Step Aside, Ring: Consumer Reports Names The Top Wireless Video Doorbell With No Subscription

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Video doorbells are a great addition to your home security system. Unfortunately, many doorbell cameras (including the popular Ring) come with a recurring subscription fee that is required to access many of the camera's features. These features can be helpful, as we've shared in our own list of the best video doorbell cameras. But subscription-based video doorbells also come with a few downsides. The first and most obvious is the recurring cost — many people don't want to continue paying for a product they've already purchased just to make it function as expected. 

Then there's the issue of privacy, the lack of which is an unexpected downside to using many video doorbells. Subscription-based cameras store their footage on remote servers. From there, the footage can be shared with law enforcement without your knowledge or consent. For people who feel uncomfortable knowing that video footage from their doorstep is being stored (and potentially shared) offsite, there is another option: Get a subscription-free model with local storage instead. Subscription-free doorbells store all video footage locally on the device, which is great for privacy. And, of course, they are much cheaper — pay once for your doorbell, and then never again. Consumer Reports points to the TP-Link Tapo TD25 as one of the best options. 

This doorbell model can only be found at Best Buy. It has a 5-megapixel camera (slightly higher than TP-Link's similar doorbell, the D225, which has a 4-megapixel camera). You can purchase an optional subscription for cloud storage, or you can just use a microSD card. It's compatible with both Amazon Home and Alexa. At this article's time of writing, though, the doorbell is currently out of stock on the Best Buy website. If you can't wait for the TD25 to restock, the TP-Link Tapo D225 is a good alternative.

The TP-Link Tapo TD25 was rated so highly by Consumer Reports for its features and good overall performance. It received an excellent rating for quick response times, and it has plenty of smart features that work without the need for a subscription. Its data security was also well-liked, while daytime and nighttime video quality were perfectly passable. With its 180-degree field of view, you can see quite a bit of what's going on outside your home beyond just your front door. The built-in AI object recognition allows you to receive notifications when the camera detects certain objects (like that package you've been waiting for from the mailman). It also has a spotlight feature to improve nighttime video clarity, which can even serve to scare away intruders.

If it's in stock, you can get the TD-Link Tapo TD25 at Best Buy for $149.99. It has an overall rating of 4.5 stars across 108 reviews on Best Buy's website. "This doorbell has many great features with the free app," said one customer review. "You can purchase cloud storage with a subscription, but it is not required to get notifications or to review past recorded events." If you can't currently find the doorbell, though, the Tapo D225 on Amazon can be had for a list price of $109.99. It boasts 4.4 stars across over 2,200 reviews, and it boasts the same microSD compatibility without the need for a subscription.