There are no extra benefits, just a higher price.

Amazon's Ring is raising the price of its cheapest Basic subscription, following similar bumps by Google and others, the company said in a FAQ seen by The Verge. As of March 11, it's going from $4 to $5 per month (or $40 to $50 dollars a year), an increase of 25 percent.

The last time Ring raised its Basic plan rate in June of 2022 (from $3 to $4 per month), it also added a few features like additional cloud storage, larger bulk videos downloads and the ability to receive exclusive discounts on future Ring product. This time, though the price is increasing with no additional benefits added.

While just a couple of Starbucks Flat White coffees per year more, the bump could be more significant for some users. The Basic plan only covers one camera and each requires a sub to save and record videos. That means users with two or more cameras may be better off with the Ring Protect Plus plan (which covers all Ring doorbells and home cameras at one location), since it's now exactly twice as much at $10 per month or $100 per year. (Without a plan, you can only view a livestream and receive motion alerts.)

Ring's move follows Google, which raised its cheapest Nest Aware plan from $6 to $8 per month ($60 to $80 per year) in September last year, though that option covers every camera on your account. That now makes Google's option better for new users who haven't bought any hardware.

If you're looking to spend even less, Blink and Wyze both offer single camera cloud plans for $3 per month, and both companies support local storage as well. Another option is buying devices that support Apple HomeKit Secure Video, provided you have an iCloud+ subscription.

Source:
courtesy of ENGADGET

by Steve Dent

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