When it comes to video doorbells, few companies are as popular as Ring. The manufacturer has been churning out highly reviewed products for years — and one of the newest additions, the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus, continues that tradition.
However, the older Video Doorbell 4 remains one of the best video doorbells in the Ring catalog. Both offer impressive HD video and make use of the intuitive Ring smartphone app, so it might be difficult to figure out which is best for your smart home.
If you’re torn between the two, here’s a comparison of the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus and Ring Video Doorbell 4 to help guide your decision.
Design
The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus and Ring Video Doorbell 4 are nearly impossible to distinguish from each other. Both are available in Satin Nickel, clock in at just over 5 inches tall and feature the iconic blue Ring doorbell button in the center. They’re eye-catching products by all counts, and few video doorbells come close to looking this premium.
Winner: Tie
Installation
As you’d expect, the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus doesn’t require any complex wiring to install. Instead, it features a removable and rechargeable battery pack. If you’d prefer, however, Ring does allow you to hardwire the doorbell for continuous power. This requires the following:
- Standard doorbell system with 8-24 VAC, 40VA max, 50/60Hz doorbell transformer
The same goes for the Ring Video Doorbell 4 — offering both a removable battery pack and all the connections for a hardwired power source. Its hardwired requirements are a bit different:
- Standard doorbell system, Ring plug-in adapter or transformer with 8-24 VAC, 40VA max, 50/60Hz or 24VDC, 0.5A, 12W
In other words, both the Ring Video Doorbell 4 and Battery Doorbell Plus offer two installation methods and should be compatible with nearly every home in the country.
Winner: Tie
Features and specs
This is where the two products start to diverge. The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus comes with a stat sheet that’s a bit more compelling than its older sibling, thanks to HD footage that’s recorded in 1536p. That’s a strange resolution, but it lets you view both the foot of your door and the face of your guests without any panning required. It also boasts Color Night Vision.
The Video Doorbell 4, meanwhile, films in standard 1080p and may not film the entirety of your front door if placed improperly. It also used black and white footage when recording at night, which isn’t quite as crisp as the Color Night Vision found on the Battery Doorbell Plus.
The Ring Video Doorbell 4 will run for six to 12 months on a single charge, depending on usage and frequency of alerts. The Battery Doorbell Plus is rated for six to eight months. Most users will find it difficult to reach these “best case scenario” numbers and should be ready to recharge their doorbells every few months.
The older Ring Video Doorbell 4 also offers a feature known as Pre-Roll, which lets you capture motion four seconds before the event was triggered. This helps gather a more complete picture of each event and is surprisingly absent on the newer Battery Doorbell Plus.
Despite the omission, the 1536p footage is a game-changer for the Battery Doorbell Plus and is a much bigger deal than Pre-Roll. And if you’re concerned about movement at night, the Battery Doorbell Plus is leagues ahead of its predecessor.
Winner: Ring Battery Doorbell Plus
Price and subscriptions
The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus costs $180, while the Ring Video Doorbell 4 is $160. It’s possible to use both without a Ring Protect Plan, but you’ll likely want to spring for the Basic Plan, which costs $4 per month or $40 per year. There’s also the option for a Plus Plan ($10 per month) that’s designed for homes with multiple cameras. And if you really want to keep your home protected, both doorbells are eligible for the Ring Pro Plan at $20 per month or $200 per year.
Winner: Tie
Verdict
Although they share much in common, the new Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is likely the better option for most homes. Its ability to produce head-to-toe footage is impressive, and Color Night Vision helps keep things crisp and clear when the sun goes down.
If you currently own a Ring Video Doorbell 4, however, it may not be worth upgrading. Most of the specs are shared across both video doorbells, and there’s not much of a need to drop $180 unless you really need improved night vision or the higher resolution footage.
On the other hand, folks without a video doorbell (or with an older model), will find much to love about the Battery Doorbell Plus. It may not look much different from most Ring doorbells, but it’s without a doubt one of the best video doorbells available today.
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