Ring Video Doorbell 3
Versatile viewer
$200 at Amazon
$200 at Best Buy
$200 at Ring
Pros
- Integrates with Alexa and Amazon devices
- Can be used wired or battery-powered
- Can easily change faceplates
- Near Zone helps reduce erroneous motion detection
- Customizable motion zones and privacy filters
- Dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi support
Cons
- Doesn’t work well with Google Assistant
- Subscription plan required to access any recordings
- No local storage
- Doesn’t record all the time
- Privacy scandals ruined reputation
The Video Doorbell 3 is Ring’s latest video doorbell. Its integration with Amazon devices and services is top-notch, and its hardware and apps are great as well. Ring has been repairing its relationship with users after several privacy scandals, but the memory of these might still be a deterrent.
August View Doorbell Cam
Simplicity is key
$229 at August
Pros
- Battery pack easy to swap
- No wiring necessary
- Free video cloud storage for 24-hours
- Can easily change faceplates
- Dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi support
Cons
- Unreliable live view connection
- Lack of motion detection options
- No option to hard-wire
- No way to view video on TV or smart home displays
The August View is the company’s first foray into wireless doorbells. It’s a simple video doorbell with simple, quick installation, high-resolution video, and low cost of ownership over time.
August and Ring both offer wireless video doorbells, and while there are positives and negatives to both products, the end result shows a clear winner.
The August View is the company’s first wireless video doorbell. August made the square Doorbell Cam, which needed to be hardwired into your home’s electrical system, for two generations. Ring, on the other hand, has been offering wireless video doorbells since its first product release, and even provides a way for all of its battery-powered video doorbells to be hardwired, if desired. That means Ring’s option, right off the bat, is already more full-featured since it gives users freedom of choice.
| Price | $200 | $230 |
| Power Source | Removable, rechargeable battery or hardwired into existing doorbell power | Removable, rechargeable battery |
| Video resolution | 1080p | 1440p |
| Field of view | 160 degrees | 160 degrees |
| Dimensions | 5.1 in. x 2.4 in x 1.1 in. | 5.2 in. x 1.8 in. x 1.1 in. |
| Night Vision | Yes | Yes |
| Live view | Yes | Yes |
| Two-way audio | Yes | Yes |
| Connectivity | 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi | 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi |
| Motion detection | Customizable motion zones | Adjustable motion sensitivity |
| Privacy Zones | Yes | No |
| Interchangeable faceplates | Yes | Yes |
| Free Cloud Storage | No | Up to 24 hours |
| Included Chime? | No | Yes |
| Smart Assistant Integration | Amazon Alexa | Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant |
| Subscription Options | Basic Plan: 60 days for one device for $3/monthPlus Plan: 60 days for multiple devices for $10/month | Premium Plan: 1 days for $3/month Premium Plus Plan: 30 days for $5/month |
August View Doorbell Cam: See it clearer, see it longer
Despite how it’s only powered by a battery and not a dedicated electrical wire, the August View Doorbell Cam sports higher resolution video than almost any other video doorbell, including Ring Video Doorbell 3. That means you’ll be able to see everything on your front porch in incredible detail and, probably most importantly, get a clearer picture of a would-be crook than other video doorbells can offer.
The August View Doorbell Cam sports higher resolution video than almost any other video doorbell, including Ring Video Doorbell 3.
August also provides users with free access to the last 24 hours of recordings. In the August View’s case, any motion detection or button press will be recorded for a few seconds and then saved to your August cloud account, which is instantly accessible within the August app. Compare that to Ring, which only allows you to view the live feed for free, and you’ll understand the value that free access can add.
If you need longer term storage, August does offer Premium and Premium Plus subscription plans from $3 and $4 per month, respectively, for those who need more storage. These plans come in a little cheaper than Ring’s plans, but they don’t offer as much recording time as the Ring plans do.
The August View Doorbell Cam pairs nicely with August’s other smart home products, like their popular Smart Lock Pro, and it also works well with either Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. If you prefer to use Google/Nest devices, or if you want the flexibility to change smart assistants, then this is the doorbell for you.
The August View is powered by a removable, rechargeable battery pack that’s fairly easy to slide out and plug into a USB cable. You can also purchase additional battery packs from August for $30, which will ensure that your video doorbell never has any real downtime.
Ring Video Doorbell 3: A nice Ring to it
From a hardware perspective, the Ring Video Doorbell 3 features a full 1080p camera with infrared to help you better see in poor lighting conditions. It can be used wirelessly, thanks to the removable and rechargeable battery pack, or hooked in through existing doorbell wiring for less hassle over time. Ring also sells a handy solar charger that fits around the housing of the doorbell, keeping it powered forever.
With the Video Doorbell 3, Ring added a big new feature called the Near Zone to help cut down on erroneous motion detections. The Near Zone is a way for the doorbell to only detect motion between 5-15 feet away from the camera. That helps negate false positives when a car drives by the house, for example, or when a bug flies right in front of the camera.
Ring has additional major benefits over August when concerning motion detection.
Ring also has additional major benefits over August when concerning motion detection. While the August Doorbell Cam Pro’s motion detection sensitivity can be adjusted via a simple slider, Ring allows users to customize specific areas of the video where the doorbell should detect motion. That makes it easy to exclude things like a flag that always sets off motion alerts. On top of that, Ring allows users to block off entire sections of the video from recording, keeping private areas like bedroom windows safe from cameras.
The Ring Protect subscription plans are some of the most affordable we’ve seen, and offer some of the more extended storage options we’ve come across as well. This helps take some of the sting out of needing to subscribe to Ring’s service to access your recordings. That’s particularly important since Ring only allows users to view the live feed for free. Any historical video, even if it’s only seconds old, can only be accessed with a suscription plan.
Since Ring is an Amazon-owned company, it’s no surprise that its products work well with Alexa-enabled devices like Echo smart speakers. Still, because of increasing competition and compartmentalization between Amazon and Google, Google Assistant support is basic, at best, and won’t offer ways of casting the doorbell’s video to your TV or smart displays like you can with Alexa. If that’s a sticking point for you, you’ll want to skip this device.
Ring Video Doorbell 3 vs. August View Doorbell Cam Which button to press
Both August and Ring make quality smart home security devices at comparable prices, but your decision to choose the August View Doorbell Cam will most likely boil down to scant few questions. The most important factor to consider is August’s low cost-of-ownership. August gives users 24 hours of free video storage, so it’s easy to see what happened at your house over the past day without having to pay for a subscription fee. The higher-resolution video offered is also a plus, however, in this case it might not be as big of a positive factor as it initially sounds.
The Ring Video Doorbell 3 offers more customizability than the August View Doorbell Cam does, and it offers quite a few important features that make it one of the best products Ring has ever made. First off, it can be completely run via a rechargeable battery pack or via hardwired power, while the August View Doorbell Cam can only be run on battery power. Secondly, Ring provides the ability to customize where the doorbell detects motion, and it can even be told to block out parts of the video entirely for privacy reasons. It’s also more reliable than the August View when it comes to actually viewing the video, which is the entire purpose of getting a video doorbell in the first place.
Basically, this comes down to a value proposition. Do you care more about quality-of-life features and better capabilities? In most cases, the Ring Video Doorbell 3 will be the best buy for folks simply because of this fact. If you’re looking for a simple video doorbell that won’t cost you extra to use all of the features, then the August View makes more sense.
Ring Video Doorbell 3
Great Alexa-enabled doorbell
Improving with every generation
$200 at Amazon
$200 at Best Buy
$200 at Ring
The Ring Video Doorbell 3 is extremely convenient thanks to its ability to be battery-powered or hardwired. It offers 1080p video resolution, customizable motion detection, and a wide field of view. The biggest downside is the fact that you’ll need a subscription to see any of your videos.
August View Doorbell Cam
For renters
Great for renters
$230 at August
Sometimes, simple is the way to go. In the August View’s case, simple operation and pricing makes the August View a budget-friendly long-term investment.
