Ring is the leading developers of smart doorbells in the industry today. More so than other smart-appliances, smart doorbells are very useful even aside from their convenience.

Smart doorbells use motion-sensors and record audio and video, immediately alerting you via smartphone-application whenever a visitor or intruder is at your door.

Aside from being convenient, this system provides a nice layer of safety to your home, and, at the very least, provides you with constant peace-of-mind.

Although they all serve the same general purpose, like any other product, smart-doorbells come in all different shapes and sizes and come equipped with many different feature sets. Ring doorbells are no different. Today we’re going to be comparing the Ring, the Ring 2, and the Ring Pro.

All three doorbells share a lot of features. They each record audio and video and alert you when motion is detected, as well as receive your own audio and transmit it to the doorbell, allowing you to answer questions or give commands to visitors without ever having to go to the door. This is the main function of a smart doorbell, and the Ring, Ring 2 and Ring Pro all achieve the effect masterfully.

Despite these fundamental similarities, the Ring, Ring 2, and Ring Pro also have some major differences. The original Ring doorbell only offers 720p video quality, while the newer two doorbells offer 1080p resolution.

The 720p offered by the original Ring it still clear enough to identify faces. However, the sharper image offered by the later models allows you to identify people with a lot less effort, while also picking up on subtle details that the older Ring might miss.

This and much more makes it essential that you understand the pros and cons of each product before deciding which to buy. So without further ado, let’s jump into the in-depth comparisons.

1. How we Tested

To test, we purchased one of each of these doorbells and installed them ourselves.

After installation, I gave each product a week of normal everyday use to get an organic feel for each doorbell. During this testing period, I was completely blown away by the usefulness of smart doorbells. All three units, despite their differences, worked perfectly to alert me anytime somebody came to the door.

I could then use my phone to access the video feed. I could see the UPS-worker dropping off my packages, I could see when friends came to visit, and, on the few occasions that solicitors came knocking, I saw them from the comfort of my bed and proceeded to ignore them.

While not evenly matched, all three units did all the things that smart doorbells are supposed to do.

After the week of daily use, we ran a few advanced tests for each of the products. This included video tests in which we would record the same thing on each device and compare the image quality, as well as custom motion-zone testing.

While the Ring and Ring 2 come with preset zones for picking up motion detection, the Ring Pro allows you to set custom zones, greatly helping to reduce false alarms. I’ll give more on the results of these advanced tests throughout the article.

2. Similarities and Differences

Ring Doorbell

Upon its release, the original smart doorbell by ring was highly innovative, and although many upgrades have been made to the Ring products over the years, the original Ring is still great. The only area in which it falls behind is its appearance. While the color design is modern and attractive, the Ring is physically bulky, protruding quite a bit from the wall. Measuring at 4.9” x2.4” x 0.87” the Ring is huge compared to traditional doorbells. This ugly size is by far the most common complaint users have with the Ring. If aesthetics is a big concern for you, you might need to look to a more updated model.







Ring 2 Doorbell

Despite the complaints over the original Ring’s size, the company decided not to address the issue when developing their 2nd Gen product. Measuring at 5.0” x 2.5” x 1.0” the Ring 2, although not significantly so, is actually a bit larger than the original Ring. The undiminished size of the Ring 2 was probably necessary for the extremely useful removable battery feature, making it a fair trade off. Despite this, the Ring 2 is still overly large and clunky, and therefore is not a valid option for users concerned with the aesthetics of their doorbell.







Ring Pro Doorbell

With their Pro product, Ring finally designed a great-looking doorbell. Featuring a much slimmer design, a silver bezel and a black face-plate, the Ring Pro manages to look like a doorbell instead of some big contraption. Measuring at just 4.5”x 1.8” x 0.8”, the smaller design of the Ring Pro allows it to blend unobtrusively into your doorway.

This reduced size does come with its downside, however. The Ring Pro is the only one of the three doorbells that does not come with a battery; it must be hardwired. Users who are unable to support hardwiring will be forced to choose another option. For everyone else, the Ring Pro is a sleek, modern and overall very stylish doorbell.

While the Ring and Ring 2 are both modern and somewhat attractive units, their bulky size prevents them from blending in, turning them into an eyesore. The Ring Pro, on the other hand, is much thinner and smaller, bearing more of a resemblance to traditional doorbells than its older, clunkier counterparts.

The Ring Pro has a significant edge here. If you’re worried about the appearance of your smart doorbell, the Ring Pro is definitely the Ring doorbell for you.







3. Motion Zones

Ring Doorbell

All Ring doorbells feature motion detection. They all also let you choose how far the motion sensors reach. This feature if very useful and necessary. If you live near a sidewalk, you’ll want to disable the motion zones that reach far outside of your doorway to avoid being notified every time somebody walks past.

If, on the other hand, you have a large front-porch or long walkway, you’ll want to enable those zones, allowing Ring to notify you anytime somebody approaches.

During our testing, the original Ring’s motion sensors proved to be quite sensitive, although not overly so (I only received a few “false alarm” notifications throughout my week of use). No matter how hard we tried, we were unable to sneak onto the porch without setting the motion detectors off.

Ring 2 Doorbell

There were no significant changes made to the motion zones featured in the Ring 2. You can still enable and disable whichever zones you need, and the sensors were still just as strong. During my week of using the Ring 2, I encountered even fewer “false alarm” notifications.

I don’t know if this was just happenstance, or if the sensors were upgraded in some way. We tried sneaking onto the porch and were again unsuccessful. Anytime we entered an enabled motion zone, Ring notified us immediately.

This level of security is great, especially for anybody who receives a lot of packages, which, let’s face it, is most of us nowadays.

Ring Pro Doorbell

The Ring Pro has the same great motion detectors as its two predecessors. The only difference: instead of having to choose between premade zones, the Ring Pro allows you to create your own custom zones.

This is great for users with odd doorways or porches. This is also great for preventing “false alarm” notifications. Perhaps you have a garden somewhere near your front door, but you don’t want to completely disable the large premade zone that the garden lies within. The Ring Pro allows you to draw lines and sculpt zones however you choose.

During our week of testing, we encountered just as few “false alarms” as with the Ring Pro, while being able to have a much larger area enabled. Unsurprisingly, our attempts to sneak onto the porch were still completely unsuccessful, proving that all three doorbells are more than capable of doing their job.

All three doorbells feature great motion detection.

Despite all three being solid, the Ring Pro allows you to sculpt your own motion zones. This added personalization takes an already great product and pushes it over the top. The Ring Pro has the advantage here.

4. Video Quality

Ring Doorbell

The original Ring doorbell, surprisingly enough, has the largest field of view of all three products. Featuring 180 degrees of horizontal view, this doorbell is great at detecting motion at farther distances from your door and is perfect for wide porches.

However, the quality of the video is the worst of the three products. Featuring 720p resolution, the footage taken by the Ring is clear enough to discern faces, but your images will not be crisp. While this isn’t a huge deal, the lack of clarity can be an annoyance.

As we found in our testing, if a person barely comes into view, especially if they’re wearing a hat or hood, the 720p video quality can make it quite difficult to identify them. This is almost never an issue, however. The video taken by the Ring, while not as great as its successors, is still good enough to serve its purpose.

Ring 2 Doorbell

For its second Gen doorbell, Ring decided to upgrade the video quality to 1080p. This added resolution lets you easily and quickly recognize visitors and picks up subtle details.

During our testing with the original Ring, I found that if the screen-brightness of my smartphone was too low, I would sometimes be unable to recognize visitors at all. With the Ring 2, however, it was much easier to clearly see who was at my door, regardless of conditions. Aside from the added practicality, looking at a higher quality picture is just nice.

With a 160-degree horizontal view, the Ring 2 features a slightly smaller field of view than its predecessor. The 20-degree difference is generally insignificant is generally insignificant.

Ring Pro Doorbell

The Ring Pro features the same great 1080p video quality and the same 160-degree horizontal view as its predecessor. The only significant change comes by way of the Ring Pro’s new WiFi capabilities.

Smart doorbells rely on a WiFi connection to send you notifications and allow you to view audio and video. The Ring and Ring 2 are only compatible with a 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n network.

The Ring Pro, on the other hand, is compatible with 2.4 GHz signals and 5 GHz AC network standard. Since 5 GHz networks are much stronger and more reliable than 2.4 GHz networks, this new compatibility means that you’re less likely to have delayed updates, giving you an extra degree of confidence.

While the original Ring doorbell offers good video quality, the 1080p resolution offered by the Ring 2 and Ring Pro gives you super clear images and allows you to effortlessly see who’s at your door while also picking up finer details that the original Ring might miss.

The Ring 2 offers this great quality at the most affordable price. However, the Ring Pro’s ability to connect to more powerful WiFi networks gives you more stable access to your video feed, making it the winner here.

5. Installation

Ring Doorbell

If you have a hardwired doorbell, the Ring can easily be wired into your existing framework. For the user who doesn’t have this option, the Ring can also be operated by battery power. We highly recommend wiring the Ring, as this will give you access to live video feed. The battery provided is unable to support constant recording, which means, if you choose to operate the unit using battery power, you’ll only get snapshots of after the motion detectors were set off.

The battery featured in the original Ring is also quite inconvenient. Since it’s not removeable, you’re forced to take down the entire doorbell unit and bring it inside to charge, costing you a days’ worth of protection.

Ring 2 Doorbell

Ring made huge upgrades to the battery of their 2nd Gen doorbell. You can still choose between hardwiring the unit into your preexisting infrastructure or using battery power to operate it.

Now, however, instead of having to remove the whole unit, the Ring 2’s batteries can be swapped out and charged separately from the device, meaning you’ll no longer have to lose your doorbell for a day. We still recommend hardwiring if you’re able, but for those who need to take the battery-operated route, the Ring 2 is the perfect option.

Ring Pro Doorbell

Unlike its predecessors, the Ring Pro must be hardwired. Likely due to its slim design, the unit comes with no batteries, making it a non-option for users who are unable to support hardwiring.

The Ring Pro is also slightly more difficult to wire than the original and the Ring 2. If you are uncomfortable handling this sort of task yourself, we recommend hiring a professional.

Related Article:Ring 2 vs Ring Pro: Pros & Cons and Verdict

While hardwiring is undoubtedly the best option for any of these units, the older two Ring doorbells still support battery-use for users who might be unable to hardwire a system into their home.

The original Ring, however, comes with a senseless battery system that requires you to remove the entire device each time the battery dies. The convenient detachable batteries featured in the Ring 2 gives it a big edge over the other two products.

6. Features

Ring Doorbell Features

720p Recording Quality 2-way Communication Night Vision 180 Degree Field of View Customizable Motion Detection Allows You to Enable/Disable Certain Zones Easy-to-Use App Notifies You When Someone’s at Your Door Easy Wired-Installation/Rechargeable Battery Use 2.4 GHz WiFi Network Compatibility Amazon Echo Compatibility Great Affordability 1 Year Warranty

Ring 2 Doorbell Features

1080p Recording Quality 2-way Communication Night Vision 160 Degree Field of View Customizable Motion Detection Allows You to Enable/Disable Certain Zones Easy Wired-Installation/Rechargeable Battery Use Convenient removable Batteries Allows You to Charge Without Having to Disconnect Your Unit 2.4 GHz WiFi Network Compatibility Amazon Echo Compatibility 1 Year Warranty Easy-to-Use App Notifies You When Someone’s at Your Door

Ring Pro Doorbell Features

1080p Recording Quality 2-way Communication Night Vision Completely Customizable Motion Detection Allows You to Create Your Own Custom Zones 160 Degree Field of View Easy-to-Use App Notifies You When Someone’s at Your Door Convenient removable Batteries Allows You to Recharge Without Having to Disconnect Your Unit 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WiFi Network Compatibility Amazon Echo Compatibility Good Affordability Wired Installation Required

Alternatives

Zmodo Greet Video Doorbell

If you’re looking for the most affordable smart doorbell on the market, look no further than the Zmodo Greet. As well as a great price tag, the Zmodo Greet comes equipped with a nice set of features, including a 720p camera, two-way communication abilities, night-vision, and a voice-recorder that allows you to leave messages for guests that come while you’re away.

While perhaps not as high quality as the Ring doorbells, the Zmodo Greet is a great option for ultra-budget users.

Zmodo Greet HD Wireless Video Doorbell Home Security Camera 1080p Full HD, Two-way Audio, Motion Detection, Support Google Assistant, Work With Alexa (Existing Doorbell Wiring Required) [Answer the door]: Simultaneous two way audio allows you to talk with your visitors directly via your smartphone and tablet anytime and anywhere. You also have the option to deliver a prerecorded voice message instead if you are unavailable for the ring call.

Who Should Get This?

Ring Doorbell

Although Ring has made significant improvements to its smart doorbells since the release of its original product, the Ring is still a fine doorbell, capable of monitoring and recording in real time, sending you updates as soon as motion is detected, and allowing you to talk back and forth with visitors from anywhere in your home.

The biggest downside to the product is its appearance. The Ring is very large and bulky compared with other doorbells on the market today. If this is a turn off for you, then you might be forced to look elsewhere.

This is also probably not the best unit to buy if you plan to run your doorbell with battery-power, as the non-detachable batteries make for an inconvenient charging experience.

Trending Topic: Ring vs Ring 2: Pros & Cons and Verdict

Where this unit really shines is its price-tag. Being the oldest of the three products, the original Ring can be found for significantly cheaper than its successors. This is the perfect doorbell for anybody who’s looking to gain access to all the great features a smart doorbell offers without spending too much money doing it.

Ring 2 Doorbell

The Ring 2 is superior to its predecessor in almost every regard. While more expensive than the original Ring, the Ring 2 is still quite affordable compared to newer models. This is an all-around great product, perfect for almost anybody in the market for a smart doorbell.

Like its predecessor, however, the Ring 2 is large and doesn’t blend in well, making it a bad choice for users concerned with appearance.

The Ring 2 comes equipped with almost all the same features as the original Ring, as well as upgraded 1080p video quality, all while maintaining similar affordability. Its swappable, detachable batteries make the Ring 2 easily the best product for any users who are unable to hardwire a device.

Sale Ring Video Doorbell 2 with HD Video, Motion Activated Alerts, Easy Installation 1080p HD video doorbell that lets you see, hear and speak to people from your phone, tablet, or select Echo device. Includes privacy features, such as customizable privacy zones and audio privacy, to focus only on what's relevant to you.

Ring Pro Doorbell

The Ring Pro is not the cheapest doorbell on the market today, but what it lacks in affordability, it makes up for in added features. The Pro model is by far the most attractive of the three products, featuring an attractive, narrow base that doesn’t stick out quite so far.

This makes the Ring Pro ideal for users who want an aesthetically pleasing device. Aside from the improved physical design, the Ring Pro also features 1080p video quality, and allows you to create your own motion zones, reducing “false alarm” notifications and improving the overall quality of your system.

The only real downside to the Pro unit is that it must be hardwired. While we recommend hardwiring any system you purchase, some users are unable to do so. These users will, unfortunately, be forced to choose another unit.

The Ring Pro is the perfect choice for users who want the most out of their smart doorbell, and who aren’t overly concerned with budget.

Ring Video Doorbell Pro, with HD Video, Motion Activated Alerts, Easy Installation (existing doorbell wiring required) 1080p HD video doorbell that lets you see, hear and speak to people from your phone, tablet, or select Echo device. Includes privacy features, such as customizable privacy zones and audio privacy, to focus only on what's relevant to you.

Our Pick

We were extremely impressed by all three products during our testing. No matter your needs, one of these three doorbells from Ring should have all the answers.

If you’re looking for the basics but you’re on a strict budget, you should go for the original; if you’re looking for a mix of features and affordability, or you’re unable to support hardwiring, the Ring 2 is the way to go;

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if you’re looking for one of the best all-around doorbells money can buy, you can’t go wrong with the Ring Pro.

Our choice is: Ring Pro

The older two doorbells are still great, but the slimmed down appearance, the completely customizable motion zones, and the 1080p video quality make the Ring Pro our pick for the best Ring doorbell.