Home security has evolved from simple locks to sophisticated camera-based systems that protect families and properties. Blink and Ring stand out as two of the most prominent players in the smart home security market. Blink began its journey by focusing on providing affordable and easy-to-use home security cameras. The Ring Video Doorbell revolutionized the market by allowing homeowners to see and communicate with visitors from their smartphones, even when not at home.
While both companies operate under the Amazon umbrella, they target slightly different audiences and have distinct strengths and weaknesses. The purpose of this Blink vs. Ring comparison is to understand which system offers better value, security, and features for today’s homeowners.
A Brief Overview Of Blink And Ring
Blink, founded in 2009 as Immedia Semiconductor Inc., initially focused on energy-efficient semiconductors. In 2014, Blink changed their portfolio from semiconductors to consumer electronics, starting with a wireless home security camera. It quickly gained recognition for its innovative approach to home security. Their cameras stood out for their long battery life, simple setup, and affordability.
In 2017, Amazon acquired Blink, which also offers outdoor security cameras, video doorbells, floodlight cameras, and more.
Ring, founded in 2013 by Jamie Siminoff, started with a simple yet revolutionary idea: the video doorbell. Originally named “Doorbot,” the company rebranded to Ring in 2014 and focused on improving home security through its flagship product. With a Ring video doorbell, homeowners can see, hear, and speak to visitors remotely via a smartphone app. This soon became a popular and must-have product for many consumers/homeowners.
Ring later expanded its product line with indoor & outdoor cameras, alarm systems, lighting, and several others. In 2018, Amazon acquired Ring for approximately $1 billion.
Blink vs. Ring: Product Lineup
Ring
Ring has a diverse and wide range of products. The Ring Video Doorbell remains one of the company’s most iconic products. They are available in several models, including the regular Video Doorbell, Doorbell Plus, and Doorbell Pro. All these models come with wired as well as battery options. The Ring Video Doorbell Elite is quite unique as it supports Power over Ethernet (PoE).
For indoor security, Ring has the Indoor Cam and Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam for a 360° horizontal and 169° vertical coverage. When it comes to outdoor security, we get the Ring Spotlight Cameras and Floodlight Cameras. Want something for both indoor and outdoor usage? The Ring Stick Up Cams, which are available in battery, plug-in, and solar-powered variants, are perfect for such versatile placement.
Ring’s product range extends beyond cameras and doorbells. The Ring Alarm Security System is a comprehensive home security solution. You can easily integrate this with Ring cameras and doorbells for complete coverage. Additionally, Ring’s Smart Lighting products, such as the Ring Pathlight (walkway lighting) and Ring Spotlight (overhead lighting), can improve outdoor security by illuminating pathways and driveways.
Blink
While Blink also has a range of products for indoor, outdoor, and doorbell security, its lineup is not as wide compared to Ring. The Blink Outdoor Camera (currently in its 4th generation) leads the list. One of the highlights of Blink’s Outdoor security camera is its excellent battery life, lasting up to 2 years on two AA lithium batteries.
Apart from its outdoor security cam, Blink is popularly known for its Floodlight Mount (for the outdoor camera), which illuminates the area with a 700 lumens light as soon as it detects any motion. For indoor monitoring, there is the Blink Indoor Camera (currently in its 3rd generation). Additionally, Blink offers the Mini 2, a compact wired security camera suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, though it requires a separate weatherproof adapter for outdoor installation.
There is a Pan-Tilt Mount for the Mini 2 Cam that allows you to cover any room from corner to corner with a 360° view. It is very useful for monitoring pets. To compete with Ring Video Doorbell, Blink has launched the Blink Video Doorbell.
Blink vs. Ring: Price And Subscription
Cost Of The Products
When it comes to the initial pricing for its devices, Blink is generally on the affordable side. For instance, the Blink Outdoor camera currently costs around $99.99 for a single unit. A Blink Indoor camera comes at a similar price point, retailing for about $79.99.
The Blink Mini 2, which is a more compact and wired option, is even more budget-friendly, with a price of $39.99. Coming to the Blink Video Doorbell, it retails for just $59.99.
These prices make Blink a popular choice for homeowners who want to secure their homes without a significant upfront investment.
Ring’s pricing structure is much more premium in the home security market. The Ring Stick Up Cam starts at $69.99 for the basic model (both the battery and wired power types) and goes all the way to $209.99 for the Stick Up Cam Pro (Solar model).
The Ring Floodlight Cams, which combine security lighting with video surveillance, start at a retail price of $139.99 (Floodlight Cam Plus Wired). They recently launched a couple of premium color options for Floodlight Cam Wired Pro that cost $269.99 (the regular Floodlight Cam Wired Pro is only $219.99).
We cannot ignore the main foothold of Ring i.e., their Video Doorbells. The Ring Video Doorbell is available in several models and the range starts from $49.99 for the basic wired Video Doorbell. At the time of writing this guide, Ring launched a new Battery Doorbell for $99.99. Wired Doorbells cost more than battery counterparts.
The Ring Video Doorbell Elite, which is a high-end PoE model, costs about $349.99. These prices indicate that Ring targets users who are willing to invest more upfront for advanced features and technology.
Subscription Plans
In addition to the initial cost of devices, both Blink and Ring have subscription plans that can improve the functionality of their cameras.
Technically, you can operate Blink cameras without a subscription by relying on local storage options using the Blink Sync Module 2 (which costs around $34.99). However, the added features and convenience of cloud storage make the subscription plans a worthy investment for many users.
The Blink Subscription Plan includes two primary options: the Basic Plan and the Plus Plan. The Basic Plan is priced at $3 per month (or $30 annually) and covers a single camera. It has features like cloud storage, video recording, and photo capture. The Plus Plan, on the other hand, costs $10 per month (or $100 annually) and covers an unlimited number of cameras within a single location. This plan also includes extended warranties and discounts on future Blink products.
Ring also has a similar subscription model in the form of Ring Protect Plans to access certain advanced features like video recording and storage. The Ring Protect Basic Plan costs $3.99 per month (or $39.99 annually) for a single device, slightly higher than Blink’s equivalent plan. This plan includes video history for up to 180 days, video saving and sharing, and snapshot capture.
For users with multiple Ring devices, the Ring Protect Plus Plan, priced at $10 per month (or $100 annually), covers all devices at a single location. This plan also provides professional monitoring for the Ring Alarm system and a 10% discount on select Ring products.
Blink vs. Ring: Features
Features And Functionality Of Blink
The camera resolution and video quality are essential aspects of any security camera. Almost all Blink cameras have a minimum of 1080p HD video for clear and detailed footage. This also helps in identifying faces with great details. Additionally, Blink cameras have infrared night vision that enables surveillance even in complete darkness. The field of view (FOV) for Blink cameras typically ranges from 110 to 130 degrees. This means they have a wide coverage with fewer blind spots.
Motion detection is another core feature of Blink cameras. The cameras use passive infrared (PIR) sensors to detect heat signatures from moving objects. When the camera detects any movement, it triggers recording and sends notifications to the user’s smartphone to provide real-time alerts. You can customize motion detection zones to reduce false alarms caused by non-threatening movements (trees, for example).
Battery life is a standout feature in Blink’s product lineup, particularly for the Blink Outdoor and Indoor cameras. These devices can operate for up to two years on a single pair of AA lithium batteries. Blink also provides wired and solar-powered versions for some of its cameras.
Apart from this, you get two-way audio to communicate with visitors or potential intruders through the cam’s built-in speaker and microphone.
Features And Functionality Of Ring
In Ring’s product lineup, most cameras support 1080p HD videos. Some high-end models (like the Ring Stick Up Cam Elite, for example), go beyond this, with 1536P HD+ live video resolution and advanced HDR (High Dynamic Range) technology (that improves video clarity in varying lighting conditions). The FOV for Ring cameras varies from model to model but it is usually in the range of 140 to 160 degrees. Sadly, neither Blink nor Ring has a camera that supports 4K resolution.
Night vision capabilities are standard across all Ring cameras. They use infrared LEDs to capture clear footage in low-light environments. Another feature that is common for all Ring cameras is two-way audio. You can communicate directly with anyone near the camera. This feature is very useful for answering the door remotely, interacting with delivery personnel, and even to scare potential intruders.
Apart from the above, Ring cameras are also loved for their motion detection technology, and their highly advanced features — customizable motion zones, and person detection, are something worth talking about. This technology reduces false alerts by properly distinguishing between human movement and other types of motion (such as animals or vehicles).
Unlike Blink, which only has a bunch of security cameras, Ring has a much broader ecosystem that includes the Ring Alarm system and Ring Smart Lighting. You can seamlessly integrate all these elements for better security. For instance, when you connect the Ring Alarm System with Ring Security Cameras, the cameras can trigger the alarm system during a security breach. Similarly, motion detected by the cameras can trigger the Ring Smart Lighting system to illuminate the area and capture clear video footage.
Blink vs. Ring: Comparison Of Other Factors
Professional Monitoring
Currently, Blink does not provide traditional professional monitoring services. Instead, Blink focuses only on self-monitoring, where users receive instant alerts on their smartphones when cameras detect any motion.
In contrast, Ring offers comprehensive professional monitoring services through its Ring Protect Plans. The Ring Protect Plus Plan, which costs $10 per month or $100 annually, includes 24/7 professional monitoring, where Ring’s security team responds to alerts by contacting emergency services if necessary.
This service adds another layer of security during incidents like break-ins or fires so that first responders can arrive in time.
We already talked about Ring’s ecosystem. The professional monitoring makes use of the Ring Alarm Security System and its components such as sensors, motion detectors, and sirens.
Smart Home Integration
As both Blink and Ring are products under Amazon’s umbrella, it’s natural to expect them to come equipped with smart features. Unsurprisingly, both security camera systems have integration with Amazon Alexa. This way, you can control them with a bunch of voice commands such as asking Alexa to show the live feed from a specific camera on an Echo Show or Fire TV.
When it comes to compatibility with other smart home ecosystems, Blink falls short by only supporting Alexa. It does not offer native integration with Google Home or Apple HomeKit. Ring, however, takes a huge leap with its broader compatibility, working not only with Amazon Alexa but also with Google Home, Apple HomeKit, IFTTT, and other smart platforms. This indeed makes Ring more popular, and versatile for diverse smart home setups.
Which Security System Is Better, Blink Or Ring?
The decision between Blink and Ring home security systems depends on individual preferences/needs and budget.
Blink cameras are often affordable, and easy to use, and their battery life is exceptional. If you are on a strict budget and looking for a simple, straightforward, and low-maintenance security solution, then Blink cameras are ideal.
Ring cameras, on the other hand, have a lot of advanced features, extensive smart home compatibility, and even professional monitoring (if you need one). If you are a tech-savvy user who wants a fully integrated and automated home security system, then Ring’s security cameras are perfect. However, Ring’s cameras generally have higher initial costs, and even their subscriptions cost more (when compared to Blink’s subscription).
