Home » Reviews » Ring vs Nest vs AlfredCamera: What’s Right For You?

Ring vs Nest vs AlfredCamera: What’s Right For You?

Different security brands have different focuses when devising their product lines, meaning some may be more advantageous than others depending on the users’ needs. We compared the best brands on the market.

Best for Mid-Range Budget – Ring 


Best camera: Ring Stick Up Cam
+ Smart home savvy
+ Big selection of products
+ Alexa compatible



Best for Home Automation – Nest 


Best camera: Nest Cam (battery)
+ Excellent motion detection
+ Super fast push notifications
+ Easy smart home integration with affiliated products



Best for Ease of Use – AlfredCamera


Best camera: AlfredCam
+ Very affordable
+ Flexible use of mobile devices alongside AlfredCam
+ Trusted brand with more than 70 million downloads

Popular Cameras Compared

ProductPlacementRRPQualityField of ViewPowerNight Vision
AlfredCamera AppIndoor/OutdoorFree/Premium720pN/AN/ALow-Light Filter
AlfredCam
Indoor$29.991080p HD130ºMicro USB Cable✔️
Google Nest Cam (Battery)
Indoor/Outdoor$179.991080p HD130ºMagnetic battery charger✔️
Ring Video DoorbellDoorbell$99.991080p HD155ºBattery (including Solar) or Wired✔️
Google Nest Doorbell (battery)
Outdoor$179.991.3 megapixels145º
 3:4 aspect ratio
Battery✔️
Ring Stick Up CamIndoor/Outdoor$99.991080p HD130ºBattery (including Solar) or Wired✔️

History of the Brand

AlfredCamera

AlfredCamera was launched in 2015, and is currently the most popular security camera app on Android and iOS devices, with over 70 million downloads. In 2019, it was named most popular utility app by Google Play.

The app allows users to utilize a phone, tablet, computer or the dedicated AlfredCam indoor security camera as a surveillance device. They can then view the feed on their phone, tablet, or on the web. 

The AlfredCam packaging

AlfredCamera is currently used in over 170 countries. The company believes that security should be accessible to everyone, everywhere.

Nest

Nest began with the introduction of a smart Thermostat back in 2011. This was soon followed by smoke and carbon monoxide detectors before the company was acquired by Google in 2014. 

Since then, Google merged its own ‘Google Home’ product line with Nest and other acquisitions under the Nest name, and the brand now has arguably the largest range of different smart home products–everything from smart speakers to security cameras. These are all compatible with Google Voice Assistant, allowing users to transform their homes into voice-enabled, automated ‘smart homes’.

The Nest Cam (Battery) packaging

Nest has partnered with other well-known security companies, including ADT and Yale. The latter collaboration resulted in a battery-powered smart lock released back in 2018.

Ring

Ring has undergone immense expansion since being acquired by Amazon back in 2018 for a figure upwards of $1.2 billion. The company began with its doorbell camera (then known as ‘DoorBot’) which remains its flagship and most popular product.

In the decade since its founding, the company has leaned into security products and diversified its product offerings significantly, allowing users to effectively create an automated home security system.

Ring Stick Up Cam (Battery) box

Products cater to a mid-range budget, and a ‘Ring Protect’ subscription is required for all products for long-term use. There are several options available at different price points. 

Brand Pros and Cons

Ring

Pros ✔️Cons ❌ 
+ Smart home savvy
+ Massive selection of products
+ Alexa compatible
– Subscription necessary
– No local storage options for any products
– Poor track record with third party personal data sharing

Google Nest

Pros ✔️Cons ❌ 
+ Cross-compatible with a huge range of products
+ Intelligent self-learning AI features, like person detection
+ Google Home/Voice Assistant integration
– Products and subscription plans are expensive
– No local storage options
– Google Home app is temperamental, particularly with live feeds

AlfredCamera

Pros ✔️Cons ❌ 
+ Extremely affordable
+ Mobile devices can be used as cameras alongside AlfredCam
+ Super fast setup with limited personal data required
– Limited product offering
– No voice assistant integration
– Uses of the app are limited by the hardware (unless using the dedicated AlfredCam)

App and Software Use

Ring

????The Ring app looks great and works well. It’s easy to navigate and not susceptible to crashes or bugs, although its design is pretty ‘busy’ compared with both Google Home and AlfredCamera.

Automation is kept straightforward, which helps it to be intuitive for users. Ring calls its automations ‘Modes’, which are accessed via the ‘Mode Settings’ menu. These are divided into three self-explanatory defaults—disarm, home, and away—which can be customized as the user sees fit.

???? The Ring app struggles to maintain a stable connection for live feed viewing when multiple devices are using the same Wi-Fi router at the same time, but motion detection on the camera devices works fine.

Google Home

???? In contrast to Ring, Google Home looks better than it works. The app is ultra minimal and chic, encapsulating the overall design ethos of the Nest line. The simplicity makes it easy to use.

Like Ring, the full range of products can be added to Google Home, hence the name. Automations are managed as ‘routines’, which combine a ‘starter’ (a voice command) and an ‘action’ (e.g. turning on night vision on a Nest Cam at the same time as bedroom smart lights dim and an Echo speaker reads out a weather forecast). 

This means that the entire home can be effectively automated in one place in meaningful ways. Combining home security with all other home products may not be to everyone’s tastes, but it is intuitive and useful.

???? Although they are compatible with it, the various Nest security cameras don’t have Google Assistant onboard, meaning users can’t make voice requests to the cameras themselves. An Echo speaker or other Google Assistant-enabled is necessary to issue instructions or requests. The app has a voice assistant on it, but it’ll be more useful if using an Android device, since instructions can be made without going into the app.

Settings menus are fairly limited compared to Ring and AlfredCamera. Quality settings for cameras can’t be changed, for instance.

AlfredCamera

???? AlfredCamera differentiates itself with a warm and easygoing design that’s simple to navigate for newbies and pros alike. The lack of a learning curve means the app can be installed, set up, and used within minutes. 

Free users are given plenty of features to make the most of. If a security solution is required fast (and a budget doesn’t permit a subscription), Alfred is a powerful free tool that doesn’t require any specific hardware purchases. Both Ring and Nest require either a subscription to save video footage.

While other security camera apps, like Ring and Nest Home, struggle to connect to the live camera feed and maintain a stable connection, AlfredCamera is impressively responsive. Motion detection notifications are consistent and fast.

???? The responsiveness and stability of the app means that live stream quality is sacrificed compared with other security camera apps. AlfredCam currently offers the highest quality footage, at 1080p. Mobile footage maxes out at 720p and can be set to as low as 244p.

AlfredCamera doesn’t currently support voice assistants, which prevents it from being automated in the same way other security apps can be. This keeps the user experience very straightforward.

Performance will depend a lot on the device it is paired with as the camera. Hence, the company launched a dedicated hardware device to make it suitable for users that don’t have reliable devices for use as cameras.

Potential Uses

Both Nest and Ring have large product lines that make automation a breeze. This, coupled with Alexa and Google Voice Assistant support, allows users to create fully-fledged security systems for a fraction of the price of competitors. 

Nest’s capacity to be automated goes a little farther than Rings, since automations are encouraged to combine instructions for products that aren’t at all security-related, like smart lighting and smart thermostats.

AlfredCamera’s flagship product is its app, but last year saw the launch of AlfredCam, the first hardware device made for use with AlfredCamera. An outdoor camera is expected sometime in 2023. 

Unlike Nest and Ring, there’s no limit on the number of devices that all users can add to AlfredCamera, meaning extensive indoor security setups combining a variety of different viewing devices can be assembled. 

All the security cameras from the three brands feature two-way audio, meaning they can be used for baby or pet monitoring, as well as night vision. 

Summary of Key Differences

Storage: Ring and Nest only support cloud storage, meaning a subscription is necessary for effective use of all the products available from either brand. The internal memory on Nest devices is limited and is only used when the internet connection cuts out. It uploads saved footage as soon as the connection is re-established.

AlfredCamera stores footage on the cloud for up to 7 days for free users and up to 14 days for Premium users. Local storage is also supported,  with continuous recording being saved to the device locally in eight hour loops. AlfredCam has a microSD card slot to support local storage.

Power: Ring and Nest cameras can be hardwired or charged and left wire-free depending on the product. Nest’s devices charge via a magnetic charger, Ring’s devices use a micro USB. AlfredCamera is powered based on the device it’s installed on, but AlfredCam is powered by a micro USB.

Price: Nest products are expensive. While the learning capabilities are impressive and the automation features useful for Google-filled homes, equally good devices can be bought for a fraction of the price. Users are paying a premium for the name and branding. Ring is generally less expensive, while AlfredCamera is perfect for those on a very tight budget.

Installation: Ring, Nest, and AlfredCamera devices can be set-up at home without the help of a professional. Installations are facilitated through easy-to-follow instructions on each brand’s app. However, Ring does offer professional installation services in many territories for under $100. ‘Nest Pro Elites’, i.e. third party electricians that have training to install Nest products, are available in select territories on a quote-by-quote basis.

Cloud Storage Comparison 


AlfredCamera Free

AlfredCamera Premium

Nest Aware

Nest Aware Plus
Ring Protect BasicRing Protect PlusRing Protect Plus Pro
Monthly Cost$0$5.99$6$12$3.99 per device$10$20
Annual Cost$0$29.99$60$120$39.99 per device$100 for all Ring doorbells and cameras$200 for all Ring products
Max Number of Days Footage is Stored7 days14 days30 days60 days (event history)
10 days (24/7 history)
180 days180 days180 days
Motion Detection✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️
Professional Monitoring✔️Available for an additional price *✔️Available for an additional price *✔️
AI-based features✔️ Person DetectionFace learning
Smoke alarm
Carbon monoxide alarm
Glass breaking
Face learning
Smoke alarm
Carbon Monoxide
Glass breaking
✔️ Person Detection✔️ Person Detection✔️ Person Detection
Number of Cameras per SubscriptionUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited1UnlimitedUnlimited

* currently no new sign-ups being accepted in the US.

Verdict

Best for Home Automation – Nest

Google Home may have its fair share of latency issues, but there’s no denying that Nest products make sense for a home already decked out in all things Google.

With an Echo speaker to chat to, adding more and more devices-security or otherwise-will rapidly transform an average home into a fully-fledged smart home. Operating security products from the same place as lights and speakers won’t make sense for everyone, but will prove super intuitive to others.

Best for Ease of Use – AlfredCamera

Low-light filters, sirens, motion detection, and reliable push notifications can turn an old device into a viable surveillance solution in minutes, and newbies and seasoned surveillance users alike will find it a breeze to use. A subscription brings with it additional benefits like AI-based person detection. 

Accessibility is key, and Alfred encourages users to experiment with setups that cater to their needs; there’s no limit on how many devices can be added, after all.

Best for Mid-Range Budget – Ring

Ring’s product line up is extensive, allowing users to add different security-related devices as they please, including alarms. Like Nest, it can all be automated to good effect, but unlike Nest, it’s all a little more forgiving on the wallet.

Like Nest, security cameras of equal substance can be obtained for a better price, but for those looking to create a de facto security system, the Geofencing feature is fantastic in giving users an ADT-like system for a fraction of the price.