doorbell market, Ring has gone a step further by releasing the Ring Video Doorbell Wired - an affordable option with pretty much all of the features of its other, more expensive models.

The smart doorbell offers 1080p Full HD video with two-way audio, is weatherproof and has night vision to help you see what's going on after the sun goes down. You can view the video feed from your phone or Alexa tablet, and motion zone customisation lets you set how the camera monitors the area in front of your home.

It's sleeker and less bulky than the Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus or Pro, so some may prefer its more demure aesthetic. However, the biggest thing that could stop you from opting for the cheaper one is that it needs to be wired, which makes things slightly more complicated for those who are renting or who don't already have existing wiring.

That said, if you already have a wired doorbell or are willing to hire a professional to fit it for you, the Ring Video Doorbell Wired comes highly recommended for those looking to save a few pennies.

Best with 2K resolution

Eufy is growing fast in the smart digital homeworld, with robot vacuums and security cameras leading the way. Its doorbell is a standout model as it, unlike most of the competition, offers an eye-melting 2K video quality on its feed thanks to a Sony sensor.

This is a pro-grade lens, which goes some way to explaining the price of this video doorbell. The quality is excellent but, to be honest, isn't that noticeable on a small smartphone screen when compared to a 1080p video.

What is a really appealing feature here is the inclusion of free cloud storage. This means you keep access to all your videos without having to store them locally. Another pro feature is the customisation for motion sensitivity with a selection of activity zones, motion sensing and human detection.

All that amounts to notifications only when relevant – something our smartphone battery certainly benefited from. This also makes no compromises with power, allowing you to wire it in or go for the battery. Using it on battery should last for half a year which seemed accurate in testing, but of course, it depends on how active your notification settings are.

The use of an included base station helps keep battery use low, and Wi-Fi worries less of an issue, which we struggled with on other models.

Best high-res affordable

Ezviz might not be a big brand name, but it's quietly been working away at home security for years, offering decent specs for a low price. This wired model fits that description perfectly, undercutting the competition while still offering high-resolution video and a minimal design.

All the usual features are here with night vision, two-way chat, dual-band Wi-Fi, IP65 weatherproofing and app support. What it also offers, that's better than some of the competition, is a full 180-degree field of view, ideal for smaller spaces, heat-based motion detection, and local storage on MicroSD cards.

At first, the heat detection was a little overly sensitive, but you can easily adjust this to avoid too many notifications. Settings range from 5 to 3 to 1.5 metres allowing you to perfect this, so you only get notified when someone is actually near your door. Or, as we did, just turn it off and let them press the bell.

Since this records everything, you can always check back should there be an incident worth your attention. This even works with Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant for smart alerts on your home devices despite the price.

Best for night vision

Tapo has become somewhat of a brand leader over the past few years, offering smart home security options without the faff of a subscription service. And while you certainly can buy a Tapo subscription to save videos to the cloud, this isn’t a requirement of the device.

Unfortunately, we haven’t had the chance to try out this video doorbell yet - but it’s been hard to ignore the rave reviews from customers who have used this video doorbell to protect their homes. They praise its responsiveness to visitors, its ease of assembly, and the impressive video quality.

In fact, the Tapo Battery Video Doorbell Colour-Night Vision not only offers 2K 5MP live video during the daytime, but the night vision quality allows you to keep an eye on visitors and passers-by even without outside lighting.

Alongside this, Tapo 4:3 live view ensures users can check visitors from head-to-toe as close as 1m, which shows more vertical details than other 16:9 doorbells. With the anti-theft alarm turned on, you will be alerted as soon as someone tries to tamper or remove it.

The only downside customers have faced is that visitors are often confused by the button and the design of the doorbell. However, this is something that can be fixed with the ‘Press Here’ sticker included in the box.

How we test

You'll find full details of the Ideal Home review process on our how we test page.

Our team of reviewers tested the best-selling video doorbells on the market to compile this guide. We compared everything from set-up to design, performance, affordability, smart features, and more to find the best video doorbells to suit a variety of needs and budgets.

If there are any products that we haven't managed to test in person, or the product didn't achieve over 4 out of 5 stars, then they won't have an Ideal Home Approved badge.

However, you can rest assured we've done thorough research on their technical specifications and read multiple happy – and not-so-happy – customer reviews to narrow down our suggestions to only the best-in-class.

How to choose the best video doorbell for your home

Video doorbells come in plenty of different shapes and sizes. But what's important is that they also come with a wide variety of features. There are a few stand-out specs you'll want to make sure you take into consideration before you buy:

• Wired or wireless: Some are wired into power, like a classic doorbell, while others can use battery, allowing them to attach easily, anywhere.
• Ecosystem: Some brands work with a broader ecosystem of gadgets via one app, making your life simpler if you've already got some of this kit.
• Home security: Some are built for this, with motion alerts, while others simply respond to the button press.
• Ongoing costs: Some charge for storage of video in the cloud, while others allow you cheap or free local storage options.
• Quality: The better the quality, the more you can see, which is crucial if you want this for home security too.
• Audio quality: This can vary, so if you plan to do a lot of two-way chat, this is a feature to look closer at.
• Extra features: Many video doorbells now come complete with AI technology and in-built anti-theft alarms, to further enhance your smart security system.
• Battery life: If you're going for a battery unit, make sure it's made to last at least six months, or you'll be popping it on charge more often than you’d like.
• Field of view: This could be a factor if the doorbell is going in a tight space. Essentially, the wider the field of view, the more you will see.

FAQs

Why do I need a video doorbell?

If it isn't clear already, there are two main reasons to go video with your doorbell. First, to see and interact with who's at your front door and to offer video surveillance of your home's main point of entry. Second, it's also great for rental owners, especially Airbnb operators, who aren't always at the property.

Of course, these two also break down into more details, like being able to see potential guests at your door even when you're at the bottom of the garden, thanks to that Wi-Fi connection and phone app. Or the ability to use that camera as a deterrent for would-be burglars that now recognise these doorbells as recording devices.

Some video doorbells even use facial recognition to intelligently alert you to a guest when you need to know. This helps avoid too many notifications. On that same subject, you can more easily silence your doorbell, making this ideal for those people with young children whose nap time almost inevitably coincides with the delivery man's arrival.

How much should I spend on a video doorbell?

Video doorbell prices are pretty varied, with older models for under £100 and newer, more feature-packed units coming in at over £400. Usually, you can quite easily decide which works for you based on what you need. The problems arise when you need a particular feature that's reserved only for the higher-end models.

Thankfully these have been around long enough now that competition is growing as such. Everyone is trying to cram in the best features at a lower price. That means you should now be able to get what you want without paying for the top end.

Of course, as is often the case, if you do want the best working video doorbell, you'll need to pay more for it. Another advantage to paying more is that often these higher-end models look better too, enhancing your front door's finish.

That doesn’t always mean that you can’t get more bang for your buck, though. Smart security often goes on sale throughout the year, such as Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday. But if you’re looking for more specific deals, you can also check out our Ring video doorbell deals page.