Best Video Doorbells for Home Assistant: Local and Cloud Picks
If you run Home Assistant, the front door is probably the one spot where you want local control more than anywhere else. A doorbell camera sees every visitor, every package drop and every late-night wanderer, and sending all of that footage through a vendor’s cloud just to trigger a porch light feels backwards. The best video doorbells for a Home Assistant setup give you a live stream, a reliable ring event and motion detection that your own automations can use, without forcing you into a subscription for basic features.
This guide ranks five doorbells that work well with Home Assistant, from fully local PoE models to a cloud-first option that’s still popular because of its polished app. We’ll cover how each one connects, what the integration actually exposes, and where the trade-offs show up. Before the picks, it helps to know what separates a doorbell that plays nicely with automation from one that’s merely good at pinging your phone. Every one of the best video doorbells below earns its spot by exposing real events to your automations, not just a notification.
What Makes a Doorbell Work Well With Home Assistant
Not every doorbell exposes the same data. Some publish an RTSP video stream and an ONVIF event feed that Home Assistant can read directly on your LAN. Others only talk to a cloud service, and the Home Assistant integration polls that service on your behalf. Both approaches can work, but they behave very differently when your internet connection hiccups.
Local Streams vs Cloud Polling
A doorbell with a local RTSP or ONVIF stream keeps working during an ISP outage. Your dashboard still shows the porch, and automations that depend on a button press still fire, because nothing leaves your house. Cloud-polled models add latency, since the ring event travels to the vendor’s servers and back before Home Assistant hears about it. That delay is often a few seconds, which is the difference between your hallway lights coming on as someone knocks and coming on after they’ve already walked away.
If you’ve already segmented your cameras and smart devices, a local-first doorbell fits neatly into that design. Our guide to isolating IoT devices on a separate VLAN walks through keeping cameras away from your main network while still letting Home Assistant reach them.
Power Options: PoE, Wired Transformer or Battery
Power decides how reliable the doorbell is. A Power over Ethernet model runs on a single Ethernet cable that also carries data, so there’s no battery to charge and no Wi-Fi signal to fade at the edge of your property. Hardwired doorbells that tap your existing chime transformer are the next best option, though they depend on a decent Wi-Fi signal at the door. Battery models are the easiest to install and the most annoying to live with, because the battery drains faster whenever motion events are frequent. If you’re willing to pull a cable, PoE is the clear winner, and a managed PoE switch makes it easy to power several cameras from one closet.
Video Quality and Field of View
Resolution matters less than the shape of the picture. A square or near-square aspect ratio lets you see packages sitting on the doorstep, while a standard widescreen frame often cuts them off. Look for a wide vertical field of view, decent night vision and sensible low-light processing so faces aren’t blown out by a porch bulb.
How We Chose the Best Video Doorbells
The best video doorbells aren’t always the ones with the highest resolution. We weighted the list toward what matters once the doorbell is on your wall and talking to Home Assistant every day, not what looks good in a spec sheet.
- Integration depth — official or well-maintained Home Assistant support, with ring events, motion and a live stream exposed as entities.
- Local operation — RTSP, ONVIF or a local API, so the doorbell survives an internet outage.
- Power and install — PoE or hardwired options preferred over battery-only designs.
- Subscription pressure — how much you lose if you decline a monthly plan.
- Image quality — usable resolution, night vision and a field of view that covers the doorstep.
Prices change constantly and Amazon listings get reshuffled, so we link to current search results where a specific listing isn’t available rather than guessing at a particular SKU.
The Best Video Doorbells for Home Assistant
Reolink Video Doorbell PoE
The Reolink Video Doorbell PoE is the pick for anyone who wants a doorbell that behaves like a proper IP camera. It’s powered over Ethernet, records to a microSD card or to your own recorder, and exposes standard RTSP streams, which means Home Assistant, Frigate and your NVR can all read it without a cloud account. Reolink also maintains an official Home Assistant integration that surfaces the doorbell press, motion and person detection as entities.
💰 Buy on Amazon → Reolink Video Doorbell PoE
The trade-off is installation. You need an Ethernet run to the door, and the chime is a separate piece unless you wire it into an existing mechanical chime. For a new build or a house where you can already fish cable through the wall, it’s hard to beat.
Best for: local-first setups, NVR users and anyone avoiding subscriptions.
Ubiquiti UniFi G4 Doorbell Pro
If your network already runs on UniFi gear, the G4 Doorbell Pro slots into UniFi Protect and records to your own console with no per-camera fee. Its taller, near-square frame is excellent at catching packages, and the PoE connection keeps it online without a battery. Home Assistant has an official UniFi Protect integration that exposes the ring event, motion and the camera stream.
💰 Buy on Amazon → Ubiquiti UniFi G4 Doorbell Pro
The catch is the ecosystem. You need a UniFi console to get the full experience, so it’s a great fit if you already own a Dream Machine and an awkward one if you don’t. If you’re building out that kind of setup, our walkthrough on a secure home firewall gateway covers the gateway side.
Best for: UniFi households that want a clean, subscription-free Protect setup.
Amcrest Smart Video Doorbell
Amcrest sells doorbells that speak ONVIF and RTSP, and its cameras have long been a favorite with Home Assistant users because they’re predictable. Home Assistant supports Amcrest devices through an official Amcrest integration, and the stream can also be added through the generic camera or ONVIF integrations. Models differ in whether they’re Wi-Fi or PoE, so check the listing carefully before you buy.
💰 Buy on Amazon → Amcrest Video Doorbell
Amcrest doorbells tend to cost less than the big-name competition, and the app is workable though not as polished as Ring’s. It’s a sensible middle path when you want local streaming without paying for a full UniFi stack.
Best for: budget-conscious buyers who still want RTSP and ONVIF.
Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2
Ring isn’t a local-first system, and we won’t pretend otherwise. But the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 is hardwired, has a head-to-toe field of view and offers the most polished app on this list. Home Assistant has an official Ring integration that exposes ring events and motion as entities, though it relies on Ring’s cloud, so expect a short delay and a dependency on your internet connection.
💰 Buy on Amazon → Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2
Live video and recorded clips also lean on a Ring Protect plan. If you already own Ring cameras or your family loves the app, it’s a reasonable choice, provided you accept that the automation side isn’t fully local.
Best for: households already invested in the Ring ecosystem.
Eufy Video Doorbell (Wired)
Eufy built its reputation on local storage, which is why its doorbells show up in so many budget roundups. Many models store clips on a base station or onboard memory instead of requiring a cloud plan. Home Assistant support comes through community integrations rather than an official one, so expect to do some setup and to check compatibility with your specific model before buying.
💰 Buy on Amazon → Eufy Video Doorbell
That caveat matters. Community integrations can break when a vendor changes its API, so treat Eufy as the most hands-on option here, best suited to people who enjoy tinkering.
Best for: local storage fans who don’t mind community-maintained add-ons.
Comparison at a Glance
| Doorbell | Power | Local stream | Home Assistant support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reolink Video Doorbell PoE | PoE | RTSP | Official |
| UniFi G4 Doorbell Pro | PoE | Via UniFi Protect | Official |
| Amcrest Smart Video Doorbell | PoE or Wi-Fi (varies) | RTSP / ONVIF | Official |
| Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 | Hardwired | No | Official (cloud) |
| Eufy Video Doorbell | Wired or battery (varies) | Limited | Community |
Automations Worth Building With Your Doorbell
A doorbell gets far more useful once Home Assistant is acting on its events. These are the automations that earn their keep.
- Porch light on motion at night — turn on exterior lights when the doorbell detects a person after sunset, then fade them off after a few minutes.
- Announce visitors — send a notification with a snapshot to your phone, or play a chime through speakers when someone presses the button.
- Package watch — use person detection to flag lingering visitors, and pair it with a sensor on the mailbox.
- Presence-aware silencing — suppress the indoor chime when someone is asleep or a meeting is running.
- Lock follow-up — if the door has been unlocked after a visitor leaves, send a reminder to lock it.
For motion-driven lighting inside the house, a mmWave presence sensor is a better trigger than the doorbell camera, since it knows when the room is actually occupied.
Where to Store Doorbell Footage
Footage is also the part people regret not planning. A busy front door generates a surprising number of motion clips, and a cheap microSD card wears out faster than most buyers expect. Decide up front whether clips go to a card, a NAS, a dedicated recorder or the cloud, and size your storage for at least a couple of weeks of history.
Recording is the second half of the decision, and it’s where the best video doorbells diverge most sharply in long-term cost. A cloud plan is the easiest route, but it adds a monthly fee that grows with each camera. A local recorder or NAS keeps clips under your control and costs only the hardware. If you’re weighing options, our guide to local video storage for IP cameras explains retention, motion-triggered recording and which drives hold up under constant writes. And if you want a dedicated machine to run Frigate or Home Assistant itself, a low-power mini PC is a good fit.
Installation Tips
A good install is half the battle, and it’s where most people lose a weekend. Plan the cable route and the power source before you open the box, because the mounting bracket and chime wiring decide whether the doorbell sits flush and stays reliable. A little preparation also keeps the doorbell’s camera pointed at the right patch of porch, which matters more for motion detection than any spec on the box.
- Test the Wi-Fi at the door before committing to a wireless model; a weak signal ruins the experience.
- Use a dedicated VLAN for cameras and doorbells, and block them from reaching the internet if you use local streams only.
- Wire the chime correctly. Check your transformer’s voltage rating against the doorbell’s requirements before you connect anything.
- Angle the mount with the included wedge so the camera sees the doorstep instead of the street.
- Reserve a static IP for each doorbell so Home Assistant never loses it after a router reboot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do video doorbells work with Home Assistant without a subscription?
Yes, if you choose a model with RTSP or ONVIF support, or one that records locally. Reolink, UniFi and Amcrest all work this way. Ring’s live view and recordings, on the other hand, depend on a paid plan.
Is a PoE doorbell better than a Wi-Fi one?
For reliability, usually. PoE delivers power and data over one cable, so there’s no battery and no wireless dropouts. The only real cost is running the cable to the door.
Can I use my existing doorbell chime with Home Assistant?
Often, yes. Many wired doorbells can drive a mechanical chime, and Home Assistant can add smart notifications on top. Check the doorbell’s chime compatibility, since some models need an adapter.
Which of the best video doorbells is easiest to install?
Battery-powered and plug-in Wi-Fi models are the easiest, but they come with the weakest long-term reliability. A wired model that reuses your existing doorbell wiring is the sweet spot for most homes.
Do doorbell cameras record audio, and is that legal?
Most do, but audio recording rules differ by location. Check your local laws before enabling audio, particularly if the doorbell can pick up conversations on a neighbor’s property.
Will the doorbell still work if my internet goes down?
A local RTSP or PoE model will keep streaming to Home Assistant on your LAN. Cloud-dependent models lose live view and event delivery until the connection returns, which is why a UPS for your home network is worth considering.
