Want a cheap Ring doorbell alternative? I'm a smart home tech expert, and these are the 3 I recommend

If you're shopping for a cheap video doorbell, you might be tempted to choose the most affordable one from a big brand like Ring or Blink, but doing so might end up costing you more in the long term.

Ring does offer some very affordable video doorbells, with prices starting at $99.99 / £99.99 / AU$149 for a battery-operated model, but that's only half the story. If you only buy the doorbell you'll be able to see and speak to visitors live via the Ring app or a compatible smart device, but recordings won't be stored anywhere, and you won't have access to features like person recognition and package alerts.

To unlock all the features of your Ring doorbell you'll need to subscribe to Ring Home as well, the price of which starts at $4.99 / £4.99 / AU$4 ...