The best video doorbell without a subscription saves its recordings to hardware you own, such as a microSD card, a base station or a recorder, so there’s no monthly fee to play them back. Six of the seven here do that. The Ring Battery Doorbell 2K is the exception. It saves video only with a Ring plan, which you pay for once the free trial ends.
| Product | Where it saves video without a plan | What else to buy | Power | Chime included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| eufy Video Doorbell E340 Kit with Chime | Built into the doorbell (8GB) | Nothing | Battery or doorbell wiring | Yes |
| aosu 5MP Wireless and Wired Video Doorbell | An indoor base (8GB) | Nothing | Battery or doorbell wiring | Yes, the base doubles as one |
| Tapo D210 2K Wireless Video Doorbell | A microSD card, up to 512GB | A microSD card | Battery | Yes |
| Tapo D205 2K Wireless Video Doorbell | A microSD card, up to 512GB | A microSD card | Battery | No |
| BOIFUN 5MP Wireless Video Doorbell Camera | A microSD card, up to 128GB | A microSD card | Battery | Yes |
| REOLINK 2K PoE Wired Video Doorbell | A microSD card (256GB max) or a Reolink recorder (NVR) | A card, plus a PoE switch or injector if you power it over Ethernet | PoE through one cable, or doorbell wiring plus Ethernet | Yes, a plug-in chime |
| Ring Battery Doorbell 2K | Nowhere | A Ring plan | Battery, with optional trickle charging from doorbell wiring | No |
Between them, these seven doorbells store video in five places: inside the doorbell, on an indoor base, on a memory card, on a recorder or in Ring’s paid cloud. Where the video ends up decides what else you need to buy and what’s left if someone steals the doorbell.
Which video doorbell has built-in storage?
The eufy Video Doorbell E340 has 8GB of storage built in, so there’s no card or subscription to buy. It doesn’t need eufy’s HomeBase hub either, because it works on its own once it’s on your Wi-Fi. Nothing here is simpler to set up.
How long does 8GB last? eufy says it holds 90 days of video, based on an average of 30 clips a day, each 20 seconds long. That’s 10 minutes of video a day, or 15 hours over 90 days, so a busier porch will fill it sooner. Once it’s full, new clips overwrite the oldest ones.
The E340 has two cameras. Its main camera records 2K video at 2048 x 1536. The second one points down at your doorstep, where packages land, and records at 1600 x 1200.
The downside is where that video is stored. Because it’s inside the doorbell, anyone who steals the doorbell takes the video too. eufy’s HomeBase 3 (S380), sold separately, can keep that video on its own 16GB of storage instead. The hub needs firmware V3.3.2.6 or later. It also adds AI features such as facial recognition.
Keep two limits in mind when you install the E340. If you wire it, the battery still has to be in place. Also, it works with your existing indoor chime only if that chime is mechanical, not digital. Who it’s for: anyone who wants it recording from day one without buying a card, hub or plan. Skip it if you want to keep a digital chime, or if you worry about losing video to a thief.
Which video doorbell stores its recordings inside your home?
The aosu 5MP Wireless and Wired Video Doorbell saves its recordings to an indoor base called the aosuBase Mini. On aosu’s own store, a doorbell with the same 5MP camera, 166° view and base is sold as the Video Doorbell R1 Ultra. aosu says the recordings stay “accessible even if the doorbell is damaged.” That’s the main reason to choose it over a doorbell with built-in storage.
The base comes in the box and has 8GB of storage. That’s enough for 60 days of recordings, with new clips replacing the oldest, though that depends on use and settings. The base also works as an indoor chime and a Wi-Fi extender, so it has to stay plugged in.
You can run the doorbell on its battery or wire it in. aosu doesn’t publish the voltage it needs when wired, so check with the company before you connect it to a doorbell transformer. Who it’s for: anyone whose front door is easy to reach from the street, so the video has to survive a stolen doorbell. Skip it if you don’t want another device plugged in indoors.
Which battery video doorbells record to a microSD card?
The Tapo D210, Tapo D205 and BOIFUN J1X do, but none of them comes with a card. Order a card along with the doorbell so it can record from day one.
Tapo D210 or Tapo D205
The Tapo D210 and D205 both take cards up to 512GB and record 2K video (2304 x 1296) with a 160° diagonal view. Tapo lists both as battery-only models, so neither can record continuously.
The D210 adds three things: a Tapo chime in the box, color night vision lit by built-in spotlights and an IP65 rating for water and dust, compared with the D205’s IP54. Without a chime of its own, the D205 rings through an Echo or a Google speaker, or a Tapo Hub sold separately. Its night vision is black-and-white infrared.
The batteries differ in size. The D205 has 5,200mAh and the D210 has 6,400mAh. Tapo rates both at up to 180 days per charge, based on 300 seconds of use a day. That’s only 5 minutes a day, so a busy porch will drain them faster.
Who it’s for: the D210 suits anyone without a smart speaker, since it comes with its own chime. The D205 makes sense if you already have a Tapo Hub or an Echo. Skip both if you’d rather run the doorbell off your existing wiring.
BOIFUN J1X
The BOIFUN 5MP Wireless Video Doorbell Camera (model J1X) records 5MP video with a 166° view. It takes microSD cards up to 128GB, a quarter of the Tapos’ limit. An indoor chime comes in the box. The 5,200mAh battery is built in and can’t be removed.
BOIFUN’s US website lists only a different 3MP model, the J1, so there’s no J1X manual or help page from the maker. Who it’s for: renters or anyone without doorbell wiring who wants 5MP video and a chime in one box. Skip it if you want the maker’s support for your exact model.
What if you have an Ethernet cable at your front door?
Then get the REOLINK 2K PoE Wired Video Doorbell, which Reolink calls the Reolink Video Doorbell PoE. A single cable carries both its power and its data, using Power over Ethernet (PoE, the IEEE 802.3af standard). It has no Wi-Fi. There’s just one Ethernet port, so a weak signal at the door won’t matter.
There’s no PoE switch or injector in the box, so you’ll need to buy one to power it that way. It can also run on doorbell wiring at 12 to 24V AC, or from a 24V DC adapter. Either way, it still needs the Ethernet cable for data.
Of the seven, it’s the video doorbell with the most local storage options. It can store video on a microSD card as large as 256GB (not included), a Reolink recorder (NVR) or Home Hub Pro, or a network drive (NAS) or FTP server. It can record around the clock or only when it detects motion, and it saves the 6 seconds leading up to each detection. The camera records 5MP video (2560 x 1920) with a 180° diagonal view.
A plug-in Reolink chime comes in the box, which matters because your old mechanical chime won’t work with it. Who it’s for: homes already wired for Ethernet, or anyone who wants 24/7 recording to an indoor recorder. Skip it if you can’t easily run a cable to the door.
What can the Ring Battery Doorbell 2K do without a subscription?
Without a subscription, the doorbell shows live video and sends real-time motion alerts, but it doesn’t save any video. Ring Edge, Ring’s local recording option, doesn’t support it. Edge needs a Ring plan and a Ring Alarm Pro anyway. Live View runs in sessions of up to 10 minutes. It also lets you talk to visitors.
You need a Ring subscription to watch recorded video from this doorbell. You also need one for Snapshot Capture and for person, package and vehicle alerts. Ring Solo is the cheapest Ring Protect plan that saves video, and it covers one doorbell or camera with up to 180 days of history. A 30-day free trial starts as soon as you activate the doorbell, unless you already have a Ring subscription for your home. That can make it look as if recording is included for the first month.
The Ring’s square 1920 x 1920 picture covers 140° both horizontally and vertically, with up to 6x Enhanced Zoom. No chime comes in the box. Who it’s for: anyone who mainly wants to answer the door from their phone, or who already pays for Ring. Skip it if what you need is a doorbell that records video without a monthly fee.
Which of the seven work without doorbell wiring?
Every one except the Reolink, which needs a cable run to the door. Six of the seven can run on battery alone. The two Tapos and the BOIFUN are battery doorbells, while the eufy, aosu and Ring can also be connected to doorbell wiring.
Charging is where the battery models differ most. To charge the Ring, use the included tool to take it off the wall, then connect a USB-C cable (not supplied). If the Ring is wired to 8 to 24V AC doorbell power, it also trickle-charges from the wires. The E340’s battery pack is removable and fully recharges in 5 hours, so with a spare pack you can swap instead of waiting. The D205 can be charged while it’s still on the wall by plugging a power bank into its USB-C port. Taken down, it recharges in about 6 hours with the included cable.
Check your Wi-Fi signal at the door too, because the Ring, the E340, both Tapos and the BOIFUN work only on 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. Cold weather matters as well. The Ring is rated down to -5°F, the E340 and both Tapos to -4°F, and the Reolink (black version) to 14°F.
Choosing between wired and battery power for your own door is a separate question. The wired vs battery video doorbell comparison walks through it.
What does a subscription add to each video doorbell?
Mostly cloud storage and extra AI features. Each doorbell that stores video locally draws the line between free and subscription features in a different place:
- eufy E340: the paid Cloud Backup plan adds storage for recorded clips and keeps them available even when the doorbell is offline.
- aosu: live alerts, two-way talk, person detection and playback are free. Optional aosuProtect+ plans add Face AI and keep a cloud copy of recorded clips for 14 or 30 days.
- Tapo D210 and D205: person alerts are free. Tapo Care adds cloud storage, with 30 days of history on the basic Cloud plan.
- BOIFUN J1X: alerts, two-way talk, person detection and video playback are free. Optional plans add cloud storage and more detailed AI labels for recorded events.
- Reolink Video Doorbell PoE: no subscription is needed at all. Reolink offers its cloud backup plans for its Wi-Fi and battery doorbells.
How do the prices compare?
On the makers’ own US stores, the eufy E340 kit and the aosu both cost more than the Tapo D210. Ring’s own store sells the Ring for less than the eufy kit. For the extra money, the eufy and aosu include their own storage and the option of doorbell wiring. On the E340, you also get a second camera that points down.
Don’t have doorbell wiring, and don’t mind buying a card? The D210 gives you recording, person alerts and an indoor chime for less. The Ring costs less up front than the eufy kit, but saving its video means paying for a subscription every month or year.
Other questions about going without a subscription
If you add a Ring plan later, can you see earlier visits?
No. The Ring Battery Doorbell 2K only records events that happen after you subscribe, and earlier visits can’t be viewed or recovered. If you want that history, start the plan on the day you install the doorbell, or choose a doorbell that stores video locally.
Which microSD card should you use in a Tapo video doorbell?
Use at least a Class 10 card rated U1 or V10, the minimum Tapo’s microSD guide calls for. The Tapo D210’s product listing also recommends a high-endurance card. By Tapo’s own estimate, a 512GB card holds roughly 6 weeks of 2K video, so a 256GB card holds about 3 weeks.
Does the Reolink PoE doorbell keep recording if the internet goes down?
Yes. Reolink says the doorbell can still detect motion and people, and record video to its microSD card, without an internet connection. A paired Reolink chime still rings when someone presses the doorbell button, whether or not the internet is working.
Does the eufy E340 send anything to the cloud without a subscription?
Only if you use cloud features. When push notifications include thumbnail previews, the eufy Video Doorbell E340 stores those thumbnails in the cloud for a short time. Video is uploaded only if you subscribe to Cloud Backup. To keep every image on the doorbell, turn off thumbnail previews.