‘Crisp video, excellent subject detection, and no hidden fees’ — the 3 best subscription-free video doorbells, recommended by a smart home tech editor

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‘Crisp video, excellent subject detection, and no hidden fees’ — the 3 best subscription-free video doorbells, recommended by a smart home tech editor

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A video doorbell is one of the best and easiest ways to increase the security of your home. Not only do they allow you to see who’s calling, talk to them remotely, and choose whether or not to open the door, but they also serve as a security camera for the front of your property, detecting and recording unexpected movements and sending you alerts.

Some of the latest models can even identify the person or object that triggered the recording, whether it’s a person, animal, car or package, and send you notifications accordingly. You can also set privacy zones so you won’t be alerted to what’s happening on the street or in your neighbor’s yard.

Best overall

Philips 7000 Series Video Doorbell

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The Philips 7000 series is one of my all-time favorite video doorbells thanks to its wide field of view with crisp 2K resolution, built-in video storage, and excellent night vision. You can connect it to your existing wiring if you’re replacing a conventional doorbell, or install it wirelessly in just minutes. Once installed, it can be paired with Alexa or Google Assistant so you can operate it through your smart speaker.

In our testing, we liked the excellent video captured by the Doorbell 7000 Series’ dual camera lenses, which give you a clear view of visitors and packages. The app is also refreshingly simple to use, with carefully designed features like voice assistant support to guide you if you’re unfamiliar with smart home technology.

We also found its motion sensor to be particularly responsive (and you can customize it or turn off motion detection altogether if it sends you too many alerts). Our reviewer James Holland noted that “It is also very accurate at detecting humans only when that preference has been set in the app.”

Pre-recorded messages are also a welcome addition, allowing you to give instructions to a courier if you can’t make it to the door, for example. The only downside was that we sometimes experienced a slight delay when using the app to speak directly to a visitor.

It’s not the cheapest model to buy, but the 7000 series offers excellent long-term value for money thanks to the lack of additional subscription payments. A chime is even included, allowing you to easily hear callers anywhere in the house, something other brands often sell separately. Highly recommended.

Read our full Philips Video Doorbell 7000 Series Review

Better video quality

SwannBuddy 4K

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Swann makes some of the best video doorbells and home security cameras we’ve tested here at TechRadar, and they all have a big selling point: no subscription plan is needed to record your videos or to use their most advanced features. While you can pay for cloud storage if you really want to, it’s not at all necessary.

The Swann Buddy4K is also a full-fledged home security camera with features like motion detection and the ability to differentiate between subjects like people, pets, cars, and packages. All of this is included in the initial cost of the doorbell (unlike devices from brands like Ring, which charge regular fees to unlock such features).

“It’s possible to store videos by type, which is especially handy if you want to know when a package was dropped off at your door,” said our reviewer Chris Price. “You can also store videos in chronological order on the built-in MicroSD card.”

The doorbell’s AI assistant (which generates personalized voice responses for visitors so you don’t have to talk to them) was still in beta when we reviewed it, but, even without that, it’s a great, highly recommended device to help secure your home.

Read our full SwannBuddy 4K Review

Best value for money

Eufy Dual Video Doorbell

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Eufy Video Doorbell Dual with camera — (Image credit: Daniel Hessel)

Eufy’s smart device is a great option if you’re looking for a no-subscription, low-budget video doorbell. Although its list price is about the same as the Philips 7000 series, it is often available at a heavily discounted price.

Like the 7000 series, the Video Doorbell Dual records video in 2K, which is fine for us, and comes with advanced features like packet detection and the ability to play pre-recorded voice messages, all with no subscription required.

It has an infrared sensor that detects visitors’ body heat, while radar motion detection detects movements. Best of all, its software includes AI people recognition, and in our testing it was able to accurately identify and label visitors in our video clips. We received no false positives, and the app’s detailed notifications let us know who was calling at a glance, without even picking up our phone.

All your footage is stored locally on the HomeBase 2 (included with the doorbell), which provides 16GB for your clips. You can buy cloud storage if you really want to, but there’s no compelling reason to be able to keep control of your own videos and access them for free.

We didn’t like having to take the doorbell apart to charge it (there’s no swappable power supply), but it can be connected to existing doorbell wiring if you prefer not to run it on its battery.

Read our full Eufy Dual Video Doorbell Review

Strengthen the security of your home

Give your home security system an extra boost with motion detectors that can detect unexpected movements and contact sensors that notify you when a door or window has been opened.