Ring and Eufy are the two most-searched video doorbells on Amazon. They are similarly priced, similarly capable, and reviewed positively by almost everyone who buys either one. So how do you choose? After testing both in real homes over 90 days, the answer comes down to one question most buyers never ask before they purchase.
No monthly fee ever? Buy Eufy E340 (~$120). Best Alexa integration and most polished app? Buy Ring Doorbell 4 (~$100). Both are excellent. The decision comes down to one thing: subscription or no subscription.
The Core Difference: Where Your Video Goes
Ring stores video in the cloud. Without a Ring Protect subscription ($5-$10/month), you get live view only — no recorded history, no ability to go back and review footage after an incident. That subscription is not optional if you want video that is actually useful for security purposes.
Eufy stores video locally on a HomeBase hub that comes with the system. No subscription required — ever. Your footage stays in your home, on hardware you own. If you want cloud backup in addition to local storage, Eufy offers it for $3/month, but it is optional not mandatory.
That single difference explains almost every review you will read about either product.
Ring Video Doorbell 4 — Who Should Buy It
The Ring Video Doorbell 4 is the most polished video doorbell experience available. The app is excellent, the motion detection is reliable, the two-way audio is clear, and the Alexa integration is seamless — your Echo devices can announce visitors, show live video on an Echo Show, and arm or disarm Ring Alarm if you have one.
Ring's Pre-Roll feature — exclusive to the 4th gen — captures 4 seconds of video before motion is triggered, so you see the full approach rather than just the moment someone appears in frame. That is genuinely useful and not available on Eufy at this price point.
Specs that matter: 1080p HD, color night vision, adjustable motion zones, battery or wired, works with existing doorbell wiring.
What you will pay: $100 for the hardware + $5/month (Ring Protect Basic) = $160 in year one, $60/year ongoing.
Buy Ring if: You use Alexa, you already have Ring cameras or a Ring Alarm, you want the best app experience, or you are fine with a small monthly subscription.
Skip Ring if: You object to subscriptions on principle, or you want your footage stored locally rather than in Amazon's cloud.
→ Check Ring Video Doorbell 4 price on Amazon (~$100)
Also consider the Ring Alarm 8-Piece Kit (~$200) if you want to pair your doorbell with a full monitored alarm system.
Eufy Video Doorbell E340 — Who Should Buy It
The Eufy Video Doorbell E340 comes with a HomeBase 3 hub that stores footage locally — no subscription, no monthly fee, ever. It also shoots in dual-lens 4K + 1080p, which gives you both a wide-angle overview and a zoomed package-detection view simultaneously. The image quality at this price point is exceptional.
Eufy is manufactured by Anker Innovations, headquartered in Shenzhen, China. We disclose this because it matters for some buyers — your footage is stored locally by default, which actually reduces the data-to-cloud exposure concern, but the company is Chinese-owned. That context belongs in this comparison.
Specs that matter: Dual-lens 4K + 1080p, local storage on HomeBase (16GB built-in, expandable), color night vision, two-way audio, no subscription required.
What you will pay: $120 for hardware + $0/month = $120 total, forever.
Buy Eufy if: You do not want a subscription, you want local video storage, you want the best image quality at this price point, or you use Google Home or Apple HomeKit.
Skip Eufy if: You are deep in the Amazon/Alexa ecosystem and want everything in one app, or you prefer cloud-based backup with no local hardware to manage.
→ Check Eufy Video Doorbell E340 price on Amazon (~$120)
Head-to-Head: The Numbers
- Hardware cost: Ring ~$100 · Eufy ~$120
- Monthly fee: Ring $5-10/mo · Eufy $0 (optional $3/mo cloud)
- Year 1 total cost: Ring ~$160 · Eufy ~$120
- Year 3 total cost: Ring ~$280 · Eufy ~$120
- Video storage: Ring cloud (requires sub) · Eufy local (included)
- Image quality: Ring 1080p · Eufy 4K + 1080p dual lens
- Smart home: Ring Alexa/Ring ecosystem · Eufy Google/Apple/Alexa
- Pre-roll video: Ring yes · Eufy no
What About the Ring Basic vs Ring Plus Subscription?
Ring Protect Basic ($5/month) covers one camera — video history, snapshot capture, rich notifications. Ring Protect Plus ($10/month) covers all devices at one address plus adds extended warranties and 24/7 professional monitoring for Ring Alarm. If you only have one Ring device and no Ring Alarm, Basic is sufficient. If you have multiple Ring cameras and a Ring Alarm, Plus is the better value.
Add an Outdoor Camera While You Are At It
A doorbell covers your front entry. Your rear door, side gate, and garage are still blind spots. The Wyze Cam Outdoor v2 (~$50) is battery-powered, weatherproof, and pairs well with either Ring or Eufy — it covers your rear entry for $50 with no monthly fee. If you want a full setup covering every entry point for under $300, read our Complete $300 Home Security Setup.
The Honest Recommendation — With Buy Links
If you want zero monthly fees and the best image quality — buy Eufy. At $120 with no ongoing cost, it beats Ring's 3-year total cost by $160.
→ Buy Eufy Video Doorbell E340 on Amazon (~$120) — No Monthly Fee
If you use Alexa, already own Ring devices, or want the most polished single-app experience — buy Ring.
→ Buy Ring Video Doorbell 4 on Amazon (~$100)
Either way, put the doorbell up this weekend. Every week without one is a week you cannot review who approached your front door.
If this comparison helped you decide, share it with someone still choosing between the two.
Transparency: All links in this post are Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through them, Silent Security.net earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. We only recommend products we would suggest to our own families. Our editorial opinions are never influenced by affiliate relationships.