Ring Protect Plan is a monthly or yearly subscription that adds cloud recording, video history, and customer support to your Ring camera or doorbell
Ring Protect Plan stores your video footage in the cloud so you can watch it later, even if someone deletes it from your device. Without the plan, your Ring camera records only to local storage (if your device supports it) or not at all. The subscription also includes 24/7 professional monitoring for Ring Alarm systems, extended warranty coverage, and priority customer support.
Ring offers two subscription tiers: Ring Protect Basic and Ring Protect Plus. Basic covers one device; Plus covers all Ring devices at your home. Pricing varies by region and whether you pay monthly or annually. Monthly plans cost less per month if you commit to a year upfront, but you can cancel monthly plans anytime.
Key Takeaways
- Ring Protect Basic stores video for one camera or doorbell; Ring Protect Plus covers unlimited devices at your address.
- Video is stored in Ring's cloud servers for 60 days with Basic or Plus, and you can read clips to keep them permanently.
- The subscription includes 24/7 professional monitoring for Ring Alarm systems, which requires a separate alarm purchase.
- Annual payment costs less per month than paying month-to-month, but monthly plans let you cancel without penalty.
- Ring Protect Plan does not cover hardware repairs or replacements; that requires a separate Ring Care+ plan.
What Each Tier Covers
Ring Protect Basic covers one Ring device — a doorbell, camera, or alarm base station. It stores 60 days of video history in the cloud, lets you read and share clips, and includes 24/7 professional monitoring if you have a Ring Alarm system. You get priority customer support by phone, email, or chat.
Ring Protect Plus covers all Ring devices at a single address, including multiple cameras, doorbells, and alarm base stations. It includes the same 60-day cloud storage, read and sharing features, and professional alarm monitoring. The main difference is the number of devices covered, not the features each device gets.
Both tiers include a 30-day free trial when you first set up a Ring device. After the trial ends, you must pay to keep cloud recording active. If you cancel, your video history is deleted after 24 hours.
Monthly and Annual Pricing
Ring Protect Basic costs less per month if you pay annually, but the exact amount varies by region and changes over time. Ring publishes pricing in the Ring app and on its website, and you can see the cost before you commit to a plan.
Monthly plans charge you every 30 days and can be cancelled anytime without penalty. Annual plans charge once per year and usually cost 15 to 25 percent less per month than the monthly rate, but you pay the full year upfront. If you cancel an annual plan early, Ring does not refund unused months.
Ring Protect Plus costs more than Basic because it covers multiple devices. A household with two cameras and a doorbell would need Plus to record all three; Basic would cover only one.
How Cloud Storage and Video History Work
When you subscribe to Ring Protect, your camera uploads video to Ring's servers whenever motion or a doorbell press is detected. The video stays in your Ring account for 60 days. After 60 days, Ring deletes it automatically unless you read it first.
You can read any clip to your phone or computer and keep it forever. Downloaded clips are yours to store, share, or delete. Ring does not delete downloaded videos after 60 days.
Without a Ring Protect subscription, most Ring devices do not record to the cloud at all. Some newer models record to local storage on the device itself, but that footage is limited by the device's memory and is lost if the device is stolen or damaged.
Ring Alarm Monitoring and What It Includes
If you own a Ring Alarm system, Ring Protect Plan includes 24/7 professional monitoring. When your alarm is triggered, Ring's monitoring center receives the alert and can contact emergency services on your behalf. You set up emergency contacts (police, fire, medical) during setup, and the monitoring center calls them if you do not respond to an alert.
Professional monitoring is included with both Basic and Plus plans at no extra cost. You do not need a separate monitoring contract with another company. If you cancel Ring Protect Plan, professional monitoring stops when ready, and your alarm will no longer alert the monitoring center.
Ring Alarm hardware (the base station, door sensors, motion detectors) is sold separately and is not included in the subscription cost. The subscription only covers the monitoring service and cloud features.
Ring Protect Plan Versus Ring Care+
Ring offers a separate subscription called Ring Care+ that covers hardware damage, theft, and malfunction. Ring Protect Plan does not cover these things. If your camera is stolen or stops working, Ring Protect Plan will not replace it or pay for repairs.
Ring Care+ is a separate monthly subscription that covers accidental damage, theft, and hardware failure. It includes a replacement device shipped to you if yours is damaged or stolen. You can buy Ring Care+ for individual devices or for all devices at your home.
Some people buy both subscriptions: Ring Protect Plan for cloud video storage and monitoring, and Ring Care+ for hardware protection. Others buy only Ring Protect Plan if they do not want hardware coverage. The two subscriptions are independent and do not bundle together.
How to Start and Cancel a Subscription
When you first set up a Ring device, the Ring app offers a 30-day free trial of Ring Protect Plan. During the trial, you can use all features — cloud recording, video history, and alarm monitoring — at no cost. The app shows you a countdown to the end of the trial.
Before the trial ends, you choose a plan (Basic or Plus) and a payment method. You can select monthly or annual billing. If you do nothing, the trial expires and cloud recording stops, but your device continues to work for live view and local features.
To cancel a subscription, open the Ring app, go to your subscription settings, and select "Cancel Plan." Monthly plans cancel when ready, and you are not charged again. Annual plans cancel at the end of the current year; Ring does not refund the unused portion. You can restart a subscription anytime by selecting a plan again in the app.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a Ring camera without Ring Protect Plan?
Yes. Your camera will still record to live view and let you see who is at your door in real time. You just will not have cloud video history or the ability to watch past events. Some newer Ring devices support local storage, which records to the device itself without a subscription, but storage is limited.
What happens to my videos if I cancel the subscription?
Your video history is deleted 24 hours after you cancel. Any clips you downloaded before cancelling are yours to keep. If you restart your subscription later, your old videos are gone — you only see new recordings from the restart date forward.
Does Ring Protect Plan work if my internet goes down?
No. Cloud recording requires an active internet connection. If your Wi-Fi or broadband is offline, your Ring device cannot upload video to the cloud. Local storage (on devices that support it) may still record, but cloud history will have a gap.
Can I share video clips with other people?
Yes. Ring Protect Plan includes a sharing feature that lets you send clips to family members or neighbors through the Ring app. You control who sees what and can revoke access anytime. Downloaded clips can also be shared through email or messaging apps.
Is there a contract or commitment period?
Monthly plans have no commitment — you can cancel anytime. Annual plans require payment for the full year upfront, but you can cancel and lose the unused portion. Ring does not offer multi-year contracts or discounts for longer commitments.