4 Video Doorbell Brands That Don't Require A Subscription

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It's hard being invested in tech and avoiding subscriptions these days. Managing multiple subscriptions can be a headache. Unlike tools you can use to mass unsubscribe from emails, canceling subscriptions often involves sifting through apps one by one and deleting them manually.

There are plenty of good reasons for buying a video doorbell, like security, tracking deliveries, or keeping an eye on your property while you're away. However, many video doorbell companies hide features behind a subscription paywall, forcing customers to pay monthly to get good use from their products. The most common paid feature is cloud storage for saving video recordings. To avoid compulsory subscription fees, some companies have a workaround – built-in local storage.

In this list, we'll share some of the best video doorbell brands that don't require a subscription. These brands offer all the essentials you need from a video doorbell without locking you into monthly payments.

Tapo, a smart-home tech brand owned by networking giant TP-Link, offers a wide range of subscription-free video doorbells suited for every budget. The Tapo D225 is a great all-around video doorbell that covers all the essentials for keeping you safe 24/7. The video camera offers 2K resolution with a 180-degree viewing field as well as full-color night vision. If battery life is a concern, Tapo's D225 10,000mAh battery can run up to eight months. Plus, with hardwired support, you can plug in your doorbell for 24/7 recording.

Beyond the essentials, Tapo's D225 video doorbell includes some modern additions, like free AI detection plus a Pre-Roll setting for detecting movements early on. All these features are available subscription-free using Tapo's local storage, which offers up to 512GB via a microSD card (not included).

With a $129.99 retail price (currently $99.99 on sale), the Tapo D225 has a decent amount of features, making it a solid alternative to Amazon's Ring doorbells. For those on a budget, the Tapo D210 is another strong option costing $74.99. Despite its smaller battery and reduced AI features, the D210 is an affordable but capable doorbell that meets basic needs without requiring a subscription.

If you're looking for something on the premium end, Lorex has a range of high-tech video doorbells for those dodging subscriptions. The Lorex 4K Wi-Fi Video Doorbell is one of the brand's leading doorbells, offering continuous video recording in crisp 4K resolution. Thanks to its 9:16 aspect ratio, the Lorex 4K doorbell offers a broader view than standard 4:3 doorbells. There's also a built-in AI feature, capable of detecting people, packages, and animals within range.

Lorex emphasizes its subscription-free offering to customers. A 32GB SD card for local storage is supplied with many of its top doorbells. While this may get eaten up fast by 4K footage, there is the option to upgrade to 256GB for extra space. If 4K isn't your thing, there's also a reasonable 2K version, available as wired and battery-operated models. The 2K versions still include impressive features, such as color night vision and a pre-recording option.

In addition to 4K-support, another feature putting Lorex ahead of its competition is a built-in night light. This can be used to welcome guests or as a security measure, illuminating unwanted visitors via its motion detection. Overall, Lorex packs in a strong set of features without requiring a subscription.

Eufy is another brand that takes advantage of subscription-free local storage, with a host of 2K video doorbells. Owned by Anker, Eufy sells everything from security cameras to robot vacuums such as the X10 Pro Omni. Among its top video doorbells is the Eufy E340 Video Doorbell. Eufy takes an interesting approach to wide-view recordings, offering a dual-camera feature to capture an expanded view. The doorbell brings many worthwhile traits to the table, including color night vision, 2K recording, and AI face detection.

Despite being subscription-free, many of Eufy's video doorbells only offer 8-16GB of local storage. However, Eufy makes it easy to format a microSD card if you need to get rid of old footage. There's also the option to expand storage via a Eufy HomeBase device, which can be expanded to up to 16TB. Of course, this does come with a costly price tag, so it may only be useful to those who own multiple smart security cameras. Nonetheless, if you're worried about subscriptions stacking up, Eufy is another worthy video doorbell choice that doesn't involve monthly fees.

Another subscription-free contender in the video doorbell market is security camera specialist Reolink. As with many of its other products, Reolink doubles down on local storage for a simple smart home setup. The latest video doorbell entry in its product line, the 2nd Gen Reolink Battery Video Doorbell, takes a smart and easy approach to video recording without requiring any monthly fees. Among its top features are its 300-day battery life (based on five minutes of recording) and HDR recording.

Reolink's 2nd Gen Video Doorbell offers two advanced security measures: a Zone Loitering alert for people hanging around suspiciously long, and a Tamper alert that warns you if somebody attempts to steal the doorbell. Although some features like pre-recording require a wired connection, you can enjoy high-tech features such as AI detection subscription-free. The second-gen Reolink doorbell offers up to 512GB of local storage with a microSD card, providing plenty of space as an alternative to cloud storage.

Handling visitors while away is simple with two-way audio, which you can do from the Reolink app. The app manages setup and offers perks like pre-recording management and instant video calls. It also connects seamlessly with other devices in the Reolink ecosystem. This is one of the reasons why Reolink's app makes our list of the best security camera apps for Android.