Video doorbells are the latest trend in home security. However, the top manufacturers all have expensive monthly subscriptions fees. The main reason for the monthly subscription is cloud storage which allows you to easily access and save your recorded footage.
Unlike newcomers Ring and Nest, traditional security manufacturers, such as Hikvision and Lorex, are now producing video doorbells. Below we dive into the best video doorbells without monthly subscriptions. To get around the lack of cloud storage, footage is recorded on SD cards, connected Hard Drives or Network Video Recorders.
Otherwise, you can expect all the normal features of a video doorbell such as live video streaming to your phone, human detection motion alerts, and two- way communication.
The Lorex Doorbell camera is a affordable video camera for monitoring people coming to your door.
- It has an ultra-wide range of 164° field view, with an impressive 2K QHD resolution video quality.
- It has an IR night vision up to 33ft (10m).
- Lorex Home App helps the owner to see notifications about the visitor via motion detection.
The Lorex Video Doorbell is a next-gen security device. It helps record visitors at your door and sends a notification to the owner on their mobile app.
Product Design
The product has a sleek design that looks good on the doorframe. It comes in a silver and white color with adjustable angles on the door.
The 2K QHD Wired Video Doorbell is 1.8” wide and 5.1” long. It has a bell button, a microphone sensor, and an LED light on the front side. The LED helps to detect the visitor at nighttime.
Product Installation
The installation of this product is quite simple. The doorbell comes with a complete package including a mounting bracket, Phillips and Torx mounting screws, anchors and wood screws, chimes kit, chimes cable, power screws, cable cap, and extension cables.
Install the doorbell after turning off the power supply and connect the chime kit with the internal doorbell chime. Now locate your internal doorbell chime to your living room, bedroom, or hallway.
Now remove your existing doorbell and replace it with the new doorbell by mounting the wall bracket first. After mounting the bracket and doorbell, turn on the power supply and connect your doorbell with the Lorex Home App. Setup your device with the application and start monitoring your home.
- It has a 32 GB memory slot for storage.
- This doorbell has a pre-recording feature that starts recording 5 seconds before the doorbell sounds.
- It supports Google Home, Alexa, and other smart home voice assistants.
- The owner can use a two-way communication feature to greet visitors.
- Installation is a little trickier as it is not wireless
Tech Specs
| It has a 2K QHD resolution, which is more than 2x 1080 HD. |
| It has an ultra-wide 164° viewing angle. |
| It can store 32GB of data via a storage card. |
| It supports storage cards up to 256 GB microSD cards. |
| HDR automatically corrects itself when lightning is not good. |
The eufy Wi-Fi video doorbell with 2K resolution has good storage along with human detection and two-way communication.
- It has a crystal clear high definition 2560×1920 resolution.
- You can speak directly to the other side with the two-way audio feature.
- It provides military-grade AES 256 bit data encryption that ensures the transmission and storage of the files.
The eufy video doorbell is engineered to protect your data privacy while recording activity outside your door. It instantly alerts the owner before the bell rings by using its facial recognition AI technology.
Product Design:
The eufy security doorbell is a slim, sleek, and easy-to-set-up device. It comes in an elegant black or white color. The dimension of the product is 4.8×1.69×0.94 inches. There are no subscription charges after a one-time purchase of the product.
Installation and Performance:
This cost- effective security doorbell is easy to install and use. The device comes with a user guide. After installing the doorbell, the user can easily set the angle of the camera and security conditions. You can follow these steps to set up the eufy doorbell:
- Turn on the Homagae2 and connect it to the internet using an ethernet cable.
- When the LED light turns blue, it means the HomeBase2 is ready to work.
- Now download the eufy Security App from the Play Store for Android or Apple Store for iOS devices.
- Make sure the battery is charging before connecting the doorbell camera.
- Now find a mounting spot for the bracket and doorbell.
- After placing the mounting frame on the wall, place the doorbell and press it into the bracket.
- Now turn on the electric power to activate the video doorbell.
- It’s cost-effective because it’s a one-time purchase with no other subscription charges.
- It provides eight different types of chimes/ringtones.
- It alerts instantly before the bell rings.
- The user can access videos privately anytime, anywhere.
- It connects your doorbell to Google Assistance or Alexa.
- Some users have complained of false positive detections.
Tech Specs
| It has a 2K resolution. |
| Its battery life is up to 120 days. |
| It is wireless and uses Wi-Fi to send a notification to the user. |
| It is weatherproof with IP67. |
| It provides the best data encryption AES 256. |
| It provides night vision up to 10 meters long. |
The Hikvision Wi-Fi Smart Doorbell Camera is easy to use and captures 2048×1536 resolution video. This smart doorbell is pocket-friendly. You can choose among three interchangeable faceplates, i.e., white, black, and grey.
- It has a 2048×1536 resolution with IR illumination.
- It is a cost-effective doorbell with a 180° vertical front view.
- It has an omnidirectional microphone and a two-way loudspeaker.
There is a built-in noise suppression feature. The user can view the recording using the Android or iPhone mobile app. The device has dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity.
It is compatible with HikCentral, iVMS-4200, Hikvision Views, HikCentral, iOS, and Android.
Amcrest is a smart device of 9.2×7.6×1.8 inches. It works with the existing bell wiring and mechanical chime. It provides two-way communication for the host and visitor.
- It has a 2MP CMOS image sensor, HD 1920×1080, with a focal length of 2.0mm.
- It provides a 140° viewing angle and night vision up to 16 feet.
- It is IP55 waterproof and has storage up to 128GB.
PIR motion detector technology sends notifications through push messages or email. There is also a built-in microphone. The speaker allows for two-way audio and makes it easier to talk to visitors without getting up and answering the door.
It has a one year warranty and lifetime customer support. The PIR Motion Sensor lets you receive motion detection alerts via email or push notifications and instantly review recorded footage directly from your smartphone using the Amcrest Smart Home app.
NightOwl is designed with 1080p HD human detection technology. The two-way audio lets you communicate with the visitor in real-time. It's a weather-resistant doorbell with up to 30 feet of night vision and a 140° wide-angle view.
- It provides a high-quality image of 1080p HD resolution.
- You can save footage on an HDD or a microSD card.
- It provides free remote viewing of videos about the surroundings of the home.
The Night Owl video doorbell without monthly subscription provides several modes of storage based on the device setup. The free apps for Android and iOS let you replay recordings from anywhere around the world.
It has real-time alerts which have human detection with facial features. People can use the free app to hear from a visitor or can speak through it.
Communicate with visitors at your door using the Ubiquiti doorbell. It has an IR LED illuminator, and IR cut filter. The Wi-Fi device uses a CMOS sensor to capture video in HD resolution up to 30fps.
- It has night vision functionality with up to 155° diagonal field of view.
- It is a video doorbell that can monitor the front door with up to 1600×1200 resolution at 30fps.
- The user can manage it remotely using the UniFy Protect app for iOS and Android.
It has a factory reset button to reset the doorbell settings and an LED indicator. It is FCC, CE, and IC certified. There is also a powerful embedded Ambarella SoC processor.
This device helps you to interact with your visitor. You can see up to 180° field views with a 1080p video.
- It provides 1920×1080 resolution video at 15fps and low light recording for up to 180° angle.
- It has Wi-Fi connectivity that enables two-way communication.
- It has a motion sensor, and is IP54 rated for dust and water resistance.
You can receive alerts if any motion is detected in the doorbell area. It can save up to 500MB of free video on mobile devices and can also work remotely using the Honeywell Total Connect remote service.
You can use the free SkyBell smartphone app to control the device with your smartphone and a live video feed to monitor your front door. It can be operated in extreme weather and temperatures from -40 to 140°F.
Video Doorbell Features to Consider
Alerts & Live Streaming of Footage
Today, everyone wants to know which visitor is coming to their home. A video doorbell can help people check and monitor the presence of visitors at their door.
Most video doorbell cameras detect a human’s presence by recognizing their face and body and send alerts to the owner. The owner can see the live stream from the video doorbell mounted on their door.
Storage of Footage
Video doorbells without monthly subscriptions typically store the footage or record the incident in the memory card or HDD connected to it. The user can see and re-play the video of all the days recorded in the memory.
Different doorbell cameras provide several storage spaces according to their technology used.
Camera Resolution and Field of View
The resolution of the camera plays a vital role in the functionality of video doorbells. If the camera’s resolution is fair, it can easily detect the human face or body and take a clear picture of the person on the door. The resolution must be more than 1080p with a good range of view up to 140°
Two-way audio
Considering two-way communication in a video doorbell camera should be a top priority. By using two-way audio, the visitor can leave a message for the owner. Also, the owner can leave a message to any visitor in his place.
Common Questions Relating to Video Doorbell without Monthly Subscriptions
Recording and saving the doorbell video without a subscription is not tough. The video doorbells listed above have a one-time purchase policy. For live streaming, you must make sure that the video doorbell is connected to your Wi-Fi.
So, whenever a person comes to your home, the sensor detects the presence of the person, captures its footage/video, and sends it to the owner of the house using its required mobile application.
Some video doorbells stream data over an Ethernet cable so we recommend checking the products specifications.
Installing a video doorbell is very easy. There are some simple steps to follow.
You need to gather all the tools that come with the doorbell and a screwdriver to mount the bell on the wall. Charge the battery of the doorbell and connect it to the internet.
Shut down the electricity and remove the old doorbell. In the same place, attach the video doorbell’s mounting back and if not battery powered, connect all the electrical wires with the doorbell.
Now restore the electricity supply and set up the doorbell preferences.
ONVIF is a technology that helps to connect more than one doorbell using IP cameras. It allows IP products within the video surveillance industry to communicate with each other.
Some of the doorbells mentioned above are ONVIF compatible. These include:
- Night Owl
- Amcrest NV4432-4TB 32 Channel Network Video Recorder
- Ubiquiti Networks UniFi Protect G4 2MP Doorbell
The Verdict
A video doorbell is an excellent addition to your home security infrastructure. It’s particularly effective in monitoring delivered packages and acting as a deterrent for thieves!
The Lorex Doorbell camera is a affordable video camera for monitoring people coming to your door.
- It has an ultra-wide range of 164° field view, with an impressive 2K QHD resolution video quality.
- It has an IR night vision up to 33ft (10m).
- Lorex Home App helps the owner to see notifications about the visitor via motion detection.