Modern technology has changed our lives in so many different ways, affecting how we communicate, how we work, how we enjoy our free time, and even how we answer the door.
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The latest and greatest doorbell devices are designed with state-of-the-art technology that allows you to see exactly who is standing outside, without even needing to leave your couch.
Leaving peepholes in the past and removing the need to worry about opening the door during the early hours or late at night, these video doorbells can really enhance your home, and there are a lot of options out there, with several different brands leading the way.
Ring is one of the best brands around when it comes to video doorbells, and two of the top models from this company are the Ring Pro and Ring 3.
Offering industry-leading features like 1080p video capture, adjustable motion zones, smart home integration, and mobile app connectivity for ease of use, these devices allow you to see outside your front door from the comfort of your couch or even chat to visitors when you’re not at home, as well as acting like security cameras to deter porch thieves or would-be intruders.
But which one is truly the best? Many people find themselves struggling with this question and hesitating between the Ring Pro and Ring 3, and we’re here to help you choose the right model for your needs. So let’s get started with an in-depth, side-by-side look at these doorbells.
Table of Contents
How We Started
There are a lot of different video doorbells out there to choose from, and we know that a lot of people look at Ring, as an industry leader, when considering buying their first doorbell or upgrading from their current model.
So, we took a closer look at two of Ring’s most popular options: The Ring Pro and Ring 3. We analyzed the quality of these doorbells and put each one to the test in several key areas, including camera performance, ease of use, unique features, price, and more.
Our comprehensive approach should allow you to find the right doorbell for your needs. Some users will opt for the doorbell that is easiest to set-up and run, for example, and will want to pay close attention to the ‘Connectivity and Installation’ section, while others may be more interested in which model offers the best audio-visual quality in areas like ‘Camera Performance’.
By learning more about how each model fares in these key areas, you can come to an informed decision on which one is right for you and your home.
Both models clearly have a lot to offer, hence their status as such popular and commonly-purchased doorbells, but each one has unique selling points that may appeal to different users.
Through the course of our testing, we saw that in spite of their similarities, there are some major differences that help to separate the Ring Pro and Ring 3. Read on to learn all about them.
See, hear, and speak to anyone at your door from anywhere with Ring Video Doorbell 3. Get real-time notifications when visitors press your doorbell or trigger the built-in motion sensors. And adjust your motion settings so you can focus on key areas and only receive notifications when you want.
Similarities and Differences
At first glance, when comparing the Ring Pro and Ring 3, you notice quite a lot of similarities. They look similar, possessing similar tech specs and boasting quite similar features under the hood as well.
However, there are some big differences that help to separate the Ring 3 and the Ring Pro, making each product feel unique in its own ways.
The first big difference concerns the installation of these video doorbells. The Ring 3 comes with a rechargeable battery, as well as the option to be hardwired into your existing doorbell wiring, while the Ring Pro can only be installed via the hardwire method. This makes the Ring 3 more flexible overall and easier to install if you opt to rely on the battery.
The Ring 3 is also cheaper than the Ring Pro and offers similar standards of video and audio quality, so it may be seen as the better value option.
However, there are some things that set the Ring Pro apart and help to compensate for the extra cash you’ll need to hand over to get one of your own.
For starters, the Pro has a sleeker and more minimalistic design, as well as the option to customize its appearance with a range of differently colored faceplates.
It can fit in narrower spaces, thanks to its sleek, slim shape, and it comes with some extra features that help to justify the ‘Pro’ name, giving users more control and appealing to advanced users, in particular.
Design and Dimensions
One of the first areas of comparison for video doorbells is design. Of course, the look of a doorbell won’t have any impact on how it operates, but since these devices are installed on the front door of your home and tend to be one of the first things visitors see when they stop by, many people prefer to find a doorbell they like the look of.
The Ring 3 measures up at 5.1 x 2.4 x 1.1 inches and continues in the vein of past Ring models, like the Ring and Ring 2, with a modern, classy design that features the camera in a black housing at the top and the doorbell button in a metallic housing on the bottom.
It comes with Satin Nickel and Venetian Bronze faceplates you can switch out, letting you change its look to suit your style and home.
Measuring up at 4.5 x 1.85 x 0.8 inches, the Ring Pro is much smaller than the Ring 3. This is because, unlike other Ring models, including the Ring 3, it doesn’t have a battery inside.
That helps to make it much lighter and smaller overall, as well as allowing it to be installed on narrower door frames and small spaces, which will appeal to a lot of people.
It also comes with a slightly different design, with the camera and button in a central black space, and a faceplate shell around all four edges. You’ll also get four different faceplates in the box with the Ring Pro, including Satin Nickel, Pearl, Venetian, and Black.
Thanks to the additional faceplates and slimmer design, the Ring Pro has the advantage in this aspect.
Installation and Ease of Use
Video doorbells for residential homes are a relatively new invention, and many people don’t have much experience with these devices, so like to find models that are easy to install and simple to use on a daily basis too. When it comes to the Ring Pro and Ring 3, there are some big differences in this aspect.
Usually, video doorbells can either be hardwired into your existing doorbell wiring, or run off a battery, that can be recharged, just like smartphones and tablets.
The Ring 3 actually comes with both of these options: it features a built-in, removable, rechargeable battery that can be used as the main power source, while also offering the option to be hardwired, if you prefer.
The fact that the Ring 3 offers both options makes it a highly versatile device, and it’s a great pick for renters who might be worried about having to get permission to interfere with the existing wiring at their property.
The Ring Pro, meanwhile, doesn’t have any battery at all, so the only way to install and power up this video doorbell is to hardwire it into the system.
This makes the Pro a little less versatile and means that installation will be a little trickier than it would be if you were just using the battery of the Ring 3. However, the slimmer design of the Pro makes it easier to install on slim frames.
Ring is known for producing some of the smartest and best designed doorbells around, with really intuitive mobile apps and simple controls that make both the Ring 3 and Ring Pro very simple to use, once they’re all set up.
So even though the Ring Pro takes a little more time to install, it’s still a very intuitive product overall. Still, thanks to the fact that the Ring 3 can rely on battery power, it gets the nod for us in terms of overall ease of use and installation.
Smart Home Integration
Ring is known as a leader in the smart home industry, producing doorbells that can work seamlessly with other smart home products, so it’s no surprise that both the Ring 3 and Ring Pro operate seamlessly with Amazon Alexa, along with other smart home systems like Echo, Smartthings, IFTTT, and Fire TV.
You can use these different smart home devices to get alerts when someone is at your door, watch the video footage from the Ring Pro or Ring 3 camera, and choose to either lock or unlock the door as desired, as well as being able to communicate with the person who is at the door.
In terms of smart home integration, the Ring Pro and Ring 3 are on level ground, with no clear winner or loser.
Unique Features
Many smart home doorbells are able to show you a video feed of what’s going on outside your door and let you see exactly who is outside before choosing to open up, but different models are able to offer a range of extra features that enhance their usefulness and give you greater control over how and when you answer your door.
This is one area in which we start to see some big differences between the Ring 3 and Ring Pro.
The Ring 3 has a lot of great features, including motion detection with adjustable motion zones, a 160-degree field of view, 1080p video resolution, night vision, two-way communication, live viewing from your smartphone, and privacy zones that allow you to minimize the erroneous alerts you may receive if the doorbell detects movement of cars going by or pedestrians in the distance.
The Ring Pro, however, has all of the same features as the Ring 3, and more. It comes with the pre-roll feature, for example, which means that the camera will show you video of the four seconds before the doorbell was pressed, which can add context to your videos and prove useful in certain situations. The pre-roll on the Ring Pro is recorded in full color and high resolution too.
The Pro also has customizable motion sensors, and this allows you to create your own motion zones, which isn’t possible on the Ring 3. This can help to make the Ring Pro more accurate, reducing the chance of errors and mistaken alerts.
Overall, thanks to the fact that the Pro can offer the same standards as the Ring 3, along with additional extras like pre-roll feature, it’s the clear winner in this category.
Answer the door from anywhere and watch over your home in 1080HD video with Ring Video Doorbell Pro. You’ll get mobile alerts when anyone comes to your door, so you can see, hear and speak to visitors from your phone, tablet and PC.
Camera Performance
The original Ring video doorbell launched with a reasonably basic camera, but the company’s newer models, from the Ring 2 onwards, have been able to offer 1080p video resolution.
The Ring 3 and Ring Pro are no different, with both of these models being fitted with quality cameras that can capture a horizontal field of view of 160 degrees and a vertical field of view of 90 degrees.
The relatively wide field of view on both cameras lets you see all around the porch or driveway of your home, which can be very useful, and the Pro comes with the option to customize which areas are counted for motion detection too.
Both of these doorbells also come with infrared lighting to let them operate in the dark.
So is there any real difference between the Ring 3 and Ring Pro for camera performance? Well, tests show that the Ring Pro is able to record slightly better-quality footage than the Ring 3.
The difference isn’t huge, but is still noticeable, so those who want the absolute best quality from their video doorbell should opt for the Ring Pro, in this case.
Audio Performance
When it comes to audio, too, the Ring 3 and Ring Pro are pretty tough to tell apart. Audio is an important part of any video doorbell, as this is what will allow you to potentially communicate with anyone who is at your door, so you need to be able to understand what they’re saying.
Both the Ring 3 and Ring Pro provide crisp and clear audio, with smart noise canceling that helps to eliminate background sounds and isolate voices.
As with the camera performance, the Pro has the slight edge in this category, able to capture more detailed sounds and slightly crisper quality than the Ring 3.
Battery Life
Battery life is another interesting feature to consider when looking at modern video doorbell devices like the Ring 3 and Ring Pro. However, only one of these models actually has a battery; the Ring 3 has a battery built-in, while the Ring Pro doesn’t feature any battery and needs to be wired up.
As stated earlier on, the lack of a battery in the Ring Pro makes it less versatile when it comes to installation, but it also makes it slimmer and easier to fit in certain spaces.
On the other hand, the option of battery power for the Ring 3 gives it more flexibility, and the battery can run for up to 12 months on a single charge, so you won’t need to worry about charging it back up too often.
Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus includes enhanced features such as adjustable motion zones – including the added rear zone that reduces false notifications – and dual-band wifi connectivity. And with extended 4-second Pre-Roll that lets you see what happened before motion was triggered, you’ll always know who’s at your door.
Price
Of course, another key factor to think about when shopping for a video doorbell is price. Many people shy away from buying a video doorbell as they worry about how expensive these smart home accessories can be, but the Ring 3 and Ring Pro are some of the more competitively priced models on the market.
The Ring Pro is currently the most expensive model in the entire Ring line-up, exceeding the cost of the Ring 3, as well as the Ring 3 Plus and the Ring 2. So, if you are a budget-conscious shopper looking for a device that won’t cost too much cash, the Ring Pro might not be the best option for you.
The Ring 3, meanwhile, is around $50 cheaper than the Ring Pro, on average, representing a sizable saving in the eyes of many.
When we consider that the Ring 3 offers many of the same features and performance capabilities as the Ring Pro, along with the additional advantage of having a battery built-in too, it’s clearly a great value buy, making the Ring 3 the winner here.
Don’t forget that regardless of which Ring doorbell you choose, you’ll need to pay a monthly fee of $3 per month or $30 per year for cloud storage if you want to save your recorded videos to the cloud.
Alternatives
Even though Ring is a clear leader in the video doorbell industry right now, there are some other terrific brands out there offering some exceptional alternatives.
Eufy Security
Eufy is a great example, and Eufy Security is one of the best doorbells around when it comes to video clarity and value for money.
It offers a 2K resolution, detecting human faces with remarkable accuracy and providing crystal clear images with advanced digital distortion correction for ease of use and accuracy.
It also provides crisp two-way audio and is free from any monthly costs or fees for use.
Nest Hello
The Nest Hello should also be considered, as it has features not available in the Ring Pro like Google Assistant Protection, Customizable motion sensitivity, and quiet time. I recommend you to read my Nest Hello vs. Ring pro review if you want to know more.
Who Should Get This?
Ring Pro Doorbell
All in all, the Ring Pro lives up to its name, offering a professional grade experience for every user.
The advanced features and unique options of this model are what help to set it apart from others, including the Ring 3, and many users appreciate the ability to customize their motion capture zones, as well as the added security benefits of the pre-roll feature too.
The fact that the Ring Pro is extra slim and sleek, coming with several different faceplates to suit the look of your property, also give it an aesthetic edge and make it a nice option for house proud owners, or those who have narrow door frames that simply wouldn’t work with other models, and even though the Pro costs a little more, it just about does enough to justify the price hike.
It offers all the features and functionality you could expect from an industry-leading model, without any significant drawbacks to speak of, aside from the lack of a battery.
Ring 3 Doorbell
The Ring 3 is one of the best all-round models on the video doorbell market right now, excelling in all the areas that matter the most.
It has a terrific camera and great audio performance too, able to capture quality videos and offer solid communication performance as and when you need it.
Like other Ring doorbells, it works brilliantly with other smart home devices and is super simple to set up. Plus, the fact that it comes with a battery really helps to give it the edge over the Pro in terms of versatility, letting you install and use it however you want, and opening it up to a wider potential audience, such as renters.
Overall, this is the best choice for the vast majority of users, and it isn’t really lacking much when compared to the Pro.
The absence of the pre-roll feature could be a deal-breaker for some, but it won’t have much of an impact in most cases, and the Ring 3 does more than enough to justify its price tag.
Our Pick
Overall, both the Ring 3 and Ring Pro have some great features, terrific technology, and leading designs. Choosing the best one for you is all about finding a model that can offer great value for money, solid performance for both video and audio, and easy installation too.
Our Pick: Ring 3
For us, the Ring 3 is the better value doorbell. It matches the Ring Pro in almost every key area and provides all of the features and functionality that the vast majority of users will need.
See, hear, and speak to anyone at your door from anywhere with Ring Video Doorbell 3. Get real-time notifications when visitors press your doorbell or trigger the built-in motion sensors. And adjust your motion settings so you can focus on key areas and only receive notifications when you want.
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