6 Best Budget Video Doorbells Under £100 [UK Guide]

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Ever since the first video doorbell came out in 2013, they have changed how we interact with visitors to our homes and provide essential security.

Once reserved for first adopters, there’s now a huge range of budget video doorbells available so there’s something for everyone.

In this guide I’ll focus on those cheaper video doorbells that comes in under £100 and share the pros and cons of each model.

Quick Summary

Here are the top 3 cheap video doorbells in the UK. Keep reading for the full list.

Image Summary  
Best Overall:
Ring Video Doorbell (2nd Generation)
  • Fast to send alerts to your phone
  • Integrate with Alexa to see doorbell on an Echo Show
  • Battery or wired
  • Requires an ongoing subscription
No Ongoing Fees:
Eufy 1080p Video Doorbell
  • No subscription required due to local storage
  • Battery-powered version has excellent 12 week battery life
  • Works with both Alexa and Google Assistant
Best Wired Doorbell:
Ring Wired Doorbell
  • Wired device only
  • Cheapest device from Ring
  • Requires ongoing subscription

Are Cheap Video Doorbells Any Good?

Having been on the market for a while now, there’s a good selection of budget friendly video doorbells, but are they any good?

Well, it’s hit and miss.

Some of the cheaper doorbells are unreliable and the time it takes for the alert to come through on your phone is so long that the visitor will probably have left.

On the other hand, reputable manufacturers such as Ring and Eufy have jumped at the chance to create a decent, budget-priced video doorbell. Albeit with reduced specs compared to their higher tier devices.

It is possible to pick up a good product for a sub-£100 price tag, but you won’t get some of the premium features such as facial recognition, motion detection zones, and person detection found in more advanced devices.

How I Choose the Best Products

As a video doorbell owner and user, I include products that I have personally used as well as other recommendations from people in the industry, forums, Facebook groups, and through 100’s of hours reviewing the specs and features of all the doorbells on the market. Please get in touch if you have additional recommendations for me to consider.


Video Doorbell Comparison Table

Here is a side by side view of the key specs and my ratings for each video doorbell in this review. Keep reading below for a full breakdown of the key features that make each device unique.

Ring 2nd GenEufy 1080pRing Wired DoorbellBlink MiniKAMEPToucan
Image
Responsiveness989877
Video Quality989887
Features886766
Value for Money798877
My Overall Score8.258.2587.7576.75
Price££££££££££
Resolution1080p HD1080p HD1080p HD1080p HD1080p HD1080p HD
Two-Way AudioYesYesYesYesYesYes
Wired/Battery PoweredWired or Battery PoweredWired or Battery PoweredWired OnlyWired or Battery PoweredBattery Powered OnlyBattery Powered Only
Works with AlexaYesYesYesYesNoYes
Works with Google HomeNoYesNoNoNoYes
StorageCloud OnlyCloud or LocalCloud OnlyCloud or LocalCloud or LocalCloud Only
Subscription RequiredYesNoYesNoNoNo
Where to BuyAmazonAmazonAmazonAmazonAmazonAmazon

Cheap Video Doorbells UK

Here are the best cheap video doorbells under £100:

Here’s our full breakdown of these devices with the pros and cons of each:

Best Budget Doorbell: Ring Video Doorbell (2nd Gen)

Pros:

Works with Alexa
Fast to ring mobile phones
Adjust the sensitivity of the motion sensor with ease

Cons:

Requires paid subscription to watch the footage back

The Ring 2nd Gen Video Doorbell is the cheapest device in their current range, but still offers a great experience and is one of the most responsive products.

It has essential features including two-way audio, live view from your devices whenever you want and motion detection which seems to have the best sensitivity out of all the devices. Plus, we compared the night vision to other products in its price range and this was a clear winner.

One of the standout features that puts it ahead is its integration with Alexa, which is no surprise considering they are both owned by Amazon.

Once integrated, you can use Echo devices as a doorbell chime and if you have an Echo Show, you can immediately see the live feed on the device.

The other reason this is the best budget video doorbell is the response speed. The notifications are almost instant with the Rapid Ring app, whereas other cheap video doorbells can take 5-10 seconds or even longer.

The downside is that there is no free cloud storage and you lose many features without Ring Protect, so Ring isn’t worthwhile without a subscription.


Best Without Subscription: Eufy Video Doorbell 1080p

Pros:

No ongoing monthly fees
All recordings stored on chime within the home
120 day battery life

Cons:

Battery powered only

Eufy are a recognised name in the smart home market and the new 1080p version of their video doorbell offers quality on a budget. Eufy’s existing range already offered great specs at a good price, but now they’ve launched a 1080p budget video doorbell that comes in at around £100.

The best thing about Eufy is that they have designed the doorbell to function just as well without any ongoing costs, unlike the Ring product above.

The device is battery powered with no option for a wired connection. However, it does still use the low-energy wireless tech which allows for a 120 day use without recharge.

Footage is stored locally on an SD card in the chime which is located indoors, this reduces the chance of the doorbell and any footage being stolen together. There is an option for cloud storage if you wish.

As well as the standard features, it has activity zones and AI that can detect humans. It also works with both Alexa and Google Home.

Related: View my full guide to video doorbells without a subscription


Best Wired Doorbell: Ring Wired Doorbell

Pros:

Cheapest Ring doorbell at less than £50
Full integration with Alexa to communicate with visitors through Echo speakers
No lag between doorbell press and alerting your smartphone

Cons:

Wired device only
Looks cheaper than other Ring doorbells
Requires Ring protect subscription to watch footage back

Ring’s new wired doorbell is a slimmed-down version of their signature Ring 4 which I featured as the best video doorbell in the UK.

The doorbell has all the usual features you’d expect from Ring, many of which are similar to the 2nd gen device featured earlier. This includes live feed of the door, speedy notifications thanks to the Rapid Ring app, and excellent integration with Alexa.

However, this is their cheapest doorbell at less than £50 so there are some features missing. It’s a wired only device which means you need existing doorbell wires or a nearby power socket to plug it in. There’s no pre-roll like the Ring 4 and the field of view is narrower at 155-degree.

In terms of the design, it’s a lot more basic. To ensure this remains a budget device, it has a plain black finish unlike the premium-looking satin nikel of the other devices.

However, even with these down sides, to get access to a reliable and responsive Ring doorbell for under £50 is an absolute steal if you are happy with a wired device.


Best Under £50: Blink

Pros:

Very affordable at less than £50
Wired or wireless (using AA batteries)
Full integration with Alexa

Cons:

Subscription for cloud storage or extra module required for local storage
COMING SOON

My next recommendation is another device from Amazon, but this time from their budget-friendly brand, Blink. At the time of writing in 2022 this device is ‘coming soon’ but you can check here to see whether it has launched yet.

It is very similar in look to the Ring wired doorbell and has most of the same basic features such as two way audio, motion detection, night vision, etc. However, there are a few distinctions which I’ll mention here.

One thing that I really like about this doorbell is that it uses regular AA batteries, this means you can easily swap out the batteries when it runs out without any downtime. You can still use rechargeable AA batteries to make sure you’re being eco-friendly.

Unlike Ring doorbells, Blink have included the option to use either cloud or local storage. However, either way you’ll incur some extra costs because the cloud storage requires a monthly subscription and the local storage requires you to purchase the Blink sync module 2 and a USB storage drive, although both of these are relatively cheap.

Of course, being made by an Amazon brand, it has super sleek integration with Alexa so she can alert you when the doorbell has been rung and pull up a live feed on your Firestick or Echo Show. There is no support for Google Assistant and it’s unlikely this will appear any time soon.


Free Cloud Storage: KAMEP

Pros:

Free lifetime cloud storage
Cheapest price with chime included
1080p and 166 degree viewing angle

Cons:

Limited to 4 users
No hardwire option

For those on super tight purse strings, the KAMEP video doorbell manages to get all the basics done and gives you free lifetime cloud storage.

This device has 1080p HD video with a 166-degree viewing angle and a motion sensor, whilst you can adjust the sensitivity, many users report finding it hard to get a good balance that only alerts them when necessary.

The video quality is good considering the price and built in infrared lighting ensures that the quality remains reasonable even at night.

It comes with free lifetime cloud storage that will keep any clips for up to 7 days. This is a generous deal, even compared to premium devices.

However, with no option to add an SD card for local storage, your clips will be gone forever after 7 days so you’ll have to make sure to save them elsewhere if needed.

The doorbell itself runs off battery power with no option to plug in to a mains supply. It comes with a chime that has 38 different sounds to choose from, note that the chime is plug-in only.



With Pre-Recorded Responses: Toucan

Pros:

Has pre-recorded announcements that can be scheduled
Built-in siren that can be sounded remotely.
View clips for free up to 24 hours after they are captured

Cons:

No integration with Alexa or Google Home
Video quality not as crisp as the Ring doorbell
Only 5 downloads of captured footage per month on the free plan

The final cheap doorbell in this guide is the Toucan video doorbell. This is about the same price as the Ring doorbell that got my number one spot, but the features are very different.

For starters, there is no integration with Alexa or Google Home and the video quality isn’t up to the standard of a Ring doorbell.

However, it does have a few interesting features such as a built-in sired that you can sound if there is suspicious activity and auto greetings. These are pre-recorded responses that can either be played when you don’t want to answer or set on a schedule between certain hours of the day. This is great if you don’t like being disturbed whilst working from home.

Similar to the Eufy, Kamep, and Heimvision doorbells, this one can also be enjoyed without a subscription, although their free offer is slightly more limited.

You can watch footage for up to 24 hours after it is captured, however, on the free plan you can only download 5 clips per month. A subscription for unlimited downloads is just over £2 per month so it won’t break the bank too much.


Buying Guide for Budget Doorbells

Here are some key things to keep in mind when buying a budget video doorbell:

Cloud Storage or Built In Memory

Some cheaper video doorbells will save footage to the cloud, others will save it to an SD card on the device itself or in the home. Each has it’s pros and cons:

  • Cloud storage – This allows easy viewing of recordings whilst out of the home, although usually comes with an ongoing cost.
  • Local storage – You won’t have to commit to monthly fees, however be weary of storing recordings on the device only as thieves could steal the device with all the footage of them.

Integration with Smart Home

If you have a smart home set up, you’ll probably want your device to integrate with it. When it comes to video doorbells priced under £100, it is only the Ring doorbell that currently supports any integration as it can be used with Alexa.

Features

Key features that come as standard in all cheap video doorbells are:

  • Motion detection
  • Two-way audio
  • Live camera view

Some extra features that devices can include to stand out include:

  • Pre-recorded messages
  • Activity zones (select areas of the camera to monitor)
  • Human detection and facial recognition

Wired or Rechargeable Batteries

If you are replacing an existing doorbell or are happy to install cables, then a device that supports mains electricity will be preferred. For a quick installation, opt for a wireless device but be prepared to recharge it every few weeks.

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Kieren

I have been building up my smart home since 2016 so I'm a bit of a smart home expert by now. On this blog, I share my favourite smart home devices that I've tested along with tips and tricks I learn by watching countless YouTube videos, scrolling through forums, and tinkering around with my own smart devices. I've always been a Google Home user but I'm starting to think Alexa might have the edge, what do you think?