When it comes to home security,
would you rather get your hands dirty in the details
or keep it clean and simple?
What about price?
Would you rather spend a little more for a lot of gadgets
or rely on notifications from your cameras for less?
These are the big questions we will be looking at
in today's head-to-head featuring of Abode versus Ring.
On one hand there's Ring.
It's a well-known popular brand known for its low pricing,
camera options, and Amazon compatibility.
While on the other side, there's Abode,
the quieter more technical answer
to building a smart home security system.
Join us as we compare the two DIY security systems
side by side on price, monitoring, options,
equipment and smart features.
You can check out our written versus
on SafeWise.com linked in the description below.
Let's go.
Both systems can work without a subscription,
but you won't get a lot from either for free.
But Ring and Abode both charge
for video storage and monitoring.
And Abode is consistently double the price of Ring.
For $6 a month, Abode can turn your cameras
into a defacto security system.
While you'll miss out on cellular backup
and professional monitoring,
the standard plan does give you a bundle of goodies.
Abode sweetens the deal with its pro plan with monitoring,
cellular backup, better shipping,
and a certificate to get a discount
from your home insurance.
And while all of that boosts the price up to $20 a month,
it's still cheaper than companies like Vivint,
Frontpoint, and ADT.
When you pay for Ring,
your money goes towards improved notifications
and video storage.
Starting at $3 a month, you'll get a library of your videos
going back 60 days and the ability to save
and share those videos.
But you'll have to go to $10 a month
for professional monitoring.
Ring recently added a new plan to its menu: Ring Alarm Pro
for $20 a month.
This shiny new option comes with some really cool features
like 24/7 internet backup.
Our latest Ring update has more deets on that plan,
so go and check that out to learn more.
Overall, when it comes to price,
you get more from Ring for less.
Both systems cap off at around $20 a month,
but the bar starts much lower for Ring,
and you get more goodies with that system subscription plan.
If you're looking for that meat and potatoes,
classic DIY setup of hub and censors,
Ring and Abode have both got you covered.
Both systems have multiple kits to choose from.
Ring goes up to a 14-piece kit
while Abode is a little more customized.
The Abode iota is the one that stands out in the bunch.
Plus, it's fun to say "Abode iota."
It's minimal and sleek with a combo camera,
siren, motion sensor built right into the hub.
Speaking of cameras, that is where Ring dominates.
We did the counting and found out
that Ring had a total of 20 cameras,
including video doorbells and security cameras,
while Abode on the other hand has just two.
But as far as sensors go, Abode wins on that side.
Abode has three types of contact sensors,
including a recessed one,
as well as two types of glass break sensors
and two types of motion sensors.
That said, we are excited to hear about the new stuff
coming from Ring.
The Ring Alarm Pro Kit is an exciting new addition
with measures in place to boost your Wi-Fi
and make your home network stronger. Nice.
While it's a really close race in this category,
we're going to have to give this one to Abode.
In the smart features home category,
neither of these systems are dummies.
Both work with a wide range of lights, locks,
and sensors from other companies
and allow you to program your system together.
But what really pushes Abode over the edge
is compatibility with Apple products.
If you're one of those iEvangelists,
you'll be happy to hear that Abode works
with products like the iPad, Apple Watch,
and Apple Home Kit.
On top of that, Abode can host up to 160 individual sensors
at once.
Additionally, it works with Zigbee, z-wave and IFTTT.
Ring, on the other hand, can host up to 100 sensors at once,
though that might change with this Ring Pro Kit coming out.
As of now, your best bet is to use Ring
with other Amazon products.
But it can work with Google Nest hub, IFTTT,
and z-wave devices.
The important thing about home automation
is that your home network has the bandwidth
to host all of your smart products
and that you're able to create chain reactions with them.
So, for example, you could open the door
and the lights turn on
or approach your home and your door unlocks.
These things make your daily routine a little easier,
whether you're home or not.
Abode is great for smart home geeks
and anyone who with a patchwork of smart gear brands
that might not otherwise play nicely.
In one small system, you can link up to 160 devices
to work in tandem.
Abode's strength mainly lies
in its smart home automation features
and its ability to play nicely
with a ton of third-party devices.
So you don't have to be as strictly Google,
Amazon, or Apple household.
That said, it was hard to ignore the price gap
between Abode and Rings equipment, monitoring
and subscriptions.
You have to pay a lot more to get all these cool automations
off the ground in the first place,
and the cameras available with the Abode system
are still pretty underwhelming.
Now don't get me wrong, Ring is no dud
when it comes to third-party connectivity and automations.
But because it's an Amazon brand,
it's just easier to stay within the Amazon ecosystem.
Instead, Ring goes hard into the camera game.
If you're ever looking for eyes inside or outside your home,
Ring is an excellent place to start.
With over seven options for video doorbells alone,
as well as outdoor spotlights
and a variety of indoor cameras,
Ring's greatest strength is its cameras.
Ring is also a great deal too.
Its most expensive subscription plan lands
at only $10 a month, which is probably less than
what you pay for streaming services.
But one drawback to its pricing is that you have to pay
for a year's worth of monitoring up front,
whether or not you use it.
So while Ring won the budget battle,
we're crowning Abode the winner of this war.
Abode supports more smart gear
from a wider variety of brands and protocols.
And while it isn't cheap
or doesn't have as many cameras as Ring,
it is super easy to build automations
that can both protect your home
and make life a little easier.
Speaking of making life easier,
head to SafeWise.com to see individual reviews
on all of the home security brands
like Abode, Ring, and more.
We also have whole dedicated playlists
to Ring specifically because they're always coming out
with new updates, so check that out to get more on that.
Thanks for watching, and stay safe.