Ring Home Basic is free and gives you live video and motion alerts, but recording and cloud storage require a paid plan
Ring Home Basic is Ring's free tier. It includes live video viewing through the Ring app and motion alerts sent to your phone, but it does not include automatic video recording or cloud storage. If you want your camera to save video to the cloud, you must purchase Ring Protect Plan ($10 per month) or Ring Protect Plus ($20 per month) instead.
Ring offers Basic at no cost so you can watch your camera live and get notified of motion without paying anything upfront. The limitation is that you cannot review video after the fact unless you pay for recording and storage. You can still talk and listen through the camera during live view, and some Ring devices support local storage on a microSD card, which works with Basic but only saves video to the device itself.
Key Takeaways
- Ring Home Basic costs nothing and includes live video viewing and motion alerts, but no cloud recording or storage.
- To record video to the cloud and review it later, you must buy Ring Protect Plan ($10 per month) or Ring Protect Plus ($20 per month).
- Basic works with all Ring camera and doorbell models and is your default tier when you first set up your account.
- Some Ring cameras support local storage on a microSD card, which works with Basic but only saves video to the device and is lost if the camera is stolen or damaged.
- Ring Protect Plus covers all your Ring devices under one subscription, while Protect Plan requires a separate subscription for each camera.
What you can and cannot do with Ring Home Basic
With Ring Home Basic, you can open the Ring app and watch live video from your camera at any time, from anywhere. You receive push notifications on your phone when the camera detects motion. You can talk through the camera's speaker and listen through its microphone during a live view session. These features work whether you are home or away.
You cannot record video automatically to the cloud with Basic. If motion happens and you are not watching live, there is no recording saved for you to review later. You also cannot access video history, set up activity zones to filter false alerts, or use person detection to distinguish between people and other moving objects. Those features require Ring Protect Plan or Ring Protect Plus.
How Ring Protect Plan and Ring Protect Plus compare to Basic
| Feature | Ring Home Basic | Ring Protect Plan | Ring Protect Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live video viewing | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Motion alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cloud video recording | No | Yes | Yes |
| Video history storage | No | 60 days | 180 days |
| Person detection | No | Yes | Yes |
| Activity zones | No | Yes | Yes |
| Covers multiple devices | N/A | One camera per subscription | All Ring devices on account |
| Monthly cost | Free | $10 | $20 |
Ring Protect Plan records video to the cloud and stores it for 60 days. Ring Protect Plus does the same but keeps video for 180 days and covers all Ring cameras and doorbells on your account under one subscription. If you own multiple cameras, Protect Plus is usually cheaper than buying Protect Plan for each one separately.
Basic covers none of these features. You get live viewing and alerts only. The choice between Protect Plan and Protect Plus depends on how many cameras you own and how long you want to keep video history.
Which devices work with Ring Home Basic
Ring Home Basic works with all Ring camera and doorbell models, including Ring Video Doorbell, Ring Stick Up Cam, Ring Floodlight Cam, Ring Indoor Cam, and Ring Spotlight Cam. You do not need to own a specific model to use Basic — the free tier is available across the entire Ring product line.
Some Ring cameras have local storage options, such as microSD card slots or hard drive compatibility. With Basic, you can still use local storage to record video directly to the device, but you will not have cloud backup or the ability to view recordings through the Ring app if the device goes offline or is removed.
How to set up Ring Home Basic
When you first set up a Ring camera or doorbell, you create a Ring account and read the Ring app. Ring Home Basic is the default tier — you do not need to do anything to set up it. Your account starts with Basic automatically, and you can begin viewing live video and receiving motion alerts right away.
If you later decide you want recording and cloud storage, you can upgrade to Ring Protect Plan or Ring Protect Plus directly in the Ring app. The upgrade takes effect when ready, and you will start recording video to the cloud as soon as you confirm the purchase. You can also downgrade or cancel a paid plan and return to Basic at any time.
Local storage as an alternative to cloud recording
Some Ring devices support local storage, which means video is saved to a microSD card inside the camera or to a connected hard drive, rather than to Ring's cloud servers. Local storage does not require a paid subscription and works with Ring Home Basic. You can insert a microSD card into compatible Ring cameras and set them to record continuously or only when motion is detected.
The downside is that local storage only works when your camera is powered on and connected to your network. If the camera is stolen, damaged, or loses power, the video on the device is lost. Cloud recording through Protect Plan or Protect Plus backs up your video to Ring's servers, so you can access it even if the camera is no longer there or your internet goes down.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I record video with Ring Home Basic?
No. Ring Home Basic does not include cloud recording. To record and store video in the cloud, you must purchase Ring Protect Plan ($10 per month) or Ring Protect Plus ($20 per month). Some Ring cameras support local storage on a microSD card, which works with Basic but only saves video to the device itself.
Do I have to pay for Ring Home Basic?
No. Ring Home Basic is free. You only pay if you upgrade to Ring Protect Plan or Ring Protect Plus for cloud recording and extended storage.
Will I get motion alerts with Ring Home Basic?
Yes. Motion alerts work with Ring Home Basic at no cost. You will receive notifications on your phone when the camera detects motion, and you can watch live video anytime. You just cannot save recordings to the cloud.
What happens to my video if my Ring camera is stolen?
With Ring Home Basic and local storage only, the video is lost because it was stored on the device itself. With Ring Protect Plan or Protect Plus, your video is backed up to Ring's cloud servers, so you can still view it even after the camera is gone.
Can I use Ring Home Basic with multiple cameras?
Yes. You can add multiple Ring cameras to your account and use Ring Home Basic with all of them. If you upgrade to Ring Protect Plus, one subscription covers all your Ring devices. With Protect Plan, you would need a separate subscription for each camera.