Blink vs. Ring: Security Camera Comparisons

For a home security camera system, there are some big players in the market—two of those being Blink and Ring.

This comparison is looking at the camera models from Blink and Ring. Both of these are well-known brands but have slightly different approaches when it comes to home security.

Check out all the “need to knows” below:

Blink vs. Ring: Best of the Best

Below we look at the full camera model lineup for both Blink & Ring.

Blink vs. Ring: The Models

Blink Cameras

• Blink Indoor: low cost, entry-level camera for indoor use only with basic 720p video quality and free Cloud-based video storage; wireless battery power; requires the Blink Sync Module (included with most packages)
• Blink XT2: indoor / outdoor camera with better 1080p video quality and free Cloud-based video storage; wireless battery power; requires the Blink Sync Module (included with most packages)

Ring 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 2020 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
• Storage
• Video Quality
• Usability
• Accessories
• Subscriptions
• Summary

Design Overview

10-SECOND SUMMARY: Blink and Ring are both heavy hitters in the home security market, but have some distinct differences. Blink is a good option for value and has a limited lineup, only offering 2 models—Blink indoor or the XT (indoor / outdoor). Meanwhile, Ring has a wider selection of models, features, and price-point, not to mentioned their vast lineup of doorbell cams. In general, Ring cameras are more advanced, have more features, and are more expensive. Blink is less expensive, but also less complex.

Mounting Styles

The Mount: Blink

Blink cameras have round edges and a more square body. They have a wide, flat base and are designed to sit freestanding. If you want to mount it on the wall, there is a mount provided as well.

The basic assembly works like this. It’s a two-part system.

1. Rigid base attached to a vertical substrate using two screws
2. Secondary arm installs into the back of the camera with a ball socket that connects into the rigid base (see #1).

The Mount: Ring

Ring has three different style of mount, depending on what model you’re looking at.

#1: Surface Mount

The surface mount is one of the most basic mounts that Ring has. This mount allows the camera to rotate and pivot freely. It can sit freestanding or can be mounted to the wall.

Ring cameras with this style of base include Ring Indoor Cam or the Ring Stick Up Cam.

If you want to use this base for wall installations, the mount can be put on the back (instead of the bottom) and attached to the wall with a mounting plate.

#2: Flush Mount

The Ring doorbell cameras mount flush, directly to the wall. Once installed against the wall, you cannot move the camera in any way.

#3: Ball Mount

Ring cameras mounted in corners can benefit from the use of a ball mount. This mounting style uses a ball that sockets into a mounting plate installed into the wall.

Ring cameras that use a ball mount include Ring Spotlight or the Ring Floodlight (shown below).

RELATED – Ring Alarm review

Video Storage

Both Blink and Ring offer Cloud-based video storage and lack any options for local SD card storage. Blink gives you up to 120 minutes of saved video footage while Ring offers no saved storage at all.

That being said, Blink caps storage capacity at 120 minutes (for free) while Ring offers up to 60 days of video storage (with the Ring Plus subscription package).

Both systems allow free live feed 24/7, around the clock.

Here are the limits of each company:

Blink Storage Plans

• Up to 120 minutes of video storage for free with no current option for more storage or local backup

Ring Storage Plans

• Protect Basic ($3 / mo): 30-day video history, rolling
• Protect Plus ($10 / mo): 60-day video history, rolling

The Takeaway: For the basics in video surveillance and a good amount of free storage, Blink checks most of the boxes. But if you’re looking for more saved footage and don’t mind paying a small fee to get it, Ring could be the better option.

Video Quality

All current Ring models run with 1080p video resolution, same as the Blink XT2, with the exception of the Ring doorbell camera (first generation), which only has 720p resolution.

The resolution of the Blink Indoor camera is also 720p, so the quality of those two cameras would be comparable.

Full Color Night Mode

Full-color night mode is a nice feature that more security cameras are coming out with, but it’s not considered a standard feature for many models. Neither the Blink XT2 or the Blink Indoor camera offer color night mode.

With Ring, some models have it, but not all.

Here’s a complete list of Ring cams with color night mode. This feature can be turned on or off.

• Video Doorbell Pro
• Video Doorbell Elite
• Floodlight Cam
• Spotlight Cam Wired/Mount
• Stick Up Cam Wired

Setup & Usability

Getting started with both the Blink or Ring cams is a similar process with either model.

There are slightly different step-by-step instructions, but overall, here is how it goes:

1. Unbox the camera.
2. Connect the camera to your wifi network.
3. Install the app on your smartphone and pair the two.
4. Install the camera in the desired location.

Input Connections

The Input: Blink

The Blink Indoor and Blink XT2 have some variations between each other, but they both have a spot to install the mount. The Indoor mount is magnetic, while the XT2 mount installs with a more threaded type of connection.

The Blink Indoor also has a micro USB port for charging while the Blink XT2 does not.

For comparison, here is a back view of the Blink XT2 camera, where you can note the differences. The XT2 also has a speaker for clearer audio.

Blink & Sync

The Blink cameras have one other factor that sets them apart from Ring and that’s the Sync Module.

The Sync Module is a separate device from the camera that works with the camera to help it communicate with the Wifi network.

You can think of the Sync like a small hub for the Blink system.

Wireless Blink cameras can be placed anywhere within the range of the centrally located Sync module.

The Input: Ring

On the back, most Ring cameras (excluding the doorbell cameras) have the following:

1. Magnetic charging disc
2. Threaded hardware mount
3. Lock / unlock to detach from the base and access the battery housing

Some Ring cams are plug-in, like the Ring Stick-Up (plug-in), so that camera would also have a spot to plug in a small power cord.

But remember too, the Stick Up Cam also comes as a battery-powered or solar-powered cam so if wired power is a deal-breaker, Ring does provide quite a few options.

What’s in the box?

The exact contents of the box will vary between each model, but here’s the basic list of what Blink and Ring will include:

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

In addition to the contents above, Blink cameras also require a Sync Module.

This module comes with the camera and allows you to pair multiple Blink cams under one system.

Blink vs. Ring Subscriptions

Okay, moving onto subscription plans. What’s the main difference? In short, Blink does not offer a subscription plan.

Blink is up front about the camera capability and if you want more video storage than what the free plan allows (up to 120 minutes), you’ll need to opt for a different system.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Ring does not offer any video storage for free. You can view a live feed of activity, but if you want to look back in the Activity History, you’ll need to pay for a subscription to Ring Protect.

Blink vs. Ring Protect

Is Blink or Ring best for you?

Okay, now for the fun part—deciding which camera system is right for you. Both Blink and Ring have their sets of pros and cons.

Blink is a good option if you want:

• No subscription fee, but with cloud video storage
• Basic models to choose from
• Simple design

Ring is a good option if you want:

• Indoor, outdoor, or doorbell cameras
• Up to 30 days of rolling saved video footage (for as low as $3/month)
• A camera system that doesn’t require a Sync Module

Best Indoor Camera

Winner: The Ring Stick-Up Cam takes the cake here for the best indoor camera. Its flexible power options make it easy to use this camera indoors or outdoors under a variety of conditions (plug-in, battery-powered, or solar-powered). It also offers 1080p video resolution (like the Blink XT2) and is user-friendly.

RUNNER UP: The Blink Indoor camera is a nice choice for runner up. The video resolution is only 720p, a noticeable drop from the 1080p of the Ring Stick-Up and it also lacks 2-way audio. That being said, it’s reasonably priced and does provide up to 120 minutes of cloud-based video storage so if you’re against monthly fees, this Blink cam is solid.

Best Outdoor Camera

WINNER: The Ring Floodlight Cam is our top pick for an outdoor camera. It has two ultra-bright floodlights on each side of the camera and emits up to 1,800 lumens of brightness within a 270° range. It sends push alerts that are motion or sound-activated and pairs well with other Ring cameras (indoor, outdoor, or doorbell cams).

RUNNER UP: The Blink XT2 camera is an indoor / outdoor camera with wireless power, no subscription fees, and easy setup and usability. It doesn’t have any on-board lights like the Ring Floodlight or the Ring Spotlight, but it’s compact, discreet, and has 1080p video resolution for clear visuals in the daytime or night.

Best Doorbell Cam

As mentioned above, Blink doesn’t offer any doorbell cams so the winner here would have to be Ring. Ring offers a solid lineup o doorbell cams with different features.

The two I’d like to highlight here are the Ring 3 and the Ring Original.

BEST FEATURES: The Ring 3 is the best that Ring has to offer when it comes to digital video doorbells. It released in April 2020 and has advanced motion detection, privacy modes, and a “Near Motion” feature that allows you to prioritize motion within 5-15′ of the camera.

BEST BUDGET: The original Ring doorbell is the oldest version of the Ring, but still brings a solid value (an an ultra-wide field of view). It doesn’t include faceplates and only supports 720p video quality. But what it lacks in bells and whistles, it may make up for in simple, inexpensive home security.

MORE: Click here to read our full Ring Doorbell Comparison review.

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