The first Philips Hue video doorbell is here, but how does it compare to the best-selling Ring Video Doorbells, and which one should you screw onto your wall?
The Philips Hue Secure Video Doorbell is wired rather than battery-operated, so you can't simply stick it on your wall. So, for the purposes of this article, I'll be comparing it to the Ring Video Doorbell Wired and Video Doorbell Wired Pro.
When it comes to camera quality, Philips Hue definitely has the edge. Its doorbell records at 2K and has a 180-degree field of view horizontally and vertically, which is superior to both of Ring's wired offerings.
The Philips Hue doorbell is good value, too (which may be surprising considering its reputation for premium pricing). The Hue Secure doorbell sits in between the two wired Ring doorbells in terms of price, despite having a better camera than either.
If you opt for the Philips Hue doorbell, you'll be able to review videos from the last 24 hours for free. If you choose a Ring doorbell, your videos aren't stored at all unless you pay for at least a basic subscription plan. If you skip the paid plan, you can only watch live footage from your doorbell.
However, Ring's premium tiers can store your footage for much longer than Philips Hue Secure, and offer extra security features such as 24/7 video recording, and calls to your phone when someone presses the doorbell (not just an app alert).
Of course, one of the main attractions of the Philips Hue doorbell is that it's controlled through the same app as any Hue lights you own, making it easy to create automations that will activate your lights if motion is detected, for example. You can create similar automations with a Ring doorbell, but it's not quite so straightforward.
Want to know more? Read on for the full lowdown on both brands' doorbells so you can make an informed choice between the two. I'll also be testing the Philips Hue Secure Video Doorbell very soon to see whether it can earn a place in my roundup of the best video doorbells.
Hardware specifications
- Philips Hue doorbell is wired, with a 2K camera and 180-degree field of view
- Neither of Ring's wired doorbells can match those camera specs
- Both brands offer plug-in chimes to provide audible alerts in your home
There is only one Philips Hue Secure Video Doorbell at the time of writing. It's a wired doorbell with a 2K resolution, infra-red night vision, and a 180-degree field of view. There's an optional plug-in chime that lets you hear callers from elsewhere in your home.
Ring currently sells two wired video doorbells, but they both have lower-spec cameras than the Philips Hue Secure doorbell.
The Ring Video Doorbell Wired has a 1080p resolution, and a narrower field of view (155 degrees horizontal, 90 degrees vertical). It has infra-red night vision, and can be paired with an optional chime.
The next model up, the Ring Video Doorbell Wired Pro, also has lower resolution than the Hue doorbell (1536p) and a smaller field of view (150 degrees horizontal and vertical). It does, however, offer 3D motion detection, and can estimate distance so it can give a bird's-eye view and alert you when someone has stepped on your property.
- Winner: Philips Hue
Prices
- The Philips Hue Secure Video Doorbell costs more than the Ring Video Doorbell Wired but less than the Ring Video Doorbell Wired Pro
- The Philips Hue and Ring chimes cost about the same
- The Philips Hue doorbell isn't yet available in Australia
The Philips Hue Secure Video Doorbell will launch in the US and UK in October 2025, though we don't yet have an exact date. The doorbell will cost $169.99 / £139.99, and if you want the additional chime – so you can hear callers from anywhere in your home – this will be an additional $59.99 / £49.99. No prices or release dates have been announced for Australia yet.
Ring's video doorbells are available globally, including the US, UK, and Australia. The Ring Video Doorbell Wired is $49.99 / £49.99 / AU$89, while the Ring Video Doorbell Wired Pro is $229.99 / £199.99 / AU$349.
Ring also sells a separate Chime, which has a list price of £29.99 / $34.99 / AU$59.
- Winner: Philips Hue
Subscriptions
- No paid subscription is necessary for Philips Hue or Ring doorbells
- Free Philips Hue Secure plans offer 24 hours of free video storage
- Ring Home subscribers get more advanced security features
You can use the Philips Hue Secure Video Doorbell and any Ring Doorbells without paying an additional subscription fee, but you'll get considerably fewer features.
The biggest difference is video storage. If you have a free Philips Hue Secure plan, your video clips will be stored for 24 hours (starting later in 2025). If you don't buy a Ring subscription, your videos won't be stored at all, and you can only watch footage from your doorbell live as it's happening.
Both Philips Hue and Ring offer different subscription plans, with higher tiers offering longer video storage, support for more devices, and extra security features. You'll find a complete comparison of all the plans in the two tables below.
Philips Hue Secure and Ring Home Premium plans aren't available in Australia.
Plan | Price | Video storage | Alerts | Extra features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Free | Free | 24 hours (coming later in 2025) | Callers, motion | End-to-end encryption, Snapshot capture, privacy zones |
Basic | $39.99 / £34.44 per year for one camera | 30 days | Callers., motion, packages, people, animals, vehicles | As above, plus activity zones, back-to-back clip recording |
Plus | $99.99 / £84.99 per year for one camera | 60 days | Callers, motion, packages, people, animals, vehicles | As above |
Plan | Price | Video storage | Alerts | Extra features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
No subscription | Free | None (live view only) | Callers | End-to-end encryption |
Basic | $49.99 / £49.99 / AU$49.95 per year for one camera | Up to 180 days | Callers. motion, people, vehicles, packages (with video previews) | As above, plus snapshot capture, 10% off at Ring.com |
Standard | $100 / £80 / AU$150 per year for multiple cameras | Up to 180 days | Callers. motion, people, vehicles, packages (with video previews) | As above, plus phone calls when doorbell is rung, picture-in-picture, daily event summery, extended warranty |
Premium | $200 / £159.99 per year for multiple cameras | Up to 180 days | Callers, motion, people, vehicles, packages (with video previews) | As above, plus 24/7 recoding, video preview alerts, continuous live view, multi-cam view |
- Winner: tie
Philips Hue Secure Video Doorbell vs Ring Video Doorbell Wired / Wired Pro: early verdict
I can't give a definitive verdict on how good the Philips Hue Secure Video Doorbell is until I've put it through TechRadar's exacting testing process, but the early signs are that it should offer a serious challenge to Ring's dominance of the smart doorbell market.
It has some impressive specs, with far superior cameras that can record in higher resolution and with a wider field of view. It's also cheaper than the Ring Video Doorbell Wired Pro despite that camera advantage, and integrates nicely with Hue's smart-home ecosystem.
Against that, Ring has arguably better subscription options, plus you can opt for the much cheaper (but basic) Video Doorbell Wired if you don't want to spend more than $50/£50 on a doorbell.
I'll be able to say for sure which you should buy once I've finished my review, but either way the Hue looks like being a worthy addition to the smart doorbell market, and that's never a bad thing.
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