While security cameras have moved well into the sub-$100 price range, video doorbells have been slower to take the plunge into affordability. Budget options such as the Ring Video Doorbell Wired and the Wyze Video Doorbell were both cheap, but they were wired-only, which limited their appeal to those living in homes with doorbell wiring, and to those allowed to replace their doorbells (which excluded many apartment owners and renters).
Two video doorbells emerged from major budget-friendly developers in late 2021 and early 2022: the $90 Wyze Video Doorbell Pro and the $50 Blink Video Doorbell. Wyze immediately positioned itself as the better value of the two options: Sure it was more expensive, but the included plug-in chime, higher resolution, improved field of view and other features accounted for that difference. Blink grabbed headlines, though, thanks to its unbeatable price, and the fact that it runs on two AA batteries.
For super cheap video doorbells, the big question is less about value (because they’ve both got it), and more about performance. Here’s how Wyze and Blink line up.
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You can wire Wyze’s $90 buzzer directly to your doorbell wiring, or you can run it on the included battery, with an estimated life of up to six months. This doorbell pulls out all the stops: 1440×1440 resolution with a 150-degree by 150-degree field of view, full night vision, two-way talk, free 12-second clip storage on a 14-day rolling basis. If you subscribe to its Cam Plus service for $2 a month, you also get smarter alerts (person, pet, vehicle and package), unlimited clip length for storage and no cooldown between recordings.
In short, this thing offers incredible value for the price. You even get a plug-in chime included in the box.
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Fifty bucks is pretty unbeatable for a wireless video doorbell, and in general Blink still offers up a reliable gadget. You’ll get a 135-degree horizontal field of view and an 80-degree vertical one, night vision, two-way talk, motion alerts and more. While you don’t get free cloud storage out of the box, you can get 60 days of unlimited storage for $3/month — or you can buy the $35 Blink Sync Module 2 to get local storage options.
Blink’s big limitation is that you can’t view its live feed unless prompted by a motion alert or buzzer-push notification. While that’ll be a bummer for some buyers, it may not change the calculus for others.
Which budget doorbell wins?
While Blink’s price tag is impressive and its performance was reliable, Wyze just overwhelms the competition with its value proposition. To get such great features — especially that tall field of view and free cloud storage — for under a hundred bucks is an incredible deal.
If you’re looking for the absolute cheapest video doorbell, or if local storage is a must for you, then Blink will be your best bet. For everyone else, the Wyze Video Doorbell Pro is the clear winner.