Pulse · Home
Hearthline
BEST · Video Doorbells

The Best Video Doorbells

Package detection, latency and wiring reality.

By Daniel Reyes, Smart Home Editor · Published August 4, 2026 · 2 min read

Security cameras mounted on an exterior wall

Photograph: Scott Webb / StockSnap

Hearthline is editorially independent. When you buy through links on this page we may earn a commission, which funds our testing. It never changes what we recommend or how we score. How we make money.

We timed the delay between a press and a phone notification 200 times per device across Wi-Fi conditions.

Battery or wired

Battery models are easy to fit and always slower to wake. If a doorbell transformer exists, use it.

Our picks

Independently tested

Security cameras mounted on an exterior wall
Best Overall

Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2

Fast alerts, head-to-toe view and the widest accessory ecosystem.

Score
8.4 / 10
Price band
$200 – $260

Best for: Front doors with parcel traffic

Price band last checked 2026-08-11. Live pricing arrives with our retailer feed.

Methodology

Every product here was tested in a working home against standardised tasks. Scores are the mean of five measured criteria and are never adjusted for commercial reasons. How we test · How we review.

The Home Brief

Smarter ideas, better products and the home stories worth knowing.

Several mornings a week. No filler, no fake urgency, unsubscribe in one click.

Related reading

Modern cylinder lock on a dark front door
BEST · Smart Locks

The Best Smart Locks

Fingerprint speed, battery honesty and what happens when the lock fails — the three things that matter.