Arlo vs Ring: which home security system is better?
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Ring and Arlo, the two leaders in the home security market, have been around for over a decade and are used by over 12 million users worldwide. Arlo focuses on surveillance cameras and smart home integration, whereas Ring offers a variety of home security gadgets at an affordable price.
With the help of the Cybernews research team, I have conducted a thorough analysis of both services to help you decide which provider is right for you. I have researched positive and negative user reviews, product specifics, brand reputation, and independent expert ratings to provide a detailed review of what both Arlo and Ring offer. In this article, I will compare their features, technology, and overall performance to help you decide which one is the best fit for your home.
Arlo vs Ring alarm: in a nutshell
Arlo | Ring | |
Rating: | 4.4 | 4.2 |
Installation: | DIY or professional installation via HelloTech | DIY or professional installation via OnTech |
Monthly monitoring price: | From $7.99/month | From $4.99/month |
Starting equipment price: | $199.99 | $179.99 |
Monitoring: | Professional and self-monitoring | Professional and self-monitoring |
Contracts: | ❌ Not required | ❌ Not required |
Hazard protection: | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Smart home integration: | Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, IFTTT, Samsung SmartThings | Alexa, Z-Wave, and other Works with Ring products |
Mobile app: | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Arlo vs Ring similarities
Both Arlo and Ring offer high-quality DIY home security systems that include a variety of indoor, outdoor, and doorbell cameras, motion detectors, and extra accessories. Both offer comparable user-friendly mobile apps with real-time remote camera monitoring and customizable notifications. These services also provide multiple plans and security device bundles tailored to specific household needs.
Regarding equipment, you can expect top-notch quality from Arlo and Ring alike. Although Arlo offers slightly better cameras, Ring provides a better variety at a lower price. You can expect similarities regarding their wired and wireless doorbells, where you will notice some quality and price differences but essentially the same functionality.
Arlo vs Ring differences
The most noticeable difference between Ring and Arlo is their smart home compatibility. Arlo integrates with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Home Assistant, the If This Then That (IFTTT) home automation software, the Samsung SmartThings app, and, for some devices, Apple HomeKit. Ultimately, Arlo is the ultimate choice for Google Home users.
Meanwhile, Ring also integrates with Home Assistant (without in-app camera live view) and supports Z-Wave protocol, but mainly for Ring devices. You can combine Ring with several devices from Leviton and General Electrics. It works seamlessly with Amazon Alexa. In other words, Ring mainly remains within the Amazon ecosystem, with only a few third-party integrations.
To illustrate the differences between the equipment, I picked similarly priced cameras to reveal which provider offers better value for your money. The Arlo Pro 5S 2K wireless security camera costs $179.99 compared to the Ring Spotlight Cam Plus, which goes for $169.99. The Arlo camera has a 160-degree field of view compared to a 140-degree Ring. Both support two-way audio, color night vision, and integrated sirens. However, Arlo offers 2K video quality, while Ring caps at 1080p. As you can see, Arlo has a slight lead but costs a bit more.
Another crucial difference is product variety. Arlo primarily focuses on high-quality indoor and outdoor security cameras but offers an all-in-one detector, a few floodlights, and doorbells. Ring also provides all of these home security devices but also adds alarm sirens, additional chimes, range extenders, and loads of spare parts to build and customize your system exactly how you want.
I have also noticed slightly more affordable Ring prices. For example, the cheapest Arlo vs Ring doorbell cost is $79.99 vs $49.99. Simultaneously, the basic Arlo plan starts from $7.99/month compared to Ring’s $4.99/month, so the difference is not staggering but may amount to quite a sum buying more equipment.
Ring vs Arlo: features and tech
Choosing Arlo or Ring is challenging because their essential security devices have many similarities. Let's examine their security cameras, monitoring options, installation process, and home automation options in more detail.
Security cameras
Let's start with a comparison of Arlo's camera to Ring's. The Ultra 2 wireless security camera is Arlo's most expensive choice, at $299.99. It supports 4K video quality and two-way audio, has an integrated spotlight, and a rechargeable battery that lasts for six months. It has a 180-degree diagonal field of view with excellent motion detection, color night vision, and a 12x digital zoom.
The Floodlight Cam Pro is Ring's luxurious offer, costing $249.99. It supports 1080p video quality, offers two-way audio, and comes with a spotlight, but unlike Ultra 2, it is hardwired. Its field of view is 140 degrees horizontal and 80 degrees vertical, which can capture color night vision and has bird' s-eye view motion detection.
As you can see, the core difference is Arlo's outstanding video quality compared to Ring's significantly lower but nevertheless sufficient 1080p resolution. Both cameras are weather-resistant (-5°F to 118°F approximately) and have a one-year limited warranty.
Monitoring
Both home security systems offer free self-monitoring, which will send an alert to your mobile device and activate sirens in case of identified danger. I give Ring a slight upper hand due to a variety of security sensors with broader customizability, so self-monitoring is tailored to a specific home layout.
When it comes to paid professional monitoring, both Ring and Arlo require a subscription. Arlo offers a $7.99/month option on its Total Security Stater plan. It will forward alerts to fire, healthcare, and police departments and also monitor smoke hazards. However, you will have to pay for an Advanced Video plan to enable Alexa or Google Assistant compatibility and AI-powered detection, and these plans have a 36-month minimum subscription.
Ring's professional monitoring comes as an add-on to its subscription plans and costs $4.99/month. Similarly to Arlo, it will notify the correct department in case of emergency and monitor for smoke and carbon monoxide hazards, but does not require a lengthy commitment.
Installation
These home security systems focus on DIY installation but also offer professional setup at an extra charge, so let's overview them first. Arlo cooperates with tech and IT support enterprise HelloTech, which will install the system for $99, including installation area assessment. Ring chose the IT support company OnTech, which costs from $34.99 to $199.99, depending on the security system's complexity.
As you can see, both services aren't cheap, so I recommend following the DIY path. Arlo offers excellent wireless cameras with magnetic mounts that tightly stick to the surface with a screw. Users note that transferring the equipment to another place is easy, and there are plenty of online self-help guides to walk you through the process.
Although Ring also offers wireless gadgets that stick to the place with a screw, it has numerous wired devices. These come with a pre-wired setup, which means they come with all necessary connectors and wires. Even if you're not keen on setting up wired devices, Ring's online knowledge base is just as helpful as Arlo's. Some customer reviews highlight that they were initially hesitant about the wired setup but had no problem installing it.
Home automation
Arlo is a clear winner of this section as it provides numerous home automation options. Firstly, it is compatible with the popular Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, and some devices also work with Apple HomeKit. Because many households own a few devices from these brands, Arlo is a perfect choice if you want to connect them all together.
Additionally, Arlo works well with IFTTT and Samsung SmartThings home automation apps. When it comes to Ring, it does have some compatibility capacity for similar devices, but it is restrictive, and some users have reported connection issues. Because Ring belongs to Amazon, it aims to remain within this ecosystem. The advantage is solely for Amazon users who want to connect all brand devices into one seamless system.
Plans and pricing
Arlo vs Ring DIY prices are reasonably different, but they both are more affordable than some of the best home security systems, like the pricey ADT. Although initial prices depend on the complexity of the DIY home security system, both providers also offer subscription-based plans.
Arlo offers three plans that also have separate tiers. The Arlo Secure Basic Single Camera plan costs $7.99/month or $12.99/month for Unlimited Cameras. The Plus plan goes up to $17.99/month, and Premium costs $24.99/month. It also has a Total Security bundle that costs $9.99/month for Starter, $19.99/month for Essential Video, and $29.99/month for Advanced Video bundles. Lastly, the subscription for Arlo starts at $7.99/month.
Ring is more simplistic and offers three plans. The Basic costs $4.99/month, going up to $9.99 for Standard and $19.99/month for Premium. However, keep in mind that professional Ring monitoring is an add-on service, which costs $10/month, but it is included as an integral service in most more expensive Arlo plans.
Feature | Arlo | Ring |
Subscription plans | From $7.99/month | From $4.99/month |
Professional monitoring | From $9.99/month | $10/month |
Cloud storage | From $2.99/month | From $3.00/month |
Total cost over 1 year | From $99.96/year | From $49.99/year |
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Final word on the Ring vs Arlo comparison
Arlo and Ring are both excellent DIY home security providers, but Arlo has a slight lead, winning this comparison. Its broader home automation capabilities and significantly better camera video quality outperform Ring, even though it comes at an extra charge.
Ring has a more DIY-friendly monitoring policy, which does not require a lengthy commitment. Although it is a $10/month add-on to its Standard and Premium plan, the price remains no bigger than Arlo's. What's more, you can find cheaper Ring security gadgets but also expect to miss some features, like Arlo's Ultra 2 camera with 12x zoom.
To summarize, these services are incredibly close in comparison. The slight price difference comes from additional features that, although very welcome, are not mandatory for effective home security. With over 10 years of experience in the field, both Argo and Ring will keep your household safe from intrusion or environmental damage.
FAQ
Which is easier to install: Arlo or Ring?
Both Ring and Arlo are equally easy to install and offer excellent online manuals. Furthermore, both security systems offer professional installation. Arlo cooperates with HellTech, which costs $99.99. Meanwhile, Ring chose OnTech, which costs between $34.99 to $199.99 depending on the complexity of the selected security system.
Can Arlo and Ring be used without a subscription?
No, you cannot use Ring or Arlo without a subscription because it will significantly limit their security capabilities. For example, you must choose a subscription plan to benefit from professional monitoring, video playback, and cloud storage. However, both home security providers do not require long-term contracts.
Do Arlo and Ring offer 24/7 professional monitoring?
Yes, Arlo and Ring offer 24/7 professional monitoring that alerts healthcare, police, or firefight departments in case of intrusion or environmental hazard. These are similarly paid services, with Arlo professional monitoring starting from $9.99/month and Ring goes for $10/month.
Are Arlo and Ring cameras weather-resistant?
Yes, most Arlo and Ring cameras are weather-resistant with an IP65 rating. This means they are resistant to low-pressure water streams and dust collection. Furthermore, they can withstand temperatures approximately between -5°F to 118°F, so they are equally functional throughout all seasons.
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