Ring has become a household name because of its video doorbells that allow homeowners to monitor visitors and be alerted to potential intruders, even when they are not at home. But there’s more to this home security company than that popular product.
Since its acquisition by Amazon, Ring has offered a variety of smart home security options, including the aforementioned self-monitoring doorbells, security cameras and now professional monitoring programs.
Ring has also established a reputation for offering products and services that are affordable. But does it truly afford homeowners peace of mind?
Pros
- No contract is required
- DIY install
- Integrates with other smart home technology
Cons
- Strong Wi-Fi connection required
- Recording only with subscription
- No sensors for glass break
Table of Contents
- Ring Home Security at a Glance
- What Can You Expect From Ring Home Security?
- Ring Home Security Components
- Ring Home Security Smart Home Integration
- Ring Home Security Add-ons
- Our Experience With Ring Home Security
- What We Like About Ring Home Security
- What We Didn’t Like About Ring Home Security
- How Ring Home Security Stacks Up
- Ring vs. ADT
- Ring vs. Cove
- What Are People Saying About Ring
- Is Ring The Right Home Security System for You?
- Methodology: How We Rated Home Security Systems
Ring Home Security at a Glance
For homeowners seeking a self-monitoring home security system that also offers affordable professional monitoring, Ring fits the bill. Devices also integrate easily with Alexa and Google, ensuring that your smart home is also a safe home. In fact, Ring made our Best Home Security Systems list in the category of Best for Affordable Smart Home Integration.
Ring sells DIY-friendly bundled devices that make it even easier to secure your home quickly. But homeowners—especially those with larger houses and properties—should also consider the vast line of accessories that can further customize their setup.
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What Can You Expect From Ring Home Security?
No matter the size of your home, Ring has plenty of devices to choose from so you can create and customize your home security system. You might start small with just the popular Ring video doorbell, or you might add on security cameras, sensors, panic buttons and more so that every square foot of your home is secure, whether you’re home or not.
Ring Home Security Components
The sheer size of Ring’s product line shows how much you can customize your home’s security system. Here’s a breakdown of some of the key categories of Ring products:
Doorbell
Many homeowners start with the video doorbell, and for good reason: It’s easy to install and even easier to connect to a smart device so you can monitor who’s coming and going from your front doorstep.
Camera
Battery, plug-in, solar-powered, oh my! There’s a camera for every power situation, both inside and outside your home. There are also different options for cameras, too. Choose one with floodlights, and you’ll be able to watch the video feed of intruders fleeing when they’re caught in the sensors.
Alarm System
Ring home alarm systems not only alert you to break-ins, but also fire, floods and other catastrophes, depending on what types of sensors are installed. You can choose a basic bundle or a more expansive one with more window, door and flood sensors if you’ve got a larger home. The bundles are a good place to start, but you can further customize with add-ons, like more window and door contact sensors, as needed.
Ring Home Security Smart Home Integration
Although Ring Home Security works well enough on its own, it pairs well with Alexa and Google and all of their associated smart devices, like Google Nest. Just as you determine how many add-ons you need to secure your home with Ring, you can also determine how integrated you want Ring to be with the other devices already installed.
Ring Home Security Plans and Pricing
While some basic features are free to access, Ring customers who subscribe to a monthly service receive more robust monitoring options.
Monitoring Plans
Here’s a quick breakdown of monthly monitoring plans available to Ring customers:
Protect Basic
- $4.99 per month, or $49.99 per year (savings of $9.89)
- Video recording for one doorbell OR home camera, or access to digital features for one alarm
Protect Plus
- $10 per month, or $100 per year (savings of $20)
- Premium video and notification features for all doorbells and cameras at one location
- Includes benefits of Protect Basic
Protect Pro
- $20 per month, or $200 per year (savings of $40)
- Covers all Ring devices at one location
- 24/7 Alarm professional monitoring
- Includes benefits of Protect Plus
Ring Home Security Add-ons
While most homeowners are likely attracted to the Ring brand for the ubiquitous video doorbells, they’d be remiss in stopping there when considering home safety. Ring’s popularity is due in large part to the ability to customize…and customize.
You can purchase cameras, sensors and panic buttons for every corner of your home. And it’s not just the humans in your household that are protected by Ring; there are even options to keep your furry companions safely accounted for.
Our Experience With Ring Home Security
Ring’s user-friendly website looks more like a regular retail site than a home security site. That’s not to say that there isn’t plenty of guidance and resources to learn more about Ring, of course. But the site also makes it very easy to shop for devices, place them in your cart and check out—all in one sitting, if you’re ready to do so.
Bundled products make it easy to purchase the basics of what you need to secure your home or apartment. If there’s no bundle that feels quite right, pick one that’s close and simply add more sensors, panic buttons and alarm panels as needed.
Of course, if you’re new to the home security game and aren’t quite sure where to start, there’s a section of the website just for you. Simply choose the “Build your system” option under the Products menu, and you’ll be greeted with a series of questions that will help you build your ideal home system.
You can choose right away to look at doorbells, cameras or alarm systems, but if you’re not sure, click the “I’m not sure” option. With this latter one, you’ll be walked through a customized setup for your home. (Note that you’ll need to know how many doors and windows you have rather than calculate square footage.)
We were surprised to see how quickly the Ring site took us through fairly simple questions, like whether we wanted cameras indoors and/or outdoors and how many areas we wanted surveillance. It helps to know whether you want your devices hardwired, battery-operated or solar powered, but you can always hit the back button to review your options.
After answering 10 or so questions about our security needs, we found that Ring had provided a carefully curated list of security devices, including panic buttons and flood sensors, for a total of $1,429.90. All we had to do was click “add to cart” if we were ready. It’s pricey for sure to purchase that without some thought—and we hadn’t even gotten to any monitoring options yet—but the site allowed us to go back and forth to further customize and economize our system.
It should be noted that while you can DIY even the purchase of your system set up, there’s a Help button that offers a page of useful resources to help guide your purchase, as well as the opportunity to talk to a customer representative for support.
What We Like About Ring Home Security
Even with so many options, we like the ease with which you can get started with Ring Home Security. You can choose bundles for both apartments and houses so that you can set up a whole home system quickly.
That said, if you’re not sure where to start with your home security or are concerned with how many devices you actually need for your space,
What We Didn’t Like About Ring Home Security
We’ll be honest—the low customer review ratings on both Trustpilot and Better Business Bureau don’t give us much confidence in Ring’s customer service. Although DIY installation is easy enough, it seems like you might have to be even more self-reliant when it comes to any tweaks or adjustments that need to be made to ensure your system is operating as it should.
How Ring Home Security Stacks Up
Protect Plus Plan, $10 per month;
Protect Pro plan, $20 per month
Ring vs. ADT
Those in the market for a smart home security system might consider another industry leader, ADT. Let’s take a look at how the two stack up.
Primary Differences Between Ring and ADT
Here are some of the features that differ between Ring and ADT:
Pro Installation
Ring is a DIYer’s dream come true, with a pro installer as an optional add-on. However, any ADT system you purchase necessitates a professional installation.
Smart Home Integration
Both ADT and Ring have smart home integration but with one big difference. Ring devices partner seamlessly with Alexa and Google Home. ADT has its own smart hub, which you can activate by voice control through Alexa or Google Home.
Contracts
Ring does not have any contract terms, but ADT customers must sign on for a three-year contract. Should they cancel before the end of the term, ADT may charge them 75% of the monthly service charges until the initial contract term expires.
Pricing
Between pro installation and lengthy service contracts, ADT costs more than Ring in terms of product and monitoring prices.
Similarities Between Ring and ADT
And now here’s a look at some of the features Ring and ADT share.
Security Cameras
Both companies offer security cameras for both indoors and outdoors. Customers not only can view a feed in real time, but they can also record and store videos for future reference.
Customizable Security Systems
Both Ring and ADT offer a wide range of monitoring solutions, allowing you to customize the best security system for your home’s needs.
Self-Monitoring and Pro Monitoring
Both ADT and Ring offer customers apps that allow them to monitor and control their security systems via smartphone or tablet, but professional monitoring is also available for more robust security.
Learn more: ADT review
Ring vs. Cove
Cove is another solid option for home security. Let’s take a look at it alongside Ring.
Primary Differences Between Ring and Cove
Here are some of the features that differ between Ring and Cove
System Design and Range
Cove has a smaller product line that leans more toward traditional home security devices, like cameras. Ring’s robust product line seems to offer endless opportunities to customize your home security system, plus many find themmore aesthetically pleasing.
Pricing
While both companies are known for their affordable, no-contract monitoring, Cove takes it further by including warranties and even $5 monthly credits (Cove Plus) so that you can upgrade your Cove system as needed.
Customer Service
Cove’s 4.35 out of 5 stars rating on Trustpilot casts a rather large shadow over Ring’s 1.2 rating. Many of the reviews tout Cove’s excellent customer service, which is something that seems to be lacking for Ring customers.
Similarities Between Ring and Cove
And now here’s a look at some of the features Ring and Cove share.
Self- or Professional Monitoring
Both Ring and Cove offer apps through which you can track your home’s security. Log on via your smartphone or tablet to view camera feeds, monitor alerts and engage/disengage certain security features while you are at home or away.
Smart Home Integration
Both Ring and Cove connect to Alexa, Google Home and other smart tech devices, so your lighting, heating/cooling and other home automation can all work together with your home security. However, it should be noted that Alexa/Google integration is only part of the more expensive Cove Plus plan.
Highly Customizable
Start with a video doorbell or security camera and keep customizing with accessories—including panic buttons and medical alerts—until your personal and home security needs are met.
DIYability
While you can pay a pro to install your Ring or Cove devices, they are easy enough for homeowners to install on their own.
Learn more: Cove review
What Are People Saying About Ring
As with other home security systems, people have opinions about Ring, and not all of them are good. Despite an A- rating on the Better Business Bureau website, Ring received only a 1.1 out of 5-star customer review rating. Some of the reviews are critical of poor customer service and products that don’t work effectively, while others lament having to pay ongoing monthly subscription fees. That said, some other reviews on platforms like Google and Facebook are positive toward the Ring system.
Is Ring The Right Home Security System for You?
If you want peace of mind from a smart home security system you can install yourself for a reasonable price, Ring is a good choice. The high-quality video is a plus for detecting trespassers and intruders, and you can customize your system with add-ons for even greater security, whether you are at home or away.
Ring Comparisons
Methodology: How We Rated Home Security Systems
To determine the home security systems ranking, the Forbes Home editorial team analyzed 22 companies and 133 systems,with each company’s star rating determined by evaluating a variety of metrics and subcategories, including app reviews, customer reviews and reputation, customer support, pricing, setup and more.
You can find out more about how Forbes Home rates home security systems on our detailed methodology page.
All figures and facts were accurate at the time of first publication.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the difference between Ring Home and Ring Away?
Both settings secure the perimeter of your home, but Ring Home allows members of the household to move freely throughout the space without setting off any alarms. When nobody is home, set your system to Ring Away to completely engage all sensors so that if there’s any movement in the home, the system will alert you to an intrusion.
What does the Ring Home setting do?
The Ring Home setting activates cameras and other security devices while still allowing members of your household to roam freely without triggering any alarms.
Is Ring Home Security free?
There are some very basic features you can get for free just by having a Ring security device. However, for video storage and more comprehensive monitoring, you’ll have to purchase a monthly plan starting at $4.99.
Is there a monthly fee for Ring doorbells?
Yes. There are three monthly plans to choose from. Protect Basic is $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year. Protect Plus is $10 per month or $100 per year. Protect Pro, the most comprehensive, is $20 per month, or $200 per year.
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