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Nest Doorbell vs. Ring Battery Doorbell Plus: which is the better video doorbell?

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Ring and Nest are responsible for some of the best video doorbells available. With easy-to-use smartphone apps, simple installation processes, and the ability to customize your motion alerts, the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus and Nest Doorbell have quickly established themselves as two of the best video doorbells money can buy.

But what exactly is the difference between these two popular gadgets? And which is better for your smart home?

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Here’s a look at the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus and Nest Doorbell to help you decide.

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Design

The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus installed outside a front door.
Ring

The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus looks like most other products in the Ring catalog. The top portion of the rectangular device is black, while the lower half is silver. On the lower half, you’ll find the doorbell button surrounded by the iconic blue ring light. By all accounts, it’s a good-looking doorbell — if not a bit bulky.

By comparison, the Nest Doorbell is much more streamlined. Its elongated shape makes it easier to retrofit into the location of old, existing doorbells, and it comes in a variety of colors to fit your style. The camera can be found at the top of the device, while the doorbell button is down at the bottom.

Winner: Tie

Installation

Nest Doorbell attaching the doorbell.
Nest

Installation for the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is simple. In fact, Ring says you can have it up and running in a matter of minutes. The most difficult part will be securing the device to your home. If you don’t like the idea of drilling holes into your siding, you can pick up an optional adhesive mount for an even faster process. Once the video doorbell is positioned on your home, you can simply download the Ring app to your smartphone and get things running.

It’s a similar story for the Nest Doorbell. You’ll simply need to mount it to your door, install the smartphone app, then sync the video doorbell to your account.

Keep in mind that the Nest Doorbell is offered in two models — wired or battery. For this comparison, only the battery-powered model is considered. But if you like everything offered by the Nest Doorbell and prefer the continuous power offered by a wired connection, it’s nice to know that Google has you covered.

Winner: Tie

Features and specs

The Nest Doorbell installed near a front door.
Nest

The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus offers customizable motion alerts, two-way audio, support for Alexa, and a head-to-toe video resolution of 1536p. For recordings that happen after the sun goes down, you’ll benefit from color night vision. You can also make use of Quick Replies, which allows visitors to leave a message (Ring calls it an “answering machine for your front door”).

Battery life for the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus will vary based on usage and climate, but you can expect to get up to eight months on a single charge.

By comparison, the Nest Doorbell (battery) will typically run for just under three months, maxing out at six months if you live in a quiet neighborhood. Its battery clearly isn’t as powerful as the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus, but it does offer many of the same features. This includes customizable alerts, two-way audio, a head-to-toe HD resolution with a 145-degree viewing angle, and infrared night vision.

Winner: Ring Battery Doorbell Plus

Price and subscriptions

Installing a battery for the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus.
Ring

The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus costs $180, as does the Nest Doorbell (battery). You’ll also want to pick up a monthly subscription to get the most mileage out of your devices.

For Ring, that means the Ring Basic Plan, which costs $4 per month and unlocks notifications, 180-day video history, person alerts, and a bunch of other perks. For the Nest Doorbell, you’ll want a Nest Aware subscription, which costs $6 per month and grants you access to features like familiar face alerts and 30 days of event history.

Winner: Ring Battery Doorbell Plus

Verdict

Thanks to its impressive battery life and more affordable monthly subscription, the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is likely the better fit for your smart home. There’s little offered by the Nest Doorbell that can’t be found on the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus — and there’s no denying that its extended battery life is a big selling point.

However, keep in mind that a wired version of the Nest Doorbell is available. So, if you liked everything about the video doorbell (including its slim footprint), consider checking out its wired sibling. Not only does it offer practically all the same features, but you’ll never need to change batteries again — and it still clocks in at just $180.

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Jon Bitner
Jon Bitner
Jon Bitner is a writer covering consumer electronics, technology, and gaming. His work has been published on various websites…
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