Ring's annual plans cost between $30 and $120 per year, depending on which devices you own and what features you want
Ring offers two main annual subscription tiers: Ring Protect Basic at $30 per year, and Ring Protect Plus at $120 per year. The price difference reflects what gets recorded and stored. Basic covers one device and stores 60 days of video history in the cloud. Plus covers all your Ring devices in one household and stores 60 days of video for each one. If you have multiple Ring cameras or doorbells, Plus is usually cheaper than paying for Basic on each device separately.
Ring also offers monthly billing if you prefer not to commit to a full year. Basic costs $3 per month and Plus costs $10 per month when paid monthly. The annual price works out to $36 for Basic and $120 for Plus if you pay monthly, so choosing annual saves you $6 on Basic but nothing on Plus. Some people choose monthly billing because they want to cancel without waiting for a renewal date, or because they are testing whether the service fits their needs.
These prices explore to Ring's cloud storage and video recording features only. You do not need a subscription to receive motion alerts or live view on your Ring devices — those work without paying anything. The subscription unlocks the ability to save and review video after the fact, which is the main reason most people buy it.
Key Takeaways
- Ring Protect Basic costs $30 per year and covers one device with 60 days of cloud storage.
- Ring Protect Plus costs $120 per year and covers all Ring devices in your home with 60 days of storage for each.
- Monthly billing is available at $3 per month for Basic and $10 per month for Plus, but costs slightly more per year.
- Motion alerts and live view work without any subscription; you only pay if you want video recordings saved to the cloud.
- Ring occasionally offers discounts during sales events, though the standard prices listed above are what you will see most of the year.
What Ring Protect Basic covers for $30 per year
Basic is designed for people with one Ring device — usually a doorbell or a single camera. You get 60 days of cloud storage for video from that one device. If motion or a person triggers your camera, the video saves automatically and you can watch it anytime within those 60 days. After 60 days, the oldest footage deletes to make room for new recordings.
Basic does not include video from a second device. If you add another Ring camera to your home, that second camera's video will not save to the cloud unless you buy a separate Basic subscription for it or upgrade to Plus. This is the main limitation that pushes people with two or more devices toward Plus.
What Ring Protect Plus covers for $120 per year
Plus covers every Ring device you own in a single household — doorbell cameras, stick-up cameras, floodlight cameras, and any other Ring product that records video. Each device gets its own 60-day storage window. You also get 24/7 professional monitoring of your Ring Alarm system if you have one, which means Ring's monitoring center can contact emergency services on your behalf if your alarm is triggered.
Plus also includes video recording from your Ring Alarm's built-in camera and any additional cameras you add to that system. If you have a Ring Alarm with multiple cameras, Plus is the only subscription option that covers all of them. The professional monitoring feature alone costs extra if you buy it separately, so Plus becomes the better value once you have both cameras and an alarm system.
How to choose between Basic and Plus
Count how many Ring devices you own or plan to own. If you have one device, Basic is cheaper. If you have two or more, do the math: two Basic subscriptions cost $60 per year, while Plus costs $120. But if you have an alarm system, Plus includes monitoring that would otherwise cost you separately, which often makes Plus the better deal even with just one camera.
Think about whether you need 24/7 professional monitoring. If your Ring Alarm is armed and motion is detected, Plus sends an alert to Ring's monitoring center, which can dispatch police or fire if you confirm an emergency. Basic does not include this. If you have an alarm system but do not want professional monitoring, you can keep Basic, but you will lose cloud video storage for any cameras connected to that alarm.
Consider how long you want to keep video. Both plans store 60 days. If you need longer storage — for example, to review something that happened weeks ago — neither subscription will help; Ring does not offer longer storage periods. You would need to read and save video manually as it happens, which requires you to watch your camera regularly.
Monthly billing versus annual billing
Monthly billing costs $3 per month for Basic ($36 per year) and $10 per month for Plus ($120 per year). The annual plan saves you $6 on Basic but nothing on Plus. Monthly billing makes sense if you want to cancel anytime without waiting for a renewal, or if you are unsure whether you will keep the service long-term.
Ring does not pro-rate refunds if you cancel mid-month. If you pay for a month and cancel on day 15, you lose the remaining 15 days of payment. Annual plans work the same way — if you cancel after six months, you do not get a refund for the unused six months. This is why monthly billing appeals to people who think they might cancel soon.
Discounts and sales on Ring subscriptions
Ring occasionally discounts subscriptions during major sales events like Black Friday, Prime Day, and back-to-school sales. Discounts typically range from 10 to 30 percent off the annual price, though the exact discount and timing vary by year. You can check Ring's website or your Ring app to see current pricing, which updates when a sale is active.
Some retailers like Amazon occasionally bundle Ring devices with discounted or free subscription time. If you buy a Ring doorbell or camera from Amazon, check the product listing to see whether a subscription period is included. These bundles are most common during holiday sales.
Ring's subscription price has remained stable for several years, so waiting for a sale is the main way to reduce what you pay. There is no loyalty discount for long-term customers or multi-device households beyond the Plus plan itself.
What happens if you cancel your subscription
If you stop paying for a subscription, your Ring devices continue to work. You will still get motion alerts and can view live video from your camera in real time through the Ring app. What stops working is cloud storage — new video will not save, and any video older than what is already cached on your device will be gone.
If you reactivate a subscription later, you do not recover deleted video. You start fresh with a new 60-day storage window from the date you reactivate. Some people cancel during winter months when they are away and reactivate in spring, accepting that they will lose any video from the months they were not subscribed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a Ring subscription to use my doorbell or camera?
No. Your Ring device works without a subscription. You can see live video anytime and get motion alerts on your phone. The subscription only saves video to the cloud so you can review it later. Without it, you can only watch live video in real time.
Can I share my Ring subscription with family members?
Yes, if they live in the same household and are added to your Ring account. Each person can see the same video history and live feeds. Ring does not allow sharing a subscription across multiple households or with people outside your home.
What if I have a Ring Alarm but no cameras?
You do not need a subscription for the alarm itself to work. The alarm will still arm, disarm, and trigger. If you want 24/7 professional monitoring, you need Plus. If you only want local alerts on your phone when the alarm triggers, you do not need a subscription.
Can I upgrade from Basic to Plus mid-year?
Yes. If you are on a monthly Basic plan, you can switch to Plus anytime and pay the difference. If you are on an annual Basic plan, Ring will typically credit what you paid toward a Plus upgrade, though the exact process depends on when you upgrade. Contact Ring support to confirm the credit amount.
Does Ring offer a free trial?
Ring occasionally offers free trial periods with new device purchases, usually 30 to 60 days. Check the product listing when you buy to see if a trial is included. After the trial ends, you pay the standard subscription price if you want to keep the service.