Sure, the security angle of a video doorbell, especially paired with the best smart home security systems, is a huge selling point. We all want to keep our homes safe and secure from robbery and home invasion. However, the home surveillance benefits go beyond security. Whether they are solicitors, salespeople, overeager neighbors, or hungry bears, we all have reasons we'd rather not answer the door.

With the best Ring Video Doorbells (particularly our top pick, the Ring Doorbell Battery Plus), you no longer have to creep silently to the peephole to check whether you need to pretend not to be home. Instead, you can ignore visitors from the comfort of any room in your house.

Find the best video doorbell for your needs from Ring's vast catalog

Ring's Battery Doorbell Plus takes the top spot not because it's the fanciest or most fully-featured option in Ring's lineup, but because it strikes a balance between the two. The Plus costs less than half of Ring's most expensive doorbells (and it's often on sale) while still providing all the essential features you want from a video doorbell.

It even outperforms in some areas, like its 1536x1536 resolution, so crisp you can see every mole on the Google Fiber salesperson's face. In addition, its 1:1 video ratio gives you a broader view of your porch, which makes it easy to spot packages. It also records in full color even when night vision is enabled, a feature shared only by the most expensive Ring doorbells. Plus, it works across both 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi bands.

For the fashion-conscious or anyone concerned with curb appeal, the Plus offers customizable faceplates, so you can match it to your home's aesthetic. It's also compatible with faceplates from previous models, so if you're upgrading and prefer the look of an older doorbell, you can swap them out (or get festive and pick a doorbell faceplate for each season, as Ring offers holiday faceplates alongside its more traditional replacements). While the Plus is battery-operated by default, it also comes with cables if you want to hardwire it. There's also a security screw to prevent people from tampering with or stealing it.

If you've spent a fortune on a gorgeous new home, townhouse, or condo, the last thing you want to do is spoil the aesthetic with a clunky, boxy doorbell. Enter the Ring Video Doorbell Elite, an expensive option for when looks are more important than cost-effectiveness. The main selling point of the Elite is its ability to sit flush with whatever surface it's mounted on, making it appear like an intentional, integrated design rather than an add-on. However, keep in mind that the flush installation requires standard doorbell wiring, which means installation is more complicated. But on the upside, this also means you'll never have to deal with batteries or charging a battery pack/built-in battery.

Of course, the premium features don't stop with appearance. There's also 1080p video with full-color infrared night vision, a host of options for connectivity with other Ring devices through the Ring app (and customizable motion settings/schedules), and, most importantly, an Ethernet connection to ensure peak reliability and the fastest possible speeds for transferring video or connecting to your phone.

Not everyone wants to spend a bucket of cash getting the prettiest-looking, best-integrated doorbell in Ring's catalog, and that's where the second-gen of their standard Video Doorbell comes in. For a fraction of the price of the Elite, the basic Doorbell offers HD video and many other features of the more expensive choices, including night vision and motion detection. It also has a rechargeable battery built directly into the unit, so you don't need to worry about complicated installation or constantly swapping out third-party batteries.

However, to some extent, you get what your pay for with Ring's simplest model. For example, some customers have reported spotty Wi-Fi, likely because the Ring relies on an antiquated 802.11 b/g/n 2.4 GHz connection, which can suffer if the unit is installed too far from the network source. While later generations have dual-band support, the second-gen model still offers the same important features and can be found at bargain-basement prices.

With the fourth and latest generation of its standard Video Doorbell, Ring emphasizes versatility without overinflating the price. As it features a battery or wired operation, you can constantly power it via your home and never worry about it running out of juice. Or, you can just utilize the included quick-release charge pack. It also supports 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz, which should alleviate some connectivity issues reported in earlier models.

The headlining feature here is the pre-roll video. The fourth generation adds the ability to record up to four seconds of color video before you receive a motion alert. This means you can avoid "back of head syndrome," where the camera only captures the back of the visitor's head as they leave. Instead, you can fully view the event that triggered the motion alert. While it doesn't include the HD+ video resolution or head-to-toe video from the Elite and Pro 2 (the Doorbell has a standard 1080p camera), that lack is reflected in the price tag, with an MSRP right in the middle of the Ring range.

If you don't mind a little DIY installation or paying someone to do it for you — and if you have doorbell wiring in place — the Ring Video Doorbell Wired is a good choice. It features almost all the appealing goodies that come with the wireless version without the irritation of charging and replacing batteries. It has the same 1080p, HD video, night vision, motion detection, app support, live notifications, and Wi-Fi connectivity that come with the Ring Video Doorbell, but it draws power directly from your home or the grid, so it's much more of a "set it and forget it" model than Ring's battery-powered options.

Bear in mind that the wiring is only for power. Unlike the Elite, there's no Ethernet connection in the Ring Video Doorbell Wired, so the same caveat about spotty Wi-Fi connection over larger distances applies to the wireless Doorbell. The Wi-Fi is also only across the 2.4GHz band, so there's the possibility of interference or spotty connectivity, particularly if the doorbell is some distance from your router/hot spot.

If you don't want to commit to one of the wall-mounted options, don't want to fuss with wires, and especially if you live in an apartment or condo with limited access, the Peephole Cam is the model for you. It supports nearly all the features that the wall-mounted options do — the expected 1080p HDR video, motion sensing, two-way audio, and smart alerts — but the Peephole Cam can also be used as a traditional peephole. Installation is relatively simple as there's no wiring involved, but note that the Peephole Cam is only compatible with standard-size peepholes ranging from 1/2 inches to 9/16 inches (12 mm to 14 mm) and door thicknesses ranging from ~1.3 inches to ~2.2 inches (34 mm to 55 mm).

The only other caveat here is that, like the view through an actual peephole, the Peephole Cam suffers from the sort of fish-eye effect you get from a rounded lens. Other than that, it's a no-brainer upgrade from your old-school peeking option if you're looking to enter the smart home era of video doorbells and don't want to annoy your landlord.

If you want a wired video doorbell and don't mind spending a bit more than the basic Ring Video Doorbell Wired, consider the Pro 2. It blends the convenience of never having to replace or charge a battery from the basic wired model — plus premium features like 1536x1536 HD+ video and a full head-to-toe view through the camera. In addition, the doorbell utilizes radar to map out a bird's eye view of your property within its detection zone, so you can get an exact record of where someone has stepped on your property, and 3D motion detection to illustrate how they got there.

If you don't mind installing it and shelling out a little extra, and have existing doorbell wiring, the Pro 2 is the best wired doorbell Ring offers. It's arguably the best doorbell in their catalog, depending on how you feel about batteries. The only feature that the highest-end models like the Elite have that the Pro 2 lacks is the Ethernet connection. However, unlike other Wi-Fi models, the Pro 2 offers connectivity on the 5.0GHz band, which offers faster transfer speeds and less interference.

Put a Ring on it (your house, that is)

Regardless of which video doorbell you choose, remember that some features will be locked behind a subscription fee. Ring currently offers three subscription tiers with access to additional features. The Basic plan lets you record and save video from a single Ring doorbell or home camera, and you can activate digital features like notifications and in-app arming/disarming for a Ring Alarm system.

The second tier, Plus, adds unlimited recording for any Ring device, while the most expensive option, Pro, enrolls your home for 24/7 alarm professional monitoring for one Ring Alarm location. The subscription options are not mandatory, but if security is your number one priority when picking up a video doorbell, they're worth considering, especially if you live where packages are frequently stolen or break-ins are a significant concern.

If you're still pondering which Ring video doorbell best suits your situation, a quick checklist may be in order. For instance, if you want the best balance of features and easy installation but don't have a huge amount of cash to spare, the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is a pretty easy recommendation. It should suit most homes and use cases well. If you want the reliability of Ethernet, top features, care a lot about how a video doorbell will look attached to your home and have a larger budget, get the Elite. On the other side of the spectrum, if you don't want to spend a lot and just need the basic core features, the second-generation standard Ring Video Doorbell is currently the best value pick.