Ring subscription plans and their monthly prices

Ring offers two main subscription tiers for camera owners: Ring Protect Basic and Ring Protect Plus. Basic costs $3 per month or $30 per year and covers one camera or doorbell. Plus costs $10 per month or $100 per year and covers all Ring devices at your location — cameras, doorbells, and alarm systems if you have them.

Both plans include video recording, cloud storage of your footage, motion alerts, and the ability to review video history. The difference is that Plus adds professional monitoring for Ring Alarm systems (if you own one), which means a monitoring center can dispatch emergency services on your behalf. If you don't have a Ring Alarm system, Plus mainly gives you the convenience of one subscription covering multiple cameras instead of paying per device.

Ring also sells cameras and doorbells without requiring a subscription. Without a plan, you can still see live video and get alerts, but you cannot save or review video clips after they happen. The subscription is what lets you watch what happened while you were away.

Key Takeaways

  • Ring Protect Basic costs $3 per month or $30 per year and covers one device; Ring Protect Plus costs $10 per month or $100 per year and covers all devices at your address.
  • Both plans store your video in the cloud so you can watch clips after they occur, which you cannot do without a subscription.
  • Plus adds professional monitoring for Ring Alarm systems, but offers no video benefit over Basic if you don't own an alarm.
  • You can use Ring cameras without any subscription, but you will only see live video in real time and lose the ability to review what happened later.

When you need a subscription and when you don't

You need a subscription if you want to save video clips and watch them later. This is the main reason most people pay — they want to review footage from while they were at work, asleep, or away from home. Without a subscription, the camera records to the cloud, but Ring deletes it after a short time, and you have no way to retrieve it.

You do not need a subscription if you only want live video. You can open the Ring app anytime and see what your camera sees right now. You will also get push notifications when motion is detected, so you know something happened. But you won't be able to tap the notification and watch the clip — you'll only see that an alert occurred.

Some people use Ring cameras with local storage instead of subscriptions. If your camera model supports it, you can attach a USB drive or microSD card to save video locally on your own device rather than in Ring's cloud. This requires more technical setup and means you're responsible for managing the storage yourself, but it costs nothing beyond the camera.

Comparing Basic and Plus for different household sizes

If you own one camera or doorbell, Basic is the cheaper choice. You pay $3 per month for that one device, and there's no reason to pay for Plus unless you plan to add more cameras later.

If you own two or more Ring devices, the math changes. Two devices on Basic costs $6 per month ($3 each). One Plus subscription covering both costs $10 per month. At three devices, Basic costs $9 per month while Plus costs $10. At four or more devices, Plus becomes the better deal. If you think you'll add cameras in the future, Plus locks in one price no matter how many you install.

The annual payment option saves money on both plans. Basic is $30 per year instead of $36 if you paid monthly ($3 × 12). Plus is $100 per year instead of $120 if you paid monthly ($10 × 12). The yearly discount is the same on both — about 17 percent off.

What happens if you cancel or let your subscription lapse

If you stop paying for a subscription, your Ring camera continues to work for live viewing and motion alerts. You straightforward lose the ability to watch saved clips. Any video already stored in the cloud remains there for a limited time — Ring typically keeps it for 30 to 60 days depending on how much was recorded — then deletes it.

You can restart a subscription anytime. There's no penalty for cancelling and restarting, and you won't lose your camera or your account. If you restart within the grace period, you may still see some of your old footage, though Ring doesn't may provide this.

Some people cancel during months when they're home most of the time and restart when they travel or return to the office. Ring doesn't charge any restart fee, so this is a valid way to reduce yearly costs if your security needs change seasonally.

How Ring subscriptions bundle with other services

If you own a Ring Alarm system, Ring Protect Plus includes professional monitoring at no extra charge. This means a monitoring center watches your alarm 24/7 and can call you or dispatch police if it's triggered. Professional monitoring normally costs $10 to $15 per month from other alarm companies, so this is a real savings if you have an alarm.

Ring does not bundle camera subscriptions with other services like Amazon Prime. You pay for Ring Protect separately, even if you're an Amazon Prime member. However, some internet providers and security companies offer Ring subscriptions as part of their packages, so it's worth checking your current bills to see if you're already paying for one through another service.

Ring also sells a Ring Protect Premium plan in some regions, which adds 24/7 professional monitoring for cameras in addition to alarm monitoring. This is not widely available and costs more than Plus, so check Ring's website for your area.

Free alternatives and workarounds

Several other camera brands offer free cloud storage or longer free trial periods than Ring. Wyze cameras include 14 days of free cloud storage. Google Nest cameras offer three hours of free event video storage. These don't match Ring's features, but they cost nothing if you only need basic recording.

If you want to avoid subscriptions entirely, local storage is your option. Cameras that support microSD cards or USB drives let you save video to your own device. This requires you to manage the storage yourself and means you can't access footage remotely as easily, but it has no monthly cost.

Some people use a combination: they keep a Ring subscription for one outdoor doorbell camera (the most important one) and use a cheaper local-storage camera for secondary locations. This balances cost and coverage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a Ring camera without paying for a subscription?

Yes. You can see live video and receive motion alerts without a subscription. You straightforward cannot save or review video clips after they occur. The subscription is only for cloud storage and playback of recorded footage.

Does Ring Protect Plus work if I don't have a Ring Alarm?

Yes, but you're mainly paying for the ability to cover multiple cameras under one subscription instead of paying per device. The professional monitoring feature only applies to Ring Alarm systems. If you have cameras only, Plus and Basic offer the same video features.

What's the difference between paying monthly and yearly?

Yearly payment costs about 17 percent less than paying month to month. Basic is $30 per year instead of $36 monthly, and Plus is $100 per year instead of $120 monthly. The yearly option requires paying the full amount upfront.

If I cancel my subscription, do I lose my camera?

No. Your camera continues to work for live viewing and alerts. You only lose the ability to watch saved video clips. You can restart your subscription anytime without penalty or losing your device.

Can I save video without paying Ring if I have a microSD card?

Some Ring camera models support local storage on microSD cards or USB drives. Check your camera's specifications to see if it has this feature. If it does, you can save video locally without a subscription, though you manage the storage yourself.