Ring Doorbell Plans and Their Monthly Costs
Ring offers two subscription tiers for doorbell cameras: Ring Protect Basic at $3 per month or $30 per year, and Ring Protect Plus at $10 per month or $100 per year. Basic covers video recording and storage for one device. Plus covers unlimited devices at your home and adds professional monitoring for Ring Alarm systems if you have one.
You can also use a Ring doorbell without any subscription — it will still ring when someone presses the button and send you a notification. The subscription unlocks the ability to watch recorded video after the fact, which is the main reason most people pay for it.
Ring also sells Ring Protect Pro as part of a bundle with their alarm system, starting at $20 per month. This adds 24/7 professional monitoring for break-ins and other emergencies, but you only need it if you have a Ring Alarm system installed.
Key Takeaways
- Ring Protect Basic costs $3 per month and covers video recording for one doorbell or camera.
- Ring Protect Plus costs $10 per month and covers video recording for all Ring devices at your home.
- Without a subscription, your doorbell still rings and sends notifications, but does not save video.
- Ring Protect Pro ($20 per month) adds professional alarm monitoring and only makes sense if you own a Ring Alarm system.
- Paying annually instead of monthly saves you money: $30 per year for Basic instead of $36, and $100 per year for Plus instead of $120.
What You Get With Ring Protect Basic
Basic covers video recording and cloud storage for one Ring device. When someone rings your doorbell or motion is detected, the camera records a video clip and stores it in the cloud for 60 days. You can watch, read, or share that clip anytime during that window.
Basic does not include professional monitoring of any kind — it is purely for storing and reviewing video. If you have multiple doorbells or cameras, you would need to pay for Basic for each one separately, or upgrade to Plus to cover them all under one plan.
What You Get With Ring Protect Plus
Plus covers video recording and storage for all Ring devices at your address — doorbells, outdoor cameras, indoor cameras, and floodlight cameras. Each device records and stores 60 days of video the same way Basic does, but you pay one monthly fee instead of one per device.
Plus also includes professional monitoring for Ring Alarm systems if you own one. This means a monitoring center watches for break-ins and can dispatch police or fire if you trigger an alarm. If you do not have a Ring Alarm, the monitoring feature does nothing for you.
Comparing Basic, Plus, and No Subscription
| Feature | No Subscription | Basic ($3/mo) | Plus ($10/mo) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doorbell rings and sends notifications | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Video recording and 60-day storage | No | Yes (1 device) | Yes (all devices) |
| Covers multiple devices | N/A | No (pay per device) | Yes (unlimited) |
| Alarm system monitoring | No | No | Yes (if you have Ring Alarm) |
When You Actually Need a Subscription
You need a subscription only if you want to save and review video after an event happens. If you are home when someone rings the doorbell and you answer the live feed when ready, or if you do not care about reviewing what happened when you were away, you do not need to pay anything.
Most people buy a subscription because they want proof of a delivery, a package theft, or suspicious activity. Without video storage, you have no way to show what happened to a delivery company, insurance company, or police — you only have your word and the timestamp of the motion alert.
If you have more than one Ring device, Plus becomes cheaper than buying Basic for each one. Basic costs $36 per year per device; Plus costs $100 per year for all of them. If you have three or more devices, Plus pays for itself.
How to Check Your Current Subscription
Open the Ring app on your phone and tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the bottom right. Select "Subscriptions" to see what plan you currently have and when it renews. You can also see which devices are covered and upgrade or downgrade from that screen.
If you signed up for a free trial when you bought your doorbell, that trial will show here too, along with the date it expires. Ring often offers 30 days free with a new device, so check whether you are still in that window before you pay for anything.
Canceling or Changing Your Plan
You can cancel your subscription anytime from the Subscriptions screen in the Ring app. If you cancel mid-month, you keep access through the end of that billing period. If you paid for a full year upfront, you cannot get a refund for the unused portion — you would have to contact Ring support to discuss options.
Downgrading from Plus to Basic is straightforward: just select Basic from the Subscriptions menu. Your video history stays in the cloud and you can still watch it, but new recordings will only be stored for one device instead of all of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a Ring subscription to see live video?
No. You can watch live video from your doorbell anytime without a subscription. The subscription only covers recorded video that you want to save and watch later. Live view is always free.
What happens to my videos if I cancel my subscription?
Your existing videos stay in the cloud for 60 days from when they were recorded, even after you cancel. Once those 60 days pass, they are deleted. New motion events will not be recorded or stored if you do not have an active subscription.
Can I share video clips with someone else?
Yes. From any recorded clip in the Ring app, you can tap the share icon and send a link to anyone via email or text. They can watch the video without needing a Ring account or subscription. The link stays active as long as the video is stored in your account.
Is there a difference between Ring's subscription and other doorbell brands?
Most doorbell cameras charge for cloud storage the same way Ring does — a monthly fee to save and review video. Some brands offer local storage on a microSD card instead, which costs nothing monthly but requires you to physically access the device to retrieve footage. Ring doorbells do not have local storage options.
What if I have a Ring Alarm system — do I need Plus?
You do not need Plus just for the alarm monitoring — that comes with Ring Protect Pro, which is a separate plan. But if you have multiple Ring cameras or doorbells in addition to your alarm, Plus is usually cheaper than paying Basic for each device separately.