Whether you’re worried about porch pirates, want to help delivery people drop off packages in the right spot or just hope to catch sight of the neighborhood raccoons exploring your porch in the middle of the night, video doorbell cameras can give you an extra set of eyes on your entryway.
But video doorbells can get pricey — especially if you’re wanting top-of-the-line features like facial recognition and radar tracking. Luckily, solid doorbell cams have emerged in the past year or so for under $100. If you’re looking for a great, cheap video doorbell, look no further, because these are the best on the market.
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Chris Monroe/CNET
Wyze launched its second video doorbell in 2022, and at $90, it’s a little pricier and a lot smarter than its first attempt at a video doorbell. The Wyze Video Doorbell Pro is under $100, which makes it one of the cheapest wireless doorbell cams on the market. Wyze didn’t skimp on the features, either: the Doorbell Pro has 1,440×1,440 resolution, a 1:1 aspect ratio with a wide field of view, smart alerts (with the $2/month subscription), free cloud storage and an included plug-in chime. That’s why we gave it an Editors’ Choice Award and a score of 8.9/10.
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David Priest/CNET
At $65, this hardwired version of Ring’s Video Doorbell is super affordable, and it includes all the basics – live streaming, night vision, two-way talk and motion alerts. While this smart buzzer doesn’t include the premium features of pricier models, it performs reliably well, pulls up its live feed with little latency and is a breeze to install if you have a wired setup. You can get cloud storage for $3 per month. If you live in an Alexa-friendly home, the doorbell can integrate well with your other gadgets, too. After testing it out, we gave the Ring Video Doorbell (Wired) an 8.6/10.
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Chris Monroe/CNET
Blink’s Video Doorbell is the cheapest we’ve tested that we would recommend — at least to some users. What makes Blink really impressive is its value: at $50, the Blink Video Doorbell offers most of the basics of a video doorbell, including wireless installation options and a plug-in chime (Ring’s $65 option is wired-only and doesn’t include a chime).
The biggest drawback for Blink is that, unless you shell out for a separate device, you can’t access a real-time feed unless someone rings the doorbell or the device senses motion (or unless you buy a $35 accessory). That means no random checks if you’re out of town or just wanting to see if it snowed last night.
But if you’re just wanting a basic doorbell that works as a modest security measure — and that lets you chat with daytime visitors without answering the door — Blink will do the job well at a pretty unbeatable price. And you can get cloud storage for $3/month. We gave the Blink Video Doorbell a 7.6/10.
How affordable video doorbell cameras compare
Here is a breakdown of the exact features offered by each of our favorite affordable video doorbells.
Cheap video doorbells compared
| Wyze Video Doorbell Pro | Ring Video Doorbell (Wired) | Blink Video Doorbell | |
| Price | $90 | $65 | $50 |
| Resolution | 1440×1440 | 1080p | 1080p |
| Field of view | 150×150 degrees | 135×80 degrees | 155×90 degrees |
| Aspect ratio | 1:1 | 16:9 | 16:9 |
| Plug-in chime | Included | Not included | Included |
| 2-way talk | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Live streaming | Yes | Yes | No |
| Local storage | No | No | With accessory |
| Cloud storage | Free and with subscription | Subscription only | Subscription only |
How we test video doorbells
Hands-on testing is core to our approach in evaluating home security devices. That means we install every video doorbell we review, use it in a home environment, test every feature and thoroughly compare it to the competition. These are the comparisons we focus on:
- The features offered
- How the features perform
- Whole product performance over a testing period of a week
- Resolution, night vision and latency comparisons
- Overall value
If you want to read more about our testing procedures, check out our in-depth article on how we test home security cameras and video doorbells.
Cheap video doorbell FAQs
Are cheap video doorbell cameras any good?
Short answer: Yes. But that’s only become true in recent years. While home security cameras have landed sub-$100 price tags since 2016, reliable video doorbells have only dipped into the double figures since 2021. Now, enough devices are in the market to drive solid competition – which means better products at better prices.
What is the cheapest video doorbell that works with Alexa?
Blink’s $50 Video Doorbell is the cheapest video doorbell we recommend, and it can use Amazon’s Alexa devices as indoor chimes. If you want more robust integrations, like checking live feeds and initiating two-way talk, Ring’s $60 wired video doorbell is the better option.
What is the cheapest video doorbell that works with Google Home?
While Ring and Blink can work with Google Home to a limited extent, the best cheap video doorbell that we recommend to use with the platform is Wyze’s. Yes, it’s $90, but you can stream you doorbell feed on your Nest smart display or Chromecast TV.
Are there any video doorbells that don’t require a subscription?
Most video doorbells don’t require a subscription to use them – but almost all of them benefit greatly from paying that extra fee. If you’re aiming for a good amount of local storage, Blink’s video doorbell offers a lot, if you shell out for the $35 Blink Sync Module 2 (the module enables live streaming, and brings the total bundle price to $85). For $5 more, you can use the $90 Wyze Video Doorbell Pro, which includes 12-second clip storage on a 14-day rolling basis with a 5-minute cooldown. That’s not incredible, but it’s a solid cloud storage option without monthly fees.
For more, check out our recommendations for the Best Video Doorbells of 2022 and the Best Outdoor Home Security Cameras of 2022.
