Modern Castle is supported by readers. When you buy with our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more

Arlo vs. Ring: Side-by-Side Comparison

Derek Hales

Written By: Derek Hales

Updated on:

Arlo & Ring both offer a large number of security cameras. From indoor to outdoor, corded and cordless, to doorbell, freestanding, and mount options.

In our guide below we compare Arlo vs. Ring in the ultimate side-by-side battle. Let’s go!

Arlo vs. Ring: Best of the Best

Best Camera for Value

Arlo Q Camera
Arlo Q
  • Power: Plug-In
  • Resolution: 1080p
  • Field of View: 130°
  • Local Storage: Yes
  • Cloud Storage: Up to 7 days (free)
Ring Indoor Cam Review
Ring Indoor
  • Power: Plug-In
  • Resolution: 1080p
  • Field of View: 115°
  • Local Storage: None
  • Cloud Storage: Trial for 30 days

Best Camera for Performance

Arlo Ultra Security Camera
Arlo Ultra
  • Power: Battery
  • Resolution: 4K
  • Field of View: 180°, 155°, or 120°
  • Local Storage: Yes
  • Cloud Storage: Trial for 30 days
Ring Stick Up Cam Battery Powered
Ring Stick Up
  • Power: Plug-In, Battery, or Solar
  • Resolution: 1080p
  • Field of View: 115°
  • Local Storage: None
  • Cloud Storage: Trial for 30 days

Best Camera for Doorbells

Arlo Video Doorbell
Arlo Video Doorbell
  • Power: Wired-In or Battery
  • Resolution: 1536p
  • Aspect Ratio: 1×1
  • Amazon Alexa: Not compatible
  • Price: $$
Ring Pro Review
Ring Pro Video Doorbell
  • Power: Wired-In
  • Resolution: 1080p
  • Aspect Ratio: 16×9
  • Amazon Alexa: Compatible
  • Price: $$$
arlo vs. ring camera comparison

Arlo vs. Ring: The Models

Arlo Cameras

  • Arlo Ultra: Top-of-the-time wireless indoor / outdoor camera with 4K resolution, motion tracking and auto-zoom capabilities
  • Arlo Pro 3: Indoor / outdoor camera with 2K review resolution, color night view, and an integrated spotlight
  • Arlo Pro 2: Indoor / outdoor camera with 1080p resolution, and free 7-day video storage on the Cloud
  • Arlo Pro: Indoor / outdoor camera with 720p video resolution and maxes out at 8-minutes of video recording
  • Arlo Q: great budget option for indoor wired video surveillance
  • Arlo Cam: Arlo’s most basic indoor wired video with 720p video resolution and average clarity & sensor performance
  • Arlo Video Doorbell: wired-install doorbell camera to replace traditional doorbells. 1:1 video aspect ration with 180° viewing angle for better visibility of the surroundings

NOTE: All Arlo cameras require the Arlo Smart Hub or other base station to work (excluding the Arlo Q or Arlo Video Doorbell)

Ring Security Cameras

  • Ring Stick Up: Indoor / outdoor camera with versatile power options (wired, battery-powered, or solar panel)
  • Ring Indoor: indoor-only camera, plug-in or battery-powered
  • Ring Spotlight: Outdoor camera with versatile power options and an integrated spotlight for low-lit environments
  • Ring Floodlight: Outdoor wired camera with a powerful floodlight for extremely low-lit environments
  • Ring Pro Video Doorbell: Arguably one of the best video doorbells on the market with advanced sensors and detection with constant wired-in power and 4 interchangeable faceplates
  • Ring 3 Video Doorbell: Ring’s newest video doorbell that has the quality and motion detection of the Ring Pro, but with a battery-powered option and advanced Privacy Zones
  • Ring 2 Video Doorbell: Ring’s successor to the original Ring video doorbell; offers 1080p video resolution and various faceplate options
  • Ring Video Doorbell: great value Ring doorbell with simple features, 720p video resolution, and the widest field of view among Ring doorbells

Table of Contents

Design Overview

10-SECOND SUMMARY: Arlo design has a camera with rounded edges, a magnetic mount and a composite shell. Wired / wireless or indoor / outdoor camera options. Ring has a mix of flush mount doorbell cams and cylindrical cameras with a short stand for stabilization. Also wired / wireless or indoor / outdoor camera options.

Arlo Design

Arlo Pro 3 camera
Arlo Pro 3 camera

Ring Design

Ring Stick Up security camera
Ring Stick Up security camera

Mounting Styles

Arlo

  • Total Round Mount
  • Corner Round Mount
  • Hardware Mount

Ring

  • Flush Mount
  • Surface Mount
  • Ball Mount

The Mount: Arlo

  • Total Round: rounded circle with a flat base; can attached to provide variety of viewing angles; This style mount comes with the Arlo Pro 2 and the Arlo Pro.
Magnetic mount for the Arlo Pro 1 camera
Magnetic mount for the Arlo Pro 1 camera
  • Corner Round: flat bottom with a magnetic wedge; designed to attach to the bottom CORNER of the camera. This style mount comes with the Arlo Ultra and the Arlo Pro 3.
Arlo Pro 3 camera on magnetic mount
Arlo Pro 3 camera on magnetic mount

The only Arlo camera that is not designed with the magnetic mount in mind is the wire indoor Arlo Q security camera.

Side view of the Arlo Q camera
Side view of the Arlo Q camera

The Mount: Ring

Ring cameras are either flush mount (like the Ring doorbells) or have separate bases for surface mounting or wall mounting.

  • Flush Mount: The flush mount install secures the camera directly to the wall, interior or exterior install. This mount style is used on all Ring doorbell cams and the Ring Peephole camera.
Black faceplate on white stucco
Ring 2 with the black face plate
  • Surface Mount: The surface mount is a flat base that allows the camera to rotate freely and pivot up or down as well. Ring cameras with this style of base include Ring Indoor Cam or the Ring Stick Up Cam.
Ring Stick Up Cam Battery angled up
Ring Stick Up Cam angled backwards

This style of mount can also be used on the back of the camera for wall-mounted installations.

Mounting the Ring Stick Up cam on the wall
Mounting the Ring Stick Up cam on the wall
  • Ball Mount: If you are planning to use your Ring camera outdoors, the most secure option is to opt for a camera with a wall mount. This is a two-part connection that has a mounting plate on the exterior that connects with the ball mount on the body of the camera. Ring cameras that use a ball mount include Ring Spotlight or the Ring Floodlight.
Side view of Ring Spotlight Cam with mounting ball
Side view of Ring Spotlight Cam with mounting ball

RELATED Ring security system review

Video Storage

Arlo

  • Cloud-based
  • Local storage (SD card not provided)

Ring

  • Cloud-based only

NOTE: Exact storage capabilities vary by model. The amount of Cloud-based video storage is dependent on paid subscriptions. Ring cameras are not compatible with SD card storage. All Ring video storage must be accessed through the Ring cloud-based server.

Arlo cameras offers Cloud-based storage or local storage. Specific capabilities depend on the exact camera model. Some Arlos offers up to 7 days free video storage on the Arlo cloud.

That said, free Cloud storage tends to drop off when you get into higher resolution cameras. For example, the Arlo Ultra does not offer any Cloud-based storage without a monthly subscription to Arlo Smart.

Video Quality

Arlo – Daytime

Arlo ultra camera - indoor daytime video quality
Arlo Ultra Cam – 4K

Arlo – Nighttime

Arlo Ultra - vide quality - 4K color night vision
Arlo Ultra Cam – 4K

Ring – Daytime

Ring Indoor Camera video quality
Ring Stickup Cam – 1080p

Ring – Nighttime

Ring Spotlight Camera - night
Ring Spotlight Cam – 1080p

Both Arlo and Ring have different levels of video quality. Here is quick list of Arlo and Ring cameras by video resolution.

720p Video Resolution

This is the lowest level of video resolution and usually includes cameras that are inexpensive and easy to install. These simpler cameras can be a quick fix for budget home security but may lack some of the higher quality features.

Arlo Pro 1 vdeo feed with some overexposure
Arlo Pro 1 vdeo feed with some overexposure

Arlo and Ring cameras with 720p video resolution include:

At 720p, night vision is a little lacking. Without secondary lighting, these cameras may struggle with contrast and clear visibility.

Arlo Pro Night Vision Mode

1080p Video Resolution

Cameras with 1080p would be considered “hi res” in most cases. This resolution would provide more clarity at further distances as well as in dimly lit environments.

Ring StickUp

Ring Indoor Camera video quality

Arlo Pro 2

Arlo Pro Day Time Video Footage Inside

Arlo and Ring cameras with 1080p video resolution include:

One model that stands out in this list is the Ring Spotlight, as it is the only model between these two brands that has 1080p and an integrated spotlight.

If you’re looking for an outdoor camera for dimly lit areas, the Ring Spotlight camera is a solid option.

Ring Spotlight with lights on
Ring Spotlight with lights on

For indoor use at night, the 1080p resolution also provides more clarity than the video shot at 720p.

Ring Stick Up Camera Battery

2K Video Resolution

The Arlo Pro 3 strikes a nice middle ground between 1080p resolution and full 4K resolution. At 1080p, there may still be some graininess at further distances. But jumping to the full 4K could put a strain on weaker networks or hog up a lot of bandwidth in multi-camera setups.

Enter: the Arlo Pro 3 camera; a 2K resolutin, indoor / outdoor camera with color night mode, a siren, and on-board spotlight.

Arlo Pro 3 video quality (2K resolution)
Arlo Pro 3 video quality (2K resolution)

Bear in mind, the jump to 2K resolution means that the Arlo 3 no longer offers free Cloud-based video storage, like it does with lower resolution models.

4K Video Resolution

For the best video resolution on the market currently, the Arlo Ultra has it in the bag. Simply put, Ring does not compete with the resolution of this camera.

Arlo Ultra camera - outdoor daytime video quality
Arlo Ultra camera – outdoor daytime video quality

The Arlo Ultra is a wireless indoor / outdoor camera with 4K resolution, color night mode, auto zoom and tracking, and local video storage via an SD card (sold separately).

Arlo Ultra - vide quality - 4K color night vision
Arlo Ultra – vide quality – 4K color night vision

Setup & Usability

The setup and usability are pretty comparable between Arlo and Ring.

Unbox the camera, connect it to your wifi network and smart app, pair the camera to the app, install in the desired location, and you’re good to go.

Input Connections

Arlo

  • Magnetic charging disc
  • Hardware mount

Ring

  • Magnetic charging disc
  • Hardware mount

The Input: Arlo

Arlo cameras have two inputs.

  1. A magnetic disc that connects the charging cable
  2. A threaded insert that screws in a hardware mount (optional)
Input / output on the Arlo Ultra camera

The Input: Ring

While the design is a little different, the inputs on the Ring are basically the same as Arlo. Ring cameras have:

  1. Magnetic charging disc
  2. Threaded hardware mount
  3. Lock / unlock to detach from the base and access the battery housing
Battery pack housing on the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery

What’s in the box?

The exact contents of the box varies between Arlo and Ring, and varies based on model, but basically each camera comes:

  1. The camera
  2. Power (battery or cords)
  3. Mounting (plates, screws, plastic anchors, and/or magnetic base)
  4. User Guide

Wireless Arlo Camera

Arlo Pro 3 camera parts and accessories
Arlo Pro 3 camera – parts and accessories

Wired Arlo Camera

Arlo Q camera with parts and accessories
Arlo Q camera – parts and accessories

Both Arlo and Ring manufacture a mix of wired or wireless cameras with a variety of power

Wireless Ring Camera

Ring Stick up Cam battery accessories and parts
Ring Stick up Cam – parts and accessories

Ring Doorbell Camera

Ring 2 doorbell alarm system - included
Ring 2 doorbell – parts and accessories

Power Options

Security cameras today come with a lot of options in terms of power. And depending on which model you go with, the options vary.

Check out the table below for the 411 on Arlo vs. Ring power options:

ModelsTypeHardwiredPlug-InBatterySolar Panel
Arlo Indoor / OutdoorNoYesYesOptional
Arlo ProIndoor / OutdoorNoYesYesOptional
Arlo Pro 2Indoor / OutdoorNoYesYesOptional
Arlo Pro 3Indoor / OutdoorNoYesYesOptional
Arlo UltraIndoor / OutdoorNoNoYesOptional
Arlo DoorbellOutdoor OnlyYesNoNoNo
Ring Pro DoorbellOutdoor OnlyYesNoNoNo
Ring 3 DoorbellOutdoor OnlyYesNoYesNo
Ring 2 DoorbellOutdoor OnlyYesNoYesOptional
Ring DoorbellOutdoor OnlyYesNoNoOptional
Ring Indoor CamIndoor OnlyNoYesNoNo
Ring Spotlight CamOutdoor OnlyNoYesYesOptional
Ring StickupIndoor / OutdoorNoYesYesOptional
Ring Floodlight CamOutdoor OnlyYesNoNoNo
Ring Peephole CamOutdoor OnlyNoNoYesNo

Doorbell Cameras

If you’re specifically looking for a camera that can keep an eye on your front door, both Arlo or Ring could fit the bill.

Arlo video doorbell installed
Arlo Video Doorbell installed

Ring has a wide lineup of doorbell cameras that are specifically designed for replacing traditional doorbells. When it comes to easy installation and swapping out your existing doorbell, Ring is a tough option to beat.

Ring Comparison Chart

SpecsRing 3 PlusRing 3Ring ProRing 2Ring
Ring 3 Video DoorbellRing 3 Video DoorbellRing Pro doorbell reviewRing 2 doorbell reviewRing doorbell review
Resolution1080p1080p1080p1080p720p
PowerBattery or HardwiredBattery or HardwiredHardwiredBattery or HardwiredBattery or Hardwired
Field of View160° horizontal, 84° vertical160° horizontal, 84° vertical160° horizontal, 90° vertical160° horizontal, 90° vertical180° horizontal, 110° vertical
Avg. Install Tile5 minutes5 minutes15 minutes5 minutes5 minutes
Dimensions5.1" x 2.4" x 1.1"5.1" x 2.4" x 1.1"4.5" x 1.8" x 0.8"5.0" x 2.5" x 1.0"4.9" x 2.4" x 0.87"
Wifi2.4 GHz or 5 GHz2.4 GHz or 5 GHz2.4 GHz or 5 GHz2.4 GHz2.4 GHz
VideoOn-DemandOn-DemandOn-DemandOn-DemandOn-Demand
AudioTwo-WayTwo-WayTwo-WayTwo-WayTwo-Way
AlertsAdvanced>Pre-RollYesNoNoNo
FaceplatesYes; 2 includedYes; 2 includedYes; 4 includedYes; 2 includedNo
Alexa CompatibleYesYesYesYesYes
Rechargable BatteryYesYesNoYesNo
Check PriceCheck PriceCheck PriceCheck PriceCheck PriceCheck Price

Arlo currently makes one model of video doorbell, but honestly any of their outdoor cameras could be mounted in the upper corner of your entry to get a good view of patrons at the door.

Arlo Doorbell Cam with 2-Way Audio and Motion Alerts

moderncastle-fs-table__image

Arlo Video Doorbell

Arlo’s video doorbell camera is designed to be installed using existing doorbell wiring. It has 2-way audio, motion detection, push notifications and alerts that come right to your smartphone, and a 180° viewing area. Unlike most other Arlo cams, the Video Doorbell does not require the Arlo base station to work properly. Check Price

Arlo vs. Ring Subscriptions

So aside from specs and camera features, the subscription plan can be a big deal-maker or breaker when it comes to which brand you go with. Most companies charge extra for more video storage and or more cameras, but some subscription plans are better than others.

Here’s the rundown on Arlo vs. Ring subscriptions.

Arlo Smart vs. Ring Protect

ArloArlo Smart: EliteArlo Smart: PremierRingRing Protect: BasicRing Protect: Plus
Price Starting AtNo subscription$3/month $10/monthNo subscription$3/month or $30/year$10/month or $100/year
Motion-activated NotificationsYesYesYesYesYesYes
Live ViewYesYesYesYesYesYes
2-Way AudioYesYesYesYesYesYes
Lifetime Theft ProtectionNoYesYesYesYesYes
Video HistoryUp to 7 days free (excludes Arlo Pro 3 and Arlo Ultra)Rolling 30 daysRolling 30 daysNoneRolling 30 daysRolling 30 days
Max Video ResolutionDetermined by camera; up to 1080p2K4KDetermined by cameraDetermined by cameraDetermined by camera
Snapshot CaptureYesYesYesNoYesYes
24/7 Professional MonitoringNoNoNoNoNoYes
e911NoYesYesNoNoNo
SupportUnlimitedUp to 5 cameras; 50% off plan for additional camerasUp to 5 cameras; 50% off plan for additional camerasUnlimited1 cameraAll Ring devices at one address

Is Arlo or Ring best for you?

Alright so you made it this far. Still not sure which camera is right for you? Here’s the bottom line and what you really need to know:

Best Indoor Camera

Ring Indoor Cam Review

WINNER: The Ring Indoor Cam is plug-in and offers video footage at 1080p. The biggest thing that separates the Ring from Arlo is the price point. Ring Indoor is less than half the cost of the Arlo Q camera.

REVIEW: Click here to read the full review of the Ring Indoor camera.

Arlo Q security camera

RUNNER UP: The Arlo Q still provides great footage at 1080p and is a plug-in indoor camera. The Q has a wider field of view, but is also quite a bit more expensive than the Ring Indoor. Still, if you’ve got other Arlo cameras already in the works, then adding the Arlo Q could make sense.

REVIEW: Click here to read the full review of the Arlo Q camera.

Best Outdoor Camera

Arlo Ultra security camera with smart hub

WINNER: The Arlo Ultra is the clear winner if you’re looking for an exceptional outdoor camera. This camera provides 4K clarity, color night mode and flexibly power options. It’s the best picture we’ve tested to date.

REVIEW: Click here to read the full review of the Arlo Ultra camera.

Ring Stick Up Cam Battery Powered

RUNNER UP: The Ring Stick Up camera provides a flexible indoor / outdoor camera from Ring. The resolution is only 1080p, but if you have other Ring cameras, prefer the Ring subscription, or want a camera that doesn’t require a Smart Hub (looking at you, Arlo), then the Ring Stick Up Cam could be a great option.

REVIEW: Click here to read the full review of the Ring Stick Up camera.

Best Doorbell Camera

Ring 3 video doorbell

WINNER: For the best doorbell camera, it’s hard to look past the new Ring 3 doorbell. It has all of the features of the Ring Pro, but also offers versatile power options with hardwire capability or a click-in battery pack.

REVIEW: Click here to read the full review of the Ring 3 doorbell.

Arlo Video Doorbell review

RUNNER UP: If the widescreen views really bother you with Ring, the Arlo Video Doorbell could be a good option since it offers a true 1:1 screenshot for maximum visibility. It also has a higher 1536px by 1536px video resolution (yes, that really is the resolution).

Still have questions?

Feel free to shoot up a message anytime and we’d be happy to make a custom recommendation for you and your home.

About Derek Hales

Derek HalesDerek Hales is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of ModernCastle.com. He has been featured in Fast Company, Reader's Digest, Business Insider, Realtor.com, She Knows, and other major publications. Derek has a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Kansas State University. Hales has been testing and reviewing products for the home since 2014.