(Pocket-lint) – Video doorbells are excellent. They not only make sure you can see who is at your door and allow you to speak to delivery drivers if you aren’t home, but they also keep an eye on what’s happening at the front of your house, making for great security devices too.

There are a number of options available, all of which have some great features, but each company has different subscription options that you’ll need to factor into the overall cost if you want to see what your video doorbell records during its time on your door. 

The main thing you’ll need to decide when buying a video doorbell though, is whether you want a wired option or a battery-operated option. If you go for wired – like the Nest Hello – then you’ll need to get an electrician to install it if you don’t have an existing wired doorbell. The battery-operated options – like the Ring 3 Plus – can just be mounted to your door, but you’ll need to charge the battery or buy a replacement battery to switch over.

We have a separate feature comparing the options from Nest, Ring, Arlo and Netatmo in detail, but here are our choices for the best video doorbells.

Our guide to the best smart video doorbells to buy today

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Nest Hello

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The Nest Hello is our top choice for a video doorbell, but it is wired, so it won’t be right for everyone. For those who can accommodate a wired doorbell though, the Hello has some great features, including facial recognition, HDR imaging and a lovely, premium design.

Video and image quality are excellent, integration with Google smart displays is great and facial recognition works well. It’s not cheap, but it is worth it. The Nest Aware subscription, which you’ll need for some of the best features is £5/$5 a month.

• Nest Hello review: At last, a video doorbell to take on Ring

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Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus

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The Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus is our top pick for a battery-operated video doorbell. Its design isn’t as sleek as the wired Nest Hello but it has a great feature set and its outer casing can be customised.

It also offers customisable motion controls, pre-roll to capture events before they happen and it delivers good quality footage. You’ll want to buy a Chime or Chime Pro though and the Ring Protect subscription – which is needed to maximise the features – costs £2.50/$3 a month.

• Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus review: Record events before they even happen

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Arlo Essential Video Doorbell Wire-Free

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Arlo’s Essential Video Doorbell Wire-Free is a great option for those that like the flexiblity the Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus offers, but the slimmer design of the Nest Hello.

It’s bulkier than it first looks from the front, but the Arlo Essential Video Doorbell Wire-Free offers great video quality, easy setup and integration with Arlo’s wider system. The Arlo Smart subscription costs £2.49 per month.

• Arlo Essential Video Doorbell Wire-Free review: Ding dong

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Ring Video Doorbell Pro

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The Ring Video Doorbell Pro is another hardwired option like the Nest Hello but it’s got plenty of features, along with a good wide-angle view and decent quality footage. 

It doesn’t offer facial recognition like the Nest Hello, and you’ll need to buy a Chime or Chime Pro separately, but the Ring Video Doorbell Pro is an excellent choice for those after a wired option. Once again, you’ll need a Ring Protect subscription for all the features, and it’s worth noting that a Doorbell Pro 2 has recently been announced and will be available soon.

• Ring Video Doorbell Pro Hardwired review: Ring is the doorbell king

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Ring Video Doorbell 2

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The Ring Video Doorbell 2 has has been succeeded by the Doorbell 3 and 3 Plus but this is still a great option with lots of features, and it’s cheaper than its successors. Plus, the Doorbell 3 only offers better Wi-Fi and motion detection.

The Video Doorbell 2 has vibrant and clear footage and there are additional fascias and mounts for unusual doorways. As with the other Ring doorbells, you’ll need to buy a Chime or Chime Pro and you’ll need a Ring Protect subscription, which as we mentioned is £2.50/$3 a month.

• Ring Video Doorbell 2 review: A doorbell for the connected generation

Ring

Ring Door View Cam

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The Ring Door View Cam is designed for those living in an apartment or flat, adding a viewfinder to enable you to replace your existing viewfinder and turn it into a video doorbell.

It offers a host of features, including an impact sensor for when someone knocks on the door rather than pushes the bell and privacy zones. It’s battery-powered for convenience but it still needs a Ring Protect subscription for all the features, priced at £2.50/$3 a month.

• Ring Door View Cam initial review: A connected doorbell perfect for apartment renters

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Arlo Video Doorbell

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The Arlo Video Doorbell offers a similar design to the Wire-Free option from the company – albeit slimmer – but this model is wired and therefore requires professional installation.

It has a good feature set, including video calling your phone when someone pushes the doorbell, reducing lag, and it also has a 180-degree field of view and a square aspect ratio. You’ll need a Arlo Smart Plan, which is $3/£3 a month.

Writing by Britta O’Boyle. Editing by Dan Grabham.