I’m a smart home tech editor, and these are my 3 favorite cheap video doorbells – with no sneaky subscription fees

Video doorbells are handy for both security and convenience, and they don’t have to be expensive. There are some great options around for under £100 / $150 / AU$200, with high resolution cameras, well-designed apps, and advanced features like package-detection all at your fingertips.

But which ones can you trust to protect your home? Here I’ve put together a list of my top three video doorbells, all of which we’ve tested, reviewed, and rated here at TechRadar.

Importantly, none of these video doorbells require you to pay a monthly subscription fee to store your videos and access important features. Although Ring doorbells are excellent, and feature in our roundup of the best video doorbells, their functionality is limited unless you pay for a Ring Home subscription. You’ll be able to watch live footage from your doorbell’s camera, but recordings won’t be saved anywhere so you can watch them back later and see who called. Now, on with the list.

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You can install Eufy’s wireless video doorbell in minutes, and it’s fantastic value, having dropped in price significantly since launch. It comes with a plug-in chime so you can hear visitors when you’re at home, even if you don’t have your phone handy. There’s also an SD card slot on the back of the doorbell so you can save your video footage locally and keep full control of it.

During our tests the 2K footage was crisp and clear, and although there was a slight lag when we were talking to visitors through the app, it wasn’t significant enough to cause any problems. We also appreciated the ability to set up quick auto-responses in the app for occasions when we couldn’t respond to callers straight away. If you want to tell a courier to leave a package with a particular neighbor, for example, it’s excellent.

Although Eufy does offer a paid service that enables you to store your recordings in the cloud, it’s not mandatory, and we were very impressed by the doorbell’s performance without it during our tests.

If you want something more advanced, take a look at the Eufy Video Doorbell Dual, which has two separate cameras so you can easily see visitors’ faces, plus any packages they might leave on your doorstep. If price is your main concern though, the standard 2K model should be just fine.

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Read our full Eufy Video Doorbell 2K (Wireless) review

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Swann makes some of the best home security cameras we’ve tested here at TechRadar, so we had high expectations for this little doorbell – and it didn’t disappoint. This is another excellent budget-friendly video doorbell that comes bundled with its own plug-in chime, offers super-sharp 4K video recordings, and can be connected to existing doorbell wiring or run from a rechargeable battery.

There are also no hidden subscription fees to worry about. Like the Eufy video doorbell above, it has space for an SD card so your videos can be saved locally, with no extra payments unless online storage is something you absolutely have to have.

Swann’s app is particularly intuitive to use, so even if this is your first foray into the world of smart home tech, you won’t be overwhelmed. Even advanced features like privacy areas are easy to set up – and that’s a feature you don’t often find with doorbells in this price bracket.

Its most unusual feature is its ability to create AI-generated responses on the fly when visitors call, with different levels of friendliness and a distinct Australian accent, but that felt a little bit unnecessary. It’s an excellent cheap video doorbell without that, and you won’t be losing out if you don’t use it.

Read our full SwannBuddy4K review

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Doro is a tech company specializing in devices for senior users (particularly phones), but its first video doorbell is a great option for anyone who doesn’t want a lot of advanced features they’re not likely to use, or a cluttered and confusing app. In fact, the Hemma and its software are so well designed, it won the prize for best video doorbell in last year’s TechRadar Choice Awards.

Your video recordings are stored locally (in fact, there’s no subscription service at all, even if you wanted it), setup is super straightforward, and the Hemma comes with the loudest plug-in chime we’ve ever tested.

Motion-detection works very well (and you can dial down its sensitivity if you find yourself getting too many false alerts), and your recordings are nicely organized in the app so it’s easy to find the exact moment you want to check.

There are a few nice accessibility and safety features created with senior users in mind. For example, you can activate a loud siren to scare away any unwelcome visitors, and set up an emergency contact to whom calls can be redirected.

The drawback of this doorbell is that Doro is a British company that doesn’t currently sell its products in the US or Australia. If that’s where you are, take a look at the Swann and Arlo devices above instead.

Read our full Doro Hemma review

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